CHILDREN AND COMMUNITY SERVICES ACT 2004

Western Australian Current Acts

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CHILDREN AND COMMUNITY SERVICES ACT 2004

TABLE OF PROVISIONS

PART 1 -- Preliminary

1. Short title
2. Commencement
3. Terms used
4. Presumptions of parentage
5. Status of notes

PART 2 -- Objects and principles

Division 1A -- Preliminary

5A. Application of objects and principles

Division 1 -- Objects

6. Objects

Division 2 -- General principles relating to children

7. Paramount consideration is best interests of child
8. Determining best interests of child
9. Other principles
10. Principle of child participation

Division 3 -- Principles relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children

11. Relationship with principles in Division
12. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child placement principle
13. Principle of self-determination
14. Principle of community participation

PART 3 -- Administrative matters

Division 1 -- The Minister

15. Agreements in respect of social services
16. Delegation by Minister

Division 2 -- The Children and Community Services Ministerial Body

17. Term used: Ministerial Body
18. Children and Community Services Ministerial Body
19. Purpose and nature of Ministerial Body
20. Execution of documents by Ministerial Body

Division 3 -- The CEO

21. Functions of CEO
22. Cooperation and assistance
23. CEO etc. may disclose or request relevant information
24A. Power of CEO to obtain copies of certain reports from CEO (Corrective Services)
24. Delegation by CEO

Division 4 -- Authorised officers

25. Designation of authorised officers
26. Identity cards

Division 5 -- Advisory bodies

27. Establishment of advisory bodies

Division 6 -- Information sharing

28A. Terms used
28B. Disclosure of information by prescribed authority or authorised entity
28C. Delegation of powers under s. 28B

PART 4 -- Protection and care of children

Division 1 -- Introductory matters

28. When child in need of protection
29. Provisional protection and care, meaning and effect of
30. When child is in CEO’s care

Division 2 -- Measures to safeguard or promote child’s wellbeing

Subdivision 1 -- General powers and duties of CEO

31. CEO may cause inquiries to be made about child
32. CEO’s duties if action needed to safeguard etc. child’s wellbeing
33A. CEO may cause inquiries to be made before child is born
33B. CEO’s duties if action needed before child born to safeguard etc. child after birth

Subdivision 2 -- Powers relating to investigation

33. Access to child for purposes of investigation
34. Warrant (access), application for and issue of

Subdivision 3 -- Provisional protection and care

35. Warrant (provisional protection and care), application for and issue of
36. CEO’s duty if child taken into provisional protection and care under warrant
37. Taking child into provisional protection and care without warrant in certain circumstances
38. CEO’s duties etc. if child taken into provisional protection and care without warrant
39. Provisional care plans, preparation etc. of

Subdivision 4 -- Other powers

40. Power to keep child under 6 years of age in hospital
41. Power to move child to safe place

Division 3 -- Protection orders

Subdivision 1 -- Introductory matters

42. Terms used
43. Term used: protection order

Subdivision 2 -- Applications for, and making of, protection orders

44. Application for protection order
45. Court may make protection order
46. No order principle

Subdivision 3 -- Protection orders (supervision)

47. Protection order (supervision)
48. Duration of protection order (supervision)
49. Extension of protection order (supervision)
50. Conditions of protection order (supervision)
51. Variation of conditions of protection order (supervision)
52. Access to child by authorised officer while protection order (supervision) in force
53. Provision of social services

Subdivision 4 -- Protection orders (time-limited)

54. Protection order (time-limited)
55. Duration of protection order (time-limited)
56. Extension of protection order (time-limited)

Subdivision 5 -- Protection orders (until 18)

57. Protection order (until 18)
58. Restriction on making protection order (until 18)
59. Duration of protection order (until 18)

Subdivision 6 -- Protection orders (special guardianship)

60. Protection order (special guardianship)
61. Restriction on making protection order (special guardianship)
62. Duration of protection order (special guardianship)
63. Conditions of protection order (special guardianship)
64. Variation of conditions
65. Court may order payments to special guardian
66. Provision of social services

Subdivision 7 -- Revocation and replacement of protection orders

67. Revocation of protection order
68. Replacement of protection order: application by CEO
69A. Replacement of protection order (time-limited) or protection order (until 18): application by carer
69B. Replacement of protection order (special guardianship) on notification by CEO

Subdivision 8 -- General

69. Applications for extension, variation, revocation or replacement of protection orders
70. Form of protection order
71. Child’s date of birth
72. Parties to proceedings to be given copy of protection order
73. Maintenance of children under certain orders

Division 4 -- Negotiated placement

74. Term used: child
75. Negotiated placement agreement
76. Duration of negotiated placement agreement
77. Termination of negotiated placement agreement

Division 5 -- Children in the CEO’s care

Subdivision 1 -- Charter of Rights

78. Preparation etc. of Charter of Rights

Subdivision 2 -- Placement arrangements

79. CEO may arrange placement of child
80. Guidelines for placement of certain children
81. Consultation before placement of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child
82. Payment for care under placement arrangement
83. Inspection of place where child living
84. Authorised officer may require person to hand over child
85. Warrant (apprehension) where child not handed over
86. Warrant (apprehension) where child absent or taken without authority
87. Apprehension without warrant in certain circumstances

Subdivision 3A -- Secure care arrangements

88A. Terms used
88B. Secure care facilities
88C. Secure care arrangements for certain children
88D. Period in secure care facility
88E. Continuation order required for certain provisionally protected children
88F. CEO to decide secure care period for protected child
88G. Reconsideration of certain decisions as to protected child
88H. Review of CEO’s decision
88I. Requirements for care plan or provisional care plan
88J. Apprehension without warrant of child absent from secure care facility

Subdivision 3 -- Plans

89. Care plan
89A. Cultural support plan
89B. Leaving care plan
90. Review of care plan

Subdivision 4 -- Review of certain decisions

91. Terms used
92. Care plan review panel
93. Initial review
94. Review of CEO’s decision
95. Procedure

Division 6 -- Provisions about leaving the CEO’s care

96. People who qualify for assistance
97. Child’s entitlement to personal material
98. Provision of social services
99. Provision of assistance to obtain accommodation etc.
100. Provision of financial assistance
100A. Provision of explanation to child

Division 7 -- Offences

Subdivision 1 -- Children generally

101. Failing to protect child from harm
102. Leaving child unsupervised in vehicle
103. Tattooing or branding
104A. Body piercing
104. Providing long-term care for young children

Subdivision 2 -- Children under placement arrangements or secure care arrangements

105. Terms used
106. Removing child from State
107. Removing child from place of residence
108. Harbouring child absent from place of residence
109. Preventing child’s return to place of residence
110. CEO may prohibit communication with child
111. Evidentiary provision

Division 8 -- Powers of restraint, search and seizure

112. Terms used
113A. Approving persons for purposes of this Division
113. Prerequisites for exercise of power
114. Child may be restrained
115. Child may be searched
116. Certain articles may be seized
117. How seized articles to be dealt with
118. Use of reasonable force
119. Prescribed procedures

Division 9 -- Warrants

120. Applying for warrants
121. Warrant (access), effect of
122. Warrant (apprehension), effect of
123. Warrant (provisional protection and care), effect of
124. Execution of warrant

Division 9A -- Reporting sexual abuse of children

124A. Terms used
124B. Duty of certain people to report sexual abuse of children
124BA. Provisions for ministers of religion
124C. Reports under s. 124B, form and content of
124D. CEO to give copies of reports under s. 124B to police
124E. Time limit for prosecuting offences under s. 124B and 124C
124F. Confidentiality of reporter’s identity
124G. Evidence and legal proceedings
124H. Orders, leave of courts etc. under s. 124F or 124G

Division 10 -- General

125A. Assessors, appointment and functions of
125B. Identity cards for assessors
125. Access to child, meaning of
126. Recovery of certain expenditure
127. CEO may give consent in lieu of parent in some cases
128. Records of children in CEO’s care to be kept
129. Protection from liability for giving information
130. General powers of police officers not affected

PART 5A -- Responsible parenting agreements

131A. Terms used
131B. Principle to be observed in administration of this Part
131C. Responsible parenting agreements
131D. Entering into responsible parenting agreement
131E. Content of responsible parenting agreement
131F. Formal requirements
131G. Effect of responsible parenting agreement
131H. Delegation by CEO (Corrective Services) and CEO (Education)

PART 5 -- Protection proceedings

Division 1 -- Terms used in this Part

131. Terms used

Division 2 -- Adjournment and interim orders

132. Adjournment of proceedings
133. Interim orders
134A. Interim orders (secure care)
134. Variation or revocation of interim order
135. Access to child by authorised officer while interim order in force

Division 3A -- Orders for determination of parentage

136A. Terms used
136B. Orders requiring person to give evidence
136C. Parentage testing orders
136D. Orders associated with parentage testing orders
136E. Adult contravening s. 136D order, consequences of
136F. Procedure etc. ordered for child, parental consent needed in some cases, consequences of refusing to consent
136G. No liability if parent or CEO consents
136H. Parentage testing procedures, conduct of etc.
136I. Results of parentage testing procedures admissible in protection proceedings

Division 3 -- Pre-hearing conferences

136. Court may order pre-hearing conference
137. Confidentiality of pre-hearing conference

Division 4 -- Reports about child

138. Term used: report
139. Court may require report
140. Access to written report
141. Confidentiality of report
142. Protection from liability for preparing or giving report

Division 5 -- Proposals about arrangements for child

143. CEO to provide Court with proposal for child
143A. Content of proposal
144. Court to consider proposal

Division 6 -- Procedural matters

145. Conduct of protection proceedings generally
146. Court not bound by rules of evidence
147. Parties to protection proceedings
148. Legal representation of child
149. Presence of child in court
150. Evidence of child
151. Standard of proof
152. Intervention by Attorney General
153. Court to facilitate party’s participation in proceedings
154. Court may dispense with requirement for service
155. Frivolous or vexatious proceedings

PART 6 -- Transfer of child protection orders and proceedings

Division 1 -- Introductory matters

156. Purpose of PART
157. Terms used

Division 2 -- Transfer of child protection orders

Subdivision 1 -- Administrative transfers

158. When CEO may transfer home order
159. Persons whose consent is required under s. 158(1)(d)
160. CEO to have regard to certain matters
161. Notification of decision to transfer
162. Judicial review of CEO’s decision
163. Review by State Administrative Tribunal

Subdivision 2 -- Judicial transfers

164. When Court may transfer home order
165. Service of application under s.
166. Court to have regard to certain matters
167. Proposed interstate orders, terms of
168. Court not to make s. 164 order without report from CEO
169. Appeals

Division 3 -- Transfer of child protection proceedings

170. When Court may transfer child protection proceeding
171. Service of application under s.
172. Court to have regard to certain matters
173. Interim order
174. Appeals

Division 4 -- Registration

175. Filing interstate orders in Court
176. Registering interstate orders
177. Notification by registrar of Court
178. Effect of registration
179. Revocation of registration

Division 5 -- General

180. Legal representation of child
181. Effect of registration of transferred order
182. Transfer of Court file
183. Hearing and determination of transferred proceeding
184. Disclosure of information
185. Discretion of CEO to consent to transfer
186. Evidence of consent of relevant interstate officer
187. Offence to remove certain children from where they live

PART 7 -- Employment of children

188. Terms used
189. School Education Act 1999 not affected
190. Child under 15 not to be employed in business etc.
191. Exceptions to s.
192. Children not to be employed to perform in indecent manner etc.
193. CEO may prohibit or limit employment of child
194A. CEO may prohibit or limit employment of children in particular business or place
194. False information to employers etc.
196. Role of industrial inspectors and industrial magistrate’s courts

PART 9 -- Provision of financial or other assistance

233. CEO may provide financial or other assistance
234. CEO may assist with funeral expenses
235. Application for assistance
236. Recovery of overpayments in certain circumstances

PART 10 -- Confidentiality provisions

237. Restriction on publication of certain information or material
238. Production of departmental records in legal proceedings
239. Objection to disclosure of certain information during legal proceedings
240. Restrictions on disclosing notifier’s identity
241. Restrictions on disclosing information obtained under this Act

PART 10A -- Enforcement

Division 1 -- Preliminary

241A. Terms used
241B. Application of Part

Division 2 -- General powers

241C. Entry to places
241D. Powers after entering place
241E. Directions to provide information or documents
241F. Additional powers for relevant records
241G. Contravention of directions
241H. Exercise of power may be recorded
241I. Assistance and use of force to exercise power
241J. Procedure on seizing things
241K. Application of Criminal and Found Property Disposal Act 2006

Division 3 -- Entry warrants

241L. Application for entry warrant
241M. Issue and content of entry warrant
241N. Refusal of entry warrant
241O. Effect of entry warrant

PART 11 -- Other matters

242A. CEO to notify Ombudsman of certain deaths of children
242. Obstruction
243. Impersonating assessor, authorised officer or industrial inspector
244. False information in applications etc.
245. Legal proceedings, commencement of
246. Protection from liability for wrongdoing
247. Effect of provision requiring document to be given to particular person or child
248. Regulations
249. Review of Act
250. Repeal, transitional and savings provisions
SCHEDULE 1 -- Transitional and savings provisions

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