❓ Ms D'Anna asks about the effectiveness of the Target 120 initiative in addressing antisocial behaviour among at-risk youth in the Kimberley. The Minister responds positively, highlighting the program's expansion to Kununurra and promising early results.
AnsweredQoN 204Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
TARGET 120 — KIMBERLEY
204. Ms D.G. D'ANNA to the Minister for Community
Services:
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's commitment to protecting the
safety and wellbeing of Western Australians right across the state
through programs such as the Target 120 initiative. Can the minister update the
house on how these initiatives are helping to address antisocial behaviour
amongst at-risk youth, in particular those in the communities in my electorate?
204. Ms D.G. D'ANNA to the Minister for Community
Services:
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's commitment to protecting the
safety and wellbeing of Western Australians right across the state
through programs such as the Target 120 initiative. Can the minister update the
house on how these initiatives are helping to address antisocial behaviour
amongst at-risk youth, in particular those in the communities in my electorate?
AnswerView source ↗
I
am very pleased to talk about this topic, but I particularly want to acknowledge
the member for Kimberley in taking on the task of representing her
electorate that is twice the size of Victoria, which I heard her talk about in
her inaugural speech. It is a phenomenal effort.
When
we are looking at significant social challenges throughout the width and length
of Western Australia, we have to look
at innovative solutions. We have to look at different ways of doing things, and
that is what we are committed to, particularly when we are looking at
at-risk youth. Members might remember that in the lead-up to the 2017 election,
we committed to a program called Target 120. I know that the current Ministers
for Police and Finance were involved in developing that policy, amongst other
things. That was a pre-emptive move to work intensively with not only those
young people who are at-risk of increasing involvement with the justice system,
but also their families. That is what Target 120 does. There is a $20.4 million
commitment. I have had carriage of that program since being in government.
We
are working across 11 metropolitan sites, but I was particularly pleased to
announce that Target 120 will be active in Kununurra. For the first
time, we have given that work to an Aboriginal-controlled organisation—namely,
the MG Corporation. Our results so far with
Target 120 have been very promising. I spoke about this yesterday in private
members' business. As of May this year, we have worked with a total of
93 young people aged between 10 and 15 years. Two-thirds of those young
people engaged in the program are Aboriginal. What is significant is the multiplier effect, if you like; because we are
working with those young people and their families, a further 474 family members have also been supported through the
program. What is heartening is that nearly half those Target 120 clients have not had any further police contact
since being involved in the program. That either means we are doing really well
or we are just keeping them really busy! That could be the case, but I am
hoping it has long-term impacts on people's behaviour and, importantly,
family engagement and making people understand that support is available for
them and that change is possible. I am looking forward to see how that program
rolls out in Kununurra.
What is also significant about
Target 120 that I spoke about yesterday in Parliament is that we worked with
Finance to make sure that there is good data sharing between all the different
agencies, whether that is the police, the justice system, the courts,
Education, Health and the Department of Communities. All those different
agencies are sharing information, firstly, to identify those young people who
are at risk and what the factors are that mean we need to get in early, and
secondly, so that we can measure the effectiveness of our efforts: What is
working? What is not? Is this money well
spent? Where do we need to dial up the interventions? How do we need to work
with those y oung people and their families? There is a lot of talk about
making sure that we get in early and stop people entering the justice system
because then, as we know, it can be a very difficult system for people to work
their way out of. The McGowan government is doing the hard yards of working
productively and proactively with some of our state's most challenging
young people. I am pleased to say that we are starting to look like we are
getting results.
am very pleased to talk about this topic, but I particularly want to acknowledge
the member for Kimberley in taking on the task of representing her
electorate that is twice the size of Victoria, which I heard her talk about in
her inaugural speech. It is a phenomenal effort.
When
we are looking at significant social challenges throughout the width and length
of Western Australia, we have to look
at innovative solutions. We have to look at different ways of doing things, and
that is what we are committed to, particularly when we are looking at
at-risk youth. Members might remember that in the lead-up to the 2017 election,
we committed to a program called Target 120. I know that the current Ministers
for Police and Finance were involved in developing that policy, amongst other
things. That was a pre-emptive move to work intensively with not only those
young people who are at-risk of increasing involvement with the justice system,
but also their families. That is what Target 120 does. There is a $20.4 million
commitment. I have had carriage of that program since being in government.
We
are working across 11 metropolitan sites, but I was particularly pleased to
announce that Target 120 will be active in Kununurra. For the first
time, we have given that work to an Aboriginal-controlled organisation—namely,
the MG Corporation. Our results so far with
Target 120 have been very promising. I spoke about this yesterday in private
members' business. As of May this year, we have worked with a total of
93 young people aged between 10 and 15 years. Two-thirds of those young
people engaged in the program are Aboriginal. What is significant is the multiplier effect, if you like; because we are
working with those young people and their families, a further 474 family members have also been supported through the
program. What is heartening is that nearly half those Target 120 clients have not had any further police contact
since being involved in the program. That either means we are doing really well
or we are just keeping them really busy! That could be the case, but I am
hoping it has long-term impacts on people's behaviour and, importantly,
family engagement and making people understand that support is available for
them and that change is possible. I am looking forward to see how that program
rolls out in Kununurra.
What is also significant about
Target 120 that I spoke about yesterday in Parliament is that we worked with
Finance to make sure that there is good data sharing between all the different
agencies, whether that is the police, the justice system, the courts,
Education, Health and the Department of Communities. All those different
agencies are sharing information, firstly, to identify those young people who
are at risk and what the factors are that mean we need to get in early, and
secondly, so that we can measure the effectiveness of our efforts: What is
working? What is not? Is this money well
spent? Where do we need to dial up the interventions? How do we need to work
with those y oung people and their families? There is a lot of talk about
making sure that we get in early and stop people entering the justice system
because then, as we know, it can be a very difficult system for people to work
their way out of. The McGowan government is doing the hard yards of working
productively and proactively with some of our state's most challenging
young people. I am pleased to say that we are starting to look like we are
getting results.
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