Questions & Answers Paper No. 158 - Parliament of New South ...

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LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
MONDAY 12 OCTOBER 2009
7738 MACQUARIE HOSPITAL—Mr Victor Dominello to ask the Minister for Local Government, and
Minister Assisting the Minister for Health (Mental Health)—
7739 BUSES—Mr Victor Dominello to ask the Minister for Transport, and Minister for the Illawarra—
*7740 CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE IN OUT-OF-HOME CARE—Ms Pru Goward asked the Minister
for Community Services—
As the NSW Ombudsman Report "Review of a group of children aged 10 to 14 in out-of-home care and
under parental responsibility of the Minister for community services", dated 30 January 2009,
recommended that "DoCS establish a system for reporting on practice improvement strategies and
outcomes in response to systemic issues identified in this and earlier reports concerning reviews of
children and young people in out-of-home care":
(1) Has any such system been established?
(2) If not, why not?
(3) If so, has it been implemented across the whole department and what does it comprise?
Answer—
The Special Commission of Inquiry into Child Protection Services in NSW provided a systematic,
considered and thorough examination of the whole child protection system and addressed issues such as
improving and strengthening out-of-home care services. The Government's response to the Inquiry, Keep
them Safe: A shared approach to child wellbeing, provides a package of reforms over five years,
implementation of which is being undertaken with careful planning and coordinated management of
change across a range of government and non-government agencies.
Systemic issues raised in the Ombudsman's reports on children and young people in care, such as
ensuring they have health and development assessments and individual education plans, providing
cultural supports for Aboriginal children and improving supports to foster, relative and kinship carers, are
primarily being addressed through Keep them Safe.
*7741 CHILDREN IN OUT-OF-HOME CARE—Ms Pru Goward asked the Minister for Community
Services—
Of all children aged 10 to 14 who are currently in out-of-home care under the responsibility of the
Minister for Community Services, how many were originally reported to DoCS:
(a) before the age of 1;
(b) between the ages 2 to 4;
(c) between the ages of 5 to 9?
Answer—
Of the children and young people aged 10 to 14 years in out-of-home care under the parental
responsibility of the Minister as at 30 June 2008:
(a) 41% were first reported to Community Services before the age of 1 year
(b) 25% were first reported to Community Services aged 2-4 years
(c) 15% were first reported to Community Services aged 5-9 years.
7742 CHILDREN REPORTED AT RISK OF HARM OR NEGLECT—Ms Pru Goward to ask the Minister for
Community Services—
7743 SHOALHAVEN DISTRICT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT—Mrs Shelley
Hancock to ask the Deputy Premier, Minister for Climate Change and the Environment, and Minister for
Commerce representing the Attorney General, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Health,
Minister for the Central Coast, Vice President of the Executive Council—
7744 NOWRA TAFE—Mrs Shelley Hancock to ask the Minister for Education and Training, and Minister for
Women—
*7745 SEAT BELTS ON SCHOOL BUSES—Mrs Shelley Hancock asked the Minister for Transport, and
Minister for the Illawarra—
What progress has been made with respect to the provision of seat belts on school buses, a review of
which was announced by the former Minister for Transport, John Watkins?
Answer—
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