Social welfare framework: System design and service system requirements for a holistic child protection system

Brief No. 1 referred to the trend of Australian State and Territory child protection systems to shift the balance from a `forensic' investigation of suspected child maltreatment to one where a greater emphasis was placed on family support and the promotion of a `needs' approach to the management of suspected child maltreatment cases. This briefing focuses on the design of services and systems based on a more wholistic approach to child protection.