Report on Government Services 2016

Chapter 15, Volume F

Child protection

The Child protection services chapter (chapter 15) 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
Indigenous Data

Nationally, 42 457 children aged 0-17 years were the subject of a substantiation in 2014 15, however the criteria for substantiation vary across jurisdictions.

At 30 June 2015, 48 730 children aged 0-17 years were on care and protection orders nationally, 16 922 of whom were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.

At 30 June 2015, 43 399 children were in out-of-home care nationally, 15 455 of whom were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.

Total recurrent expenditure on child protection, out-of-home care, family support services and intensive family support services was $4.3 billion nationally in 2014-15 — a real increase of $239.2 million (5.8 per cent) from 2013-14.

Child protection services aim to:

assist families to protect children and young people
protect children and young people who are at risk of abuse and neglect within their families or whose families do not have the capacity to provide care and protection
provide quality care for children and young people aged 0-17 years 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 2016 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

Proportion of investigations completed within 28 days of notification, 2014-15

Most recent data for this measure are not comparable but are complete (subject to caveats) (chapter 15)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	48.6	33.4	21.3	20.7	24.2	33.7	22.2	37.5	38.2

Source: Attachment table 15A.16

Proportion of investigations completed in more than 90 days from notification, 2014-15

Most recent data for this measure are not comparable but are complete (subject to caveats) (chapter 15)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	19.4	22.1	24.4	37.5	29.2	15.7	5.0	27.7	22.5

Source: Attachment table 15A.16

Substantiation rate

Proportion of finalised child protection investigations that were substantiated, 2014-15

Most recent data for this measure are not comparable but are complete (subject to caveats) (chapter 15)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	35.8	58.9	33.5	32.7	49.3	69.4	41.0	38.7	40.1

Source: Attachment table 15A.9

Effectiveness — Out-of-home care indicators

Safety in out-of-home care

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, 2014-15

Most recent data for this measure are neither comparable or complete (chapter 15)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	0.7	0.6	1.7	0.1	na	0.6	1.2	na	..

Source: Attachment table 15A.27

Stability of placement

Proportion of children on a care and protection order exiting care after less than 12 months in 1 or 2 placements, 2014-15

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete (subject to caveats) (chapter 15)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	89.6	89.7	84.2	82.5	87.8	94.7	95.8	77.8	87.8

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, 2014-15

Most recent data for this measure are comparable (subject to caveats) and complete (chapter 15)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	72.8	46.0	41.1	57.4	29.2	56.5	63.4	34.1	60.3

Source: Attachment table 15A.26

Children aged under 12 years in home-based care

Proportion of children aged under 12 years in out-of-home care who were in a home-based placement at 30 June 2015

Most recent data for this measure are comparable (subject to caveats) and complete (chapter 15)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	99.4	99.1	97.6	93.7	88.3	95.6	97.9	93.0	97.4

Source: Attachment table 15A.25

Placement with extended family

Proportion of children in out-of-home care placed with relatives/kin, 30 June 2015

Most recent data for this measure are comparable (subject to caveats) and complete (chapter 15)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	49.1	54.9	42.9	49.5	44.4	28.2	53.1	3.2	47.3

Source: Attachment table 15A.23

Placement in accordance with the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle

Proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children placed in accordance with the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle, 30 June 2015

Most recent data for this measure are comparable (subject to caveats) and complete (chapter 15)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	79.1	71.8	56.5	64.4	66.5	38.8	56.4	34.8	67.1

Source: Attachment table 15A.24

Children with current documented case plans

Proportion of children with current documented case plans, 30 June 2015

Most recent data for this measure are neither comparable or complete (chapter 15)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	79.9	99.2	97.1	82.2	na	68.2	87.7	na	86.6

Source: Attachment table 15A.17

Efficiency — Child protection services indicators

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

Expenditure per notification, 2014-15

Most recent data for this measure are not comparable but are complete (chapter 15)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
$	3043	2180	14 086	9159	2841	1422	1303	2081	..

Source: Attachment table 15A.2

Expenditure per investigation, 2014-15

Most recent data for this measure are not comparable but are complete (chapter 15)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
$	5091	7953	14 086	11 490	11 344	12 090	8560	5002	..

Source: Attachment table 15A.2

Expenditure per substantiation, 2014-15

Most recent data for this measure are not comparable but are complete (chapter 15)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
$	14 529	14 143	48 922	42 543	26 817	21 331	23 291	17 783	..

Source: Attachment table 15A.2

Efficiency — Out-of-home care services indicators

Total expenditure on all out-of-home care divided by the number of children in all out-of-home care at 30 June

Cost per child in out-of-home care, 2014-15

Most recent data for this measure are not comparable but are complete (chapter 15)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
$	52 908	51 809	52 799	62 257	80 830	44 086	51 165	98 551	..

Source: Attachment table 15A.3

out-of-home care expenditure per placement night

Cost per placement night, 2014-15

Most recent data for this measure are not comparable but are complete (chapter 15)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
$	143	151	146	176	230	123	151	287	157

Source: Attachment table 15A.29

Outcome indicators

Improved safety

Substantiation rate after decision not to substantiate, 3 months, 2013-14

Most recent data for this measure are not comparable but are complete (chapter 15)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	5.3	6.4	3.7	2.4	7.4	4.1	4.0	6.4	..

Source: Attachment table 15A.10

Substantiation rate after decision not to substantiate, 12 months, 2013-14

Data for this measure are not comparable, but complete (subject to caveats) (chapter 15)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	14.1	17.2	10.6	8.8	15.5	16.6	14.5	18.2	..

Source: Attachment table 15A.10

Substantiation rate after a prior substantiation, 3 months, 2013-14

Most recent data for this measure are not comparable but are complete (chapter 15)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	10.2	2.7	7.4	5.1	11.6	5.1	8.2	8.2	..

Source: Attachment table 15A.11

Substantiation rate after a prior substantiation, 12 months, 2013-14

Most recent data for this measure are not comparable but are complete (chapter 15)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	22.3	15.2	18.2	13.8	21.9	18.5	17.4	22.4	..

Source: Attachment table 15A.11

Legend

na Not available.

.. Not applicable.

Source: Chapter 15 and attachment 15A

Performance indicator data for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in this chapter are available in the attachment tables listed below. Contextual data and further supporting information can be found in the chapter.

Indigenous child protection data
Table number	Table title
Table 15A.5	Child protection notifications, investigations and substantiations by Indigenous status
Table 15A.6	Number of children admitted to and discharged from care and protection orders by Indigenous status
Table 15A.7	Number of children on care and protection orders by type of order and Indigenous status, at 30 June
Table 15A.8	Children in notifications, investigations and substantiations and on care and protection orders, per 1000 children in the target population, and by Indigenous status
Table 15A.17	Children with documented case plans, by Indigenous status, at 30 June
Table 15A.18	Children in out-of-home care: number and rate per 1000 children aged 0-17 years by Indigenous status
Table 15A.19	Children in out-of-home care by Indigenous status and placement type, 30 June (number)
Table 15A.20	Children in out-of-home care by Indigenous status and whether on a care and protection order, 30 June (number)
Table 15A.21	Children in out-of-home care by Indigenous status and length of time in continuous out-of-home care, 30 June (number)
Table 15A.22	Children who exited out-of-home care during the year by Indigenous status and length of time spent in care (number)
Table 15A.23	Children in out-of-home care placed with relatives/kin by Indigenous status, 30 June
Table 15A.24	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care by relationship of caregiver, 30 June
Table 15A.25	Children aged under 12 years in out-of-home care and in a home-based placement, by Indigenous status, 30 June
Table 15A.31	Intensive family support services: number of children aged 0-17 years commencing intensive family support services by Indigenous status and gender
Table 15A.34	Target population data used for annual data, December ('000)
Table 15A.35	Target population data used for end of financial year data, March ('000)