Hon Nick Goiran questions the Minister for Child Protection regarding the lack of automatic notification to the Department of Communities when a child in care's parent is convicted of an offence. The Minister confirms awareness and planned future discussions.

AnsweredQoN 165Legislative Council
Asked
11 March 2020
Portfolio
Child Protection

QuestionView source ↗

CHILDREN IN CARE —
PARENTAL CONVICTION NOTIFICATION
165. Hon NICK GOIRAN to the Leader of the House representing
the Minister for Child Protection:
I refer to the annual report hearing
for the Department of Communities held on 12 November 2019 at which it was
revealed that there is no automatic process by which the department is informed
when a child in care's birth parent is convicted of an offence.
(1) Is the
minister aware that the director general undertook to raise this issue at her
next meeting with the Department of Justice?
(2) What date did this meeting take
place?
(3) Was this issue discussed at that
meeting?
(4) What was the outcome of the
discussion?
(5) Is there now a process by which
the Department of Communities will be notified?

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1) Yes.
(2) The meeting took place on 5 February
2020.
(3) No. The
Department of Communities will raise this issue at the second joint meeting of
the corporate executives of the WA Police Force, the Department of Justice and
the Department of Communities.
(4) Not applicable.
(5) No. Following
discussions at the second joint meeting of the corporate executive, the
Department of Communities will consider the need for any new processes in the
context of its existing information gathering processes relevant to the
wellbeing of a child.

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