Definition
Members of the community and mandatory reporters who suspect that a child/young person is at Risk of Significant Harm (ROSH) should report their concerns to the Child Protection Helpline. A child/young person is at ROSH if the circumstances that are causing concern for the safety, welfare or well-being of the child or young person are present to a significant extent. ROSH is determined by the Child Protection Helpline using SCRPT.
What is meant by ‘significant’ in the phrase ‘to a significant extent’ is that which is sufficiently serious to warrant a response by a statutory authority irrespective of a family’s consent. What is significant is not minor or trivial, and may reasonably be expected to produce a substantial and demonstrably adverse impact on the child/young person’s safety, welfare or well-being.
In the case of an unborn child, what is significant is not minor or trivial, and may reasonably be expected to produce a substantial and demonstrably adverse impact on the child after the child’s birth. The significance can result from a single act or omission or an accumulation of these.
Comments
NOTE: In relation to voluntary out-of-home care, Section 156 of the Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 defines ‘relevant agency’ and describes aspects the provision of this care, including the conditions under which the child or young person might be deemed to be at risk of significant harm (s156B), and restrictions on who may provide this care (s156B).
Section 135B of the Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 defines ‘supported out-of-home care’ as “out-of-home care in respect of a child or young person that is, as a result of the Secretary forming the opinion that the child or young person is in need of care and protection, arranged, provided or otherwise supported by the Secretary”.
Section 154 outlines restrictions on who may provide this care, including under what conditions a child or young person in supported care might to be deemed to be at risk of significant harm [S154(2)(a)].
Taking into account the information specific to care arrangements above, normally regardless of a child or young person’s care arrangements, the MRG should be applied the same to determine whether a report should be made to the Child Protection Helpline.
References
https://reporter.childstory.nsw.gov.au/s/article/Glossary
Related content
| Relation | Count |
|---|---|
| Metadata that references this Glossary Item | 17 |