Investment Specification 
Child Protection (Placement Services)

Version: 1.0
Date: 3 September 2014
Version Control History

CONTENTS

1. Introduction	5
1.1 Purpose of the investment specification	5
2. Funding intent	5
2.1 Context	6
3. Investment logic	7
4. Service delivery overview	7
4.1. Description of service type	8
5. Service delivery requirements for all services	9
5.1 General information for all services	9
5.1.1 Requirements for all services — Output delivery	9
5.1.2 Requirements for all services — Placement Services	9
5.1.3 Considerations for all services	10
6. 	Service delivery requirements for all Service Users	11
6.1 Service User definition	11
6.1.1 Requirements — all Service Users	12
6.1.2 Considerations — all Service Users	12
7. 	Service delivery requirements for specific Service Users	12
7.1 	Children and young people — aged under 18 years requiring family based out of home care, who have been assessed as having a moderate or high level of support needs (U2270)	12
7.1.1 Requirements	12
7.1.2 Considerations	12
7.2 	Children and young people — aged under 18 years requiring family based out of home care, who have been assessed as having a complex or extreme level of support needs (U2260)	13
7.2.1 Requirements	13
7.2.2 Considerations	13
7.3 	Young people — aged 12 to under 18 years requiring non-family based out of home care, who have been assessed as having moderate, high, complex or extreme levels of support needs (U2307)	14
7.3.1 Requirements	14
7.3.2 Considerations	14
7.4 	Young people — aged 12 to under 16 years requiring intensive non-family based out of home care in a therapeutic living environment, who have been assessed as having a complex or extreme level of support needs (U2296)	15
7.4.1 Requirements	15
7.4.2 Considerations	15
7.5 	Children and young people — aged under 18 years requiring non-family based out of home care in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, who have been assessed as having a moderate or high level of support needs (U2273)	15
7.5.1 Requirements	15
7.5.2 Considerations	15
7.6 	Young people — aged 15 to under 18 years requiring non-family based out of home care, who have been assessed as having a moderate, high or complex level of support needs and are in the process of transitioning to independent living (U2289)	16
7.6.1 Requirements	16
7.6.2 Considerations	16
8. 	Service delivery requirements for specific service types	16
8.1 Placement Services — Foster and Kinship Care (T204)	16
8.1.1 Requirements — Foster and Kinship Care	16
8.1.2 Considerations — Foster and Kinship Care	17
8.2 Placement Services — Intensive Foster Care (T205)	18
8.2.1 Requirements — Intensive Foster Care	18
8.2.2 Considerations — Intensive Foster Care	19
8.3 Placement Services — Residential Care (T206)	20
8.3.1 Requirements — Residential Care	20
8.3.2 Considerations — Residential Care	21
8.4 Placement Services — Therapeutic Residential Care (T209)	21
8.4.1 Requirements — Therapeutic Residential Care	21
8.4.2 Considerations — Therapeutic Residential Care	22
8.5 Placement Services — Safe Houses (T207)	22
8.5.1 Requirements — Safe Houses	23
8.5.2 Considerations — Safe Houses	23
8.6 	Placement Services — Supported Independent Living (T208)	23
8.6.1 Requirements — Supported Independent Living	23
8.6.2 Considerations — Supported Independent Living	24
9. Service modes	24
10. Deliverables and Performance Measures	25
11. Contact information	36
12. Other funding and supporting documents	36

1. Introduction
In line with the strategic intent of the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services (the department), Child Protection (Placement Services) has been designated as a funding area for the purpose of guiding investment in non-government organisations.
1.1 Purpose of the investment specification
The purpose of this investment specification is to describe the intent of funding, the Service Users and identified issues, the service types, and associated service delivery requirements for services that are funded under the Child Protection (Placement Services) funding area. 
This investment specification is a guide for service delivery for Child Protection (Placement Services) funding area, where all service types contribute to outcomes.  The investment specifications allow for flexibility, responsiveness and innovation in service delivery, enabling the right services to be delivered to the right people at the right time.
Investment specifications form part of a hierarchy of funding documents of the department. Investment specifications are informed by the three broad investment domains described in the investment domains guideline. Refer to Section 12 for more information and links to the investment domains guideline and other associated documents.
Figure 1 – Funding document hierarchyInvestment Domains Guideline
1.	Investment Domains Guideline
2.	Investment Specification
3.	Procurement Invitation Document
4.	Service Agreement 

The department’s funding documents underpin the business relationship between the department and the funding recipient. The investment specification should therefore be read in conjunction with the investment domains guideline, procurement invitation document (new funding), and service agreement for organisations that are currently funded to deliver a service.
2. Funding intent
Child Protection service delivery funded by the department through non-government organisations (NGOs) or other government agencies is ultimately and solely for the purpose of achieving the principles of the Child Protection Act 1999 (the Act), Child Safety policies, the Child Safety Practice Manual and individual case-plans for Service Users subject to a statutory intervention. 
Core principles of the Act (which are embodied in policies and practice) in relation to child protection are:
·	the welfare and best interests of the child are paramount 
·	the preferred way of ensuring a child's welfare is through support of the child's family 
·	intervention is not to exceed the level necessary to protect the child 
·	families are able to participate in planning and decision making for children 
·	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander agencies are consulted in decision-making regarding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children 
·	children and families have a right to information 
·	services are to be culturally appropriate 
·	coordination, consultation and collaboration with families, other professionals, agencies and the community 
·	accountability of the department. 

In line with the department’s investment approach to improve the line of sight from investment through to outcomes, children and young people in and/or leaving out-of-home care placement services have improved:
·	personal safety
·	quality of life
·	family and carer relationships
·	cultural identity/connections
·	social and community connections
·	life skills
·	stable and secure living arrangements
·	education and employment opportunities
·	access to services
·	and reduced involvement with the criminal justice system.  

Investment under the Child Protection (Placement Services) funding area contributes to outcome measures aligned across the department-wide investment domains of Safe, Resilient and Capable.
2.1 Context
The future of the child protection system in Queensland will be shaped by the government’s response to the Child Protection Commission of Inquiry’s report, Taking Responsibility: A Roadmap for Queensland Child Protection. 
The Queensland Government response to the Queensland Child Protection Commission of Inquiry final report provides a response to each of the report recommendations, including a number of recommendations which will impact directly or indirectly on out-of-home care placement services. 
The department will prepare detailed five-year and 10-year blueprints for implementation of the government’s response.
3. Investment logic
Service Users
Children and young people aged under 18 years requiring out of home care when assessment indicates that separation from their family is unavoidable to ensure the child or young person’s safety or wellbeing. 
(Note: children and young people within more specific age ranges are the target service users for particular service types.) 
Primary Service Type 
·	The primary service type is placement services
Secondary Service Types
·	Foster and Kinship Care
·	Intensive Foster Care
·	Residential Care
·	Therapeutic Residential Care 
·	Safe Houses
·	Supported Independent Living 
Service Modes
·	Family based care
·	Non-family based care
Outputs
A02.4.02 Out of home care placement and post-placement supervision – Activities that place children in out of home care including foster care, placements with relatives or kin and residential care and the follow up on the outcomes of these placements. Care is provided to a child in a variety of care arrangements other than with their parents. 
Outcomes 
Children and young people in and/or leaving out-of-home care placement services have improved: 
·	Personal safety
·	Quality of life
·	Family and carer relationships
·	Cultural identity / connections
·	Social and community connections 
·	Life skills
·	Stable and secure living arrangements
·	Education and employment opportunities 
·	Access to services
·	and reduced involvement with the criminal justice system

4. Service delivery overview
In Queensland, the child protection service delivery framework is that the department retains case management responsibility for statutory Service Users while NGOs and government partners deliver casework and support for Service Users in accordance with case plans. Over the years, government has explicitly expanded the funding for the purchase of child protection services from NGOs for a range of reasons including efficiency, effectiveness, and economy; and to reduce the stigma attached to government intervention in the lives of children and families to the maximum extent possible. 
In general, the department has outsourced:
·	family support aimed at diverting families with identified risk factors away from statutory intervention or more intensive forms of intervention, by building their capacity to care for their own children
·	intensive family support with families whose children are subject to statutory intervention to enable the children to safely remain living at home, or to enable re-unification of children who are living away from home
·	therapeutic and specialist counselling and support services for children and young people subject to statutory intervention, and to their carers, insofar as contributing to placement stability
·	out-of-home care placement services.

This investment specification is concerned with out-of-home care placement services. Therapeutic and specialist counselling and support services are not included in this version of the investment specification but will be incorporated at a later time. The separate “Families” investment specification describes service delivery requirements for a range of support services for vulnerable families.

4.1. Description of service type
Out-of-home care placement services include physical, psychological and emotional care for children and young people as part of an integrated child protection response when assessment indicates that separation from their family is unavoidable to ensure the child or young person’s safety or wellbeing. 
The table below provides an overview of the services users and service delivery types within the Child Protection (Placements) funding area. This is not an exhaustive list; the department may from time to time update this investment specification in response to evidence and changing needs to invest in additional service delivery responses, or different combinations of responses. Please refer to the most up to date version of this investment specification (refer to Section 12 for web links).
Service Users	Service types	
Children and young people aged under 18 years requiring family based out of home care, who have been assessed as having a moderate or high level of support needs (U2270)	Placement Services - Foster and Kinship Care (T204)	
Children and young people aged under 18 years requiring family based out of home care, who have been assessed as having a complex or extreme level of support needs (U2260)	Placement Services - Intensive Foster Care (T205)	
Young people, aged 12 to under 18 years requiring non-family based out of home care, who have been assessed as having moderate, high, complex or extreme levels of support needs (U2307)	Placement Services - Residential Care (T206)	
Young people, aged 12 to under 16 years requiring intensive non-family based out of home care in a therapeutic living environment, who have been assessed as having a complex or extreme level of support needs U2296)	Placement Services - Therapeutic Residential Care (T209)	
Children and young people aged under 18 years requiring non-family based out of home care in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, who have been assessed as having a moderate or high level of support needs (U2273)	Placement Services - Safe Houses (T207)	
Young people aged 15 to under 18 years requiring non-family based out of home care, who have been assessed as having a moderate, high or complex level of support needs and are in the process of transitioning to independent living (U2289)	Placement Services - Supported Independent Living (T208)	

5. Service delivery requirements for all services
5.1 General information for all services
Services under Child Protection (Placement Services) must comply with the relevant statements under the headings of “Requirements” as specified in the Service Agreement. Services should also have regard to the relevant best practice statements and guidance provided under the headings of “Considerations”.
Requirements for all services are outlined in Sections 5.1.1 and 5.1.2.  Service delivery requirements for all Service Users are outlined in Section 6. Service delivery requirements for specific Service Users and service types are outlined in Sections 7 and 8 below.
5.1.1 Requirements for all services — Output delivery
The actual level of service outputs delivered and their alignment with the capacity for which the service is funded will be assessed regularly by departmental staff.  Where a service is unable to achieve the level of outputs for which they are funded, which might occur for a range of reasons, the service must alert the department to this matter as soon as possible.
Where a service is unable to deliver outputs to the level of funded capacity agreed to in the Service Agreement, the department will require a practical action plan which demonstrates how the service will be able to achieve its funded capacity within a realistic timeframe.  If a service consistently delivers outputs below its level of funded capacity, the department will seek to renegotiate the service’s funded capacity to a more achievable level.
5.1.2 Requirements for all services — Placement Services
Placement services must comply with all relevant legislative requirements relating to out-of-home care under the Child Protection Act 1999, including care service licensing provisions to ensure quality care that is consistent with the Charter of Rights of a Child in Care and the Statement of Standards.
Placement services must also comply with relevant Child Safety Services policies, procedures, program descriptions and any related guidelines, as amended from time to time, and as set out in various documents as follows.
Departmental policies and procedures including:
·	Placement of children in care as part of an integrated child protection response 578
·	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle 609
·	Working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families and communities 610
·	Responding to concerns about the standards of care 326
·	Positive behaviour support 604
·	Child Safety Practice Manual - Chapter 5. Children in out-of-home care
·	Child Safety Practice Manual - Chapter 9. Standards of care
The principles identified in the Placement of children in care as part of an integrated child protection response 578 that underpin Child Safety Services decision-making in relation to placements and to which all placement services must be committed and responsive within the context of the departmental case plan, are:
·	the welfare and best interests of the child are paramount
·	in deciding whose care the child should be placed, proper consideration must be given to placing the child, as a first option, with kin
·	placement and support responses should take into account the age and developmental level of the child or young person and their cultural needs. Family based options are preferred for children under 12 years of age
·	the child should be kept informed of matters affecting him or her in a way and to an extent that is appropriate, having regard to the child’s age and ability to understand
·	the child must have the opportunity to participate in making decisions affecting their lives and the views of the child (taking into account the child’s age or ability to understand) are recorded and considered
·	the child’s parents and kin are to be given the opportunity to participate in decision-making about the child and to have their views heard
·	a recognised entity must be given the opportunity to participate in decisions about the placement of an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child or young person
·	any decision involving a child or young person in out-of-home care must be timely and facilitate their receipt of services, or participation in activities, that will enhance their well-being; and
·	placement and support services should be evidence based and informed by established theories of child development, attachment, trauma, grief and loss.
The department also commits within the policy to partnering with foster and kinship carers, non-government services, recognised entities and other government agencies to ensure quality out-of-home care.
5.1.3 Considerations for all services
Departmental policies and procedures including, but not limited to: 
·	Case planning 263
·	Permanency planning 594
·	Participation by children and young people in decision-making 369
·	Child related costs - carer support 597
·	Child related costs - client support and family contact 598
·	Child related costs - outfitting 600
·	Child related costs - travel 595
·	Child related costs - medical 596
·	Child related costs - education support 599
·	Child related costs - placement funding 628
·	Child related costs - placement support funding 629
·	Transitioning from care into adulthood 349
·	Child Safety Practice Manual - Chapter 4. Case planning 
·	Child Safety Practice Manual - Practice Paper: Placing children in out-of-home care - principles and guidelines for improving outcomes
·	Child Safety Practice Manual - Practice Paper: Family contact for children and young people in out-of-home care
·	Child Safety Practice Manual - Practice Paper: Working with children and young people in out-of-home care
·	Child Safety Practice Manual - Practice Paper: Supporting children and young people in care through transitions
6. 	Service delivery requirements for all Service Users
6.1 Service User definition
The primary Service Users for child protection placement services generally are children and young people aged under 18 years subject to intervention under the Child Protection Act 1999, who require out of home care when assessment indicates that separation from their family is unavoidable to ensure the child or young person’s safety or wellbeing. Service Users within more specific age ranges are the target Service Users for particular types of placement service.
Young people over 18 years may continue to receive placement services as assistance with transition to independence, through a support service case until 21 years of age, when there are outstanding case plan goals or key life events that require this type of ongoing support.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people are significantly over-represented in the child protection system and it is essential that placement and support services address their cultural needs. The Child Protection Act 1999 contains specific provisions concerning the placement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children including the requirement to consult with a recognised entity, and the principle of placing children, in order of priority, with a family member; a member of the child’s language or community group, another person who is compatible with the community or language group; or another Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person.  It is essential that all placement and support services are accessible and relevant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people, and their families.
Children and young people aged under 18 years who are subject to intervention under the Child Protection Act 1999 share the same basic needs as all children and young people in Queensland.  These needs include: food, shelter, safety, love, health, education, cultural and spiritual wellbeing, belonging, and opportunities to achieve their personal life goals and aspirations free from any harm.  The additional needs of children and young people subject to statutory intervention, particularly those in out-of-home care, may be conceptualised using four categories based on the following levels of support needs:
·	moderate: needs that are typical for most children in care as a result of the harm and trauma they have experienced, and that can be managed through limit setting or other intervention
·	high: needs that indicate serious emotional, medical or behavioural issues that require additional professional or specialist input
·	complex: needs that significantly impact on the child’s daily functioning, usually characterised by health conditions, disabilities or challenging behaviours
·	extreme: needs that have a pervasive impact on the child’s daily functioning, usually characterised by the presence of multiple, potentially life-threatening health or disability conditions, and extreme challenging behaviours that may necessitate a constant level of supervision and care.
The Child Safety Practice Manual Practice Resource: Support Levels provides additional detailed information about levels of Service User support need. 
Different service types are directed at children and young people with specific levels of need.
6.1.1 Requirements — all Service Users
Placement and related support needs of children and young people referred by Child Safety Services are identified in the departmental case plan for each Service User and are subject to regular review. The case plan integrates outcomes from:
·	the Child Strengths and Needs Assessment
·	the Child Health Passport
·	the Education Support Plan
·	the Cultural Support Plan for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and, where appropriate, children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
·	the Transition From Care case plan, for young people aged 15 to under 18 years
·	any specialist assessments, such as those conducted by Evolve Interagency Services and disability services, and any behaviour support and/or treatment plans.
The goals of casework with children and young people placed with services are towards achieving the most appropriate permanency option, either family reunification or an alternative long term care option where timely reunification is not possible.
Placements of children and young people are made following a process of matching with the best available placement options to meet their support needs, and placement agreements are negotiated to ensure carers and funded services have access to relevant information about a child and to record the agreed support and services to be provided.
6.1.2 Considerations — all Service Users
Nil.
7. 	Service delivery requirements for specific Service Users
7.1 	Children and young people — aged under 18 years requiring family based out of home care, who have been assessed as having a moderate or high level of support needs (U2270)
Definition
Family based out of home care for children and young people aged under 18 years who have been assessed as having a moderate or high level of support needs, is foster or kinship care provided in the home of a departmentally approved carer.
7.1.1 Requirements
Nil.
7.1.2 Considerations
As negotiated with services in case-specific circumstances, foster or kinship carers may provide care for a particular child or young person who has been assessed as having a complex or extreme level of support needs, where additional wrap-around support is either not required to maintain the care arrangement or is funded through an alternative source. This may include situations where more than one child is placed with a carer, including sibling groups, and where it is determined that the child’s or children’s needs can best be met in that placement rather than moved to a different care arrangement.
Where organisations are funded for both foster and kinship care and intensive foster care services, a carer may care for different children at the same time as either foster and kinship care placements or intensive foster care placements.
7.2 	Children and young people — aged under 18 years requiring family based out of home care, who have been assessed as having a complex or extreme level of support needs (U2260)
Definition
Family based out of home care for children and young people aged under 18 years who have been assessed as having a complex or extreme level of support needs, is intensive foster care provided in the home of a departmentally approved carer where the service provides a greater level of support than for general foster or kinship care. 
7.2.1 Requirements
Nil.
7.2.2 Considerations
Typically, carers providing intensive foster care will care for only one child or young person at a time. Exceptions may include where a sibling group or group of children who are known to one another would best be placed together for continuity of relationships, and either one of the children has been assessed as having a complex or extreme level of support needs, or the group as a whole is considered to have a complex or extreme level of support needs.
Where a group of children is placed with a carer, but not all children in the group have been assessed as having a complex or extreme level of support needs, the intensive foster care service and Child Safety Services will negotiate service delivery arrangements. For stand-alone intensive foster care services this may involve weighting of placements (that is, some children being counted as less than one funded place). 
Alternatively, where organisations are funded for both intensive foster care and foster and kinship care services, a child or children may be placed with a carer as an intensive foster care placement/s while other children are placed with the same carer as foster or kinship care placements.
7.3 	Young people — aged 12 to under 18 years requiring non-family based out of home care, who have been assessed as having moderate, high, complex or extreme levels of support needs (U2307)
Definition
Non-family based out of home care for young people aged 12 to under 18 years who have been assessed as having moderate, high, complex or extreme levels of support needs, is residential care provided in residential premises (not a carer’s or young person’s own home) by paid or contracted workers and/or volunteers.  
7.3.1 Requirements
Nil.
7.3.2 Considerations
Services usually provide small group care (up to six places), though may also accommodate sibling groups as negotiated or individual care arrangements. 
As negotiated with services in case-specific circumstances, including with sibling groups, services may provide care for particular children or young people with lower or higher levels of support needs than the service’s agreed target Service User group, where additional wrap-around support is either not required to maintain the placement/s or is funded through an alternative source. 
Placement of more than the approved number of children with a service may only be made where all children in the placement are of one sibling group, and the premises can reasonably accommodate the children. 
Children younger than 12 years may be placed in residential care, but may only be considered for placement if comprehensive assessment indicates they have needs best met by residential care and/or they are one of a sibling group that would benefit from being placed together.

7.4 	Young people — aged 12 to under 16 years requiring intensive non-family based out of home care in a therapeutic living environment, who have been assessed as having a complex or extreme level of support needs (U2296)
Definition
Intensive non-family based out of home care in a therapeutic living environment for young people aged 12 to under 16 years who have been assessed as having a complex or extreme level of support needs, is therapeutic residential care provided in residential premises (not a carer’s or young person’s own home) by paid or contracted workers and/or volunteers.
7.4.1 Requirements
Nil.
7.4.2 Considerations
Children younger than 12 years may be placed in therapeutic residential care, but may only be considered for placement if comprehensive assessment indicates they have needs best met by therapeutic residential care and/or they are one of a sibling group, who all have complex or extreme needs and would benefit from being placed together.
7.5 	Children and young people — aged under 18 years requiring non-family based out of home care in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, who have been assessed as having a moderate or high level of support needs (U2273)
Definition
Non-family based out of home care in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities for children and young people aged under 18 years who have been assessed as having a moderate or high level of support needs, is safe house care provided in residential premises (not a carer’s or young person’s own home) by paid or contracted workers and/or volunteers.
7.5.1 Requirements
Nil.
7.5.2 Considerations
As negotiated with services in case-specific circumstances, including with sibling groups, services may provide care for particular children or young people assessed as having complex or extreme levels of support needs where additional wrap-around support is either not required to maintain the placement/s or is funded through an alternative source. 
Placement of more than six children may only be made for a sibling group, and where the premises can reasonably accommodate the children.
7.6 	Young people — aged 15 to under 18 years requiring non-family based out of home care, who have been assessed as having a moderate, high or complex level of support needs and are in the process of transitioning to independent living (U2289)

Definition
Non-family based out of home care for young people aged 15 to under 18 years who have been assessed as having a moderate, high or complex level of support needs and are in the process of transitioning to independent living, is supported independent living in residential premises (not a carer’s or young person’s own home) by paid or contracted workers and/or volunteers.
7.6.1 Requirements
Nil.
7.6.2 Considerations
As negotiated with services in case-specific circumstances, including with sibling groups, services may provide care for particular young people with lower or higher levels of support needs than the service’s agreed target Service User group, where additional wrap-around support is either not required to maintain the placement/s or is funded through an alternative source.
8. 	Service delivery requirements for specific service types
8.1 Placement Services — Foster and Kinship Care (T204)
Foster and kinship care is care provided to children and young people aged under 18 years, who have been assessed as having a moderate or high level of support needs, in the home of a Child Safety Services approved foster or kinship carer.
Services are funded to provide a discrete number of places within a range number of places, for Service Users with specific levels of support needs (moderate or high), at benchmark rates of funding (moderate to high and/or high-plus) in a particular region and with primary Child Safety Service Centre catchment areas nominated as appropriate.
8.1.1 Requirements — Foster and Kinship Care 
Services must provide the management and monitoring of quality foster care and kinship care placements through: 
·	local level recruitment of foster carers and/or identification of kinship carers
·	co-delivery (with Child Safety Services) of pre-service training, and ongoing training of carers, including more intensive training for carers supporting children with higher level needs 
·	assessment of carer applicants for approval by Child Safety Services and assessment of carers for renewal of approval by Child Safety Services 
·	identifying carers that best meet the needs of children and young people referred by Child Safety Services 
·	ongoing support of carers, including carer learning plans, access to respite, and on-call after-hours support
·	identifying carers to provide some short-term emergency placements and support Child Safety Services after-hours access to placements.
Recruitment and training of carers must occur at central, regional and local levels to be most effective. Child Safety Services and foster and kinship care services will work collaboratively to ensure that their activities are complementary with Child Safety Services taking a lead role coordinating state-wide and regional recruitment and training initiatives, and services taking responsibility for recruiting carers at a local level.  
Services must recruit sufficient active carers to provide respite for all carers, to provide emergency and out-of-hours placements, and to allow for some carers being unavailable to accept placements at times.
Foster and kinship care services are generally not expected to meet any direct care costs for children or young people placed through the service as approved carers are eligible to receive cost reimbursement paid directly by Child Safety Services in accordance with Child Safety Services policies as identified below. 
Services funded specifically to provide high-plus places must provide additional and practical ‘wrap-around’ support for the care of a discrete number of children and young people assessed as having a higher level of support needs, on a time-limited basis, in order to maintain care arrangements and prevent placement breakdown. This additional support might include, but is not limited to: access to extra carer training; direct worker support in the carer’s home; and/or assistance with transport arrangements. This additional support does not include higher payments to carers, although carers may be eligible for additional financial assistance directly from the department through allowances or child related costs.
Departmental policies and procedures that are requirements for foster and kinship care services are:
·	Kinship care 632
·	Child Safety Practice Manual - Chapter 8. Regulation of care
·	Kinship Care Program Description (2012)
·	Procedures and guidelines for Quality Care: Foster Care Training
·	Foster and Kinship Carer Handbook
·	Statement of Commitment between the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services and the foster and kinship carers of Queensland
8.1.2 Considerations — Foster and Kinship Care 
Approved carers may be eligible to receive cost reimbursement as allowances paid directly by Child Safety Services in accordance with Child Safety Services policies and procedures, as amended from time to time including: 
·	Expenses - fortnightly caring allowance 365
·	High support needs allowance 296
·	Complex support needs allowance 612
·	Dual payment of carer allowances 289
·	Regional/remote loading for carers 379
As detailed in the policies and procedures, approved carers are volunteers who care for children without expectation of remuneration. However, carers are entitled to financial reimbursement of direct and indirect costs of caring for children and the level of financial assistance will be determined by the department based on the costs to carers associated with the child’s needs. This includes situations where groups of children, including sibling groups, are placed with carers but children in the group have been assessed as having different levels of support needs.
Other departmental policies relevant to foster and kinship care services include:
·	Carer participation 460
·	Foster care training 383
·	Carer learning and support 457
8.2 Placement Services — Intensive Foster Care (T205)
Intensive foster care is care provided to children and young people aged under 18 years, who have been assessed as having a complex or extreme level of support needs, in the home of a Child Safety Services approved foster or kinship carer where the intensive foster care service provides a greater level of support than for foster and kinship care places.  These services provide placements for children and young people whose needs require a team-based approach to caring, a greater therapeutic focus and the conduct of intensive case management, and whose carers would benefit from the provision of additional advanced training. 
Services are funded to provide a discrete number of places for Service Users with specific levels of support needs (complex or extreme) in a particular region and with primary Child Safety Service Centre catchment areas nominated as appropriate. 
8.2.1 Requirements — Intensive Foster Care 
Services must provide the management and monitoring of quality intensive foster care placements through the same range of activities as foster and kinship care services: 
·	local level recruitment of foster carers and/or identification of kinship carers
·	co-delivery (with Child Safety Services) of pre-service training, and ongoing training of carers
·	assessment of carer applicants for approval by Child Safety Services and assessment of  carers for renewal of approval by Child Safety Services
·	identifying carers that best meet the needs of children and young people referred by Child Safety Services 
·	ongoing support of carers, including carer learning plans, access to respite, and on-call after-hours support 
·	identifying carers to provide some short-term emergency placements and support Child Safety Services after-hours access to placements
In addition to these activities, intensive foster care services must provide carers with:
·	access to higher levels of training and regular and emergency respite than foster and kinship care services
·	intensive one-on-one support, including assistance in developing strategies for promoting positive behaviours
·	partnership in providing a range of therapeutic and other supports for the child or young person
·	practical support, for example, through the use of support workers
·	counselling, when needed (particularly following critical incidents or placement disruptions).
The types and extent of support provided to children and young people is in accordance with departmental case plans. Additional support provided directly by intensive foster care services includes, as appropriate:
·	mentoring from support workers (particularly for children approaching transition from care)
·	direct care from support workers for respite; for debriefing following critical incidents or placement disruption; for life story activities; to provide cultural or community activities
·	tutoring to assist with school work or vocational training
·	access to training for specific life skills.
In addition to the specific supports provided to the child and carer, intensive foster care services are expected to work with the department to collaboratively deliver:
·	intensive case management for the child
·	a team-based approach to caring for the child
·	an intentionally therapeutic focus to the full range of care and supports provided.
In general, services are not expected to access additional contingency-based funds held by Child Safety Services outside of the funding arrangement. Where there is an emergent and acute level of need or essential activity required by the case plan for a child or young person that is outside of the scope of carer allowances and not funded under the arrangement, additional funds may be provided at the discretion of Child Safety Services on a negotiated basis.
Departmental policies and procedures that are requirements for intensive foster care services are:
·	Kinship care 632
·	Child Safety Practice Manual - Chapter 8. Regulation of care
·	Intensive Foster Care Program Description (2012)
·	Procedures and guidelines for Quality Care: Foster Care Training
·	Foster and Kinship Carer Handbook
·	Statement of Commitment between the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services and the foster and kinship carers of Queensland
8.2.2 Considerations — Intensive Foster Care 
Approved carers may be eligible to receive cost reimbursement as allowances paid directly by Child Safety Services in accordance with the following Child Safety Services policies and procedures, as amended from time to time: 
·	Expenses - fortnightly caring allowance 365
·	High support needs allowance 296
·	Complex support needs allowance 612
·	Dual payment of carer allowances 289
·	Regional/remote loading for carers 379 
As detailed in the policies and procedures, approved carers are volunteers who care for children without expectation of remuneration. However, carers are entitled to financial reimbursement of direct and indirect costs of caring for children and the level of financial assistance will be determined by the department based on the costs to carers associated with the child’s needs. This includes situations where groups of children, including sibling groups, are placed with carers but children in the group have been assessed as having different levels of support needs. 
Other departmental policies relevant to intensive foster care services are:
·	Carer participation 460
·	Foster care training 383
·	Carer learning and support 457
8.3 Placement Services — Residential Care (T206)
Residential care is care provided to young people, primarily aged 12 to under 18 years, in residential premises (not a carer’s or young person’s own home) by paid or contracted workers and/or volunteers. Residential care provides an alternative to family based care options in environments that support young people in their adolescent development.
Residential care services are funded to provide a discrete number of places for Service Users with specific levels of support needs (moderate, high, complex and/or extreme) in a particular region with primary Child Safety Service Centre catchment areas nominated as appropriate.
8.3.1 Requirements — Residential Care 
Residential care services are funded to provide specific levels of worker support, though are typically expected to provide care 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including providing care to young people when not attending school, and during school holiday periods and other times. Service delivery may involve live-in or rostered workers with combinations of awake and sleepover shifts, on-call arrangements and recall to work capacity. 
As identified in policy, placements in residential care are for the purpose of: 
·	preparing the child or young person for reunification, transition to a family-based placement or other appropriate out-of-home care placement (to meet specific identified needs), or transition to independent living; and/or 
·	meeting the child or young person’s need for a medium or long-term stable placement, where a comprehensive assessment indicates the child or young person has needs that are best met by non-family-based care, and regular case reviews indicate that the placement continues to meet the child or young person’s needs.
Regardless of the purpose of the placement, residential care services must liaise and build linkages with other relevant placement and support services to enhance coordinated service delivery to children and families and to facilitate transitions for children and families between services. 
The principles specific to residential care include that young people have a right to access support and/or programs that will help them develop new knowledge, skills and behaviours to enhance their life outcomes and prepare them for reunification with family, transition to other forms of care, or transition to independent living. 
Services must meet all direct care costs for the young people to a level consistent with that detailed in the Child Safety Services policy Complex support needs allowance 612. In general, services are not expected to access additional contingency-based funds held by Child Safety Services outside the funding arrangement.  Where there is an emergent and acute level of need or essential activity required by the case plan for a young person that is not funded under the arrangement, additional funds may be provided at the discretion of Child Safety Services on a negotiated basis.
Where an agreement is negotiated for a residential care service to operate from a departmentally owned dwelling, such as under the Small Group Homes Capital Program, an imputed rent is negotiated.
Departmental policies and procedures that are requirements for residential care services are:
·	Residential care 606
8.3.2 Considerations — Residential Care 
Departmental policies and procedures that are considerations for residential care services are:
·	A contemporary model of residential care for children and young people in care (2010)
8.4 Placement Services — Therapeutic Residential Care (T209)
Therapeutic residential care is care provided to young people, primarily aged 12 to under 16 years, who have been assessed as having a complex or extreme level of support needs, in residential premises (not a carer’s or young person’s own home) by paid or contracted workers and/or volunteers. Therapeutic residential care provides a more intensive placement option for young people who are unable to be placed in other forms of residential care or family based care options.
8.4.1 Requirements — Therapeutic Residential Care 
Therapeutic residential care services are funded to provide four places for Service Users with complex to extreme support needs in a particular region, though are expected to accept referrals from across the state as determined by Child Safety Services.
Therapeutic residential care services must provide specific levels of worker support to provide care 24 hours a day, every day of the year, including providing care to young people when not attending school, and during school holiday periods and other times. Services must operate with a minimum of one awake worker overnight and additional on-call support arrangements as required.
As identified in policy, therapeutic residential care must involve intensive care, in a therapeutic living environment, to facilitate recovery from the impacts of physical, psychological and emotional trauma resulting from their experiences of harm or risk of harm. 
Therapeutic Residential Care services must:
·	assist young people to build relational, behavioural and emotional capacity
·	assist young people to develop skills and behaviours to transition to a less intensive form of out-of-home care, and decrease the risk of future placement instability
·	support reconnection with family and community (where appropriate and consistent with the case plan).
Placement of a young person in therapeutic residential care will be made in consideration of the young person’s own views, strengths and needs, individual abuse and trauma history, culture, disability and developmental needs (including any diagnosed mental health conditions), the views and wishes of the young person’s family, continuity of relationships, and the needs of other young people already residing with the service.
Therapeutic residential care services must be provided in the least restrictive environment, which is physically designed to minimise the risk of self-harming and violence. Placement of a young person in therapeutic residential care will be for a period of up to 18 months.
Therapeutic residential care services must aim to meet the individual care and support needs of each child and young person placed, which will be assessed, planned for, and reviewed in partnership between Child Safety Services and the services. Child Safety Services and therapeutic residential care services will actively facilitate the participation of the young person, family and community, relevant support services, Indigenous Recognised Entities, and other significant persons (such as school staff, support workers and previous carers) in these processes.
Services must meet all direct care costs for the young people and in general are not expected to access additional contingency-based funds held by Child Safety Services outside of the funding arrangement. Where there is an emergent and acute level of need or essential activity required by the case plan for a young person that is not funded under the arrangement, additional funds may be provided at the discretion of Child Safety Services on a negotiated basis.
Where an agreement is negotiated for a therapeutic residential care service to operate from a departmentally owned dwelling, such as under the Therapeutic Residential Care Capital Program, an imputed rent is negotiated.
Departmental policies and procedures that are requirements for therapeutic residential care services are:
·	Therapeutic residential care 577
·	Residential care 606
·	Service Model for Therapeutic Residential Services (2010)
·	Therapeutic Residential Care (Placement) Services State-Wide Protocol (2009)
8.4.2 Considerations — Therapeutic Residential Care
Departmental policies and procedures that are considerations for therapeutic residential care services are:
·	A contemporary model of residential care for children and young people in care (2010)
8.5 Placement Services — Safe Houses (T207)
Safe houses provide integrated residential care and family intervention services in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. 
Safe house residential care is care provided to children and young people aged under 18 years, in residential premises (not a carer’s or young person’s own home) by paid or contracted workers and/or volunteers. Safe houses provide emergency and short term out-of-home care to enable children and young people to remain safely in their communities while their child protection needs are being assessed. 
Safe houses also support the reunification of children and young people with their families, including children who have been placed away from their communities, where this is assessed as being in the best interests of the child.
Safe house family intervention services operate in the context of the Families Investment Specification (refer to separate Investment Specification).
8.5.1 Requirements — Safe Houses 
Safe houses must provide small group care with six places for children and young people assessed as having a moderate or high level of support needs, and may also accommodate sibling groups as negotiated. 
Safe houses must provide care 24 hours a day, every day of the year, with awake worker support and supervision up to 16 hours per day and sleepover shifts of eight hours each night with recall to work and on-call support arrangements or equivalent, including providing care to children when not attending school, and during school holiday periods and other times. 
Safe houses must meet all direct care costs for the young person to a level consistent with that detailed in the Child Safety Services policy Complex support needs allowance 612. In general, services will not be eligible to access additional contingency-based funds held by Child Safety Services outside the funding arrangement. Where there is an emergent and acute level of need or essential activity required by the case plan for a young person that is not funded under the arrangement, additional funds may be provided at the discretion of Child Safety Services on a negotiated basis.
Where an agreement is negotiated for a safe house residential care service to operate from a department owned dwelling under the Safe House Capital Program, the leasing arrangement will reduce the overall operating expenses of the service provider with the department retaining responsibility for costs associated with property management including rates, structural repairs and building maintenance. 
Departmental policies and procedures that are requirements for safe house services are:
·	Residential care 606
8.5.2 Considerations — Safe Houses
Departmental policies and procedures that are considerations for safe house services are:
·	A contemporary model of residential care for children and young people in care (2010)
8.6 	Placement Services — Supported Independent Living (T208)
Supported independent living is externally supported residential care provided to young people in residential premises (not a carer’s or young person’s own home) by paid or contracted workers and/or volunteers. Services provide individual or small group living and are most suited to young people aged 15 to under 18 years, who have been assessed as having a moderate, high or complex level of support needs and are in the process of transitioning to independent living. 
Services are funded to provide a discrete number of places for Service Users with specific levels of support needs in a particular region with primary Child Safety Service Centre catchment areas nominated as appropriate. Supported independent living services are also funded to provide specific levels of worker support, though workers generally do not live in the premises and mostly provide external support through regular visiting.
8.6.1 Requirements — Supported Independent Living 
In the context of their individual case plan, supported independent living services must provide practical support to young people in preparation for transitioning to independent living. Services must have a strong focus on:
·	supporting the development or enhancement of young people’s life skills and self-care
·	assisting young people to develop or improve their social skills and relationships, including with family, peers and other social networks, as appropriate
·	increasing young people’s access to information and community supports, including in relation to future accommodation, housing, health and income support
·	facilitating access of young people to ongoing education, employment and skills acquisition opportunities. 
Supported independent living services for young people with moderate to high support needs must meet all direct care costs for the young person to a level consistent with that detailed in the Child Safety Services policies Expenses - fortnightly caring allowance 365 and/or High support needs allowance 296. Services funded to provide places for young people assessed as having complex levels of support needs must meet all direct care costs for the young person to a level consistent with that detailed in the Child Safety policy Complex support needs allowance 612. 
In general, services are not expected to access additional contingency-based funds held by Child Safety Services outside the funding arrangement. Where there is an emergent and acute level of need or essential activity required by the case plan for a young person that is not funded under the arrangement, additional funds may be provided at the discretion of Child Safety Services on a negotiated basis.
Departmental policies and procedures that are requirements for supported independent living services are:
·	Residential care 606
8.6.2 Considerations — Supported Independent Living
Departmental policies and procedures that are considerations for supported independent living services are:
·	A contemporary model of residential care for children and young people in care (2010)
9. Service modes
Placement services are provided as out-of-home care primarily either in the home of a departmentally approved carer (foster and kinship care and intensive foster care) or in residential premises in the case of non-family based care services (residential care, therapeutic residential care, safe houses, and supported independent living). 

10. Deliverables and Performance Measures
Deliverables
The following outputs are funded under the Child Protection (Placement Services) funding area. The service agreement will identify the relevant outputs for each service outlet and the quantum to be delivered.
Service User Code	Service Type Code	Output	Quantity per annum	Number of Service Users	
U2270
U2260
U2307
U2296
U2273
U2289	T204
T205
T206
T209
T207
T208	A02.4.02 Out of home care placement and post-placement supervision 
Activities that place children in out of home care including foster care, placements with relatives or kin and residential care and the follow up on the outcomes of these placements. Care is provided to a child in a variety of care arrangements other than with their parents.	[insert number of placement nights]

(Note: the number of placement nights funded per annum is calculated by multiplying the number of funded places by the nights per annum.)
	N/A	

Performance measures
The following table includes the range of measures that are collected across the funding provided under the Child Protection (Placement Services) funding area. The service agreement will identify the relevant performance measures for each service outlet.
Service User Code	Service Type Code	Output measures	Counting rules and examples	
U2270
U2260
U2307
U2296
U2273
U2289
	T204
T205
T206
T209
T207
T208	A02.4.02 Out of home care placement and post-placement supervision - Activities that place children in out of home care including foster care, placements with relatives or kin and residential care and the follow up on the outcomes of these placements. Care is provided to a child in a variety of care arrangements other than with their parents.	Number of placement nights provided during the reporting period - the spaces occupied by individual Service Users who are provided with a service.
	Count the number of placement nights provided (i.e. number of nights of care provided to unique Service Users) during the period. A placement night is a night of care of a child or young person and, where appropriate, may include respite care. 
However, where a child is placed in respite the primary placement is not also counted i.e. any given night of care can only be counted once for a specific child. In other circumstances, where a place is held vacant with departmental approval for a specific child or young person for a time limited period and where they are not placed with another funded out-of-home placement service (e.g. a child in hospital or detention) this may be counted as a placement night provided.
The department will divide the number of placement nights actually provided (i.e. number of distinct children cared for each night) by the total number of funded placement nights in the period and multiply by 100 to express as a percentage.
The department will also multiply the percentage occupancy by the number of funded places to express as an average number of places provided per day during the period.	

Service User Code	Service Type Code	Throughput Measures	Counting rules and examples	
All	All	IS133	Number of existing Service Users	Count 1 for each unique Service User who received a service during the period as a continuation from the previous period. This excludes returning Service Users who were not existing Service Users at the beginning of the reporting period.
Count the number of distinct children and young people who were provided with a placement night on the last night of the immediately previous period. Each distinct child is counted only once.
The department will use the number of existing Service Users, the number of new Service Users, and the number of exiting Service Users to calculate the number of Service Users at the end of the period, and then divide that number by the number of funded places and multiply by 100 to express as percentage occupancy.
	
			Number of new Service Users 	Count 1 for each unique Service User who is new to the service outlet during the period. This includes returning Service Users who were not existing Service Users at the beginning of the period.
Count the number of distinct children and young people who were not existing Service Users and were provided with a placement night during the period. Each distinct child is counted only once. 
The department will use the number of existing Service Users, the number of new Service Users, and the number of exiting Service Users to calculate the number of Service Users at the end of the period, and then divide that number by the number of funded places and multiply by 100 to express as percentage occupancy.
	
		IS145	Number of Service Users who have exited from the service	Count 1 for each unique Service User who finished receiving a service during the period. 
Count the number of distinct children and young people who exited from the service during the period (i.e. ceased to receive placement nights). Each distinct child is counted only once.
The department will use the number of existing Service Users, the number of new Service Users, and the number of exiting Service Users to calculate the number of Service Users at the end of the period, and then divide that number by the number of funded places and multiply by 100 to express as percentage occupancy.	
All	All	IS147	Number of Service Users that received a service	Count 1 for each unique Service User who received a service during the period.
Count the total number of distinct children and young people provided with placement nights during the period. Each distinct child is counted only once regardless of how many placement nights they are provided.
(Note: there is no per annum target of Service Users per service.)
Where a place is held vacant with departmental approval for a specific child or young person for a time limited period and where they are not placed with another funded placement service (e.g. child in hospital or detention) then that child or young person will be counted as a Service User for those placement nights. Note: this only applies when a place is held vacant and not, for example, when an emergency placement is made into a place.	
		IS216	Number of Service Users with unplanned moves	Count 1 for each unique Service User provided with placement nights during the period who had unplanned moves from placements during the period. An unplanned move is one which is not part of the case plan for the child. Each distinct child is counted only once regardless of how many unplanned moves are made during the period. 
The department will divide the number of children and young people with unplanned moves by the total number of children and young people placed and multiply by 100 to express as a percentage.	
U2260
U2307
U2296
U2273
U2289	T205
T206
T209
T207
T208	IS209	Number of Service Users with Placement Agreements	Count 1 for each unique Service User provided with placement nights during the period that had a departmental Placement Agreement. Each distinct child is counted only once regardless of how many placement nights they are provided. 
The department will divide the number of children and young people with Placement Agreements by the total number of children and young people placed and multiply by 100 to express as a percentage.	
		IS210	Number of Service Users with Education Support Plans	Count 1 for each unique Service User provided with placement nights during the period who had a departmental Education Support Plan. Each distinct child is counted only once regardless of how many placement nights they are provided. 
The department will divide the number of children and young people with Education Support Plans by the total number of children and young people placed and multiply by 100 to express as a percentage.	
		IS211	Number of Service Users with Cultural Support Plans	Count 1 for each unique Service User provided with placement nights during the period who had a departmental Cultural Support Plan. Each distinct child is counted only once regardless of how many placement nights they are provided. 
The department will divide the number of children and young people with Cultural Support Plans by the total number of children and young people placed and multiply by 100 to express as a percentage.
	
U2260
U2307
U2296
U2273
U2289	T205
T206
T209
T207
T208	IS212	Number of Service Users receiving therapeutic or behaviour support from Evolve Interagency Services during the period	Count 1 for each unique Service User provided with placement nights during the period that received therapeutic or behaviour support from Evolve Interagency Services at any time during the period. Each distinct child is counted only once regardless of how many placement nights they are provided. 

The department will divide the number of children and young people who received Evolve services by the total number of children and young people placed and multiply by 100 to express as a percentage.
	
		IS213	Number of Service Users over 15 years with Transition from Care Plans	Count 1 for each unique Service User over 15 years of age at any time during the reporting period provided with placement nights during the period that had a departmental Transition from Care Plan. Each distinct child is counted only once regardless of how many placement nights they are provided.
The department will divide the number of young people over 15 years with Transition from Care Plans by the total number of young people over 15 years placed with the service and multiply by 100 to express as a percentage.	
U2270
U2260	T204
T205	IS219	Number of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Service Users placed with an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person	Count 1 for each unique Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Service User placed with an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person (including a member of the child or young person’s family, a member of the child or young person’s community or language group, another Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person who is familiar with the child’s community or language group; or another Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person) during the period. Each distinct child is counted only once regardless of how many placement nights they are provided.
The department will divide the number of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children and young people placed with an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person by the total number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people placed and multiply by 100 to express as a percentage.	
Service User code	Service Type Code	Demographic Measures	Counting rules and examples	
All	All	IS35	Number of Service Users identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander	Count 1 for each unique Service User who identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
Count the number of distinct Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children and young people provided with placement nights during the period. Each distinct child is counted only once regardless of how many placement nights they are provided.
The department will divide the number of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children and young people by the total number of children and young people placed and multiply by 100 to express as a percentage.	
		IS39	Number of Service Users identifying as being from Culturally and Linguistically diverse backgrounds	Count 1 for each unique Service User who identifies as being from a culturally and linguistically diverse background.
Count the number of unique children and young people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse backgrounds provided with placement nights during the period. Each distinct child is counted only once regardless of how many placement nights they are provided. (Note this count should not include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.)
The department will divide the number of children and young people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse backgrounds by the total number of children and young people placed and multiply by 100 to express as a percentage.	
		IS205	Number of female Service Users	Count 1 for each Service User who identifies as female.
Count the number of distinct female children and young people provided with placement nights during the period. Each distinct female child is counted only once regardless of how many placement nights they are provided. (Note the number of female and male Service Users must equal the throughput measure total number of Service Users during the period.)
The department will divide the number of female children and young people by the total number of children and young people placed and multiply by 100 to express as a percentage.	
		IS205	Number of male Service Users	Count 1 for each Service User who identifies as male.
Count the number of distinct male children and young people provided with placement nights during the period. Each distinct male child is counted only once regardless of how many placement nights they are provided. (Note the number of female and male Service Users must equal the throughput measure total number of Service Users during the period.)
The department will divide the number of male children and young people by the total number of children and young people placed and multiply by 100 to express as a percentage.	
U2260
U2307
U2296
U2273
U2289	T205
T206
T209
T207
T208	IS207	Number of Service Users over 15 years	Count 1 for each unique Service User who is over 15 years.
Count the number of distinct children provided with placement nights during the period that were over 15 years of age at any time during the period. Each distinct child is counted only once regardless of how many placement nights they are provided.
The department will divide the number of children over 15 years by the total number of children and young people placed and multiply by 100 to express as a percentage.	
U2307
U2296
U2273	T206
T209
T207	IS208	Number of Service Users under 12 years	Count 1 for each unique Service User who is under 12 years.
Count the number of distinct children provided with placement nights during the period that were under 12 years of age at any time during the period. Each distinct child is counted only once regardless of how many placement nights they are provided.
The department will divide the number of children under 12 years by the total number of children and young people placed and multiply by 100 to express as a percentage.	
Service User code	Service Type Code	Outcome Measures	Counting rules and examples	
All	All	Code	Number of Service Users who have shown improvements in being safe and protected from harm	Count 1 for each unique Service User who has shown improved safety and protection from harm during the period i.e. count the number of children and young people with improved personal safety within placements as demonstrated through a department approved assessment tool.
The department will divide the number of children and young people with improved safety by the total number of children and young people placed during the period and multiply by 100 to express as a percentage.  	
		Code	Number of Service Users with improved quality of life	Count 1 for each unique Service User who has shown improved quality of life during the period i.e. count the number of children and young people with improved quality of life as demonstrated through a department approved assessment tool. 
The department will divide the number of children and young people with improved quality of life by the total number of children and young people placed during the period and multiply by 100 to express as a percentage.	
		Code	Number of Service Users with improved family interactions / connectedness	Count 1 for each unique Service User who has shown improved family interactions / connectedness during the period i.e. count the number of children and young people with improved family and carer relationships as demonstrated through a department approved assessment tool. 
The department will divide the number of children and young people with improved family and carer relationships by the total number of children and young people placed during the period and multiply by 100 to express as a percentage.	
		Code	Number of Service Users with improved cultural identity / connectedness	Count 1 for each unique Service User who has shown improved cultural identity / connectedness during the period i.e. count the number of children and young people with improved cultural identity and connections as demonstrated through a department approved assessment tool.
The department will divide the number of children and young people with improved cultural identity and connections by the total number of children and young people placed during the period and multiply by 100 to express as a percentage. 	
All	All	Code	Number of Service Users with improved social connectedness	Count 1 for each unique Service User who has shown improved social connectedness during the period i.e. count the number of children and young people with improved social and community connections as demonstrated through a department approved assessment tool. 
The department will divide the number of children and young people with improved social and community connections by the total number of children and young people placed during the period and multiply by 100 to express as a percentage.	
		Code	Number of Service Users with improved life skills	Count 1 for each unique Service User who has shown improved life skills during the period i.e.  count the number of children and young people with improved life skills as demonstrated through a department approved assessment tool. 
The department will divide the number of children and young people with improved life skills by the total number of children and young people placed during the period and multiply by 100 to express as a percentage.	
		Code	Number of Service Users with a reduced level of law / statutory involvement	Count 1 for each unique Service User who has shown reduced interaction with law and/or statutory authorities during the period i.e. count the number of children and young people with reduced involvement with the criminal justice system as demonstrated through a department approved assessment tool.
The department will divide the number of children and young people with reduced involvement with the criminal justice system by the total number of children and young people placed during the period and multiply by 100 to express as a percentage. 	
		Code	Number of Service Users with improved service access	Count 1 for each unique Service User who has shown improved service access during the period i.e. count the number of children and young people with improved access to services as demonstrated through a department approved assessment tool. 
The department will divide the number of children and young people with improved access to services by the total number of children and young people placed during the period and multiply by 100 to express as a percentage.	
Service User Code	Service type Code	Other Measures	Counting rules and examples	
U2270
U2260	T204
T205	IS222	Number of carers	Count 1 for each unique carer household which provided placement nights during the period. Each distinct carer household is counted only once regardless of how many placement nights they provided. Count all carer households whether providing primary and/or respite placements.
The department will divide the total number of placement nights provided in the period by the number of nights in the period and then by the number of carer households providing those placements to determine the average number of places per carer household per placement night.	
All	All	IS130	Average cost per place per annum	Average cost per place per annum will be calculated by the department using the total amount of funding expended by the service (on an accrual accounting basis) during the period, divided by the number of placement nights provided during the period and multiplied by 365 (nights per annum). This actual cost will be compared with the budgeted average cost per place per annum.	
U2307
U2296
U2273
U2289	T206
T209
T207
T208	IS204	Number of direct care workers	Count the number of full time equivalent (FTE) direct care worker positions filled at the service outlet during the period. Count only the number of FTE that provide direct care and support to Service Users i.e. not managerial or administrative workers. 
Assuming a full-time position is a standard 38 hours per week, then two half-time staff working 19 hours per week equals 1.0 FTE or two three-quarter-time staff working 28.5 hours per week equals 1.5 FTE.	
		IS215	Number of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander direct care workers	Count the number of full time equivalent (FTE) Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander direct care workers in positions filled at the service outlet during the period. Count only the number of FTE workers in positions filled by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander workers that provide direct care and support to Service Users i.e. not managerial or administrative workers. 
Assuming a full-time position is a standard 38 hours per week, then two half-time Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander staff working 19 hours per week equals 1.0 FTE or two three-quarter-time Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander staff working 28.5 hours per week equals 1.5 FTE.
The department will divide the FTE number of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander direct care workers employed or contracted at the service by the total FTE number of direct care workers and multiply by 100 to express as a percentage.	
U2289	T208	IS247	Number of hours of services delivered 	Count the number of hours of support provided to Service Users by direct care workers during the period.  
The time that should be counted towards hours of services or outputs delivered includes:
·	face to face time spent with Service Users; and
·	time spent undertaking tasks on behalf of Service Users, such as arranging referrals, writing file notes, participating in case discussions, mobile service delivery, specific Service User related travel, recording data at the time of initial assessment, and preparation for training events.
Time that should not be counted in hours of service include activities that cannot be attributed to Service Users such as:
·	team meetings, travel, attending staff training, network meetings, supervision, and compiling data for reporting to the department.
The department will divide the hours of support provided to Service Users by the total number of placement nights provided in the period to express as an average of daily hours of direct Service User support.	

11. Contact information
For further information regarding this investment specification, please contact your nearest service centre, details of which can be found at. http://www.communities.qld.gov.au/communityservices/contact-us/service-centres-by-region
For information regarding current funding opportunities at the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services, please go to http://www.communities.qld.gov.au/gateway/funding-and-grants
12. Other funding and supporting documents
·	Investment Domains Guideline
·	Investment Specifications: 
1.	Child Protection (Support Services)
2.	Child Protection (Placement Services)
3.	Families
4.	Domestic and Family Violence
5.	Individuals
6.	Young people
7.	Older people
8.	Community
9.	Service System Support and Development
·	Outputs Catalogue 
·	Human Services Quality Framework (HSQF)