Accredited agencies must make notifications to the Office of the Children’s Guardian in line with legislation and conditions of accreditation.
Notifications and changes to agency details should be made using the accreditation portal.
Agencies must notify the Office of the Children’s Guardian when:
- there are changes to the agency’s Principal Officer or agency contact details
- there is a death of a child or young person in statutory out-of-home care placed with the agency
- a child under 12 is placed in residential statutory out-of-home care with the agency, and if the placement with the agency ceases before the child turns 12.
Alternative Care Arrangements and Individual Placement Arrangements
When agencies make Alternative Care Arrangements (known as ACAs) for a child, a separate notification to the Children’s Guardian is not required. Instead, when submitting Alternative Care Arrangement forms by email to the Department of Communities and Justice’s Placement Management Team, agencies must copy in the Children’s Guardian’s notifications address: oohcnotifications@ocg.nsw.gov.au
Agencies should refer to the Guidelines for the engagement and authorisation of staff and contractors in an emergency or when sourced from a labour hire agency. These guidelines apply when agencies place a child or young person in Alternative Care Arrangements. The guidelines have been updated to include the Residential Care Workers Register.
When agencies make Individual Placement Arrangements (known as IPAs) for a child, notification to the Children’s Guardian is not needed unless the child being placed is under 12. In this case, agencies must complete a notification of the placement of a child under 12 in residential care.
The Department's website provides information about IPAs and ACAs, including forms and emergency or temporary care terminology.
If you need help with notifications to the Children’s Guardian, please contact the Accreditation and Monitoring team at oohcnotifications@ocg.nsw.gov.au
