Page 1751 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 4 June 2014

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proposes that all children and young people in care receive a therapeutic assessment. The funding allocation will enable the Community Services Directorate to develop the assessment model, employ assessors and commence assessments.

Children and young people will also benefit from improved management of their personal information and the commencement of the health passport. Children and their carers will also benefit from the commencement of the trauma recovery service which will commence in July this year.

MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Ms Porter.

MS PORTER: What consultations have you had with the community and families around this investment, minister, and how has this been received?

MS BURCH: I thank Ms Porter for her question. When it does come to achieving positive outcomes for children and young people in out of home care, it has been essential that the government consider the views and the voices of those in the community who are providing this care. The government committed to developing an out of home care strategy and we have been working with many of the carers in developing that strategy.

The Community Services Directorate undertook a number of engagement activities, hosting carer roundtables, requesting submissions to an issues paper and subsequently a discussion paper and working with birth families, young people in care and agencies and carers through a co-design process. In May of this year, the Community Services Directorate held numerous engagement sessions with stakeholders to gain their feedback on the proposed policy directions. This has included the out of home care sector, a carers roundtable and birth parent representatives, as I have said.

The strategy has been well received to date and the feedback from the sector has been encouraging. Carers have told us that they have felt included, that they have felt listened to and that they have felt they have been able to contribute in a meaningful way to the desired outcomes of the strategy. And carers can rest assured that this government, through this additional investment, is committed to supporting them in this often difficult, yet very rewarding, contribution to our community. Again, I thank all the carers for investing in our community.

Ms Gallagher: I ask that all further questions be placed on the notice paper.

Personal explanation

MRS JONES (Molonglo): I seek leave to make a personal explanation under standing order 46.

MADAM SPEAKER: Do you claim to have been misrepresented, Mrs Jones?

MRS JONES: Yes.

MADAM SPEAKER: Leave is granted.


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