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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 2 Hansard (26 February) . . Page.. 459 ..

MS TUCKER (continuing):

I visited Marlow House on 15 December 1996 and I am most concerned with its material deterioration.

He then detailed his observations of the physical deterioration and deterioration in control over residents. He acknowledged recent riotous behaviour but said that the problems had been long term. He said:

Initially I believed Richmond Fellowship offered a well controlled and safe situation for the children placed into care. Later I drew to the Minister's attention an apparent lack of support from the Police, the Courts and Family Services when the staff were confronted with the uncontrolled behaviour of a resident. It did appear to me that the situation at Marlow House began to deteriorate from that point, despite assurances in a letter from the Minister that all was well.

Mr Stefaniak, how could you stand here yesterday and support your argument to the Assembly that things are okay and improving at Marlow Cottage by referring to an earlier opinion of the Official Visitor when you knew that he had subsequently advised you in writing that things are abjectly not okay and are deteriorating?

MR STEFANIAK: It is interesting, Ms Tucker. Yes, I have indeed had some correspondence with Mr Aldcroft. If you read on in that letter, he has some very interesting ideas of how it should be fixed. Probably you would not agree with them ideologically because they involve, I think, a fair bit of discipline and changes to the Children's Services Act. I have certainly passed on his ideas to the department, because I think what he is suggesting makes a hell of a lot of sense. He is a very experienced man in terms of those problems, which, he says, are of long standing. They are. It goes back to when it was a government program. He has indicated that there were some problems. He indicated in his report, however, that a considerable number of improvements were made, especially in the day program which is still there. Ms Tucker, I think you should acknowledge that.

I was talking to the department today, and I am certainly pleased to say that in the last few weeks there have not been a huge number of great dramas there. The number of children there, I am advised - it has a capacity of six - is four or five. When there is need for extra staff that extra staff, in fact, has been put on. Steps have certainly been taken at that cottage to ensure that the kids get the best possible benefit.

Ms Tucker, I think I mentioned to you yesterday that there has been a history of problems. We are never going to completely overcome the problems. It was pleasing to see - and Mr Aldcroft refers to it in his report - that, because of the day program, which seeks to address individual client needs and alleviate unnecessary boredom, there had been improvements. He points out, as it is his job to point out when things change for the better or the worse, that there are certain things in the actual structure that need addressing in the long term. The department is looking at them and a few of the short-term things you mentioned in your question. I think it is important to put that in perspective.

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