❓ A WA parliamentary question on notice regarding child protection in remote Aboriginal communities, focusing on departmental advice, staffing, and the number of Aboriginal children in care. The Minister provides data on Aboriginal staff, children in care by district, and total child protection workers.
AnsweredQoN 324Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
CHILD
PROTECTION — REMOTE ABORIGINAL COMMUNITIES
324. Hon STEPHEN DAWSON to the
Minister for Child Protection:
I refer to the Premier's comments on 5 March 2015
about the viability of 282 remote communities when he stated that he could not
sit by and see kids not being educated, having poor health and being abused and
the high rates of domestic violence in some of these communities.
(1) Has the
department been advised by the Premier's office of details of the
communities referenced in which children are being neglected and when was this
advice received?
(2) How many
staff of the Department for Child Protection and Family Support were identified
as Aboriginal as at 1 March 2015 and how many 50(d) positions exist as at the
same date?
(3) How many
Aboriginal children were in the care of the CEO as at 1 March 2015, in which
district are they located and how many child protection workers are attached to
each district?
PROTECTION — REMOTE ABORIGINAL COMMUNITIES
324. Hon STEPHEN DAWSON to the
Minister for Child Protection:
I refer to the Premier's comments on 5 March 2015
about the viability of 282 remote communities when he stated that he could not
sit by and see kids not being educated, having poor health and being abused and
the high rates of domestic violence in some of these communities.
(1) Has the
department been advised by the Premier's office of details of the
communities referenced in which children are being neglected and when was this
advice received?
(2) How many
staff of the Department for Child Protection and Family Support were identified
as Aboriginal as at 1 March 2015 and how many 50(d) positions exist as at the
same date?
(3) How many
Aboriginal children were in the care of the CEO as at 1 March 2015, in which
district are they located and how many child protection workers are attached to
each district?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice
of the question.
(1) The
Department for Child Protection and Family Support responds to all concerns
raised about individual children. The department works collaboratively with
other agencies such as the Department of Health, the Department of Education,
the Department of Corrective Services and WA Police to respond to concerns
about the safety of children. The Department for Child Protection and Family Support's
regional offices work closely with, and regularly visit, communities in their
districts. In a number of remote communities, the department has remote
community child protection officers who are working with families and children
to promote safety and address issues of abuse and neglect.
(2) As at 1 March
2015, there were 238 permanent, fixed-term and casual employees who identified
themselves as Aboriginal and a total of 109 funded 50(d) positions.
(3) On 1 March
2015, there were 2 307 Aboriginal children in the care of the CEO in the
following districts: Armadale, 204; Cannington, 201; Fremantle, 116; Joondalup,
132; Midland, 178; Mirrabooka, 132; Perth, 99; Rockingham, 68; East Kimberley,
118; goldfields, 140; great southern, 100; Murchison, 144; Peel, 45; Pilbara,
196; south west, 97; West Kimberley, 2 007; wheatbelt, 129; and fostering and
adoption services, one. There were 776.6 full-time equivalent child protection
workers as at 1 March 2015.
I table the attached document that
provides a breakdown of FTE child protection workers by district. I have an
awful feeling that the document that I am about to table is not with me.
However, I will get it and table it.
The PRESIDENT : The minister has indicated her intention
to table that document, and that will come later.
of the question.
(1) The
Department for Child Protection and Family Support responds to all concerns
raised about individual children. The department works collaboratively with
other agencies such as the Department of Health, the Department of Education,
the Department of Corrective Services and WA Police to respond to concerns
about the safety of children. The Department for Child Protection and Family Support's
regional offices work closely with, and regularly visit, communities in their
districts. In a number of remote communities, the department has remote
community child protection officers who are working with families and children
to promote safety and address issues of abuse and neglect.
(2) As at 1 March
2015, there were 238 permanent, fixed-term and casual employees who identified
themselves as Aboriginal and a total of 109 funded 50(d) positions.
(3) On 1 March
2015, there were 2 307 Aboriginal children in the care of the CEO in the
following districts: Armadale, 204; Cannington, 201; Fremantle, 116; Joondalup,
132; Midland, 178; Mirrabooka, 132; Perth, 99; Rockingham, 68; East Kimberley,
118; goldfields, 140; great southern, 100; Murchison, 144; Peel, 45; Pilbara,
196; south west, 97; West Kimberley, 2 007; wheatbelt, 129; and fostering and
adoption services, one. There were 776.6 full-time equivalent child protection
workers as at 1 March 2015.
I table the attached document that
provides a breakdown of FTE child protection workers by district. I have an
awful feeling that the document that I am about to table is not with me.
However, I will get it and table it.
The PRESIDENT : The minister has indicated her intention
to table that document, and that will come later.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.