❓ Question regarding policies and practices for assessing risk and placement of children with harmful sexual behaviours in out-of-home care. The response indicates a framework is in place, no reportable offenders in group homes, and difficulty in obtaining data for other placements.
AnsweredQoN 1363Legislative Council
Asked
30 March 2023
Member
Portfolio
Early Childhood Education; Child Protection; Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence; Community Services
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the Commissioner for Children and Young People’s Independent Review into the Department of Communities’ policies and practices
in the placement of children with harmful sexual behaviours in residential care settings, and I ask: (a) what policies and practices does the Department have to assess the risk of children entering out-of-home care who have been a victim
of sexual assault, for harmful sexual behaviours; (b) how many children displaying inappropriate or harmful sexual behaviours are currently being housed with other children in
government-run residential group homes; and (c) how many children displaying inappropriate or harmful sexual behaviours are currently being housed with other children in out-of-home-care placements (such as a kinship care or foster care arrangements)?
in the placement of children with harmful sexual behaviours in residential care settings, and I ask: (a) what policies and practices does the Department have to assess the risk of children entering out-of-home care who have been a victim
of sexual assault, for harmful sexual behaviours; (b) how many children displaying inappropriate or harmful sexual behaviours are currently being housed with other children in
government-run residential group homes; and (c) how many children displaying inappropriate or harmful sexual behaviours are currently being housed with other children in out-of-home-care placements (such as a kinship care or foster care arrangements)?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
9 May 2023
Responded by
Minister for Agriculture and Food representing the Minister for Early Childhood Education; Child Protection; Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence; Community Services
Response time
1 days
The Department of Communities advise:
(a) A framework developed in partnership by the Department of Communities with the Australian Centre for Child Protection and the University of South Australia is in place to guide practice and policy responses to harmful sexual behaviours in children and young people within statutory child protection and the community services sectors in Western Australia. Provisional care planning, and ongoing relevant safety planning is conducted with a Department of Communities psychologist and the broader care team.
Learning and development training is offered to residential and secure care workers, and foster carers.
(b) There are zero reportable offenders.
(c) This information is not reported through the Assist client system and would require the diversion of significant resources to manually review individual case files
(a) A framework developed in partnership by the Department of Communities with the Australian Centre for Child Protection and the University of South Australia is in place to guide practice and policy responses to harmful sexual behaviours in children and young people within statutory child protection and the community services sectors in Western Australia. Provisional care planning, and ongoing relevant safety planning is conducted with a Department of Communities psychologist and the broader care team.
Learning and development training is offered to residential and secure care workers, and foster carers.
(b) There are zero reportable offenders.
(c) This information is not reported through the Assist client system and would require the diversion of significant resources to manually review individual case files
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