So you've been involved in the support of a family member who is being investigated by the Victorian Department of Human Services, otherwise referred to as DHS. You've made notifications, been part of the case planning meetings, safety plans and your input has been valued.

Suddenly, you find yourself in conflict with the family and lo and behold, DHS cut you out of the loop because you are now in conflict and that creates confidentiality dilemmas for DHS. What do you do?

Well most people, once they make a notification to DHS they sit back and pat themselves on the back for having taken a stand and done something. Good for you. Well done. But what if you are a family member who wants to remain involved and be part of the overall planning for the welfare of these children, where do you stand and what do you do?

Ah, now comes the difficult part.

You ring DHS and they say "sorry, can't talk to you or tell you anything because it's a breach of the parents confidentiality." Fine, you say. Can you tell me if there are any protective applications coming up? No answer. How surprising. Now what do you do? You are concerned, you want to remain involved, but how do you do this?

If you are a family member and DHS are making a