Report on Government Services 2015

Chapter 15, Volume F

Child protection

The Child protection services chapter (chapter 15) of the Report on Government Services reports on the performance of governments in providing child protection, out of home care and family support services.

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Key Facts
Indicator Framework
Indicator Results

Nationally, 40 844 children aged 0-17 years were the subject of a substantiation in 2013-14, however the criteria for substantiation vary across jurisdictions.

At 30 June 2014, 45 746 children aged 0-17 years were on care and protection orders nationally, 15 504 of which were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.

At 30 June 2014, 43 009 children were in out-of-home care nationally, 14 991 of which were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. Total recurrent expenditure on child protection and out-of-home care services was approximately $3.3 billion across Australia in 2013-14 — a real increase of $77.8 million (2.4 per cent) from 2012-13.

Child protection services aim to protect children and young people at risk of harm within their family or in circumstances in which the family of the child/young person does not have the capacity to protect them. Services also aim to assist families to protect children and young people. Out-of-home care services aim to provide quality care for children/young people who cannot live with their parents for reasons of safety or family crisis.

The performance indicator framework provides information on equity, efficiency and effectiveness, and distinguishes the outputs and outcomes of child protection services. The performance indicator framework shows which data are complete and comparable in the 2015 Report.

Indicator framework explained in the chapter

An overview of the Child protection services performance indicator results are presented. Information to assist the interpretation of these data can be found in the indicator interpretation boxes in the Child protection services chapter and attachment tables.

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Effectiveness — Child protection indicators

Response times

Data for this indicator are not complete or not directly comparable (chapter 15)

Proportion of investigations completed within 28 days of notification.
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	62.9	33.6	26.5	27.6	32.8	29.2	19.5	37.1	45.8

Source: Attachment table 15A.16.

Proportion of investigations completed in more than 90 days from notification.
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	8.2	21.5	20.9	29.1	20.8	22.4	17.3	25.4	15.7

Source: Attachment table 15A.16.

Substantiation rate

Data for this indicator are not complete or not directly comparable (chapter 15)

Proportion of finalised child protection investigations that were substantiated.
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	40.7	59.8	36.1	30.1	48.9	60.9	38.3	46.1	42.7

Source: Attachment table 15A.9.

Effectiveness — Out-of-home care indicators

Safety in out-of-home care

Data for this indicator are not complete or not directly comparable (chapter 15)

Children in care who were the subject of a substantiation and the person responsible was living in the household providing out-of-home care, as a proportion of all children in care.
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	0.3	1.1	1.6	0.2	0.4	0.7	2.6	na	..

Legend: na Not available; .. Not applicable
Source: Attachment table 15A.27.

Stability of placement

Data for this indicator are comparable, subject to caveats (chapter 15)

Proportion of children on a care and protection order exiting care after less than 12 months in 1 or 2 placements.
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	89.7	78.8	88.5	na	82.3	90.1	75.5	88.3	84.1

Legend: na Not available
Source: Attachment table 15A.26.

Proportion of children on a care and protection order exiting care after 12 months or more in 1 or 2 placements.
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	51.6	48.4	43.5	na	36.7	47.4	51.9	33.3	46.9

Legend: na Not available
Source: Attachment table 15A.26.

Children aged under 12 years in home based care

Data for this indicator are comparable, subject to caveats (chapter 15)

Proportion of children aged under 12 years in out-of-home care who were in a home-based placement at 30 June.
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	99.6	98.1	97.7	93.6	91.3	95.7	98.8	92.4	97.6

Source: Attachment table 15A.25.

Placement with extended family

Data for this indicator are comparable, subject to caveats (chapter 15)

Proportion of children in out-of-home care placed with relatives/kin at 30 June.
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	55.2	50.3	40.4	48.9	44.2	28.7	53.0	1.9	48.5

Source: Attachment table 15A.23.

Placement in accordance with the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle

Data for this indicator are comparable, subject to caveats (chapter 15)

Proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children placed in accordance with the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle.
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	81.4	66.9	55.1	65.9	66.7	40.5	55.3	42.6	68.7

Source: Attachment table 15A.24.

Efficiency — Child protection services indicators

Total expenditure on all child protection activities per notification, investigation and substantiation

Data for this indicator are not complete or not directly comparable (chapter 15)

Expenditure per notification.
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
$	3125	2300	12 835	8799	2782	1629	1104	2722	..

Legend: .. Not applicable
Source: Attachment table 15A.2.

Expenditure per investigation.
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
$	5980	8887	12 835	11 384	8332	14 266	8711	7182	..

Legend: .. Not applicable
Source: Attachment table 15A.2.

Expenditure per substantiation.
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
$	15 019	15 796	40 305	42 254	19 889	26 938	26 075	21 577	..

Legend: .. Not applicable
Source: Attachment table 15A.2.

Efficiency — Out-of-home care services indicators

Out-of-home care expenditure per placement night

Data for this indicator are not complete or not directly comparable (chapter 15)

Out-of-home care expenditure per placement night.
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
$	123	152	143	174	170	122	146	279	142

Source: Attachment table 15A.29.

Total expenditure on all children in residential and non-residential out-of-home care per child in residential and non-residential out-of-home care

Data for this indicator are not complete or not directly comparable (chapter 15)

Total expenditure on all out-of-home care divided by the number of children in all out-of-home care at 30 June.
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
$	43 908	52 157	51 246	60 695	61 539	44 839	55 047	91 058	..

Legend: .. Not applicable
Source: Attachment table 15A.3.

Outcomes

Improved safety

Data for this indicator are not complete or not directly comparable (chapter 15)

Substantiation rate after decision not to substantiate, 3 months.
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	6.5	4.4	4.2	3.1	7.8	4.2	4.9	3.7	..

Legend: .. Not applicable
Source: Attachment table 15A.10.

Substantiation rate after decision not to substantiate, 12 months.
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	16.5	15.1	11.6	9.0	16.0	13.7	11.2	14.8	..

Legend: .. Not applicable
Source: Attachment table 15A.10.

Substantiation rate after a prior substantiation, 3 months.
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	8.8	2.6	8.6	5.9	8.5	7.2	16.8	6.2	..

Legend: .. Not applicable
Source: Attachment table 15A.11.

Substantiation rate after a prior substantiation, 12 months.
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	22.2	13.2	19.8	13.4	20.3	21.6	28.4	20.5	..

Legend: .. Not applicable
Source: Attachment table 15A.11.