Death of current or former client

Case practitioner tasks

• Inform your supervisor or the team manager immediately you become aware of a death or suspected death of a current or former client.
• Complete a Client Incident Management System incident report when the death has occurred during service delivery and was unanticipated or unexpected (see Client Incident Management System (CIMS) policy for CIMS policy requirements and Allegations of harm to clients in care – Client Incident Management System (CIMS)
• Child protection is responsible for completing the incident report if the death has occurred during their service delivery. A CSO would be responsible for the incident report if it has occurred during their service delivery. See Allegations of harm to clients in care – Client Incident Management System (CIMS) for further information and steps required.
• In the event of the death of a current client – complete all case recording up to the time of the death, including paper file and CRIS.
  • Case records must be preserved in their entirety.
  • Record the child as deceased.
  • Do not make amendments or additions to existing case records. If corrections or clarifications are required, make a new case note referencing the original entry.
  • Use a new case note to record any case activity not yet recorded before the death.
  • Any data fix request must include a rationale and be approved by a team manager.
• If the child was subject to an order or proceedings before a Children's Court, notify the court of the death, and consult the CPLO or rural solicitor about withdrawal of the order or proceedings.
• Seek support and debriefing from your supervisor.
• If asked to provide statements surrounding the circumstances of the child’s death as part of a coroner’s investigation, seek advice from your supervisor and contact the Office of Professional Practice (coronial team).
• Note that there will be a child death inquiry review undertaken by the Commission for Children and Young People (CCYP) of which you may or may not be requested to participate in. 
• Notify other professionals who have a role.

Team manager tasks

• Inform the deputy area operations manager and area operations manager or director, child protection of the death. 
• For all deaths of clients known to child protection (including where Child Protection may be informed of the client’s death but are no longer involved) ensure the Office of Professional Practice is notified and confirm with the Office of Professional Practice if a notification will be made to the CCYP or Coroner’s Court.
• Check that a CIMS incident report is submitted when the death has occurred during service delivery in accordance with CIMS incident reporting guidelines. Child protection is responsible for submitting the CIMS when the incident has occurred during child protection service delivery – see Allegations of harm to clients in care – Client Incident Management System (CIMS) for further information.
• Make sure CRIS contains a record of the death and a record of any advice provided to police if required. 
• If the client’s CRIS file is requested by police or Coroner’s Court, contact the Office of Professional Practice (coronial team). 
• If known, ensure to record on CRIS a record of the death, and a record of any advice provided, or information ascertained by the police or the Coroner’s Court. 

If the case has been closed for over three months the child protection information release team in central office is responsible for providing a copy of the file.

• Arrange for affected staff to receive independent debriefing and support through the Child Protection Wellbeing Program, Employee Assistance Program and/or the Critical Incident Stress Management Service.
• Make sure all relevant persons are aware of the death and oversee a coordinated response to the death if necessary.
• Oversee the process of advice to out-of-home care services and other external services if required.
• In the event of the death of an Aboriginal child – contact ACSASS as soon as possible. There may be sensitivities extending through the Aboriginal community. These issues should be discussed with ACSASS.
• Oversee assessment of the safety and needs of other children in the family and direct timely follow-up as necessary.
• Consider the family’s support needs and guide timely follow-up as necessary. This may include an offer of practical support with funeral costs, counselling and other arrangements.
• Liaise with police when required.
• Oversee staff debriefing.

Area operations manager or director, child protection tasks

• Provide a notable matter email to the Operational Deputy Secretary COPL and Chief Practitioner. 
• In the case of a former client, confirm the reportable death (a death that appears to have been unexpected, unnatural or violent, or resulted directly or indirectly from accident or injury) or reviewable death (if the deceased child is the second or subsequent child of the parent to have died) has been reported to the Office of Professional Practice  who will advise the Coroner’s Court. 
• If the deceased is a former client whose case has been closed for more than 12 months, consider what action may be appropriate. If the circumstances of the death are likely to attract public interest, a notable matter email will be required.
• Oversee briefing processes and ongoing actions as required.

Supervisor tasks

• Provide ongoing supervision and support.
• Oversee staff debriefing.
• Oversee follow-up and support to family.
• Assist staff if they are required to give statements surrounding the circumstances of the child’s death as part of a coroner’s investigation. Seek advice from legal services regarding any request to give statements and ensure that legal services reviews any statement before it is provided to a coroner.

• Client Incident Management System (CIMS) policy
• Allegations of harm to clients in care – Client Incident Management System (CIMS)
• Death of current or former client - advice
• Victorian Coroners Court
• Incident reports