A Case Plan is a written plan made by the NSW Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) that lists all of the responsibilities and important actions to support your child, including how the goals are monitored. It also outlines the plan for your child to stay connected to their family, culture, and Country.
Once final orders are made, a Case Plan is where the annual review of the care plan is done, and it will include more detail than the care plan, and explains things like travel, family time arrangements, and additional needs.
The Care Plan reflects a moment in time, the Case Plan is forever being updated. It should be read with the Care Plan to get a full understanding of what is happening for a child in out-of-home care (OOHC).
DCJ says that you will be included in making the Case Plan. The other people included are your child, your caseworker and the child or young person’s foster carer.
If the Case Plan goal is for your child to come home to you (restoration), DCJ say foster carers are trained in helping your child get prepared to come home. It’s the experience of other Aboriginal parents that sometimes this happens, and sometimes it doesn’t.
If the Case Plan goal is ‘long-term care’, Case Plans should include details about the responsibilities and support being provided (including financial) for contact and ongoing connection to Community and culture.
Case Plans are expected to be reviewed each year, and should be reviewed with you. When they are reviewed, the DCJ worker should be reviewing if they think your child could go home (restoration). But this isn’t happening often, usually because DCJ and the agency with case management of your child say that they care about your child’s stability in where they are living. This doesn’t mean the placement is actually always stable.
If you were not involved in the review, ask DCJ to provide proof they have reviewed your child’s case plan, and the reasons why they have or have not considered your updated circumstances or restoration. If they have not done a review, write to DCJ with the help of your lawyer, advocate, and support service, to do one.
Case Plan meetings can happen (sometimes called case conferences, case review meetings and protection planning meetings), with people involved with your child. DCJ say you can attend conferences and meetings with a support person, and add what you want to talk about to the meeting’s agenda. This usually includes family, carers, DCJ, and support services.
You have the right to speak up and share your views during the planning process. DCJ organises the meeting, and it can be in person or over the phone. These meetings look at decision-making and identifying goals. They are the first step in developing or reviewing a Case Plan and is done when there are big changes in the case, like a critical event, your child coming home, a change in caseworker, or placement/carer reviews. In these meetings, you can talk about your issues, the support you need, and make suggestions.
The caseworker should explain the meeting’s purpose and the last Case Plan should be reviewed. You then talk about what has or hasn’t been done since the last plan, and what might need to change (because your child has gotten older and their needs have changed, or their circumstances have changed).
This is a chance for you to list the things you have done towards goals and say what support has been helpful to you or say that the support DCJ said they would give hasn’t or hasn’t been given. The meeting then focuses on the agenda (meeting plan).
Meeting notes are taken, and the Case Plan is updated based on the meeting. All people at the meeting are entitled to a copy of the meeting notes and the new case plan. If DCJ have not given this to you, keep asking them for it.
AbSec and our partners acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout NSW and their continuing connections to land, waters, and communities. We also acknowledge the lands on which these stories were told, the lands of the Dharawal, Yuin and Wonnarua people.
We acknowledge the Elders, leaders and advocates that have led the way and continue to fight for our children. We also acknowledge the Stolen Generations who never came home and the ongoing impact of government policy and practice on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, young people and families.
This website shares the experiences and advice of Aboriginal families involved in the NSW child protection system who participated in the Bring Them Home, Keep Them Home research at UNSW. We acknowledge and thank the families who generously gave permission to share their stories.
These experiences reflect what worked for those families and do not constitute advice or views of AbSec. AbSec recommends seeking independent legal advice for your own circumstances.
