❓ Question regarding Commissioner for Children and Young People's comments on child protection worker availability and children sleeping in police cells in Broome. Minister responds by highlighting shared responsibility and addressing a specific incident.
AnsweredQoN 566Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
Commissioner for Children and Young People — COMMENTS REGARDING CHILD PROTECTION WORKERS
Can the minister comment on statements made in The West Australian today by the Commissioner for Children and Young People saying that reports of children sleeping in police cells in Broome is because child protection workers are unavailable. Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY
Can the minister comment on statements made in The West Australian today by the Commissioner for Children and Young People saying that reports of children sleeping in police cells in Broome is because child protection workers are unavailable. Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for his question. Hon Brian Ellis is a very committed community person. In some localities across the state young people are out at night and on the streets. These young people are first and foremost the responsibility of their parents. Under the Children and Community Services Act 2004, both the Department for Child Protection and Western Australia Police have the power to take any young person to a safe place. Young people on the streets and out at night are a general frustration for any community. But that responsibility is a shared responsibility between parents, agencies, police, Child Protection, juvenile justice and local youth services. The Broome Child Protection district office has a good relationship with local police, as was reflected in the statement in The Australian on 1 June made by Kimberley superintendent Murray Smalpage that police had an excellent working relationship with DCP as the department assists police when it is asked to do so. The department is aware of only one recent circumstance in which a child was held in custody for two days because no responsible adult was available, and for breach of bail conditions. In this incident, the department was notified of the arrangements only through informal contact with the Aboriginal Legal Service, as it appears no notification had been given to or request for assistance sought from the crisis care unit. There appears to have been a miscommunication between police and juvenile justice, as the child was required to be in town to attend a victim offender conference. The department provided financial assistance for him to return to his remote community with extended family. People who make comments to the press need to get their information correct so that they do not provide the wrong information.
Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied: I thank the member for his question. Hon Brian Ellis is a very committed community person. In some localities across the state young people are out at night and on the streets. These young people are first and foremost the responsibility of their parents. Under the Children and Community Services Act 2004, both the Department for Child Protection and Western Australia Police have the power to take any young person to a safe place. Young people on the streets and out at night are a general frustration for any community. But that responsibility is a shared responsibility between parents, agencies, police, Child Protection, juvenile justice and local youth services. The Broome Child Protection district office has a good relationship with local police, as was reflected in the statement in The Australian on 1 June made by Kimberley superintendent Murray Smalpage that police had an excellent working relationship with DCP as the department assists police when it is asked to do so. The department is aware of only one recent circumstance in which a child was held in custody for two days because no responsible adult was available, and for breach of bail conditions. In this incident, the department was notified of the arrangements only through informal contact with the Aboriginal Legal Service, as it appears no notification had been given to or request for assistance sought from the crisis care unit. There appears to have been a miscommunication between police and juvenile justice, as the child was required to be in town to attend a victim offender conference. The department provided financial assistance for him to return to his remote community with extended family. People who make comments to the press need to get their information correct so that they do not provide the wrong information.
I thank the member for his question. Hon Brian Ellis is a very committed community person. In some localities across the state young people are out at night and on the streets. These young people are first and foremost the responsibility of their parents. Under the Children and Community Services Act 2004, both the Department for Child Protection and Western Australia Police have the power to take any young person to a safe place. Young people on the streets and out at night are a general frustration for any community. But that responsibility is a shared responsibility between parents, agencies, police, Child Protection, juvenile justice and local youth services. The Broome Child Protection district office has a good relationship with local police, as was reflected in the statement in The Australian on 1 June made by Kimberley superintendent Murray Smalpage that police had an excellent working relationship with DCP as the department assists police when it is asked to do so. The department is aware of only one recent circumstance in which a child was held in custody for two days because no responsible adult was available, and for breach of bail conditions. In this incident, the department was notified of the arrangements only through informal contact with the Aboriginal Legal Service, as it appears no notification had been given to or request for assistance sought from the crisis care unit. There appears to have been a miscommunication between police and juvenile justice, as the child was required to be in town to attend a victim offender conference. The department provided financial assistance for him to return to his remote community with extended family. People who make comments to the press need to get their information correct so that they do not provide the wrong information.
In some localities across the state young people are out at night and on the streets. These young people are first and foremost the responsibility of their parents. Under the Children and Community Services Act 2004, both the Department for Child Protection and Western Australia Police have the power to take any young person to a safe place. Young people on the streets and out at night are a general frustration for any community. But that responsibility is a shared responsibility between parents, agencies, police, Child Protection, juvenile justice and local youth services. The Broome Child Protection district office has a good relationship with local police, as was reflected in the statement in The Australian on 1 June made by Kimberley superintendent Murray Smalpage that police had an excellent working relationship with DCP as the department assists police when it is asked to do so. The department is aware of only one recent circumstance in which a child was held in custody for two days because no responsible adult was available, and for breach of bail conditions. In this incident, the department was notified of the arrangements only through informal contact with the Aboriginal Legal Service, as it appears no notification had been given to or request for assistance sought from the crisis care unit. There appears to have been a miscommunication between police and juvenile justice, as the child was required to be in town to attend a victim offender conference. The department provided financial assistance for him to return to his remote community with extended family. People who make comments to the press need to get their information correct so that they do not provide the wrong information.
The Broome Child Protection district office has a good relationship with local police, as was reflected in the statement in The Australian on 1 June made by Kimberley superintendent Murray Smalpage that police had an excellent working relationship with DCP as the department assists police when it is asked to do so. The department is aware of only one recent circumstance in which a child was held in custody for two days because no responsible adult was available, and for breach of bail conditions. In this incident, the department was notified of the arrangements only through informal contact with the Aboriginal Legal Service, as it appears no notification had been given to or request for assistance sought from the crisis care unit. There appears to have been a miscommunication between police and juvenile justice, as the child was required to be in town to attend a victim offender conference. The department provided financial assistance for him to return to his remote community with extended family. People who make comments to the press need to get their information correct so that they do not provide the wrong information.
People who make comments to the press need to get their information correct so that they do not provide the wrong information.
Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied: I thank the member for his question. Hon Brian Ellis is a very committed community person. In some localities across the state young people are out at night and on the streets. These young people are first and foremost the responsibility of their parents. Under the Children and Community Services Act 2004, both the Department for Child Protection and Western Australia Police have the power to take any young person to a safe place. Young people on the streets and out at night are a general frustration for any community. But that responsibility is a shared responsibility between parents, agencies, police, Child Protection, juvenile justice and local youth services. The Broome Child Protection district office has a good relationship with local police, as was reflected in the statement in The Australian on 1 June made by Kimberley superintendent Murray Smalpage that police had an excellent working relationship with DCP as the department assists police when it is asked to do so. The department is aware of only one recent circumstance in which a child was held in custody for two days because no responsible adult was available, and for breach of bail conditions. In this incident, the department was notified of the arrangements only through informal contact with the Aboriginal Legal Service, as it appears no notification had been given to or request for assistance sought from the crisis care unit. There appears to have been a miscommunication between police and juvenile justice, as the child was required to be in town to attend a victim offender conference. The department provided financial assistance for him to return to his remote community with extended family. People who make comments to the press need to get their information correct so that they do not provide the wrong information.
I thank the member for his question. Hon Brian Ellis is a very committed community person. In some localities across the state young people are out at night and on the streets. These young people are first and foremost the responsibility of their parents. Under the Children and Community Services Act 2004, both the Department for Child Protection and Western Australia Police have the power to take any young person to a safe place. Young people on the streets and out at night are a general frustration for any community. But that responsibility is a shared responsibility between parents, agencies, police, Child Protection, juvenile justice and local youth services. The Broome Child Protection district office has a good relationship with local police, as was reflected in the statement in The Australian on 1 June made by Kimberley superintendent Murray Smalpage that police had an excellent working relationship with DCP as the department assists police when it is asked to do so. The department is aware of only one recent circumstance in which a child was held in custody for two days because no responsible adult was available, and for breach of bail conditions. In this incident, the department was notified of the arrangements only through informal contact with the Aboriginal Legal Service, as it appears no notification had been given to or request for assistance sought from the crisis care unit. There appears to have been a miscommunication between police and juvenile justice, as the child was required to be in town to attend a victim offender conference. The department provided financial assistance for him to return to his remote community with extended family. People who make comments to the press need to get their information correct so that they do not provide the wrong information.
In some localities across the state young people are out at night and on the streets. These young people are first and foremost the responsibility of their parents. Under the Children and Community Services Act 2004, both the Department for Child Protection and Western Australia Police have the power to take any young person to a safe place. Young people on the streets and out at night are a general frustration for any community. But that responsibility is a shared responsibility between parents, agencies, police, Child Protection, juvenile justice and local youth services. The Broome Child Protection district office has a good relationship with local police, as was reflected in the statement in The Australian on 1 June made by Kimberley superintendent Murray Smalpage that police had an excellent working relationship with DCP as the department assists police when it is asked to do so. The department is aware of only one recent circumstance in which a child was held in custody for two days because no responsible adult was available, and for breach of bail conditions. In this incident, the department was notified of the arrangements only through informal contact with the Aboriginal Legal Service, as it appears no notification had been given to or request for assistance sought from the crisis care unit. There appears to have been a miscommunication between police and juvenile justice, as the child was required to be in town to attend a victim offender conference. The department provided financial assistance for him to return to his remote community with extended family. People who make comments to the press need to get their information correct so that they do not provide the wrong information.
The Broome Child Protection district office has a good relationship with local police, as was reflected in the statement in The Australian on 1 June made by Kimberley superintendent Murray Smalpage that police had an excellent working relationship with DCP as the department assists police when it is asked to do so. The department is aware of only one recent circumstance in which a child was held in custody for two days because no responsible adult was available, and for breach of bail conditions. In this incident, the department was notified of the arrangements only through informal contact with the Aboriginal Legal Service, as it appears no notification had been given to or request for assistance sought from the crisis care unit. There appears to have been a miscommunication between police and juvenile justice, as the child was required to be in town to attend a victim offender conference. The department provided financial assistance for him to return to his remote community with extended family. People who make comments to the press need to get their information correct so that they do not provide the wrong information.
People who make comments to the press need to get their information correct so that they do not provide the wrong information.
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