Easy English fact sheets for parents dealing with the child protection system. Advice from parents with experience.

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Rights

Rights / You are a parent. Your rights
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You are a parent.
Your rights

Some parents have to do things with
NSW Community Services.
Read more about
Community Services in our fact sheet
Who are NSW Community Services?
All parents have the right to be treated in a fair way. Like you
  • can talk to a lawyer
  • know what Community Services do.
Some people can have more help in meetings.
Like it is hard for you to learn things.
You can have an advocate in the meeting.

Reports. Other papers

There will be reports about you.
The staff may give you other papers.
You have the right to know what they all say.
Like to know what the reports
  • say about you
  • say about your child.
Ask for all information in a way that helps you. Like
  • large print
  • so you can listen to it
  • uses every day words. Has photos and pictures
  • in sign language
  • in a different language.

More rights

You have the right to take your own notes
  • in meetings
  • after a contact visit with your child.
You have the right to
  • ask for a different caseworker
  • have a support person with you
  • have an advocate.
Read more about advocate in our fact sheet What is an advocate?

Sign papers

You may need to sign some papers.
They are legal papers.
It is important you know what
  • they say
  • what it means for you
  • what it means for your child.
You can get help to know what the papers say.
Like take someone with you to the meeting
Or
Take a copy of the papers away from the meeting.
You can take them to
  • an advocate
  • a lawyer.
Do not sign any papers when you do not understand them.

More information

This fact sheet is general information.
It may not be the same for you.
Talk to a lawyer about
  • your own child
  • your family.
This fact sheet was made by
  • The WASH House
  • The Ability Rights Centre. A service of IDRS
with
  • a Parent Advisory Group, 2020.
Images
We have used images from
  • ChangePeople
  • Mayer-Johnson
  • Participics
  • Picto-Selector
  • Social Buzz
  • TheNounProject.
Access Easy English helped The WASH House write the Easy English.
February 2020.

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