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Guidelines for Referrals

Protective Services Clients

 

Background- Kids Under Cover Services

Kids Under Cover (KUC) is a not for profit organisation that builds and arranges the placement of studios at the properties of caregivers in the community for:

  • children and young people who require alternative accommodation and care and are subject to a Child Protection Order;
  • young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness

 

Objectives of the KUC Program - Protective Services Clients

KUC studios make it viable to place children and young people within a home environment by increasing and improving the physical space and amenity of the household accommodation of caregivers. This can include the child or young person reunifying with their natural family.

The objectives in providing this additional physical resource, together with necessary accompanying care of adult caregivers and casework support of Community Service Organisation (CSO) staff is to:

  • provide safe and secure alternative accommodation, care and support by approved caregivers (kinship care, foster care, adolescent community placement) for children and young people subject to a Protection Order or;
  • maintain or reunify a child or young person subject to a Protection Order with their family and ensure their health, wellbeing, safety and stability of their life is sustained.

 

Potential Uses of KUC studios:

  • KUC studios have been effective in increasing the availability of home-based care services for children and young people on Protection Orders requiring alternative accommodation for both short and extended placement periods.
  • Younger children who require foster care may be placed in the household of caregivers and the adolescent son/daughter of the caregivers may be accommodated in the KUC studio. Alternatively, a young person requiring alternative accommodation and care may be placed in a KUC studio but be cared for as a member of the caregiver's extended household.
  • KUC studios may also be used to extend the limited physical accommodation which may be available for some families whose child may be subject to a Protection Order and permit these families to continue to provide on-going care for their children.

 

Client Eligibility Criteria:

A child or young person subject to Child Protection Order assessed as suitable for placement in:

  • a studio
  • the household of a caregiver (where the child is too young to be placed in a studio but the son/daughter of the caregiver is suitable to be accommodated in a studio at their parents property)

 

Program and Care Requirements - Use of KUC studios by Protective Services Clients:

KUC studios provided through funding from the Protection and Placement Program, must ensure:

  • prior to placement, that the young person placed in the studio has been assessed by DHS as a suitable to be placed in the studio;
  • prior to placement, that a DHS case plan has been completed and this plan supports placement of the child or young person with their family or with the approved care givers where the studio is located/to be located;
  • a DHS approved CSO or DHS Regional Office is undertaking active and on-going formal case management and support of the child or young person placed with family or caregivers;
  • that CSO staff are to provide on going monitoring of the appropriateness and quality of the caregivers and care arrangements for the child/ young person;
  • that the CSO providing case management and support to the young person and monitoring of the care arrangement is funded to undertake necessary tasks;
  • prior to placement, that agreed/documented arrangements are in place relating to monitoring of maintenance and fire safety of the studio and;
  • that the studios are fully and effectively used far as is practicable and that the DHS Regional Office is advised in circumstances where studios are no longer required and arrangements made as soon as practicable for the relocation of unused studios.

 

Access to KUC Studios for Protective Services Clients:

Alternative accommodation required for children and young people subject to Child Protection Orders is funded by DHS Regions through annual budget provisions .

DHS Regions are, subject to their considerations of budget availability and funding priorities, responsible for funding of studios provided through KUC where this is assessed by DHS as the most suitable care arrangement for the child/young person.

Community Service Organisations and DHS regional staff are to discuss with DHS Regional Officers (Regional Placement and Support) the appropriateness of using a studio for particular protective services client and the source of funding for studios prior to making application to KUC for the supply of a studio.

Funding Agreement:

DHS Regional Offices funding to KUC for studios is to use a standard Funding Agreement with DHS available from DHS Regional Offices.

Further Information:

Contact DHS Regional Placement and Support staff to discuss:

  • potential suitability of providing a KUC studio to meet the accommodation and care needs of Protective Services clients and;
  • potential funding arrangements.

 

Contact Project Manager at Kids Under Cover on 1800 801 633 or email the Project Manager 

  • the type of accommodation provided by a KUC studio and;
  • the estimated cost of providing for this accommodation option.

 

Prepared by the Service Development Unit of the Child Protection and Juvenile Justice Branch in conjunction with Kids Under Cover. February 2002