Introduction
The protection order phase concludes when:
- the protection order ends or is revoked with no further order made or possible
- a permanent care order has been made.
For further information see Concluding the protection order phase-advice.
Procedure
Case practitioner tasks
- Consult with your supervisor, review the outcomes of the case plan and assess all goals and risks to be addressed and whether risk of significant harm is no longer present.
- Organise a case plan review six weeks before the expiry of an order and plan for case closure.
- Refer the child or family to ongoing community services and consult with the community-based senior child protection practitioner where appropriate.
- Conduct a final visit and sight the child, regardless of age. If the practitioner is unable to sight the child because the family are unwilling to allow this to occur, it may be sufficient for another professional to sight the child and provide the practitioner with feedback, for example, maternal child health nurse, childcare agency, school, family general practitioner (GP), family service.
- If a family is unable to be located and therefore the child cannot be sighted, the reason for not being able to locate and sight the child must be clearly documented on the case closure summary.
- Write to the child, family, involved professionals and advise of the case closure decision and future contact pathways if other concerns arise.
- Update the infant response decision if required.
A case cannot be closed in CRIS if the infant response decision is recorded as infant intensive response required.
- Record an outcome of ‘Move to closure on protection order phase’ in CRIS and complete closure requirements in CRIS.
Supervisor tasks
- Provide ongoing support and consultation to the case practitioner and endorse key decisions.
Practice leader tasks
- Endorse case closure decision where appropriate, for example, to re-classify an infant case from infant intensive response required to infant response required, or high-risk youth.
Case planner tasks
- Endorse case closure and closure plan.
Related procedures