Page 328 - Week 01 - Thursday, 14 February 2019
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
from abuse and neglect’ (Chapter 2, section 10). This approach is maintained in the current ACT legislation, the Children and Young People Act 2008.
As a human rights jurisdiction, the ACT Government’s child-centred approach to care and protection is guided by the Human Rights Act 2004. Section 11 of the Act deals with the protection of family and children, supporting an understanding that ‘[e]very child has the right to the protection needed by the child because of being a child’.
This child-centred approach is further supported by international human rights standards, expressed in United Nations agreements including the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. These instruments form the basis for contemporary views on acting in the best interests of the child or young person, and the right to protection of family.
(2) The relevant legislation in NSW was the Child Welfare Act 1939 (NSW) (now repealed). Until 1957, (when the Child Welfare Ordinance 1957 commenced) children in the ACT were subject to the NSW Act.
(3) See answer to Question 1 as to the position in the ACT.
(4) It is not feasible to check all of the electronic and manual data to answer this question. (The electronic case management system in ACT Courts and Tribunal does not record cases prior to the 1970s.)
ACT public service—activity-based workplaces
(Question No 2061)
Ms Le Couteur asked the Chief Minister, upon notice, on 30 November 2018:
(1) In regard to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and activity-based working in the public sector, i.e. systems where employees have no fixed desk, but instead use laptops and lockers to relocate to different desks daily based on staffing and workflow, what information has the Chief Minister taken into account on the impact of activity-based working on people on the autism spectrum.
(2) What confidence does the Chief Minister have that ASD staff within relevant agencies are aware of being on the autism spectrum and/or are diagnosed.
Mr Barr: The answer to the member’s question is as follows:
(1) The ACT Government is committed to embracing diversity and providing safe and inclusive working environments for all staff.
The ACT Government’s approach to supporting neurodiversity requirements of staff, through design considerations and reasonable adjustment processes, has been based on advice from experts and literature reviews.
It has been demonstrated that environmental stimuli pose challenges to individuals on the autism spectrum. I understand that both the Civic and Dickson office blocks have been designed with a high degree of acoustic treatment and that visual stimuli will be reduced through fit-out design. In addition, dedicated quiet spaces are available for all staff to access.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video