Government announces care and protection system reforms

The ACT Government will establish a group home and reception centre to minimise the disruption for children being placed in emergency out-of-home care, introduce a new decision-making review panel for decisions about children and carers, and negotiate a pay bonus to aid retention of frontline care and protection workers as part of its response to the Public Advocate’s recent report into emergency residential placements of children.

ACT Minister for Community Services Joy Burch today released the Government’s response to the Public Advocate report, which looked at a number of out-of-home care residential placements with a particular service provider.

Ms Burch said the Government had agreed with most of the Public Advocate’s recommendations, and a number of reforms would be implemented to address areas of concern identified in the report.

“Care and protection staff work hard to ensure children’s best interests are paramount when placing children, and the Government will provide more options for the placement of children at short notice in a safe environment until a suitable long term residential placement is identified,” Ms Burch said.

“In line with one of the recommendations, the Government has identified a suitable residential property which will be used as a Family Group Home and as a Reception Centre.”

The Community Services Directorate will operate the residence as a reception facility, providing a place for children who have been removed from their home or another care placement and who require a supportive stable environment to stay in while longer term care arrangements are made.

Another key initiative arising from the Government’s response is establishment of a complaints unit and a decision-making review panel to provide opportunities for the review of the integrity of significant decisions made about children and young people and services.

“Carers have been telling me that they need a place to challenge decisions such as alternative therapy of a child; a child in care travelling overseas on a holiday; and appropriate representation, decision meetings, participation and planning.”

“The Government’s new decision-making review panel will provide easier dispute resolution and more consistent outcomes for carers and children in care of the Territory.”

Membership of the panel will include a mix of senior management and external independent representatives who have experience in a range of issues dealt with by the Office for Children Youth and Family Support, including out of home care, child protection and youth justice.

Ms Burch said another initiative which the Government was implementing was a pay bonus for frontline Care and Protection workers in a bid to increase staff retention in an area where there are national shortages.

“The Government has already undertaken significant initiatives to recruit staff to meet the significant shortfalls currently being experienced, and our recent overseas recruitment campaign has resulted in the recruitment of more than 40 additional staff by March 2012.

“However it is also vital that staff, once recruited, be retained in care and protection. To achieve this, Government will introduce a retention bonus for frontline care and protection staff who remain in the program for fixed periods of time.

Consultation will occur with stakeholders as the details are finalised.”Ms Burch said the Public Advocate would be tasked with undertaking a next stage of her review, and that a broader audit of the care and protection system would be undertaken by the Auditor-General, which had been scheduled for early in the new year.

“The Government will suggest that the Auditor-General work with the Public Advocate to develop and agree on terms of reference for the work that each will conduct, ensuring that there is no unnecessary duplication, that all areas of concern are covered, and that operational priorities are not compromised.”

In regards to the final recommendation in the Public Advocate’s report, Ms Burch noted that the service provider had been reinstated as a service for transport and contact supervision last month, and been paid all outstanding invoices under dispute for services rendered.Ms Burch thanked the Public Advocate for identifying areas where the care and protection system could improve.

“Our care and protection workers do an excellent job in what can be extremely challenging circumstances, and it is important that we have all the policies and resources in place to ensure that the staff are supported to achieve the best possible outcomes for children at risk.”

The Government response is available at www.dhcs.act.gov.au