Ministerial Statement

Child Protection Systems Royal Commission

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Justice Reform, Minister for Planning, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Child Protection Reform, Minister for the Public Sector, Minister for Consumer and Business Services, Minister for the City of Adelaide) (11:01): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: In August 2014, the state government established the Child Protection Systems Royal Commission. The royal commission's final report was handed to His Excellency the Governor on 5 August 2016 and was publicly released on 8 August 2016. The report is a comprehensive analysis of our current child protection system and the scourge of child abuse and neglect that we are tackling in South Australia. It runs over 850 pages and contains 260 recommendations for system-wide reform.

The report suggests that problems with child protection systems are not unique to South Australia. It reaffirms the necessity to recalibrate our system and intervene earlier in families, to place the child at the centre of all considerations and to stop them reaching our statutory agency. It reminds us that now, more than ever, child protection is all of our business.

The government has accepted 38 recommendations so far. We anticipate accepting many more. In June this year, the government immediately accepted interim recommendations of the royal commission to establish a new department for child protection and recruit a new chief executive with established credibility in child protection.

Last week, at a special Families SA staff meeting, the Premier announced the recruitment of Cathy Taylor as the new chief executive of the department for child protection. We welcome Ms Taylor's expertise in child protection, and her demonstrated leadership skills, and trust she will lead the department through this reform to provide the fresh start needed. Ms Taylor will begin in her new role on 31 October 2016 and we expect the department for child protection will commence by 1 November 2016.

This change provides an opportunity for a single department to have at its core a focus on child protection. However, it does not affect the responsibility that the Department for Education and Child Development and all other government departments have to support families and children to ensure, as best as possible, that they do not require statutory intervention.

Of those 38 accepted recommendations, nine relate to legislative amendments for which I will shortly seek leave to introduce. The Child Safety (Prohibited Persons) Bill 2016 implements a new regime of working with children checks for South Australia, and the Children and Young People (Oversight and Advocacy Bodies) Bill 2016 establishes the commissioner for children and young people and the child development council.

The report reiterates the importance of keeping children and their safety at the centre of our decision-making considerations. Importantly, this includes listening to the child's voice. The government warmly welcomes the recommendation for the establishment of a commissioner for children and young people. This government has previously recognised the need for this important office for all children and young people and has also accepted Commissioner Nyland's recommendations regarding the functions and powers of that commissioner.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The deputy leader is called to order. Leave has been granted.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: A barrier to an effective child protection system identified by Commissioner Nyland was the current information-sharing practices. The government introduced the Public Sector (Data Sharing) Bill 2016 in the last sitting week of the parliament. Endorsing the comments of Commissioner Nyland and her recommendations, the government has since drafted amendments to that bill to extend the state's ability to share information with the commonwealth, with other states or territories, local councils and the non-government sector.

Consistent with Commissioner Nyland's recommendations, the government is moving swiftly, yet carefully, to consider all 260 recommendations and report by the end of the year in accordance with recommendation 260. As recommended by Commissioner Nyland and accepted by the government, a dedicated response unit has been set up within the Attorney-General's Department to lead this work, supported by input from the Office for Child Protection and other government and non-government agencies, as well as the broader community.

In Commissioner Nyland's own words, 'When things go wrong, it is tempting to lay all the blame on the statutory agency. However, child protection is everyone's business.' We echo Commissioner Nyland's sentiments that this work cannot be done without the partnership of government, other government agencies, non-government organisations and the community as a whole, and we thank those groups for their participation and engagement so far in this process. There is still much work to be done.

The government is setting up strong structures to ensure a committed and ongoing implementation process, including progressing the 38 recommendations already accepted. To monitor the development of the response and implementation process, an across-government steering committee has been established and currently meets weekly. This committee was a recommendation of Commissioner Nyland which was immediately accepted.

The government acknowledges the difficult and important work that people working with vulnerable South Australians do. Many Families SA workers are on the front lines daily, doing their best to help children. I thank them for their efforts and hard work. I also thank the Hon. Margaret Nyland AM and her team for their tremendous efforts. The commissioner has provided us with a comprehensive blueprint for a new child protection system in South Australia. The report provides a significant opportunity to reform South Australia's child protection system, to give the system a fresh start. It is an opportunity that this government is committed to seize.