Education Family Conferences

In reply to Mr TEAGUE (Heysen) ((21 June 2022).). (Estimates Committee A)

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector): I have been advised:

1. Since the commencement of the program in 2020-21, there have been 22 Education Family Conference (EFC) referrals to the CAA Conferencing Unit. The unit has conducted 15 conferences and 15 review meetings.

2. EFCs are a pilot program initiated and funded by the Department for Education (DE). The CAA have listed continuation of this program for 2021-22 to allow DE to undertake a formal evaluation process.

3. Since commencement of the pilot, four families have refused to participate in the program.

4. The program is overseen and managed by DE, with the CAA providing conferencing services on DE's behalf via an MOAA. Prosecution is outside of the jurisdiction of the CAA Conferencing Unit.

5. The activity indicators at Page 141 reflect the key indicators for the Conferencing Unit, including Youth Justice and Care and Protection conferencing in the Youth Court Jurisdiction, as well as mediations undertaken in the Magistrates Court Jurisdiction. The projections for 2022-23 for Family Conference and Care and Protection reflect a shift based on the trend of lodgements and workload between both of these functions.