Child Information Sharing Capability Building Project 2022

CMHL were successful in tendering for a Child Information Sharing Capacity Building Grant funded by the Department of Education and Training.   

This project built the Victorian Mental Health workforce’s awareness of and confidence in using the Child Information Sharing Scheme (CISS) to promote child wellbeing and safety, and where family violence risk to a child is present, the Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme (FVISS), having regard to the Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management Framework (MARAM).   

This project was funded by the Department of Education and Training to:  

• Increase awareness of child information sharing in Victorian Mental Health Services, including organisational roles, responsibilities and obligations under the Child and Family Violence Information Sharing Schemes (the Schemes)  

• Support Mental Health Services to embed the Schemes in their organisational systems, policies, processes and practice, to meet their legislative obligations.   

• Identify and help address workforce gaps and barriers in understanding and implementing the Schemes.   

• Build workforce confidence in using the Schemes to undertake quality, timely and appropriate child information sharing, to promote child wellbeing or safety (using CISS), and to assess or manage family violence risk to a child (using FVISS and MARAM).   

• Engage Aboriginal and diverse and disadvantaged groups to build understanding of CISS and promote cultural safety using the Schemes.   

• Promote cross-sector collaboration in support of a shared and consistent understanding of the Schemes and roles and responsibilities for child wellbeing and safety across the service system.   

• Build on and add value to existing information sharing capacity building initiatives and funded activities. 

We engaged with AMHS to provide information sessions and resources to build the workforces awareness and confidence in using the schemes and understand their legislative requirements.  

Over 2022 we delivered 60 CISS in Mental Health Practice information sessions to 669 members of the workforce. This included sessions to 8 metro and 4 regional services. 

A summary of our work is available on our CISS Exchange HERE.

Useful Links:

• Information Sharing Scheme eLearn course
• Family Violence and Child Wellbeing and Safety 
• Child Information Sharing Scheme
• Tips for a conversation with a child and/or their parent about information sharing
• Information Sharing Entity (ISE) List

Resources:

• Clinicians - Sharing information to support child wellbeing and safety
• CISS Clinician Resource