Definition
A count of unique/individual children and young people having been screened as at Risk of Significant Harm (ROSH) seen by a DCJ caseworker, in a 12-month period.
[This count only applies when a concern report, screened as meeting the ROSH threshold, occurs during the same reporting period the child or young person was seen by a caseworker.]
ROSH threshold screening occurs at the DCJ Child Protection Helpline. A child or young person is at ROSH if the circumstances that are causing concern for their safety, welfare or wellbeing are present to a significant extent. This means it is sufficiently serious to warrant a response by a statutory authority irrespective of a family's consent (see References below).
Indicator Summary
A count of unique Child Identifiers where ROSH Flag is equal to 'Y' and the Valid Report Flag is equal to 'Y'. The Alternative Assessment or Safety Assessment are not null, and the Contact Start Date is in the 12-month period.
If a child is seen multiple times in the same reporting period, then the earliest date Alternative Assessment or Safety Assessment is selected. If no unique Child Identifier is identified, then the record with the earliest Field Assessment …
This indicator may be disaggregated by:
Indicator specific breakdown
| Distribution/Table | Path/Column | Dashboard Filter Label |
| Child Protection Reporting - Base Data Asset | SAFET_OUTCOME | Safety outcome |
| PRIMARY_HL_ASSESSED_ISSUE_GRPD | Primary helpline assessed issue |
Geographic Breakdown
| Distribution/Table | Path/Column | Dashboard Filter Label |
| Child Protection Reporting - Base Data Asset | DITRICT_COMMON | District |
| DITRICT_COMMON | Cluster* | |
| BUSINESS_UNIT_COMMON | Business Unit |
* District has been recoded into cluster using the District Common variable.
Demographic Breakdown
| Distribution/Table | Path/Column | Dashboard Filter Label |
| Child Protection Reporting - Base Data Asset … |
Reporting Information
The Operational Business Review reports monthly.
The Annual Statistical Report and the Aboriginal-led Data Sharing: Child Protection and Out-of-home Care Statistics report annually.
Published by the NSW Department of Family and Community Services.
Quality Statement
Accuracy of Indigenous Status DataFramework Dimensions
- Annual Statistical Report (2021-2022) > Children and Families Thrive > Supporting children in statutory protection
- Annual Statistical Report (2022-2023) > Children and Families Thrive > Supporting children in statutory protection
- DCJ Indicator Bank > Child Protection
- Aboriginal-led Data Sharing: Child Protection and Out-of-Home Care Statistics > Prevention
- DCJ Quarterly Statistical Report on Services for Children and Young People > Child Protection - Children and young people
- Annual Statistical Report (2023-2024) > Children and Families Thrive > Supporting children in statutory protection
Calculation rules
- Computation
A count of unique Child Identifiers where ROSH Flag is equal to 'Y' and the Valid Report Flag is equal to 'Y'. The Alternative Assessment or Safety Assessment are not null, and the Contact Start Date is in the 12-month period.
If a child is seen multiple times in the same reporting period, then the earliest date Alternative Assessment or Safety Assessment is selected. If no unique Child Identifier is identified, then the record with the earliest Field Assessment Start Date is used.
| Distribution/Table | Path/Column |
| Child Protection Reporting - Base Data Asset | CHILDSTORY_ID |
| ROSH_FLAG | |
| VALID_REPORT_FLAG | |
| FA_START_DATE | |
| SA_FIRST_SUBMITTED_DATE | |
| AA_FIRST_SUBMITTED_DATE | |
| CONTACT_START_DATE |
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- Data Element
- Record: Valid Report Flag, Yes/No Code A(A)
- Data Set
- Child Protection Data Set
-
- Data Element
- You don't have permission to view this item
- Data Set
- Child Protection Data Set
-
- Data Element
- Person: ChildStory Identifier, A-N(8)
- Guide for use
A count of unique Child Identifiers.
- Data Set
- Child Protection Data Set
-
- Data Element
- Assessment: ROSH Flag, Yes/No/NA Code A(A)
- Guide for use
Where ROSH Flag is equal to 'Y.'
- Data Set
- Child Protection Data Set
-
- Data Element
- Service Event: Start Date, DateTime YYYY-MM-DD
- Data Set
- Child Protection Data Set
-
- Data Element
- Assessment: Submitted Date, YYYY-MM-DD
- Guide for use
Where the value for this (Safety Assessment) or the value for the Alternative Assessment are not null.
- Data Set
- Child Protection Data Set
This indicator may be disaggregated by:
Indicator specific breakdown
| Distribution/Table | Path/Column | Dashboard Filter Label |
| Child Protection Reporting - Base Data Asset | SAFET_OUTCOME | Safety outcome |
| PRIMARY_HL_ASSESSED_ISSUE_GRPD | Primary helpline assessed issue |
Geographic Breakdown
| Distribution/Table | Path/Column | Dashboard Filter Label |
| Child Protection Reporting - Base Data Asset | DITRICT_COMMON | District |
| DITRICT_COMMON | Cluster* | |
| BUSINESS_UNIT_COMMON | Business Unit |
* District has been recoded into cluster using the District Common variable.
Demographic Breakdown
| Distribution/Table | Path/Column | Dashboard Filter Label |
| Child Protection Reporting - Base Data Asset | ABORIGINAL_STATUS_GROUPED | Aboriginal Status |
|
|
Age* | |
|
|
Age Grouped* | |
| GENDER | Gender | |
| DISABILITY_FLAG | Disability |
(*The age of the Child or Young Person when seen by a caseworker is calculated as the difference between the Date of the Safety Assessment or the Date of Alternative Assessment and the Child or Young Person's Date of Birth. Age is then grouped into the categories of '4 years and under', '5 - 12 years', '13 - 17 years' and '18+ years' and into 'Age unknown or missing').
The Annual Statistical Report disaggregates by District and Aboriginal status.
The Aboriginal-led Data Sharing: Child Protection and Out-of-home Care Statistics disaggregates by District, Aboriginal status and Primary helpline assessed issue.
The Operational Business Review disaggregates by District, Business Unit, Aboriginal status and Age seen.
-
- Data Element
- Service Event: Business Unit, Label X(50)
- Data Set
- Child Protection Data Set
-
- Data Element
- Person: Disability Indicator, Yes/No Code A
- Data Set
- Child Protection Data Set
-
- Data Element
- Person: Indigenous Status, Grouped Label X(14)
- Guide for use
Where the values for Aboriginal Status Grouped of 'not stated' and blank have been recoded as 'Non-Aboriginal.'
- Data Set
- Child Protection Data Set
-
- Data Element
- Service Event: Safety Assessment Outcome, Label X(25)
- Data Set
- Child Protection Data Set
-
- Data Element
- Assessment: Helpline Primary Issue, Label X(200)
- Data Set
- Child Protection Data Set
-
- Data Element
- Person: Gender, Code X(20)
- Data Set
- Child Protection Data Set
Comments
Caseworkers in DCJ Child Protection Helpline apply the Structured Decision Making (SDM) Screening and Response Priority (SCRPT) tools to reports to determine the level of response category.
- ‘Other’ in the ‘Other/NA’ reporting category for response priorities include reports marked as ‘no response required’ and those with the required information left blank. ‘NA’ (Not Applicable) relates to ROSH reports where additional children were recorded at the time of the field assessment. The data reported for “Other/NA’ in 2019-20 is not directly comparable to that reported in the previous years, because: the large number of ROSH reports with blank final response priority reported for 2019-20 were attributed to the Streamlined Response Pilot in Northern NSW District, where the Response Priority Tool was no longer being used to determine the response priority. ‘Not Applicable (N/A)’ mainly relates to ROSH reports where additional children were recorded at the time of the field assessment. The data reported for ‘Other/NA’ in 2019-20 is not directly comparable to that reported in the previous years as a large number of ROSH reports with blank final response priority reported for 2019-20 are attributable to the Streamlined Response Pilot project underway in the Northern NSW District where the Response Priority Tool is no longer being used to determine the response priority.
- ‘Prenatal reports’ are reported under ‘Carer: other issues’ prior to 2012-13. 'Other issues' includes ROSH reports where additional children were recorded at the time of field assessment; hence, Helpline assessed issue is not applicable.
The data for non-Aboriginal children also includes children with Aboriginality status "not stated".
The District reported reflects where the earliest Secondary Assessment or Alternative Assessment was submitted for a child or young person in the period.
- The Hunter New England District was split into Hunter District and New England District from 2018-19. This means that no data will be displayed for Hunter District or for New England District before 2018-19 and no data will be displayed for Hunter New England District after 2017-18.
- The ‘Other’ reported in the DCJ District breakdown includes data which cannot be categorised into the new districts and where District could not be identified.
There has been a change in the definition of ‘children at ROSH seen by a DCJ caseworker’, with more stringent requirements introduced in 2017-18. More steps are taken by caseworkers to record the work they do to meet the definition of 'seen'; in particular a manager must now give formal approval. Previously, an investigation could be undertaken over two stages (stage 1 - information gathering; stage 2 - assessment). Data for ‘Children Seen’ are not comparable to data on investigations and assessments (face-to-face assessments) published previously.
NP (Not Publishable) refers to small numbers that are not published to preserve privacy of individuals.
Data ageing:
- Data ageing is two months, unless otherwise indicated. Therefore, the data for this indicator will be available two months after the end of the month in which the data first becomes available.
Data limitations:
- It is important to note that data for 'children seen' and 'face-to-face assessments' is not directly comparable.
Data source:
- KiDS/MDS - Corporate Information Warehouse (CIW)) for annual data up to 2016-17
- ChildStory – Corporate Information Warehouse (CIW)) for annual data from 2017-18.
Origin
References
In 2009 the threshold for legislative statutory authority intervention was amended from ‘risk of harm’ to ‘risk of significant harm’.
The NSW Interagency Guidelines outlines what is meant by ‘significant’ in ‘risk of significant harm’.
- “This means the concern is sufficiently serious to warrant a response by a statutory authority (such as NSW Police Force or Community Services) 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 or young person’s safety, welfare or wellbeing, or in the case of an unborn child, after the child’s birth.
The significance can result from a single act or omission or an accumulation of these.”
https://reporter.childstory.nsw.gov.au/s/article/Significant-harm-policy-definition
Custom Fields
Related content
| Relation | Count |
|---|---|
| Indicator Sets that include this Indicator | 1 |
| Data Sets that are used in this Indicator | 1 |