SA Government undertakes significant action to implement child protection reform

The South Australian Government is taking significant action to implement child protection and family support reforms, with Minister for Child Protection, Katrine Hildyard issuing several comprehensive directions to the Department for Child Protection for policy and practice changes.

Minister Hildyard believes the changes will improve the lives of children and young people in care and further support families, carers and the workforce.

The new policy directions will further help ensure children are at the centre of decision-making, and will apply essential protective measures for Aboriginal children and families.

The wide-ranging reforms include:

• Elevating ‘best interests’ as a new guiding principle in all procedures, manuals of practice, training materials and professional development assessment processes, whilst always retaining ‘safety’ as the primary, prevailing and foundational principle for protecting children.
• Privileging the voices of children and young people so that they are more meaningfully and appropriately involved when decisions are made about their care.
• Working with the relevant peak bodies, to inform implementation of the full Aboriginal Child Placement Principle to the standard of ‘active efforts’.
• Expanding family group conferencing, with the intention that, as planned increases in capacity allow, they will be convened for all Aboriginal families.
• Ensuring carers are offered the opportunity to attend the annual reviews of children in their care and requiring case plans to be considered at the review.
• Introducing specific Quality of Care guidelines for replacing care concerns and assessing reports of harm to children.
• Developing complaint guidelines for children, carers and birth families to respond within 60 days to feedback on DCP services and decisions.
• Developing a new statement of commitment for children and birth families.
• Providing a copy of the Charter of Rights to all children in care.
• Commencing development of a State Strategy for children and young people.

“We remain determined to progress reforms that make a lasting and positive difference in the lives of children, young people and their families,” the Minister said.

“While others continue to play political games with child protection and family support policy, I will get on with implementing these important measures.”

“We will not be deterred from privileging the voices of children and young people and advancing our far-reaching reform to keep improving outcomes for children, their carers and their birth families.”

“Our reform efforts are already making a difference, but we know there is more to do and we will stay the course and make lasting change.”

The new policies are complemented by the SA Government’s $580 million investment into the child protection and family support system and reaffirm the Government’s commitment to transforming and building capacity of the system to help improve the lives of children and young people and the complex issues facing South Australian families.

Reforms already undertaken by the State Government have shown tremendous results, with the rate of children coming into care dramatically slowing, family group conferences being completed at a 91 per cent success rate and carer numbers and staff numbers are increasing.