Page 4748 - Week 11 - Thursday, 20 October 2011
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whom the director-general has parental responsibility.” In particular, the report noted that:
… there were no Placement Request Forms on either the paper or the electronic file (CHYPS) for ... the nine children subject of the specific incidents that initiated this Review.
Minister, how can this element of process be omitted, and what have you done to satisfy yourself that it will not happen in future?
MS GALLAGHER: The government will be providing a full response to the issues identified in the Public Advocate’s report. That has not been finalised at this point in time. There has been initial advice to me, and I do not think it relates to the specific issue that you have raised there, Mr Doszpot, but there are differing views from the directorate about some of the factual content in the Public Advocate’s report, and we need to work through that. But in terms of your specific question, I will take that on notice and get back to you if I can in a reasonable time. But in the general sense of responding to every issue that has been raised by the Public Advocate, we will be doing that in a very fulsome way, and, of course, that response will be made public.
MR SPEAKER: Supplementary, Mr Doszpot.
MR DOSZPOT: In relation to your answer, minister, why was this element of process omitted specifically, if you are looking into this? Why was this element of process omitted specifically in relation to the children whose plight sparked the Public Advocate’s review?
MS GALLAGHER: I cannot answer that question for you. I am happy to take further advice. But in terms of the overall response, the government will be providing one to all of the issues raised in that report.
MR SPEAKER: Supplementary, Mrs Dunne.
MRS DUNNE: Minister, what instructions have been given to the directorate in relation to reviewing its policies and procedures in relation to child emergency placements under child protection services, and what have you done to ensure that the documentation is up to date?
MS GALLAGHER: The discussions I had, and I think this question was given to me as acting minister for community services, so I am answering in that regard—the advice that I have from the minister around policies and procedures in general is that they have been updated. I am not sure of the broader issue of why they have not been provided to the Public Advocate in a timely way, but the instructions from the minister and from me around ensuring that all of the processes, procedures, documents and information are in order have been very clear to the directorate.
But we also need to give time. I have had an initial copy of a briefing that has been provided to the minister from her directorate. We need time to allow the Community Services Directorate—and give them some natural justice here—to respond to some
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