Northern Territory Shadow Minister for Child Protection Robyn Lambley

VATSKALIS MISLEADS PARLIAMENT

Victor P Taffa

Children and Families Minister, Kon Vatskalis, has deliberately and wilfully misled the Northern Territory Parliament over his plans to strip the Ombudsman of her powers to investigate Child Protection matters.

“Yesterday, Minister Vatskalis, verballed the Ombudsman when he claimed she was satisfied with his decision to prevent her from investigating child protection issues.” Shadow Minister for Child Protection Robyn Lambley said today.

“Today, the Minister repeated the claim in Parliament, asserting the Ombudsman was ‘reassured’ about the changes and that she ‘supported’ them.” Ms. Lambley said.

“This is in stark contrast to the comments made by the Ombudsman who said she had been:

‘… referred to as supporting the arrangements … that is not correct.’

“Minister Vatskalis has failed Territorians on three counts.” Ms. Lambley said.

“Firstly, by attacking the Ombudsman, he has tried to strip one of the pillars of democracy of its powers – essentially muzzling a watchdog.”

“Secondly, he has clearly misled Territorians about the Ombudsman’s response to her powers being slashed in the hope that she could be bullied into submission.”

“Finally, he has failed Territory children in care.” Ms. Lambley said.
“Four months after the release of the damning Growing Them Strong, Together report highlighted a ‘tsunami of need’ in child protection the Henderson Government wants to nobble the Ombudsman’s capacity to investigate issues associated with children in care.”

“Minister Vatskalis’ integrity has been badly damaged by events of recent days.” Ms. Lambley said.
“It was telling the Chief Minister chose not to defend his Minister when he came under attack from Opposition members in Parliament this evening.”

“Kon Vatskalis failed to provide a response as to why he misled the Parliament. The Chief Minister must hold him to account.” Ms. Lambley said.

Western Australia Minister for Child Protection Robyn McSweeney

$1,000 Assistance For Grandparents And Other Informal Foster Carers

Victor P Taffa

Child Protection Minister Robyn McSweeney today announced $1,000 in financial assistance per child to foster grandparents looking after grandchildren, following the completion of a Safety and Wellbeing assessment and safety plan.

Mrs. McSweeney said about 200 West Australian children a year were placed in informal relative care with the Department for Child Protection’s approval, to allow a child to remain with relatives when their own parents were unable to care for them.

“This new one-off payment will be paid to relative carers – who in most cases are grandparents – where the department has had prior involvement.” Mrs. McSweeney said.

“Unlike registered relative foster carers who care for a child on a protection order, informal relative carers do not receive a subsidy and it is important they are recognised for the important foster roles they play.”

The Minister said growing numbers of grandparents were taking on the role as primary caregivers for their grandchildren because parents were no longer able or willing to take responsibility for their child.

“It is sad that some children are not able to be raised by their own parents through no fault of the child, and a grandparent as a relative carer is normally the next best option.” Mrs. McSweeney said.

“Grandparents eligible for the new Establishment Payment can use the assistance in any way to meet the child’s needs.  This benefits everyone concerned.”

This payment will apply to children placed with their grandparents by the Department for Child Protection from January 1, 2011.

Mrs. McSweeney said the department would absorb the estimated $200,000 a year cost of the new payment through existing financial resources.

This news by Mrs. McSweeney is a 100% departure from the manner in which Children are treated and protected in New South Wales. The Department of Community Services is a total failure and is derelict in its lack of Duty of Care.

When on the New South Wales Police Media Release List there was the same case that Editor Victor P Taffa covered on three separate occasions. A 13 year-old girl from Coffs Harbour, New South Wales ran away on three occasions while under the care of the Department of Community Services. This simply showed how totally incompetent the New South Wales Labor Government is and outlived its use-by-date about 10 years ago.

This is the very same Labor Government who on two occasions locked up Editor Victor P Taffa in a Sydney Psychiatric Hospital because of his support for Railway Expansion in New South Wales.

Victoria Deputy Premier Peter Ryan

Victoria Minister for Police Peter Ryan

Coalition Government Makes Children A Priority

Victor P Taffa

The Safety and Welfare of Children is of paramount importance to the Coalition Government and swift, decisive action will be taken following the report tabled in Parliament today by the Victorian Ombudsman.

The Coalition Government will establish high level Ministerial oversight of the implementation of all the Ombudsman’s recommendations regarding the management of registered sex offenders.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Police Peter Ryan said the Ombudsman’s report highlighted some extremely disturbing issues that had left children vulnerable.

“The safety and wellbeing of children is an absolute priority for the Coalition Government.” Mr. Ryan said.

VIC Attorney-General Robert Clark

“The Government accepts all the Ombudsman’s recommendations and is establishing high-level Ministerial oversight to ensure the implementation of the recommendations as a matter of priority. A group will convene quickly and work through all the recommendations and ensure inter-departmental co-operation to get the best outcomes as efficiently as possible.”

Mr. Ryan said the previous Labor Government had chronically underfunded management of the sex offenders register which had led to a failure in the system.

VIC Minister for Corrections Andrew McIntosh

“The Ombudsman states that the increased funding required to meet the demand had been rejected by Labor for four successive years. The Coalition Government will work through the recommendations and provide appropriate resources to fix the problems.” Mr. Ryan said.

Minister for Police Peter Ryan, Attorney-General Robert Clark, Minister for Corrections Andrew McIntosh and Minister for Community Services Mary Wooldridge will have oversight of the process.

VIC Minister for Community Services Mary Wooldridge

Mr. Ryan said a centralised request process had now been implemented between Victoria Police, the Department of Human Services and Corrections Victoria.

“Victoria Police will now use these processes as a basis to develop formal protocols between the relevant agencies on information sharing, as the Ombudsman recommended in his report.” Mr. Ryan said.

Victoria Shadow Minister for Community Services Mary Wooldridge

INCOMPETENT MINISTER MUST EXPLAIN WHY FILES OF AT RISK CHILDREN WERE CLOSED

Victor P Taffa

Hundreds of children at risk had their cases closed only to have neglect or abuse subsequently proven within weeks or months, in another child protection scandal overseen by Minister for Community Services Lisa Neville, Shadow Minister Mary Wooldridge said today.

Freedom of Information documents reveal that 408 cases of abuse and neglect in Victoria were substantiated within 90 days of being closed, with the Loddon Mallee Region having the highest number in the state.

“Children who are in danger have been reported to the government, but instead of getting the care and protection they need, the Brumby Government has left them in abusive situations.” Ms. Wooldridge said.

“Staff in the Brumby Government’s Child Protection System are overworked, overloaded and under-resourced, and as a result assessments and decision making is compromised.”

“The scandal of Labor’s incompetence and mismanagement of Victoria’s child protection system is only getting worse under John Brumby.”

“The system is in crisis and the victims are children and young people who rely on the government for their safety.”

“John Brumby should be ashamed. Instead he arrogantly pretends that everything is fine.”

“The minister must explain how the Brumby Government’s child protection system has gotten it so wrong for so many children.” Ms. Wooldridge said.

The Minister has accused the Opposition of being political by repeatedly highlighting her failure to protect vulnerable children. However the Ombudsman reported that the Brumby Governments accountability in child protection lacks transparency and rigour and gets little external scrutiny.

“If Lisa Neville and Labor won’t ensure abused and neglected children are protected, the Opposition will continue to highlight the failings of the Brumby Government until they do so.” Ms. Wooldridge said.

INCOMPETENT MINISTER IGNORES GRANDMOTHER’S PLEAS FOR GIRLS’ SAFETY

Victoria Shadow Minister for Community Services Mary Wooldridge

CHILDREN SUFFER AS COURT ORDER EXTENSION OVERLOOKED

Victor P Taffa

A grandmother in central Victoria has been left distraught after multiple claims of abuse and neglect regarding her three granddaughters has been ignored by the Minister for Community Services Lisa Neville, Shadow Minister for Community Services Mary Wooldridge said today.

“This is an appalling case highlighting the neglect and mismanagement of the child protection system by Lisa Neville and the Brumby Government.” Ms. Wooldridge said.

“The Department of Community Services failed to follow up to ensure a court order was extended, resulting in the girls being unsupervised in a potentially harmful environment.

“Nothing gets better under John Brumby and children continue to suffer.”

“John Brumby is more interested in protecting Lisa Neville than protecting vulnerable children.” Ms. Wooldridge said.

The three children were placed in the care of their grandmother for nearly two years because the children were living in ‘filthy’ conditions, with neglect and the prevalence of drug taking resulting in one of the girls, then two and a half years old, being taken to hospital after taking ecstasy.

The children were returned to their mother after the department failed to extend a court order, leaving the grandmother distraught and bewildered by a system in crisis.

“Lisa Neville and her department have returned three young girls into an environment that had been deemed toxic two years before, with little transition planning and minimal follow up.” Ms. Wooldridge said.

“For 18 months Victorians have heard nothing but excuses from the incompetent Minister who has neglected her responsibilities to the most vulnerable.”

“Despite desperate pleas to Lisa Neville and the department from the girls’ grandmother, little if anything appears to have been done to ensure the safety of these three girls.”

“Lisa Neville has neglected her responsibilities and abandoned our most vulnerable children when help is needed most.” Ms. Wooldridge said.

Victoria Shadow Minister for Community Services Mary Wooldridge

CHILDREN DYING UNDER BRUMBY’S WATCH

Victor P Taffa

The deaths of twenty-six highly vulnerable children have today been added to John Brumby’s shameful legacy of failure on child protection, Shadow Minister for Community Services Mary Wooldridge said today.

“The Annual Report of the Child Death Review Committee – Inquiries into the deaths of children known to Child Protection 2010 – tabled in Parliament today condemns John Brumby and his government for a lack of leadership, failure to assess at-risk children and failure to listen to families and children.”

“Instead of being helped and protected, this report shows that vulnerable children are further neglected by the Brumby Government’s corroding child protection system where services are chronically under-staffed and under pressure.” Ms. Wooldridge said.

“This is the third report in nine months that shows John Brumby and his government do not care about vulnerable children who, under the Brumby Government’s watch, are being re-traumatised, neglected and in some cases dying.”

“When asked about this appalling failure and neglect in Parliament today, John Brumby’s incompetent Minister for Community Services could only use her glib pre-prepared response and could not even explain her failure to look after Victoria’s vulnerable children.”

“What this report shows is that in a like-for-like comparison, more children in child protection died last year than in any other year since 2002.” Ms. Wooldridge said.

“Labor’s sneaky changes to reporting of child deaths in 2007 removed the requirement to report on deaths of children in the Government’s Child First program. The Government was subsequently forced to reinstate this requirement, thereby adding an extra five deaths to the initial 2009 total of 18.”

“It is deeply disturbing that the assessment of these five children had not determined that they should be in the care of child protection.” Ms. Wooldridge said.

The report not only highlights the failure of the government’s child protection system but also the failure to coordinate much needed mental health and drug and alcohol services for vulnerable families.

“Lisa Neville, as Minister for Community Services and Mental Health is responsible for protecting vulnerable children and their families, but once again it is clear that she has failed to do her job.” Ms. Wooldridge said

New South Wales Shadow Minister for Community Services Pru Goward

Government Slashes Investigatory Powers – Takes all the Soft Options

Victor P Taffa

Shadow Minister for Community Services Pru Goward today condemned the Keneally Labor Government’s 2010/11 Budget for cutting funds to the areas of child protection where it is most needed and for refusing to do the hard yards in Child Protection.

The budget will damage both the investigatory capabilities of Community Services and its early intervention and prevention services.

“The ratio of children in Out Of Home Care (OOHC) in NSW has increased year after year. In 2006 it was 6.7 children out of every 1,000, it is now 10.2. It is almost certain that it will rise again this year.” Ms. Goward said.

“This increase will not stop until the Keneally Labor Government begins to do the hard yards and link families at risk with the vital services they need to remain a viable family.”

“Our rate is substantially higher than any other Australian jurisdiction. The price borne by the children of this state who have been unnecessarily removed is incalculable.” Ms. Goward said.

“Whilst OOHC expenditure blows out, other areas are suffering, like statutory child protection funding, which has dropped by $12.7 M.”

“The Wood Commission recognised Community Services was already failing to meet its statutory obligations when it came to investigating reports of children at risk-of-harm, now we see the Keneally Labor Government slashing this capability further.”

“Wood found that only 13% of reports to DoCS were investigated face-to-face. By cutting their protection budget the Keneally Labor Government seems determined to reduce its investigations even further.” Ms. Goward said.

“It has been shown time and time again that the best way to fix a family is to work with them and link them up with the services they need. Not to take the simple option of just removing children.”

“No one except Minister Burney would seriously believe that more than 1% of NSW families need to be torn apart. However, this just continues the Minister’s history and shows why she was so keen to immediately oppose my mandatory care contracts Bill that would have forced the department to give more attention to the needs of families in crisis.” Ms. Goward said.

Western Australia Minister for Child Protection Robyn McSweeney

State Budget 2010-11: $43.5 Million increases focus on caring for WA children

Victor P Taffa

The Department of Child Protection’s budget will rise by $43.5 Million (about 11 %) to $442 Million this year under a significant boost detailed in the State Budget.

The strong foundation of this Budget is able to fund this additional community service expenditure.

Child Protection Minister Robyn McSweeney said an increase of $16.2 Million in 2010-11 would help continue the reform and expansion of residential care services.

An additional $13.3 Million would address cost and demand pressures associated with the delivery of statutory services.

“There will also be an increase of $2.8 Million through the Liberal-National Government’s Royalties for Regions scheme for parenting services in country areas.”

Mrs. McSweeney said the employment of more child protection workers was planned to meet the expected 5 % increase in demand for support services.

“The Budget would also further the State’s investment in the non-government sector.”

“We want to increase the number of front-line workers by 34 FTEs to support children and young people in care and to protect them from abuse.” the Minister said.

“Additional funding of $2.85 Million in 2010-11 and $11.4 Million over four years will provide for the costs of children and young people in care to meet expected rises in foster care subsidies, children’s expenditure and leaving care costs.”

“Supporting children in care remains a priority with the continued roll-out of new and reformed residential care facilities.”

“The State Government has allocated $13.6 Million in 2010-11 to open 27 additional homes in Metropolitan and Regional areas.” Mrs. McSweeney said.

The Minister highlighted the significant boost to the $27.9 Million funding investment from Royalties for Regions to establish and expand the Responsible Parenting program.

“The Murchison and Great Southern regions will receive almost $3 Million in 2010-11 with other regional areas to follow with a further $24.9 Million in the next three years.” the Minister said.

“The State will continue to address homelessness through the joint Federal-State National Partnership Agreement ($11.8 Million to employ an extra 105 staff) and work closely with the non-government sector to establish family support hubs across WA.”

Mrs. McSweeney said the Budget would fund a new remote community child protection worker, to be based in Looma and it is planned to employ locally-based Aboriginal people in all remote locations where community child protection staff work.

“Remote Community Child Protection Workers work with police multifunction police facilities in remote communities where child abuse allegations and immediate support needs may arise.” the Minister said.

“An additional $1.4 Million in 2010-11 and $5.6 Million in the next four years will be allocated to the non-government sector to help establish family support hubs across WA.”

The Minister said the department had completed development of a benchmarking-costing model tool in collaboration with the non-government sector.

“This model will see a real increase in funding for non-government placements in the 2010-11 financial year of $1.2 Million and $4.8 Million over four years.” the Minister said.

Other funding initiatives include:

• An extra $500,000 for a State Strategic Plan for family and domestic violence;

• $3.6 Million in 2010-11 to continue the Hardship Utility Grant Scheme (HUGS) which enables the Department to provide additional financial counseling and to help people experiencing financial hardship maintain connection to essential services including electricity, water and gas services, and to avoid eviction;

• Continued roll-out of new and reformed residential care facilities in 2010-11 – the department already has 23 residential care properties with a further 27 facilities planned for purchase or construction from 2010-11;

• $20 increase in 2010-11 to the fortnightly foster care subsidy. This is in addition to increases in the past three years of $80 per fortnight and a total increase of $100 since 2007-08.  An increase to the subsidy rate for carers in certain regional areas will also apply to reflect their higher cost of living.

Northern Territory Shadow Minister for Child Protection Jodeen Carney

End the culture of cover-up

Victor P Taffa

The Northern Territory Opposition is demanding the Chief Minister commits to publicly releasing the complete, unedited report from the Inquiry into the Child Protection System in the Northern Territory.

“The Henderson Government has a history of suppressing the reports of taxpayer-funded investigations that should be made public.

“Most recently Kon Vatskalis the Minister for Child Protection suppressed the 2009 intake report into child protection services authored by the Children’s Commissioner Dr Bath.

“The Minister suppressed that report despite a commitment from the previous Minister Malarndirri McCarthy to release it.

Melinda James said: “We never saw the last major report from Doctor Bath in 2007 – will this report be made public?”

Malarndirri McCarthy: “This report will be made public as far as it’s able to in terms of confidentiality. Of course if it does refer to specific clients, that is going to depend on Dr Bath in terms of how he can talk about particular clients but as far as I’m concerned this document will be public.”

“Whilst a copy of the 2007 Bath Report has been leaked the Henderson Government is still refusing to make it available to the wider public.

“Had the 2007 Bath Report been released when the Government received it and had the Report attracted proper scrutiny there is every possibility that the 2009 case of a motherless child receiving brain damage upon leaving Royal Darwin Hospital may never have happened.”

“Both the 2007 Bath Report, initiated in the wake of the death of Deborah Melville, and the 2009 Bath Report should be released today.

“That show of good faith needs to complement an unqualified commitment to release the report of the Inquiry that began today.

“The Minister for Child Protection should also name who will be replacing Dr Bath as Children’s Commissioner whilst he is chairing the Inquiry into the Child Protection System in the Northern Territory.” Jodeen Carney said.

Western Australia Minister for Child Protection Robyn McSweeney

Victor P Taffa

Western Australian Council on Homelessness announced

Western Australia Minister for Child Protection Robyn McSweeney has today announced the appointment of members to the newly established Western Australian Council on Homelessness.

The council has been established for a period of two years to provide the Minister with information and advice on current homelessness issues and to assist in achieving WA’s homelessness outcomes under the National Affordable Housing Agreement (NAHA) and the Homelessness National Partnership Agreement (NPA).

“Last year, I announced the State Government’s $68million financial commitment over four years to roll-out WA’s Implementation Plan under the National Partnership Agreement where we will focus on new approaches to tackling our local homelessness issues,” Mrs. McSweeney said.

“Starting in February, the council will support this Government’s strategies aimed at reducing overall homelessness statistics by 2013. These will be based around early intervention and prevention to break what is sometimes an inherent cycle for some members of our community.

“It is just not acceptable that so many Western Australians experience various forms of short and long-term homelessness and do not have access to appropriate support services. Soon I will announce successful service providers to deliver on our NPA in the Metropolitan area with Country service providers to follow.”

The former chair of the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program, the Hon Kay Hallahan AO, well known for her contribution to State Parliament and Community Development Organisations, will chair the new council.

The council also includes:

• Anna Paris, Executive Manager, Homelessness and Housing, Ruah Community Services

• Nanette Williams, Chief Executive Officer, Pilbara Community Legal Service

• Kathleen Gregory, Chief Executive Officer, Foundation Housing

• Anthony Pietropiccolo, Director, Centrecare

• Ross Kyrwood, State Director, Mission Australia.

Homelessness is a big problem and by specifically targeting the manner in which funds are allocated ensures that solutions can begin to address the longterm issues.