Ms O’CONNOR question to LEADER for the GOVERNMENT in the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Ms RATTRAY
[2.59 p.m.]
I lodged a question with the Leader’s office to ask the Minister for Children and Youth with respect to care concerns and the wellbeing and care procedure in out-of-home care.
How many care concerns have been raised since 1 July 2024?
How many care concerns have been managed according to the wellbeing and care procedures since 1 July 2024?
How are care concerns categorised and how many care concerns have been raised in each category since 1 July 2024?
How many care concerns are being referred to the Office of the Independent Regulator since 1 July 2024?
How many children have been removed from their primary placement as a result of the care concerns since 1 July 2024 and what process is followed when the CSS staff member has a conflict of interest relating to a care concern?
ANSWER
(5) I do need to preface my answer to the question from the member just with a clarification regarding terminology. A care concern or concerns in care is now referred to as well-being in care, and so I will use that term in my answers. A well-being in care concern relates to matters specific to the safety and risk to a child or young person and may include serious or criminal allegations, a potential breach of the Child Safe Code of Conduct and/or circumstances that suggest a child or young person may be at risk under Section 4 of the Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act of 1997. Based on this definition, from the period 31 July 2024 to the 20 March 2026 there has been a total of 347 initial assessments recorded as well-being in care concerns by the Department for Education, Children and Young People with the department relating to children in care or subject to a care and protection order.
(6) The 347 initial assessments recorded as well-being in care concerns are being managed using the well-being in care procedure.
(7) Well-being in care responses are not recorded as single distinct categories in the Child Safety Services Information Management system.
(8) In accordance with the Child and Youth Safe Organisations Act of 2023, the department made 63 notifications to the Office of the Independent Regulator between 1 July 2024 and 20 March 2026 related to departmental foster carers, including kinship carers. In addition, the department shared information in relation to 84 non-departmental carers with the Office of the Independent Regulator in accordance with section 33 of the act over the same period.
(9) All decisions to remove a child from their current care placement only occurs after careful consideration and with the child or young person’s safety at the centre of decisions. As a result, such decisions are made on case-by-case basis to ensure the child or young person’s immediate safety based on their unique circumstances. A total figure cannot be provided. While the department records placement movements, the reason for a change in placement is not recorded in a way that allows extractable reporting. A manual review of each individual child’s details would be required to determine the number of placement changes due to a well-being in care concern.
(10) A Child Safety Services staff member conflict of interest issue, real or potential, is managed according to the department’s conflict of interest policy, which is reflective of the Tasmanian State Service Act 2000 and the State Service Code of Conduct. The Department’s policy objective is that a conflict of interest is identified early to maintain process, integrity and protect the safety and privacy of the child or young person. In all cases, an employee must disclose and take reasonable steps to avoid any conflict of interest in connection with the employee’s State Service employment. In all cases, staff members must disclose real or potential conflict of interest to their supervisor as soon as they become aware of the conflict.
