The Sentinel Events Annual Report 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 revealed a surge in reports of paediatric sentinel events, with a significant number highlighting issues in recognising and responding to patient deterioration. Alarmingly, families and carers felt unheard, and there was variable statewide compliance with The Victorian Children’s Tool for Observation and Response (ViCTOR) chart utilisation across Victoria.
In response to these findings, the Safer Care for Kids: ViCTOR pilot project was established. The project aims to create a scalable model to improve recognition and response to deterioration of paediatric patients by increasing use of a refined ViCTOR chart with the addition of a question ('Are you worried your child is getting worse?') about family or carer concern by July 2025.
On 3 July, the Safer Care for Kids: ViCTOR pilot project team brought together 37 clinicians from 8 participating health services across Victoria for its in-person summative event. Services came together to celebrate the project's success stories, tackle challenges, and reaffirm our ongoing mission to enhance the recognition and response to paediatric deterioration.
The summative event began with a moving consumer story from Kate Taylor, a lived experience carer and consumer advocate that grounded the importance of this work. Kate highlighted the importance of clinicians listening to parents and carers when speaking up for their child. She emphasised that "a worried parent is a better predictor of bad outcomes than having any vital sign in the ViCTOR purple zone." Throughout her story, she highlighted alarming facts that “if the parent was worried about their child deteriorating, their child was 4 times more likely to need Intensive Care Unit admission and 5 times more likely to die”. This reiterated that every moment counts—your voice can make all the difference.
Our discussions and break-out sessions were focused on planning for sustainability and spread of this project into other health services. The invaluable insights from the ViCTOR pilot are set to drive immediate and transformative efforts to embed these practices into paediatric care statewide.
Participants found the day “incredibly useful for future learning”, as it fostered “collaboration and networking”, “validated insights”, and featured a deeply moving consumer story for all.
The summative event was a powerful testament to the collective efforts and dedication of all involved. A strong foundation for sustainable change has been laid and insights gained will drive immediate, transformative efforts to embed these practices into paediatric care statewide.
An evaluation phase of this project will commence in August 2025.
Learn more
Read more about the Safer Care for Kids initiatives.
Contact us
For more information, contact us at victor@safercare.vic.gov.au.
