The Client Incident Management System (CIMS) is an incident reporting and management system for department-delivered and department-funded services. The primary purpose of CIMS is to safeguard clients. It does this by providing timely and effective responses to incidents that have harmed a child or young person during service delivery. This, in turn, enables service providers to enhance service delivery by learning from incidents.
All service providers, including Child Protection, are required to report client incidents that occur during service delivery and result in harm to a child or young person or were reasonably likely to cause serious harm to a child or young person in CIMS.
Incidents in scope of CIMS reporting are those that occur while a child or young person is in the care of anyone other than their parent, as approved by Child Protection. Parent is defined in the Children Youth and Families Act 2005 (CYFA). All incidents that occur while the child is outside of parental care, whether in a statutory or voluntary capacity, are in scope of CIMS reporting.
The detailed CIMS policy and guidance can be found on the CIMS webpage. This document details:
- incident reporting, investigation and review requirements
- roles and responsibilities: key actions, service providers are required to take, including when to report, investigate, or review incidents, and analyse and learn from incidents.
As service providers, Child Protection practitioners are responsible for reporting incidents which are in scope of CIMS, and for the follow up actions outlined in the CIMS policy. These actions include investigating allegations of abuse or neglect and unexplained injuries for children in care arrangements assessed and approved by child protection, such as kinship or respite care. Child protection practitioners are also required to conduct incident reviews following major impact incidents of other types (see CIMS policy for further guidance).
Examples of in-scope care arrangements include:
- kinship care placements, approved and managed by Child Protection
- respite placements approved by Child Protection
- circumstances when a child is one on one with a Child Protection practitioner (such as being transported).
Incidents that are not in scope of a CIMS incident report include:
- incidents which occur while the child is in the care of parents
- kinship care arrangements not approved by Child Protection (such as family arranged)
- kinship care placements under assessment by Child Protection.
Community Service Organisations (CSOs) are responsible for completing an incident report for placements they manage, including:
- kinship care (contracted or managed by the CSO)
- placements made via a referral to the Placement Support and Planning team.
Further advice is available in the CIMS policy and guidance, section 3.4 CIMS policy and guidance – providers’ page
Where an incident is reported by a CSO, Child Protection continue their usual business including:
- work as part of the care team
- support the organisation undertaking the incident reporting and investigation
- stay informed about how the CIMS process is progressing
- share relevant information such as case notes or interview notes, with the investigator to facilitate a fair investigation and reduce the number of times participants are interviewed
- complete all tasks associated with a new allegation if the incident also meets the criteria for a new allegation (See New allegations)
Privacy considerations
CIMS incident, investigation and review reports are accessible by multiple people who are not protective interveners.
Protected information, such as the identity of a person who makes a new report to Child Protection, must not be disclosed in CIMS, in accordance with the Children Youth and Families Act 2005 (CYFA). Seek legal advice if required.
It is important Child Protection share relevant child wellbeing or safety information with service providers when service providers are completing CIMS requirements, so they can conduct complete and accurate CIMS investigations about an allegation of abuse or neglect of a child in care which is managed by the CSO. In most cases, relevant information can be shared under provisions in the CYFA. See Information sharing in child protection practice https://www.cpmanual.vic.gov.au/our-approach/information-sharing/information-sharing-child-protection-practice for more information. If Child Protection is unable to share appropriately under the CYFA, the Child Information Sharing Scheme (CISS) may apply. See Child Information Sharing Scheme and Child Protection https://www.cpmanual.vic.gov.au/our-approach/information-sharing/information-sharing-child-protection-practice for more information.
Reportable Conduct Scheme (RCS) and CIMS
Incidents that occur in kinship care, or while the child is in the care of a departmental staff member, may also be in scope of the Reportable Conduct Scheme.
An RCS investigation must be completed instead of a CIMS investigation for incidents that are in scope of both.
The department’s Integrity Unit can provide advice, including confirmation of whether an incident is in scope of the RCS, and provide guidance and investigation templates. The Integrity Unit, as the department’s RCS delegates, will submit the RCS report to the Commission of Children and Young People. The Integrity Unit will then confirm that Child Protection can submit the endorsed RCS report into CIMS. Best practice is for one investigation to be conducted comprehensively, without repeat interviews or re-work. For more information on RCS see Reportable conduct scheme.
Additional considerations for CIMS investigations
Aboriginal clients
CIMS investigations may have a disproportionate impact on Aboriginal clients, carers and others involved in an incident because of oppressive legislation and practices that have had an enduring impact on the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal people.
CIMS policy includes extra requirements for incidents and investigations involving Aboriginal children and young people. These involve consultation with ACSASS or the ACAC provider in developing the investigation plan and at agreed points throughout the investigation.
The investigator and investigation manager must be appropriately skilled in ensuring an investigation is conducted in a culturally safe way. Aboriginal organisations are best placed to advise and inform on how to engage and support Aboriginal children, carers and families. Recommendations and advice from Aboriginal leaders should be prioritised throughout the investigation.
Visit the department’s website for information on how to strengthen cultural safety in practice https://www.dffh.vic.gov.au/publications/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-cultural-safety-framework
Under 18s client-to-client
Client-to-client incident investigations for clients who are both under the age of 18 years differ from incidents where a staff member is alleged to have abused or neglected a client. Both clients may be children or young people living together, such as in a residential care or home-based care, where it is more appropriate for an investigation to focus on the harm experienced by both children.
It is important when undertaking a client-to-client incident investigation when both children are under the age of 18 years that the investigator is skilled in using a trauma-informed lens and compassionate language. The investigation should identify situational or systemic factors that have led to the incident. The investigation should include a risk and needs assessment for both children to ensure their experiences are validated and identify appropriate strategies to meet their needs.
Kinship care
The Carers Recognition Act (2012) formally acknowledges the important contribution that people in care relationships make. The Act is supported by the Victorian charter supporting people in care relationships (the charter), which includes care provided by foster and kinship carers.
When managing an incident where the carer is the subject of an allegation, the service provider must act in a way that upholds the charter.
Principles of the charter are that carers must:
- be respected and recognised:
- as an individual with their own needs
- as a carer
- as someone with special knowledge of the person in their care
- be supported as an individual and as a carer, including during changes to the care relationship
- be recognised for their efforts and dedication as a carer
- have their views and cultural identity considered, together with the views, cultural identity, needs and best interests of the child or young people for whom they provide care
- have their social wellbeing and health recognised in matters relating to the care relationship.
Refer to the DFFH Providers website for more information on the Carers Recognition Act https://providers.dffh.vic.gov.au/carers-recognition-act-2012.
For kinship carers, during the investigation planning stage, consideration must include:
- the relationship with the child or young person
- the length of the relationship
- the history of the carer.
All allegations of abuse and neglect must be investigated. The same thresholds and investigation requirements apply to investigations into allegations against kinship carers. However, to ensure the investigation upholds CIMS principles, extra considerations are needed for kinship carers. Kinship carers enter the care system through a different pathway from foster carers or residential care staff. Kinship carers may have different support and training and often hold existing relationships with the children and young people they care for.
Approaching a CIMS investigation into the conduct of a kinship carer should include specific consideration of:
- the history and life experiences of the carer
- how the carer entered the care relationship
- what system or support networks are in place to support the carer in the care relationship
- how the kinship relationship can be strengthened and preserved (if appropriate).
See related CIMS pages below for procedures and information on responding to new allegations
- Client Incident Management System (CIMS) policy
- Allegations of harm to clients in care - Client Incident Management System (CIMS) procedure
- New Allegations
The CIMS policy and guidance, templates, and other supporting guidance can be found on the department’s Funded Provider webpage about CIMS https://providers.dffh.vic.gov.au/cims
Please use the CIMS funded providers webpage to source the most up to date guidance.
Information about the Reportable Conduct Scheme, including the DFFH RCS policy can be found on the Reportable Conduct Scheme DFFH internal SharePoint page
CIMS learning and development information can be found at: https://providers.dffh.vic.gov.au/cims-learning-and-development, including two short e-learning modules which are particularly helpful for new CIMS users:
- CIMS eLearning (mandatory for all staff in scope for reporting in CIMS and should be reviewed annually)
- CIMS investigations e-Learn
Please see the CIMS and CRIS process map to see how CIMS reports are processed in CRIS.