THIS PROCEDURE COMMENCES ON 30 SEPTEMBER 2026, AT THE SAME TIME AS THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE YOUTH JUSTICE ACT 2024
Child Protection and Youth Justice work with children and young people who may be involved with Child Protection and Youth Justice programs simultaneously. It is critical for all programs to work together, within the operational and legislative contexts of their respective programs, to maximise positive outcomes for young people and their families.
Case practitioner tasks
General tasks
- Familiarise yourself with the Guiding Youth Justice principles and apply these when undertaking tasks authorised by the Youth Justice Act 2024 (including information sharing and participation in Youth Justice processes).
- Regularly communicate and liaise with Youth Justice case manager. Provide general advice and support to Youth Justice regarding:
- Child Protection program, system and processes, including Court orders and any changes in statutory conditions
- strategies to address protective concerns
- progress of the young person, including any changes in circumstances or risk, including regarding the young person’s family during the protective order
- any change in accommodation
- referrals to services that will provide family support and address protective concerns
- If the young person is in care, coordinate with the service provider to provide daily updates to the Youth Justice case manager
- Invite all services to case planning or case review meetings where decisions to change the case plan are likely to be made. For example, when a young person is remanded in custody or sentenced to a custodial or community-based order in the Criminal Division of the Children’s Court.
- Establish and convene a care team meeting with Youth Justice and the young person, their family (where appropriate), other relevant services and Youth Justice custodial services when the young person is remanded or sentenced.
- Decide who has Care Team Coordination responsibility:
- Where a child or young person is involved with both Child Protection and Youth Justice, Youth Justice must be invited to participate in care team meetings.
- Where Child Protection has parental responsibility for the child or young person, Child Protection should coordinate the care team and take the lead in arranging and managing care team meetings. If the child or young person is case contracted, it may be appropriate for the contracted case manager to coordinate the care team.
- Where Child Protection does not hold parental responsibility and the child or young person is subject to Youth Justice supervision, Child Protection and Youth Justice may negotiate on who will assume the role of the Care team coordinator and take the lead in arranging and managing the care team meetings.
- Decide who has Care Team Coordination responsibility:
Youth Justice information sharing requests
When responding to an information sharing request under the Youth Justice Act 2024 (YJ Act) practitioners must:
- Review the request received from Youth Justice in CRIS and ensure the information provided is accurate, relevant to the purpose of the request and up to date. Where there are concerns about the information being requested, practitioners should consult with their supervisor or seek advice from the Information Sharing Team
- Where clarification is required regarding the information requested, practitioners may wish to discuss with Youth Justice before responding, particularly if it is unclear how the information request is relevant to the role of Youth Justice
- Where Child Protection is required to provide information in relation to an Aboriginal young person, Child Protection must consult with the Aboriginal Child Specialist Advice and Support Service (ACSASS)
- Complete the response to the request and generate the document in CRIS
- Submit the report to the team manager for endorsement
- Once endorsed, the document will be made available to Youth Justice via CRIS within the required timeframe.
Children’s Court of Victoria information sharing or attendance requests (s.401 YJ Act)
For children and young people subject of a protection application or protection order, the criminal division of the Children’s Court may order Child Protection under s.401 of the YJ Act, to attend any criminal proceedings, provide a report to the court or provide information that the court requires to Youth Justice. When preparing a report under s.401 of the YJ Act, the practitioner must:
- consult their supervisor and the Child Protection Litigation Office (CPLO) regarding the court report and attendance
- complete the report in CRIS. The information should focus on the child or young person’s circumstances, safety and wellbeing, development, support needs and risk of harm.
- submit the report to the team manager for endorsement
- upload the endorsed report to court portal within the required time frame
- attend court and provide information or assistance, if required by the court.
- Where there is a pre-authorised Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO), liaise with them on key information and invite them to attend Court where relevant.
For After-Hours requests relating to bail hearings, the court will email the After-Hours Child Protection Service (AHCPS) to arrange attendance or provide information at the Weekend Online Remand Court (WORC). The Young People's Outreach Team (YPOT) will consult with the relevant ACCO where there is an open s.18 matter.
The process for responding to requests for reports or attendance at court is outlined in the s.401 Court Report Process Map, see Information Sharing Team (IST) intranet site [link once updated] and CPLO Children's Court - Criminal Division Guide [add link].
Attending Youth Justice-led Group Conferences, Multi-Agency and High Risk Panels
- The allocated worker and their supervisor will participate in the Youth Justice-led group conferences.
- Participation in Youth Justice High Risk and Multi-Agency Panel meetings is delegated to Child Protection Executives (Child Protection Director or Executive Director, Statewide Principal Practitioner and above).
- Attend and contribute to coordinated planning, information sharing and service delivery.
- Record information in CRIS regarding attendance.
Note: Strict information sharing restrictions apply to information received during a youth justice group conference. This information must not be recorded in CRIS, expect with the consent of all participants or the leave of the Children’s Court.
Supervisor tasks
- provide ongoing supervision and support
- attend court and provide information where required
Team manager tasks
- review and endorse information proposed to be shared with Youth Justice
- review and endorse court reports
- attend court and provide information where required
- provide guidance and support where required
Children and Young People involved with Child Protection and Youth Justice - Advice
Information Sharing in Child Protection Practice
Information Sharing Team SharePoint Site
CPLO Children's Court - Criminal Division Guide