Effect of multi-agency deliberation on perceptions of risk in responses to child abuse and neglect

Most jurisdictions in Australia have a process of holding case review meetings between police, child protection, and health authorities. These meetings are the point at which critical decisions about a particular case are made, shared, and discussed between agencies. This research represents the first direct investigation of whether holding multi-agency deliberation changes perceptions of risk and recommended actions on a series of suspected child abuse case vignettes. Examining whether professionals change their minds as a result of what they hear from their colleagues at a multi-agency case review will create opportunities to better understand how these meetings work, and potentially identify how the structure of these meetings can facilitate more robust exchange and understanding between inter-agency colleagues. Having agencies work effectively together and responding to the case holistically is critical to children’s and families’ experiences of the response to suspected abuse and neglect. The study will include a review of how multi-agency case review meetings occur in a range of Australian and Canadian jurisdictions to assist jurisdictions with considering alternatives to their existing multi-agency process.