The Joint Child Protection Response Program (JCPRP) is a tri-agency program delivered by the NSW Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ), the NSW Police Force (NSWPF) and NSW Health. The program operates statewide and provides a comprehensive and coordinated safety, criminal justice and health response to children and young people alleged to have experienced sexual abuse, serious physical abuse and serious neglect.
In September 2018, The Secretary of DCJ (then Family and Community Services), the Secretary of NSW Health and the Commissioner of NSWPF negotiated a Statement of Intent (SoI) to guide the future of the partnership. The SoI reflects an agreement between the agencies to foster cooperation and provide the best outcomes for children, young people, their families, carers and the community in response to serious cases of child abuse. The SoI outlines the Principles, Objectives and Governance of the Program.
The underlying principle of the joint partnership is recognition that the safety, welfare and wellbeing of children and young people is paramount. By working collaboratively, JCPRP staff from DCJ, NSWPF and NSW Health are able to coordinate agency specific expertise around the child or young person's needs.
Children, young people and the community are protected from further harm and achieve safety, justice and recovery by:
Responsibility for the overall management of the program rests with the Statewide Management Group (SMG) comprising executives, directors and senior advisors from the three agencies. Responsibility for monitoring performance, compliance and the health of the Program rests with the Deputies' Group comprising the Deputy Secretaries and Deputy Commissioner (or delegate) of each agency.
If you think a child or young person is at risk of significant harm, contact the Child Protection Helpline on 13 21 11 (open 24 hours/7 days).
Where appropriate the Child Protection Helpline will refer reports to the JCPRP via the Joint Referral Unit (JRU).
The JRU is the single entry point into the JCPRP in NSW. Tri-agency staff at the JRU share known interagency information and where necessary gather additional information to inform decisions about whether referrals require a specialist tri-agency response delivered via the JCPRP.
Reports which are not accepted by the JRU for a JCPRP response may still require a safety and risk assessment and/or criminal investigation and/or health service. Therefore, reports that do not meet the JCPRP criteria are referred for a local response to the relevant Community Service Centre (CSC) and where required to the NSWPF and/or NSW Health.
NSW Health is responsible for providing an integrated medical and forensic and psycho-social response to JCPRP clients who are victims of sexual assault, serious physical abuse and serious neglect.
A small team of clinicians is employed to work in the Joint Referral Unit (JRU) on joint decision-making around intake to JCPRP. JRU Health staff work closely with health services to provide timely health information about JCPRP clients and to arrange urgent health service provision, where required.
NSW Health also employs clinicians in the 22 JCPRP units around NSW where they work with the partner agencies on local planning and coordinated service responses for JCPRP clients. The health clinicians also work with their local health district or specialty health network to perform their functions and ensure JCPRP clients receive a seamless response from NSW Health.