Questions & Answers Paper No. 158 - Parliament of New South ...
Questions & Answers Paper No. 158 - Parliament of New South ...
Questions & Answers Paper No. 158 - Parliament of New South ...
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7031<br />
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS<br />
MONDAY 12 OCTOBER 2009<br />
Casework Specialist through their Manager or on an informal basis for advice on policy, procedure<br />
or to access informal pr<strong>of</strong>essional support in relation to their role.<br />
It is acknowledged that working within the field <strong>of</strong> child protection is very complex, personally<br />
demanding and sometimes confronting work. In addition to Supervision, all allocated cases are<br />
reviewed by a Caseworker with their Manager at least once every three months. This is in addition to<br />
regular guidance provided by managers on active cases which occurs as needed.<br />
Caseworkers also have access to the Department's Learning and Development branch to access<br />
courses to aide pr<strong>of</strong>essional development.<br />
Team and unit meetings and planning sessions also provide opportunities for support and mentoring.<br />
*7301 OUT-OF-HOME CARE CONTRACTS—Ms Pru Goward asked the Minister for Community Services—<br />
(1) How many Out-<strong>of</strong>-Home Care contracts arising from the March 2007 EOI have been awarded to<br />
NGOs?<br />
(2) How much money is involved?<br />
(3) How many Out-<strong>of</strong>-Home Care contracts arising from this EOI have not been awarded?<br />
(4) How much money is involved?<br />
(5) What is the department's revised estimated cost <strong>of</strong> upgrading KIDS to the level required for an<br />
integrated service as recommended by Wood?<br />
(6) When is work on this upgrade expected to be completed?<br />
Answer—<br />
(1) To date 27 agencies have been or are being contracted and are developing their service according to<br />
set milestones to provide capacity for family preservation, foster care, kinship care and residential<br />
placements across NSW.<br />
(2) Out-<strong>of</strong>-Home Care program expenditure is contracted to $223 million in 2009-2010.<br />
(3) In April 2009, the Out-<strong>of</strong>-Home Care funding rollout was halted and funding negotiations with 15<br />
agencies were suspended pending the outcome <strong>of</strong> an Out-<strong>of</strong>-Home Care Review. This review was<br />
commissioned by Treasury, the Department <strong>of</strong> Premier and Cabinet and Community Services and<br />
considered the impact <strong>of</strong> growth in Out-<strong>of</strong>-Home Care and examined areas such as policy, practice,<br />
contracting and effectiveness <strong>of</strong> current systems. As a result <strong>of</strong> the Review, a group <strong>of</strong> agencies were<br />
left with unfinished funding negotiations and were advised that until the outcome <strong>of</strong> the Out-<strong>of</strong>-<br />
Home Care Review was considered by Cabinet, negotiations would not progress.<br />
(4) In order to finalise the remaining Out-<strong>of</strong>-Home Care contracts, the Community Services' budget<br />
requirements to grow additional capacity <strong>of</strong> 625 placements by 2012⁄2013 has been projected at an<br />
additional $35 million annually.<br />
(5) The estimates for the KiDS Core Design Upgrade as previously scoped have not changed from those<br />
included in the budget papers <strong>of</strong> June 2009.<br />
(6) The original plan as outlined in the budget papers <strong>of</strong> June 2009 was to complete the Kids Core<br />
Design Upgrade by June 2011, delivered in three stages with the first due in mid-2010.<br />
*7302 MINISTERIAL LETTERHEAD—Ms Pru Goward asked the Premier, and Minister for the Arts—<br />
(1) Why hasn't the Premier replied to my letter requesting disciplining <strong>of</strong> the Member for Canterbury<br />
and Minister for Community Services for using ministerial letterhead in pursuit <strong>of</strong> non-parliamentary<br />
appointments?<br />
(2) Are there guidelines prohibiting NSW Ministers (and indeed, all Members <strong>of</strong> NSW <strong>Parliament</strong>) from<br />
touting for positions outside <strong>Parliament</strong> on parliamentary⁄electoral or ministerial letterhead?<br />
Answer—<br />
The Premier responded in writing to the matters raised in Ms Goward's letter on 9 June 2009.<br />
*7303 STATE WATER AND DWE OFFICES—Ms Katrina Hodgkinson asked the Minister for Water, and<br />
Minister for Regional Development—<br />
(1) Why has State Water relocated their <strong>of</strong>fice in Tamworth, effectively detaching it from the<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Water and Energy Office (DWE)?<br />
(2) Will the Minister confirm if there are similar plans to do the same with the Leeton <strong>of</strong>fice <strong>of</strong> State<br />
Water?<br />
(3) How much will it cost to relocate the <strong>of</strong>fice <strong>of</strong> State Water in Leeton to another location?<br />
(4) Will these costs in (3) to relocate the State Water <strong>of</strong>fice in Leeton be directly funded by the NSW<br />
Government, or will the irrigators and water users <strong>of</strong> the area be required to fund these costs?<br />
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