Eligibility
All children and young people aged 0-17 years residing in kinship care, foster care or residential care on a child protection order 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 at the earliest opportunity.
Initial triage, screening and assessment
Health Navigators at the Pathway to good health service arranges initial screening and assessment for referred children and young people. Based on initial assessment, health navigators may refer children to general practitioners, maternal and child health, specialist medical or allied health services for a range of physical, developmental or mental health conditions.
Screening and triage may include:
- general physical health
- immunisations
- dental health
- chronic health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, allergy
- developmental concerns
- mental wellbeing
- adolescent specific issues such as sexual health and substance misuse.
The intake and triage process will also assess if the child or young person is already engaged with a health provider. The Pathway to good health will ensure that any existing health provider information is documented and shared with Child Protection.
Service system navigation to support children and carers
The Health Navigator works collaboratively with children, their carers and parents, to ensure care is coordinated, timely and tailored to children's needs. They also assist children, young people and their carers to build the knowledge, skills and confidence to navigate the health service system and access the health services they need.
Multidisciplinary assessment and health planning
Paediatricians and allied health practitioners provide multidisciplinary assessments for children with more complex needs following screening and triage.
Following this assessment, a health management plan will be developed that includes children’s health needs, treatment recommendations and referrals. The plan is shared with Child Protection for ongoing health care planning and delivery as part of the child or young person’s case planning.
Support during different stages of care
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 for children returning home
Children who have been referred to Pathway to good health but have returned home before the screening and assessment is complete will continue to be supported.
The Pathway to good health provider will work with the parent/s to ensure that the health needs of the child or young person are looked after and that appropriate services are put in place.
Support for children and young people already in care
Pathway to good health uses the trigger point of entry and re-entry to care as the best time to provide early intervention for children who come into care. The entry point will support carers and child protection practitioners to be fully aware at the time of entry to care of the health needs of the child or young person so that they can be well supported in their placement and case 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, then these children will also be supported to receive a health assessment. The health needs of these children should be discussed with the Pathway to good health provider by Child Protection practitioners or carers to determine the best course of action.
Assessment and service delivery
Assessment for disability
Multidisciplinary teams will assess children for a range of conditions, including disability. They will not be undertaking functional disability/ needs or autism assessments, so referrals to qualified providers will need to be made for these assessments including determination of eligibility for the NDIS.
The Pathway to good health service will identify when these referrals should be made and the most appropriate service for the child to be referred for more detailed assessments.
Service delivery modes
Pathway to good health will work closely with local Child Protection services and carers to ensure that services are delivered in the most accessible way for the child or young person.
This may include outreach, telehealth or secondary consultation to support improved access to services.
Health management plans for children entering or re-entering care
All children who receive screening or assessment in the Pathway to good health program will receive a health management plan. These plans may vary in detail, depending on the complexity of the child or young person’s health needs and whether they are already engaged with a health provider.
More detailed health management plans will be provided for children and young people who receive a multidisciplinary assessment due to a greater complexity of need.
How the program supports recommendations
Pathway to good health providers have only received funding to support the initial triage, assessment and health management plan. This means that ongoing health interventions may need to be referred to other parts of the community health service or to other health providers. Where possible, Pathway to good health providers will endeavour to prioritise children and young people in the program to access other health services they deliver.
The Pathway to good health program will regularly review children who have received screening and assessment to ensure that the progress of any recommendations and referrals made have been acted on and documented.
Consent
Children 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 (mature minor[1]).
- 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, DFFH, 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.
[1] young people can be deemed to be able to provide consent for their own treatment if they meet the ‘mature minor’ or ‘Gillick principle’.
Reviewed 09 May 2024