❓ Hon Nick Goiran asks about the Department of Communities' progress on recommendations from the 2018 Auditor General's report on young people leaving care. The Minister responds that all recommendations have commenced but are not yet completed, outlining various initiatives and legislative changes aimed at supporting young people transitioning from care.
AnsweredQoN 564Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
CHILDREN IN CARE — YOUNG PEOPLE LEAVING
CARE
564. Hon NICK GOIRAN to the Leader of the House representing
the Minister for Child Protection:
I refer to the WA Auditor
General's 2018 report ''Young People Leaving Care'',
which was tabled in the Legislative
Council on 22 August 2018, in which the Department of Communities'
response to all three recommendations was listed as being in agreement
and to commence within 12 months.
(1) Which recommendations has the department commenced?
(2) Which recommendations has the department completed?
CARE
564. Hon NICK GOIRAN to the Leader of the House representing
the Minister for Child Protection:
I refer to the WA Auditor
General's 2018 report ''Young People Leaving Care'',
which was tabled in the Legislative
Council on 22 August 2018, in which the Department of Communities'
response to all three recommendations was listed as being in agreement
and to commence within 12 months.
(1) Which recommendations has the department commenced?
(2) Which recommendations has the department completed?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the
question.
(1)–(2) The Department of Communities has commenced
all recommendations but they are not yet completed. This includes
ongoing process and practice improvements. The Department of Communities has a number
of measures in place to ensure that young
people transitioning to independence are provided with information and
support. Young people in care are provided with information about time in care,
leaving care services and financial entitlements.
The Department of Communities
established a steering committee for young people leaving care and a working group to design and pilot a revised
leaving care approach and to manage the implementation of the Office of the Auditor General recommendations.
The steering committee developed a model of service to address the needs
of young people preparing to leave care. A pilot of the new service model
commenced in early 2020 and will be trialled
over a 12-month period and evaluated against the recommendations in the
Auditor General's report. Pilot sites will recruit and establish
leaving care teams. The dedicated leaving care team model will focus on early
engagement, planning and ongoing support for young people transitioning from
care.
CREATE Foundation's Sortli—Sort
out Your Life—is a mobile app that provides information to support young people in care to transition to independence
and adulthood. The CREATE Go Your Own Way kit is distributed across Communities' districts annually to each young
person turning 16 years of age and includes a planning resource for young
people transitioning to independent living.
The Home Stretch trial is testing a model of enhanced access to supports and
services for young people transitioning from out-of-home care, providing them
with additional support and resources from 18 years until they turn 21 years of
age.
The Children and Community
Services Amendment Bill 2019, which is currently being debated in the
Legislative Assembly—this was dated 19 May—makes important improvements
for children and young people once they leave care. These changes include: a leaving
care plan must be prepared once a child reaches 15 years; children leaving care
must be provided with social services that the CEO considers appropriate having
regard for the child's needs, regardless of whether those needs were
specifically identified in the child's last care plan; children leaving
care are to receive written information on their entitlements post-care; and the requirement for prescribed government
agencies to prioritise Department of Communities' requests for
assistance for children in state care and care leavers who qualify for
assistance until they turn 25 years old.
question.
(1)–(2) The Department of Communities has commenced
all recommendations but they are not yet completed. This includes
ongoing process and practice improvements. The Department of Communities has a number
of measures in place to ensure that young
people transitioning to independence are provided with information and
support. Young people in care are provided with information about time in care,
leaving care services and financial entitlements.
The Department of Communities
established a steering committee for young people leaving care and a working group to design and pilot a revised
leaving care approach and to manage the implementation of the Office of the Auditor General recommendations.
The steering committee developed a model of service to address the needs
of young people preparing to leave care. A pilot of the new service model
commenced in early 2020 and will be trialled
over a 12-month period and evaluated against the recommendations in the
Auditor General's report. Pilot sites will recruit and establish
leaving care teams. The dedicated leaving care team model will focus on early
engagement, planning and ongoing support for young people transitioning from
care.
CREATE Foundation's Sortli—Sort
out Your Life—is a mobile app that provides information to support young people in care to transition to independence
and adulthood. The CREATE Go Your Own Way kit is distributed across Communities' districts annually to each young
person turning 16 years of age and includes a planning resource for young
people transitioning to independent living.
The Home Stretch trial is testing a model of enhanced access to supports and
services for young people transitioning from out-of-home care, providing them
with additional support and resources from 18 years until they turn 21 years of
age.
The Children and Community
Services Amendment Bill 2019, which is currently being debated in the
Legislative Assembly—this was dated 19 May—makes important improvements
for children and young people once they leave care. These changes include: a leaving
care plan must be prepared once a child reaches 15 years; children leaving care
must be provided with social services that the CEO considers appropriate having
regard for the child's needs, regardless of whether those needs were
specifically identified in the child's last care plan; children leaving
care are to receive written information on their entitlements post-care; and the requirement for prescribed government
agencies to prioritise Department of Communities' requests for
assistance for children in state care and care leavers who qualify for
assistance until they turn 25 years old.
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