❓ A parliamentary question addresses the lack of suitable facilities for supervising and accommodating children under the Director General's protection, particularly concerning bail, and seeks alternatives to detention and preventing bail refusal due to lack of responsible adults. The Minister acknowledges the issue, citing the severity of offences and duty of care, and highlights ongoing reforms.
AnsweredQoN 693Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM
I refer to the recently published Auditor General’s report that examines the performance of the juvenile justice system. (1) What is the reason for the lack of sufficient facilities for the supervision and accommodation of children under the protection of the director general, who requires those facilities for bail purposes? (2) What steps will the department now take to ensure that there are statewide alternatives to detention for those children? (3) What further steps will the department take to ensure that no more children under the protection of the director general are refused bail on no responsible adult available grounds? Hon SUE ELLERY
I refer to the recently published Auditor General’s report that examines the performance of the juvenile justice system. (1) What is the reason for the lack of sufficient facilities for the supervision and accommodation of children under the protection of the director general, who requires those facilities for bail purposes? (2) What steps will the department now take to ensure that there are statewide alternatives to detention for those children? (3) What further steps will the department take to ensure that no more children under the protection of the director general are refused bail on no responsible adult available grounds? Hon SUE ELLERY
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1) Most children on bail who are in the chief executive officer’s care are accommodated by the Department for Child Protection. The young people under the care of the CEO who are unable to be bailed are those who cannot be accommodated due to the nature of their offences—for example, physically assaulting staff—or past behaviour. Decisions on placing a child need to consider the individual child’s needs, which may include mental health issues or extreme aggressive behaviour. The department has to consider its duty of care responsibility to other children in the CEO’s care in the accommodation facility who might also be victims of abuse. (2)-(3) Young people under the care of the department were not granted bail on the basis of no responsible adult available grounds mainly based on the department’s duty of care to these young people and to the community, as in many cases the young people involved required a level of containment and supervision in accommodation that was not available to ensure that all inherent risks could be managed. I am currently overseeing the most significant reform and expansion of residential care for the past 20 years. The agenda for this reform was set following the Ford review, and the department is currently progressing those recommendations addressing accommodation and supervision issues for young people.
(1) What is the reason for the lack of sufficient facilities for the supervision and accommodation of children under the protection of the director general, who requires those facilities for bail purposes? (2) What steps will the department now take to ensure that there are statewide alternatives to detention for those children? (3) What further steps will the department take to ensure that no more children under the protection of the director general are refused bail on no responsible adult available grounds? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1) Most children on bail who are in the chief executive officer’s care are accommodated by the Department for Child Protection. The young people under the care of the CEO who are unable to be bailed are those who cannot be accommodated due to the nature of their offences—for example, physically assaulting staff—or past behaviour. Decisions on placing a child need to consider the individual child’s needs, which may include mental health issues or extreme aggressive behaviour. The department has to consider its duty of care responsibility to other children in the CEO’s care in the accommodation facility who might also be victims of abuse. (2)-(3) Young people under the care of the department were not granted bail on the basis of no responsible adult available grounds mainly based on the department’s duty of care to these young people and to the community, as in many cases the young people involved required a level of containment and supervision in accommodation that was not available to ensure that all inherent risks could be managed. I am currently overseeing the most significant reform and expansion of residential care for the past 20 years. The agenda for this reform was set following the Ford review, and the department is currently progressing those recommendations addressing accommodation and supervision issues for young people.
(2) What steps will the department now take to ensure that there are statewide alternatives to detention for those children? (3) What further steps will the department take to ensure that no more children under the protection of the director general are refused bail on no responsible adult available grounds? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1) Most children on bail who are in the chief executive officer’s care are accommodated by the Department for Child Protection. The young people under the care of the CEO who are unable to be bailed are those who cannot be accommodated due to the nature of their offences—for example, physically assaulting staff—or past behaviour. Decisions on placing a child need to consider the individual child’s needs, which may include mental health issues or extreme aggressive behaviour. The department has to consider its duty of care responsibility to other children in the CEO’s care in the accommodation facility who might also be victims of abuse. (2)-(3) Young people under the care of the department were not granted bail on the basis of no responsible adult available grounds mainly based on the department’s duty of care to these young people and to the community, as in many cases the young people involved required a level of containment and supervision in accommodation that was not available to ensure that all inherent risks could be managed. I am currently overseeing the most significant reform and expansion of residential care for the past 20 years. The agenda for this reform was set following the Ford review, and the department is currently progressing those recommendations addressing accommodation and supervision issues for young people.
(3) What further steps will the department take to ensure that no more children under the protection of the director general are refused bail on no responsible adult available grounds? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1) Most children on bail who are in the chief executive officer’s care are accommodated by the Department for Child Protection. The young people under the care of the CEO who are unable to be bailed are those who cannot be accommodated due to the nature of their offences—for example, physically assaulting staff—or past behaviour. Decisions on placing a child need to consider the individual child’s needs, which may include mental health issues or extreme aggressive behaviour. The department has to consider its duty of care responsibility to other children in the CEO’s care in the accommodation facility who might also be victims of abuse. (2)-(3) Young people under the care of the department were not granted bail on the basis of no responsible adult available grounds mainly based on the department’s duty of care to these young people and to the community, as in many cases the young people involved required a level of containment and supervision in accommodation that was not available to ensure that all inherent risks could be managed. I am currently overseeing the most significant reform and expansion of residential care for the past 20 years. The agenda for this reform was set following the Ford review, and the department is currently progressing those recommendations addressing accommodation and supervision issues for young people.
Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1) Most children on bail who are in the chief executive officer’s care are accommodated by the Department for Child Protection. The young people under the care of the CEO who are unable to be bailed are those who cannot be accommodated due to the nature of their offences—for example, physically assaulting staff—or past behaviour. Decisions on placing a child need to consider the individual child’s needs, which may include mental health issues or extreme aggressive behaviour. The department has to consider its duty of care responsibility to other children in the CEO’s care in the accommodation facility who might also be victims of abuse. (2)-(3) Young people under the care of the department were not granted bail on the basis of no responsible adult available grounds mainly based on the department’s duty of care to these young people and to the community, as in many cases the young people involved required a level of containment and supervision in accommodation that was not available to ensure that all inherent risks could be managed. I am currently overseeing the most significant reform and expansion of residential care for the past 20 years. The agenda for this reform was set following the Ford review, and the department is currently progressing those recommendations addressing accommodation and supervision issues for young people.
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1) Most children on bail who are in the chief executive officer’s care are accommodated by the Department for Child Protection. The young people under the care of the CEO who are unable to be bailed are those who cannot be accommodated due to the nature of their offences—for example, physically assaulting staff—or past behaviour. Decisions on placing a child need to consider the individual child’s needs, which may include mental health issues or extreme aggressive behaviour. The department has to consider its duty of care responsibility to other children in the CEO’s care in the accommodation facility who might also be victims of abuse. (2)-(3) Young people under the care of the department were not granted bail on the basis of no responsible adult available grounds mainly based on the department’s duty of care to these young people and to the community, as in many cases the young people involved required a level of containment and supervision in accommodation that was not available to ensure that all inherent risks could be managed. I am currently overseeing the most significant reform and expansion of residential care for the past 20 years. The agenda for this reform was set following the Ford review, and the department is currently progressing those recommendations addressing accommodation and supervision issues for young people.
(1) Most children on bail who are in the chief executive officer’s care are accommodated by the Department for Child Protection. The young people under the care of the CEO who are unable to be bailed are those who cannot be accommodated due to the nature of their offences—for example, physically assaulting staff—or past behaviour. Decisions on placing a child need to consider the individual child’s needs, which may include mental health issues or extreme aggressive behaviour. The department has to consider its duty of care responsibility to other children in the CEO’s care in the accommodation facility who might also be victims of abuse. (2)-(3) Young people under the care of the department were not granted bail on the basis of no responsible adult available grounds mainly based on the department’s duty of care to these young people and to the community, as in many cases the young people involved required a level of containment and supervision in accommodation that was not available to ensure that all inherent risks could be managed. I am currently overseeing the most significant reform and expansion of residential care for the past 20 years. The agenda for this reform was set following the Ford review, and the department is currently progressing those recommendations addressing accommodation and supervision issues for young people.
(2)-(3) Young people under the care of the department were not granted bail on the basis of no responsible adult available grounds mainly based on the department’s duty of care to these young people and to the community, as in many cases the young people involved required a level of containment and supervision in accommodation that was not available to ensure that all inherent risks could be managed. I am currently overseeing the most significant reform and expansion of residential care for the past 20 years. The agenda for this reform was set following the Ford review, and the department is currently progressing those recommendations addressing accommodation and supervision issues for young people.
(1) What is the reason for the lack of sufficient facilities for the supervision and accommodation of children under the protection of the director general, who requires those facilities for bail purposes? (2) What steps will the department now take to ensure that there are statewide alternatives to detention for those children? (3) What further steps will the department take to ensure that no more children under the protection of the director general are refused bail on no responsible adult available grounds? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1) Most children on bail who are in the chief executive officer’s care are accommodated by the Department for Child Protection. The young people under the care of the CEO who are unable to be bailed are those who cannot be accommodated due to the nature of their offences—for example, physically assaulting staff—or past behaviour. Decisions on placing a child need to consider the individual child’s needs, which may include mental health issues or extreme aggressive behaviour. The department has to consider its duty of care responsibility to other children in the CEO’s care in the accommodation facility who might also be victims of abuse. (2)-(3) Young people under the care of the department were not granted bail on the basis of no responsible adult available grounds mainly based on the department’s duty of care to these young people and to the community, as in many cases the young people involved required a level of containment and supervision in accommodation that was not available to ensure that all inherent risks could be managed. I am currently overseeing the most significant reform and expansion of residential care for the past 20 years. The agenda for this reform was set following the Ford review, and the department is currently progressing those recommendations addressing accommodation and supervision issues for young people.
(2) What steps will the department now take to ensure that there are statewide alternatives to detention for those children? (3) What further steps will the department take to ensure that no more children under the protection of the director general are refused bail on no responsible adult available grounds? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1) Most children on bail who are in the chief executive officer’s care are accommodated by the Department for Child Protection. The young people under the care of the CEO who are unable to be bailed are those who cannot be accommodated due to the nature of their offences—for example, physically assaulting staff—or past behaviour. Decisions on placing a child need to consider the individual child’s needs, which may include mental health issues or extreme aggressive behaviour. The department has to consider its duty of care responsibility to other children in the CEO’s care in the accommodation facility who might also be victims of abuse. (2)-(3) Young people under the care of the department were not granted bail on the basis of no responsible adult available grounds mainly based on the department’s duty of care to these young people and to the community, as in many cases the young people involved required a level of containment and supervision in accommodation that was not available to ensure that all inherent risks could be managed. I am currently overseeing the most significant reform and expansion of residential care for the past 20 years. The agenda for this reform was set following the Ford review, and the department is currently progressing those recommendations addressing accommodation and supervision issues for young people.
(3) What further steps will the department take to ensure that no more children under the protection of the director general are refused bail on no responsible adult available grounds? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1) Most children on bail who are in the chief executive officer’s care are accommodated by the Department for Child Protection. The young people under the care of the CEO who are unable to be bailed are those who cannot be accommodated due to the nature of their offences—for example, physically assaulting staff—or past behaviour. Decisions on placing a child need to consider the individual child’s needs, which may include mental health issues or extreme aggressive behaviour. The department has to consider its duty of care responsibility to other children in the CEO’s care in the accommodation facility who might also be victims of abuse. (2)-(3) Young people under the care of the department were not granted bail on the basis of no responsible adult available grounds mainly based on the department’s duty of care to these young people and to the community, as in many cases the young people involved required a level of containment and supervision in accommodation that was not available to ensure that all inherent risks could be managed. I am currently overseeing the most significant reform and expansion of residential care for the past 20 years. The agenda for this reform was set following the Ford review, and the department is currently progressing those recommendations addressing accommodation and supervision issues for young people.
Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1) Most children on bail who are in the chief executive officer’s care are accommodated by the Department for Child Protection. The young people under the care of the CEO who are unable to be bailed are those who cannot be accommodated due to the nature of their offences—for example, physically assaulting staff—or past behaviour. Decisions on placing a child need to consider the individual child’s needs, which may include mental health issues or extreme aggressive behaviour. The department has to consider its duty of care responsibility to other children in the CEO’s care in the accommodation facility who might also be victims of abuse. (2)-(3) Young people under the care of the department were not granted bail on the basis of no responsible adult available grounds mainly based on the department’s duty of care to these young people and to the community, as in many cases the young people involved required a level of containment and supervision in accommodation that was not available to ensure that all inherent risks could be managed. I am currently overseeing the most significant reform and expansion of residential care for the past 20 years. The agenda for this reform was set following the Ford review, and the department is currently progressing those recommendations addressing accommodation and supervision issues for young people.
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1) Most children on bail who are in the chief executive officer’s care are accommodated by the Department for Child Protection. The young people under the care of the CEO who are unable to be bailed are those who cannot be accommodated due to the nature of their offences—for example, physically assaulting staff—or past behaviour. Decisions on placing a child need to consider the individual child’s needs, which may include mental health issues or extreme aggressive behaviour. The department has to consider its duty of care responsibility to other children in the CEO’s care in the accommodation facility who might also be victims of abuse. (2)-(3) Young people under the care of the department were not granted bail on the basis of no responsible adult available grounds mainly based on the department’s duty of care to these young people and to the community, as in many cases the young people involved required a level of containment and supervision in accommodation that was not available to ensure that all inherent risks could be managed. I am currently overseeing the most significant reform and expansion of residential care for the past 20 years. The agenda for this reform was set following the Ford review, and the department is currently progressing those recommendations addressing accommodation and supervision issues for young people.
(1) Most children on bail who are in the chief executive officer’s care are accommodated by the Department for Child Protection. The young people under the care of the CEO who are unable to be bailed are those who cannot be accommodated due to the nature of their offences—for example, physically assaulting staff—or past behaviour. Decisions on placing a child need to consider the individual child’s needs, which may include mental health issues or extreme aggressive behaviour. The department has to consider its duty of care responsibility to other children in the CEO’s care in the accommodation facility who might also be victims of abuse. (2)-(3) Young people under the care of the department were not granted bail on the basis of no responsible adult available grounds mainly based on the department’s duty of care to these young people and to the community, as in many cases the young people involved required a level of containment and supervision in accommodation that was not available to ensure that all inherent risks could be managed. I am currently overseeing the most significant reform and expansion of residential care for the past 20 years. The agenda for this reform was set following the Ford review, and the department is currently progressing those recommendations addressing accommodation and supervision issues for young people.
(2)-(3) Young people under the care of the department were not granted bail on the basis of no responsible adult available grounds mainly based on the department’s duty of care to these young people and to the community, as in many cases the young people involved required a level of containment and supervision in accommodation that was not available to ensure that all inherent risks could be managed. I am currently overseeing the most significant reform and expansion of residential care for the past 20 years. The agenda for this reform was set following the Ford review, and the department is currently progressing those recommendations addressing accommodation and supervision issues for young people.
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