Protecting children and young people who were at risk of or who had been abused or neglected, or who were at risk of offending, was the service's primary responsibility, and it carried out investigations when a child or young person was believed to be "at risk". Where there was a risk of serious harm, it could exercise powers to ensure that the child was kept safe from that risk. The department also dealt with youth justice, a section of the law that dealt mainly with offending by young people aged 14–16 years, and adoption through the Adoption Information and Services Unit (AISU).
