Victorian Child Death Review Committee (VCDRC)

page content: what is the VCDRC | functions | relationship to the OCSC | policy & practice

What is the Victorian Child Death Review Committee?

The Victorian Child Death Review Committee (VCDRC) is an independent, multidisciplinary ministerial advisory body.

The VCDRC reviews the deaths of children and young people who were clients of the Victorian Child Protection service at the time of their death or within three months of their death. The aim of this review is to identify common themes and comment on service responses to vulnerable children and families, as part of an on-going, reflective learning process.

The VCDRC does not express an opinion about the factors leading to a child's death nor does it determine culpability. Responsibility for these matters rests with the State Coroner and Victoria Police.

What are the functions of the VCDRC?

• To review the deaths of all children and young people who are current or recent clients of the Victorian Child Protection service.
• To identify any themes, trends or patterns, which emerge from the review process and advise the Minister for Children and Minister for Community Services of their implications for policy and practice in Child Protection and related services.
• To identify particular groups of child deaths that may benefit from further investigation and oversee a group analysis process to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the issues involved and best practice responses.
• To prepare an annual report for the Minister for Children and Minister for Community Services that is tabled in Parliament as part of a transparent and accountable approach to the deaths of children known to Victoria’s Child Protection service.

What is the relationship between the Office of the Child Safety Commissioner and the VCDRC?

The Office of the Child Safety Commissioner provides a range of administrative support services to the VCDRC, but the VCDRC operates as an independent ministerial advisory body.

The Office of the Child Safety Commissioner is responsible for conducting individual inquiries into the deaths of children known to Child Protection. The reports of these inquires are the primary source material used by the VCDRC.

How does the VCDRC influence policy and practice?

Individual child death inquiry reports produce findings that are translated into recommendations by the VCDRC, as required. Recommendations made by the VCDRC may be case specific or address issues arising from a cluster of child deaths reviewed.

The Minister for Children and Minister for Community Services are formally advised of the Committee’s deliberations regarding each child death reviewed and of any recommendations arising. The Office of the Child Safety Commissioner monitors the implementation of recommendations emanating from the child death inquiry process.

In addition to making formal recommendations for change, the VCDRC participates in a range of consultative processes aimed at enhancing and reforming services for vulnerable children and families.

Finally, the VCDRC communicates its findings directly to practitioners and has an established dialogue with the Child Protection Professional Development Unit in the Department of Human Services to ensure that learning arising from the child death inquiry and review process is reflected in staff training programs.