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Fin WA Inc. provides a range of services to parents and grandparents of children who have been placed in State care or who are at risk of having their children removed from the family home. Services include one to one case work, support groups, information, education, training, crisis counselling and advice.
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Definitions: What does that Abbreviation Mean?
Below please find some frequently used acronyms and the full name for each. A range of regularly used terms and their definitions are also listed.
DCP = Department for Child Protection
The Act/CCS Act = Children & Community Services Act 2004
PO = Protection Order
NPA = Negotiated Placement Agreement
ACC = Assessment of Concern for a Child
PP&C = Provisional Protection and Care
PHC = Pre-Hearing Conference
CEO = Chief Executive Officer of DCP
SAT = State Administrative Tribunal
CRP = Case Review Panel
CMU = Complaints Management Unit
FOI = Freedom of Information
Best Interest of the Child
This can mean different things to different people. There are questions about who decides what the ‘best interest’ are, and in what situations these decisions are made. Different parties will have different views of what is ‘best interests’. For the purposes of child protection, the following is taken from Section 8 of the CCS Act.
In determining what is in the best interests of a child the following matters must be taken into account:
• The need to protect the child from harm;
• The capacity of the child’s parents to protect them from harm;
• The capacity of the child’s parents, or of any other person, to provide for the child’s needs;
• The nature of the child’s relationship with the parents, siblings and other relatives, and with any other people who are significant in the child’s life;
• The attitude to the child, and to parental responsibility, demonstrated by the child’s parents;
• Any wishes or views expressed by the child, having regard to the child’s age and level of understanding in determining the importance to be given to those wishes or views;
The importance of continuity and stability in the child’s living arrangements and the likely effect on the child by disruption to those arrangements, including separation from:
1. Parents;
2. Siblings or other relatives of the child;
3. A carer or any other person (including a child) with whom the child is, or has recently been, living; or
4. Any other person who is significant in the child’s life;
• The need for the child to maintain contact with parents, siblings and other relatives, and with any other person who is significant in the child’s life;
• The child’s age, maturity, sex, sexuality, background and language;
• The child’s cultural, ethnic or religious identity (including any need to maintain a connection with the lifestyle, culture and traditions of Aboriginal people or Torres Strait Islanders);
• The child’s physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, developmental and educational needs;
• Any other relevant characteristics of the child;
• The likely effect on the child of any change in their circumstances.
The intention is not to limit consideration of what is in the best interests of the child to these points, but to ensure that these factors are at least considered.
Harm
The CCS Act says this is “any detrimental effect of a significant nature on the child’s wellbeing”. It can be caused by physical, sexual or emotional abuse or neglect but there can be other causes too.
Parent
The term ‘parent’ refers to a child’s mother, father or someone else with parental responsibility for the child. This means someone other than the CEO who has responsibility for the long-term or day-to-day care, welfare and development of the child. A parent of an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child includes a person who is regarded as a parent of the child under Aboriginal tradition or Island custom. If you are unsure whether you are a parent and have the obligations/rights as a parent under the Act, seek legal advice.
Parental Responsibility
This refers to all the duties, powers, responsibilities and authority which, by law, parents have in relation to children.
Neglect
This term ‘neglect’ can include physical neglect, such as not giving children enough to eat or drink, not taking them to the doctor when they need it and leaving them dirty or in dirty clothes for a long time. Children who get many sicknesses or head lice may also be said to be physically neglected. ‘Supervisory neglect' means children who have avoidable accidents, choke, nearly drown or swallow adults’ pills or poisons. If a child doesn’t get enough affection or is allowed to behave inappropriately then this can be called ‘emotional neglect’. ‘Psychological neglect' includes not giving children enough love, support or attention and letting them witness violent activity; alcohol and/or drug abuse. ‘Educational neglect’ is when children are not enrolled in school or allowed to skip school.
Wellbeing of a Child
This means the care, development, health and safety of a child.
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