Children's Act Practice Note 2 of 2011 - LexisNexis South Africa

• any unexplained delay in seeking medical treatment for a child who isseriously injured, should be examined as a possible indicator of abuse orneglect.Annexure B of the Children’s Act (National Norms and Standards as part of theChildren’s Act Part III), provides for the National Norms and Standards for childprotection. Point 2 also provides specifics when doing assessment of children whohave been abused or deliberately neglected.Additional service specific Norms and Standards in terms of the Children’s Actwere also developed (Norm 105, page 194), the following needs to be noted:• Risk assessment must be conducted for all children under the age of 18within the household and completed on a standardised form.• The risk assessment framework must guide decision-making in terms ofchild protection services.• Only designated social workers may conduct the risk assessment.• Each child must be assessed individually and within 48 hours uponreceipt of reports of abuse or deliberate neglect. Victims of rape should betaken to the doctor within 72 hours and be regarded as the highest priority.• The outcome of the risk assessment must indicate high, medium or low risk.• The outcome of the risk assessment must indicate the appropriateprotective measures of interventions.15. A child in need of care and protectionLegal positionSection 150 (1)(a) identifies a child who is in need of care if the child has beenabandoned or orphaned and is without visible means of support. The Child CareAct 83 of 1974 provided for an abandoned, orphaned child or a child without visiblemeans of support. Hence the interpretation of this clause by presiding officersmean that the child should be both abandoned/orphaned and without visible meansof support.Children’s Act practice note 02 of 2011: Transitional matters18