❓ Hon Stephen Dawson questions the Minister for Child Protection regarding the Accommodation and Care Services Unit, focusing on staffing levels, service delivery, and changes within the department. The Minister provides detailed data on children assisted, FTE changes, voluntary severances, managerial changes, and community organisations involved.
AnsweredQoN 553Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
DEPARTMENT
FOR CHILD PROTECTION AND FAMILY SUPPORT — ACCOMMODATION AND CARE
SERVICES UNIT
553. Hon STEPHEN DAWSON to the
Minister for Child Protection:
I refer to the accommodation and care services unit within
the Department for Child Protection and Family Support.
(1) How many children have been assisted by the accommodation
and care services unit for each of —
(a) 2012–13;
(b) 2013–14; and
(c) 2014–15?
(2) Why did
the actual average full-time equivalent drop from 310 at 30 June 2013 to 300 at
30 June 2014, and what is the actual average FTE count as at 1 April 2015?
(3) Will any
further positions be abolished or redundancies approved in this financial year;
and, if so, which positions?
(4) Will or
have any major operational or managerial changes occurred within the unit this
financial year; and, if so, what are these changes and how will the changes be
managed?
(5) Which
community organisations are currently delivering accommodation and care
services, what services are they delivering and where are the services located?
FOR CHILD PROTECTION AND FAMILY SUPPORT — ACCOMMODATION AND CARE
SERVICES UNIT
553. Hon STEPHEN DAWSON to the
Minister for Child Protection:
I refer to the accommodation and care services unit within
the Department for Child Protection and Family Support.
(1) How many children have been assisted by the accommodation
and care services unit for each of —
(a) 2012–13;
(b) 2013–14; and
(c) 2014–15?
(2) Why did
the actual average full-time equivalent drop from 310 at 30 June 2013 to 300 at
30 June 2014, and what is the actual average FTE count as at 1 April 2015?
(3) Will any
further positions be abolished or redundancies approved in this financial year;
and, if so, which positions?
(4) Will or
have any major operational or managerial changes occurred within the unit this
financial year; and, if so, what are these changes and how will the changes be
managed?
(5) Which
community organisations are currently delivering accommodation and care
services, what services are they delivering and where are the services located?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice
of the question. This question was asked on 22 April.
Hon Stephen Dawson : Have you got an answer for this one?
Hon HELEN MORTON : I have. It is very, very long though, so
the member will have to sit there and be very patient.
(1) (a) At 30 June
2013, there were 111 children in the following departmental residential
facilities—57 children in country residential group homes; 52 in
metropolitan residential group homes; and two in secure care.
(b) At 30 June
2014, there were 115 children in the following departmental residential
facilities—61 children in country residential group homes; 52 in
metropolitan residential group homes; and two in secure care.
(c) At 31 March
2015, there were 133 children in the following departmental residential
facilities—70 children in country residential group homes; 59 in
metropolitan residential group homes; and four in secure care.
(2) The actual
FTE usage includes all permanent, fixed-term and casual employee FTE usage as
at the reporting date. This includes any retrospective adjustments in FTE terms
made during the reporting period. The reduction in actual FTE between 30 June
2013 and 30 June 2014 also includes nine voluntary severances that occurred
during this period. The actual FTE usage as at 1 April 2015 was 307 FTE.
(3) A further
four voluntary severances have been approved and will come into effect this
financial year. Position details are as follows—assistant director,
fostering services; senior child protection worker, fostering services, 0.6
FTE; senior child protection worker, placement services, central referral team;
and senior intensive support officer, central referral team.
(4) Managerial
changes to the ACS directorate have arisen as a result of the cessation of the
executive director, accommodation and care services, through voluntary
severance. All functions of the ACS directorate will continue but there will be
changes to the line management of functional areas of ACS, which will now more
closely integrate with other areas of service delivery.
All staff affected by the changes
have personally been advised of the changes by the director general and had the
opportunity to provide feedback and raise concerns or issues. The director
general will continue to work closely with the department's executive
team, ACS management and staff to assure a smooth transition into new
directorates.
(5) In the
metropolitan and Peel area, community sector organisations operate 21 family
group homes, providing 84 out-of-home care placements. The community sector
organisations providing these services include Centrecare, Djooraminda;
Agencies for South West Accommodation Inc, trading as Accordwest; Mercy
Community Services Inc; Parkerville Children and Youth Care Inc; and
UnitingCare West.
In the country areas, community
sector organisations operate 19 family group homes, providing 76 out-of-home
care placements. The community sector organisations providing these services
include: Agencies for South West Accommodation, trading as Accordwest;
Lifestyle Solutions; Life Without Barriers; and Parkerville Children and Youth
Care Inc.
Mr President, I give you that as an example of why, if a
member asks a question that needs that level of information provided in a
turnaround time of about five hours, sometimes I say to the department, ''Don't
waste your time trying to do that in five hours. Give it to me at a time that
is suitable and appropriate.'' Then I will merely get up and indicate
that the answer could not be provided in the time available, and I will ask for
it to either be put on notice or I will answer the question when I have the
rest of the information or when I have had a chance to read the information
myself.
of the question. This question was asked on 22 April.
Hon Stephen Dawson : Have you got an answer for this one?
Hon HELEN MORTON : I have. It is very, very long though, so
the member will have to sit there and be very patient.
(1) (a) At 30 June
2013, there were 111 children in the following departmental residential
facilities—57 children in country residential group homes; 52 in
metropolitan residential group homes; and two in secure care.
(b) At 30 June
2014, there were 115 children in the following departmental residential
facilities—61 children in country residential group homes; 52 in
metropolitan residential group homes; and two in secure care.
(c) At 31 March
2015, there were 133 children in the following departmental residential
facilities—70 children in country residential group homes; 59 in
metropolitan residential group homes; and four in secure care.
(2) The actual
FTE usage includes all permanent, fixed-term and casual employee FTE usage as
at the reporting date. This includes any retrospective adjustments in FTE terms
made during the reporting period. The reduction in actual FTE between 30 June
2013 and 30 June 2014 also includes nine voluntary severances that occurred
during this period. The actual FTE usage as at 1 April 2015 was 307 FTE.
(3) A further
four voluntary severances have been approved and will come into effect this
financial year. Position details are as follows—assistant director,
fostering services; senior child protection worker, fostering services, 0.6
FTE; senior child protection worker, placement services, central referral team;
and senior intensive support officer, central referral team.
(4) Managerial
changes to the ACS directorate have arisen as a result of the cessation of the
executive director, accommodation and care services, through voluntary
severance. All functions of the ACS directorate will continue but there will be
changes to the line management of functional areas of ACS, which will now more
closely integrate with other areas of service delivery.
All staff affected by the changes
have personally been advised of the changes by the director general and had the
opportunity to provide feedback and raise concerns or issues. The director
general will continue to work closely with the department's executive
team, ACS management and staff to assure a smooth transition into new
directorates.
(5) In the
metropolitan and Peel area, community sector organisations operate 21 family
group homes, providing 84 out-of-home care placements. The community sector
organisations providing these services include Centrecare, Djooraminda;
Agencies for South West Accommodation Inc, trading as Accordwest; Mercy
Community Services Inc; Parkerville Children and Youth Care Inc; and
UnitingCare West.
In the country areas, community
sector organisations operate 19 family group homes, providing 76 out-of-home
care placements. The community sector organisations providing these services
include: Agencies for South West Accommodation, trading as Accordwest;
Lifestyle Solutions; Life Without Barriers; and Parkerville Children and Youth
Care Inc.
Mr President, I give you that as an example of why, if a
member asks a question that needs that level of information provided in a
turnaround time of about five hours, sometimes I say to the department, ''Don't
waste your time trying to do that in five hours. Give it to me at a time that
is suitable and appropriate.'' Then I will merely get up and indicate
that the answer could not be provided in the time available, and I will ask for
it to either be put on notice or I will answer the question when I have the
rest of the information or when I have had a chance to read the information
myself.
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