A common approach for identifying and responding early to indicators of need

• The Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth

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24 February 2011Current systems for protecting children in Australia are struggling to achieve their primary objective - to meet the needs of children. The statutory child protection system is overburdened with notifications of alleged child abuse and neglect, with numbers more than tripling nationally between 1999/2000 (107,134) and 2008/2009 (339,454) (AIHW 2008 and 2010). This represents huge demand on the resources within child protection agencies to assess and investigate these reports, and on government resources more broadly.

The new approach is being developed under the auspices of the Common Approach to Assessment, Referral and Support (CAARS) Taskforce, which was established by the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY) and the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) in 2009. The CAARS project is one of the 12 National Priorities planned during the initial three year period of the COAG National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children 2009-2020: Protecting Children is Everyone’s Business.

The Common Approach promotes the use of common language across professions and can be embedded in existing practice. With it universal service providers will have at their disposal a comprehensive and, at the same time, easy-to-use instrument that helps them identify the needs of children and families at an early stage. The Common Approach also provides guidance to practitioners on the next steps involved in assisting and empowering these children and families to meet their needs in an effective and timely manner. The Common Approach is thus expected to enhance the capacity of universal service providers to identify the strengths, concerns, protective factors and unmet needs of children, young people and families, and to facilitate a pathway to appropriate support services.

Ultimately, a consistent approach to responding early to need as a way of preventing an escalation of problems will contribute to the overall goal of enhancing the safety and wellbeing of Australia’s children.