Volume 3: Human Services Policy and Funding Plan 2015-19, update 2017-18
Chapter 4: Activity descriptions
Contents
Activity information
Service delivery tracking
Output group
Output
Objective
Description of the service
Client group
Service delivery
Service redevelopment
Monitoring and review
Service Agreement
Human Services Standards
Monitoring performance
Performance measures
Key performance measure 1: Daily average number of clients
Key performance measure 2: Number of clients
Key performance measure 3: Percentage of children and young people who are subject to protective involvement
Data collection information
Key documents
Mandatory
Volume 3: Chapter 4: Activity descriptions1
Activity information
Service delivery tracking
Service delivery tracking activity? No
Output group
Child protection and family services
Output
Specialist support services
Objective
To provide specialist case management and support services to children and young people who are subject to protective services involvement and are living at home or independently, who are at risk of significant harm or abuse and are in need of additional case support.
Description of the service
Placement prevention services include a number of support programs including intensive case management, family first/family preservation and innovative support services.
Intensive case management services provide multidisciplinary, intensive case management and youth outreach services targeted at young people aged 12 to 18 years, not in out-of-home care, who are subject to protective services involvement and who demonstrate a high level of risk behaviours.
Family preservation services (including Families First) provide an intensive, short term service aimed at strengthening the ability of families to protect and care for their ‘at risk’ children, thereby avoiding the need for placement in alternative care. The service is targeted at families where there is an imminent risk of the child or young person (aged 0 – 18 years) being placed in alternative care because of suspected or unresolved child abuse concerns. Experienced practitioners undertake a comprehensive assessment and provide families with support for six to eight weeks.
Innovative support services are division-specific models of support developed to meet the needs of clients.
Client group
Children and young people who are subject to protective services involvement and living at home or independently, and who are at risk of significant harm or abuse and are in need of additional case support.
Service delivery
Department of Health and Human Services and community service organisations(CSOs).
Service redevelopment
The department will continue to monitor service provision, and where necessary, may amend service specifications or funding allocations based on community needs or in response to changes to government policy and priorities.
Monitoring and review
Service Agreement
The Department of Health and Human Services monitors and reviews the organisation’s compliance with the Service Agreement’s requirements set out in the terms and conditions and schedules including the Applicable Departmental Policies. The Service Agreement is used to manage funding provided through the department for services delivered by community service organisations and local government authorities.
The Service Agreement includes two Applicable Departmental Policies:
- Department of Health and Human Services Policy and Funding Guidelines
- Service Agreement Information Kit<
The Service Agreement Information Kit provides information on the Service Agreement terms and conditions (chapter 3) and Applicable Departmental Policies (chapter 4). The Service Agreement Information Kit must be read in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services Policy and Funding Guidelines.
Human Services Standards
Organisations funded to provide services to clients are required through the Service Agreement to meet the gazetted Department of Health and Human Services Standards (Human Services Standards) and can be monitored in relation to their compliance with these standards.
Organisations funded through this activity are subject to independent review and accreditation requirements under the Human Services Standards, except where exempted by the department.
Organisations funded to deliver this service activity are required to be registered in accordance with the department's Policy, procedures and forms for the registration of disability service providers and community services
Monitoring performance
Funding is subject to the delivery of specified targets in performance measures.Where actual annual performance is less than 90 per cent of target performance, the funded organisation should provide the Department of Health and Human Services with a justification for retaining full funding.
Performance measures
Key performance measure 1: Daily average number of clients
Definition / This performance measure provides quantitative information about the number of clients receiving a service each day, averaged over the reference period.The services include:
•Intensive case management services (ICMS)
•Family preservation services (FPS) (including Families First)
•Innovative support services (IS).
Aim/objective / To provide specialist case management and support services to children and young people who are subject to protective services involvement and living at home or independently, and who are at risk of significant harm or abuse and in need of additional case support.
Target / As specified in the Service Agreement
Type of count / Non-cumulative
Counting rule / Daily average number of clients refers to open cases where service activity has been recorded during the reference period.
Daily average number of clients is equivalent to the total number of days of service provided during the reference period, divided by the number of days in the reference period.
For example:
During the 31 days of the January period, a total of 155 days of service were provided. This equates to an average of five clients per day.
155/31 = 5
Monitoring frequency / Monthly – by the 10th day of the following month.
Data source(s) collection / Organisations enter information via:
•Client Relationship Information System for Service Providers (CRISSP)
•supplementary reporting tools, as requested.
Definition of terms / For family preservation services (including Families First), the client is defined as the family receiving the service.
For intensive case management services and innovative support services, the client is defined as the child or young person receiving the service.
Key performance measure 2: Number of clients
Definition / This performance measure provides information about the proportion of clients that are subject to protective services involvement.Aim/objective / To provide specialist case management and support services to children and young people who are subject to protective services involvement and living at home or independently, and who are at risk of significant harm or abuse and in need of additional case support.
Target / 90 per cent
Type of count / Cumulative or non-cumulative
Counting rule / Percentage is calculated based on the number of clients receiving a service during the reference period with an open case in CRIS divided by the total number of clients receiving a service during the reference period.
For example:
During the 31 days of the January period, a total of 45 clients out of 50 had protective services involvement. This equates to 90 per cent.
(45/50) x 100 = 90%
Monitoring frequency / Monthly – by 10th day of the following month.
Data source(s) collection / Data is collated by extracting information from:
•Client Relationship Information System for Service Providers (CRISSP)
•Client Information Management System (CRIS).
Definition of terms / Children and young people are defined in accordance with the Children Youth and Families Act 2005.
Protective services involvement refers to children and young people who are either subject to a protective investigation, period of protective intervention (where on-going risk has been substantiated) or a current protective order at the time of the referral / report.
Key performance measure 3: Percentage of children and young people who are subject to protective involvement
Definition / This performance measure provides information about the proportion of clients that are subject to protective services involvement.Aim/objective / To provide specialist case management and support services to children and young people who are subject to protective services involvement and living at home or independently, and who are at risk of significant harm or abuse and in need of additional case support.
Target / 90 per cent
Type of count / Cumulative or non-cumulative
Counting rule / Percentage is calculated based on the number of clients receiving a service during the reference period with an open case in CRIS divided by the total number of clients receiving a service during the reference period.
For example:
During the 31 days of the January period, a total of 45 clients out of 50 had protective services involvement. This equates to 90 per cent.
(45/50) x 100 = 90%
Monitoring frequency / Monthly – by 10th day of the following month.
Data source(s) collection / Data is collated by extracting information from
•Client Relationship Information System for Service Providers (CRISSP)
•Client Information Management System (CRIS).
Definition of terms / Children and young people are defined in accordance with the Children Youth and Families Act 2005.
Protective services involvement refers to children and young people who are either subject to a protective investigation, period of protective intervention (where on-going risk has been substantiated) or a current protective order at the time of the referral / report.
Data collection information
Data collections comprise data management systems and data sets.
Data collection name / Data management system / Data set / Reporting cycleOut-of-home care / CRISSP / Client placement / Quarterly
Key documents
Mandatory
Child Protection Practice Manual
Program Requirements for Family and Early Parenting Services
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© State of Victoria, Department of Health and Human Services, 1 July 2017.
Where the term ‘Aboriginal’ is used it refers to both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Indigenous is retained when it is part of the title of a report, program or quotation.
ISSN2207-8347 (online)
Available on the department’s website
Volume 3: Chapter 4: Activity descriptions1