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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 04 Hansard (Thursday, 1 April 2004) . . Page.. 1681 ..

(1) The Government’s Four Point Plan clearly articulates our commitment to improving the current provision of child protection services in the Territory and increasing support for child protection staff. The department expects the current Review by the Commissioner for Public Administration will provide a number of recommendations for the child protection system.

(2) As at the beginning of April 2004, the department employed 57 front line child protection staff (classified as Family Services Workers Class 1 and Professional Officers Class 2).

(3) Front line case workers within the Department are required to have degree or diploma level qualifications in social work, psychology or social welfare or other relevant disciplines.

(4) (a) From October 2003 to March 2004 there were seven (7) resignations of front line case workers.

(b) 19 frontline case workers have been employed since 30 November 2003.

(5) The Community Advocate refers to the “lack of a state of the art computerised file management system” on 10 February 2004 in the context of her ‘Response to Abuse in Care Reports’. She does not suggest a causal link between the computer system and the non-reporting of child abuse cases. Nor does she suggest a causal link between the system and the non-recording of child abuse cases.

This question confuses two completely different systems of information recording within the Department. The computerised file management system for recording cases of suspected child abuse and neglect is in fact called the Children and Young Person’s System (CHYPS). The Looking After Children Electronic System (LACES) pertains specifically to the Looking After Children case management system for children and young people in out-of-home care. This system does not cater for recording incidents of abuse, nor is it designed to.

Community Consultation Online website
(Question No 1387)

Mr Smyth asked the Chief Minister, upon notice, on 11 March 2004:

(1) Is the community consultation register still available via the website?

(2) If so, is the community consultation register currently being maintained online?

(3) Is all the most up-to-date information provided on this web page?

(4) Are there any plans to downgrade the community consultation register in any way?

Mr Stanhope: The answer to the member’s question is as follows:

(1) No. The Community Consultation Online website (www.consultation.act.gov.au) replaced the community consultation register in December 2001.

(2) N/A

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