Financial Counselling Service

In reply to Ms STINSON (Badcoe) (6 June 2019).

The Hon. R. SANDERSON (Adelaide—Minister for Child Protection): I have been advised:

The Department for Child Protection (DCP) has directly negotiated with the Department of Human Services (DHS) to invest in that department's existing Statewide Financial Counselling program from 2019-20. This program was subject to a previous DHS tender process.

The State Procurement Board approved DCP's procurement approach on the basis that no further market intelligence would be obtained through a tender, when the main providers of financial counselling in South Australia underwent an extensive tendering process in December 2016.