Eligibility
All children and young people aged 0-17 years residing in kinship care, foster care or residential care on a child protection are eligible for the Pathway to Good Health program.
The service prioritises children and young people who enter or re-enter care to receive an assessment of their health needs to support a decision about the best pathway of healthcare at the earliest opportunity.
Initial triage, screening and assessment
Initial screening through the Pathway to Good Health program will determine if a child or young person requires referral to services such as general practitioners, Maternal and Child Health services or more specialised treatment services.
The initial screening process will also determine if a child or young person requires a more comprehensive multidisciplinary assessment by the Pathway to Good Health team.
Screening and triage may include:
- general physical health
- immunisations
- dental health
- hearing and vision
- chronic health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, allergy
- developmental concerns
- mental wellbeing
- adolescent-specific issues such as sexual health and substance misuse.
Health Summary of initial needs
All children and young people who receive screening in the Pathway to Good Health program will receive a health summary that is provided to Child Protection for their records.
These health summaries may vary in detail, depending on the complexity of the child or young person’s health but will include relevant health information including any current health providers and recommendations for any additional health screens.
Support for a child or young person who is already receiving health care
The intake and triage process will identify if children and young people are already receiving health treatment or have a regular health provider.
The Pathway to Good Health program does not duplicate or replace any existing health assessments or treatment programs and will document the details of the treating health provider and share these with child protection.
Support a child or young person returning home
Children and young people who have been referred to Pathway to Good Health but who have returned home before the screening and assessment is complete will continue to be supported with the permission of their parent/s.
The Pathway to Good Health provider will work with parent/s to ensure that the health needs of the child and young person are looked after and that appropriate services are put in place.
Support for children and young people already in care
The Pathway to Good Health uses the point of entry and re-entry to care as the best time to provide early intervention for children and young people who come into care. The entry point will support carers and child protection practitioners to be fully aware of the health needs of the child or young person so that they can be well supported in their placement and care planning.
Some children and young people may have been in care for some time and have a range of health needs that are not currently being addressed. Where capacity exists in the Pathway to Good Health service, these children and young people will also be supported to receive a health assessment. The health needs of these children and young people should be discussed with the Pathway to Good Health provider by Child Protection practitioners or carers to determine the best course of action.
Multidisciplinary assessment and health planning
Paediatricians and allied health practitioners as part of the Pathway to Good Health team provide multidisciplinary assessments for children and young people identified with more complex needs during screening and triage.
Multidisciplinary teams assess children and young people to identify their health, wellbeing and functional needs. This includes assessment of physical, developmental, emotional and behavioural domains.
Health Management Plan
The multidisciplinary team develops a detailed health management plan, including the child or young person’s health needs, treatment recommendations and referrals. The plan is shared with Child Protection and their carer to support any ongoing health interventions for the child or young person.
Child Protection may also share or agree that the Pathway to Good Health provider can share the health management plan with other professionals working with the child or young person.
How the program supports recommendations
Pathway to Good Health providers are funded to support the initial triage, assessment and health management plan. Referrals for ongoing health interventions are made to other health providers. Where possible, Pathway to Good Health providers prioritise children or young people in the program to access other health services they deliver.
The Pathway to Good Health program regularly reviews children and young people, including their health summaries and health management plans to ensure that recommendations and referrals have been acted on and documented.
Consent for health screening and assessment
Children and young people in care are subject to a Protection Order under the Children, Youth and Family Act 2005. There are provisions in the Act that enable the children and young people to undergo a health assessment without parental and/or carer consent being provided. However, best practice is for Child Protection to keep parents and/or carers informed and consulted wherever possible.
Following the initial triage, screening and assessment, treatment may be recommended. Consent will be required from the relevant person holding parental responsibility for the child to commence treatment.
The following people are able to provide consent for treatment:
- Children, if they are aged 14 years or over and able to demonstrate to a health practitioner that they have the level of maturity and understanding required to give informed consent. (These children are considered to be mature - young people deemed to be able to provide consent for their own treatment if they meet the ‘mature minor’ or ‘Gillick principle’).
- The parents of the child, if they retain parental responsibility and the child is under 14 years of age or does not have the demonstrated level of maturity and understanding or give informed consent.
- The delegate of the Secretary, Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, if the Secretary has parental responsibility for the child.
- The authority to consent for recommended treatment for a child subject to a family reunification, Care by Secretary or Long-Term Care order, even if the child’s parent/s object, is provided for in s597 (3) of the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005. Within Child Protection, only the Area Executive Director or Director can authorise treatment under this section.
- The child’s carer, if they are authorised and within the limits of the authorisation by the child’s case planner (Child Protection) or by the Chief Executive Officer of a Community Service Organisation – via a standard authorisation or child specific authorisation.
- A Community Service Organisation authorised under s597 of the Act. The Community Service Organisation will be able to provide the relevant authorisation detailing the consent provided and the role of the person in the Community Service Organisation who has been authorised to provide consent.
Read more about consent for medical examination and treatment in the Child Protection .
Service Framework
We have developed a Service Framework to guide health services implementing the program:
Reviewed 01 November 2024