Aboriginal Family Support Services

473 Ms COOK (Hurtle Vale) (29 November 2018). What is the status of the across-government place-based response to improve justice, safety and wellbeing outcomes for Aboriginal people as listed in the 2017-18 budget?

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General): The Minister for Human Services has provided the following advice:

As outlined in the 2017-18 Budget, the Department for Human Services is leading the Making an Impact initiative. This whole-of-government effort, in partnership with the non-government sector and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, is aimed at improving outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people living in Northern Adelaide with a focus on reducing contact with the criminal justice system.

The status of work under Making an Impact includes:

(1) Yunga Nungas: Future Leaders pilot

targeting high-risk young people for an intensive case support response to increase meaningful engagement in education and employment

12-month pilot (2017-18) showed promising results, including participants' decreased involvement with the justice system and re-engagement in educational and employment readiness programs

a further two years funding to establish a proof of concept of Yunga Nungas has been secured. To ensure sustainability of the response to this cohort, the service delivery model will be embedded into Metropolitan Aboriginal Youth and Family Services (MAYFS). MAYFS is an Aboriginal service and sits within the Department for Human Services.

(2) Early intervention diversion project

targeting the point of arrest or first contact with the justice system, aimed at reducing remand rates and increasing diversion outcomes

a multi-agency diagnostic workshop in partnership with the Department of the Premier and Cabinet's Public Sector Innovation, ICT and Digital Government division to scope the project (occurred in October 2018)

Phase 1: will involve interviews focused on the pathway from an Aboriginal young person's first contact with police, through interactions with legal representatives and then to the court system.

Phase 2: Following the completion of interviews and data analysis, the Public Sector Innovation Lab will work with stakeholders to develop the scope for a 90-Day Project.

(3) Aboriginal Community Sector development project

aimed at improving service delivery outcomes for Aboriginal families living in northern Adelaide

multi-agency group is being established to scope the project and establish priority outcomes

MAYFS will lead this project with backbone support from the Making an Impact project team

focus will be on a collaborative service response to father and sons who have been disengaged as a result of contact with the justice system and attributing complex family issues.

(4) A fathers and sons project

focused on re-connecting adult Aboriginal offenders to their communities and engagement with their children and families

multi-agency discussions have been undertaken to scope interest and capacity to support this project

potential to join with project (3) above to prototype collaborative response.

The new Connected Youth Justice Strategy, currently in development, will have a strong focus on addressing the over-representation of Aboriginal young people in the justice system. Aboriginal communities and partners are being engaged in the development of the Strategy and its associated delivery plan. Implementation will commence in early 2019. Making an Impact initiatives will contribute to delivery of the Connected Youth Justice Strategy.