DEPARTMENT OF CHILD SAFETY

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DEPARTMENT OF CHILD SAFETY

• The Meaning and Practice of Government and
  Community Partnerships

Joann Schmider Director, Indigenous Support and
Development Branch
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The Child Protection Reform Agenda

• December 2003 - Audit of foster carers subject to
  child protection notifications
• January 2004 - CMC Inquiry into the abuse of
  children in foster care
• March 2004 - Blueprint for implementation
• Building strong and enduring partnerships
  between non-government and government sectors
  across the primary, secondary, and tertiary care
  continuum to better address and fund identified
  needs

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Partners in development
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Traditional approaches


Policies Regulations Funds Services

Government controlled
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Moving towards partners in development

MOU
Development agents / organisations


Policies Regulations Funds Services Capacity
development worker

Government controlled
Community controlled
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Actualising Partnerships

PSOs
A plethora of relations exists among individuals,
families, communities, government, non
governmental and private sector organisations.
Through these relations, individuals, families
and communities increasingly get involved in and
effect beneficial community participation in, and
control over, the services that are being
delivered.
Development agents or organisations




Civil Political
Economic
Cultural
Social
Personal
Environmental
Policies Regulations Funds Services

Government controlled
Community controlled
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Developing strong and sustainable Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander communities through
building - the capacity of government agencies /
service providers and - the capacity of
Indigenous communities and organisations, as well
as - the capacity of governments and
communities to engage and negotiate shared
responsibilities, participation and service
responses based on local plans and aspirations.
Shared Responsibility
Individuals Families Organisations Communities
Government NGO Service Providers
Participative Engagement and Partnerships
A Building the capacity of all parties involved
to support and facilitate the processes involved
in both capacity building and service delivery B.
Facilitating parties being able to work in
joined-up approaches C Fostering and
encouraging leadership of all parties involved D
Fostering and developing the governance capacity
of all parties involved
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The Department of Child Safetys Mission

• To lead, deliver and promote effective
• Protection for children and young people who have
  been harmed or who are at risk of harm
• Support for children, young people and their
  families who are subject to statutory
  intervention to secure the future safety of
  children and young people, and
• Care environments that are safe and meet the
  diverse needs of children and young people.

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Indigenous over-representation

• Indigenous children are 6.3 of Queenslands
  population
• Yet Indigenous notifications are 14 of all
  notifications
• 24 of all children in care are Aboriginal or
  Torres Strait Islander
• Representation ranges from 25 to 30 through
  much of Queensland with up to 60 to 70 in North
  and Far North Queensland. p14 Blueprint

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2003/4 Figures
8 Centres
369 IA, 84 in Murgon Kingaroy 132 CPO, 40 in
Murgon Kingaroy
6 Centres
519 IA, 326 not Cape 249 CPO, 126 not Cape
6 Centres
721 IA , 247 in the west 194 CPO, 103 in the
west
5 Centres
263 IA, 18 in Redlands 73 Gold Coast 91 CPO,
10 in Redlands Gold Coast 37
4 Centres
5 Centres
302 IA, 87 in Inala 107 CPO, 28 in Inala
302 IA, 98 in Toowoomba 107 CPO, 26 in Toowoomba
510 IA, 213 from Rockhampton, 125 from Mackay
Bowen 184 CPO, 93 from Rockhampton, 25 from
Mackay Bowen
6 Centres
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CSMAC SNAICC FACSIA
National level
Child Safety Directors Network
State level
Statewide Partnerships Taskforce
Recognised Entity Peak Body
PSO
Family Reunification Service
Indigenous Support and Development Branch
Therapeutic Service
Healing Service
NGO PSO services
Residential Service
Foster Carers Support Service
Recognised Entity
SCAN Relationship of CSSCs and Zones with local
communities and services Kinship and Foster
Carers Indigenous officers Zonal planning and
partnerships
Local and Zonal levels
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Strong Communities
Primary Services Support and education for
children families
Strong families
Joined up Government, NGOs and community
Secondary Services Reduce stresses
Families at Risk
Indigenous children in Child Protection
Department of Child Safety, NGOs and community
Tertiary Services Statutory intervention
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Alternative Care
Department of Child Safety CSO
Child Protection Act

• PORMPURAAW COMMUNITY
• CHILD PROTECTION COMMITTEE
• COMMUNITY ELDERS
• JUSTICE GROUP
• QLD HEALTH, QLD EDU, QLD POLICE
• NGO, PORMPURR PAANTH CAFS

Department of Communities CSO (Support)
RAATSICC
Youth Justice (Department of Communities)
OUTREACH JAB COMMISSION FOR CHILDREN RFDSY.P
FAMILIES
CLAN
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• The challenge for governments is to find ways of
  organising, endorsing and working with
  partnerships which permit the double role of
  government to be respected - as the central
  authority ultimately responsible for social order
  within its jurisdiction, and as a partner with
  communities in supporting social and economic
  development. NCVER 2004