Joint response teams to keep vulnerable kids safe

Three new Joint Response teams will start operating across Queensland this year as part of a new trial between Child Safety and the Queensland Police Service.

The 12-month trial will see Specialist Investigation Officers from Child Safety working with child protection police to further strengthen the response to vulnerable children.

Child Safety Minister Shannon Fentiman the teams would be established in Toowoomba, Townsville and on the Gold Coast, while an additional four Child Safety staff will be stationed at Police Headquarters at Roma Street. .

“These new rapid response teams will work together to ensure the safety of vulnerable children by engaging daily to identify relevant cases and share information,” she said.

Ms Fentiman said timely information will mean Child Safety teams can react more quickly to reports a child needs protection and information held by the Queensland Police Service could be key to their response.

“Sharing critical information quickly could be the vital step that saves a child’s life and we want Police and Child Safety staff to have the best possible chance to do that.”

“That information will help them understand what they’ll be faced with when they knock on the door of a particular family,” she said.

“We want to ensure there is a rapid response in place where there are concerns about the welfare of a child, and this will help do that.In a related trial four child safety officers will be embedded in Queensland Police Headquarters.

“This is about information sharing and ensuring our staff and the police have the most up-to-date information at their fingertips,” she said.

“Having four child safety officers located at Police Headquarters in Brisbane’s Roma Street will further improve and streamline the information sharing between child safety and the police.

“These four staff will have access to police resources including QPRIME and QPS information management database.

The Joint Response trial is expected to start in the second half of 2017.

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Media Contact:          Ron Goodman            0427 781 920