Child Protection Department

Mr TEAGUE (Heysen) (15:09): My question is to the Minister for Child Protection. Will the minister commit to the establishment of an external independent quality assurance unit to resolve disputes and to respond to incidents of bullying, discrimination and harassment within the Department for Child Protection? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr TEAGUE: On page 29, recommendation 3 of Fiona Arney's Independent Inquiry into Foster and Kinship Care states, and I quote:

…an external Independent Quality Assurance Unit be established in a relevant statutory body to respond to complaints…

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD (Reynell—Minister for Child Protection, Minister for Women and the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (15:09): I thank the shadow minister for the question. As the shadow minister is aware, the report into the Independent Inquiry into Foster and Kinship Care, conducted by Dr Fiona Arney—who was appointed by the previous government to conduct that inquiry—has recently been completed. As the shadow minister is also aware, I have tabled that report in the parliament.

I think the shadow minister is also aware that I am in the process of conducting extensive consultation sessions with carers in different parts of our community. I have already conducted four of those sessions to receive feedback, and there are other forums to receive that feedback coming up. I will certainly keep the shadow minister abreast of developments with those forums when I provide a further briefing to him in a few weeks' time—I think towards the end of this month.

What I can say is that following the receipt of the report, I immediately committed to several actions pertaining to those recommendations. I also committed to ensure that any recommendations that pertained to a need for legislative consideration would certainly be considered as part of our comprehensive review of the Children and Young People (Safety) Act. So I will certainly consider any recommendations that would require legislative change in the context of that review, and I will certainly also continue to discuss the various recommendations and receive feedback from foster and kinship carers.

In receiving that feedback, I have been really clear at each of those forums that I am deeply appreciative of the incredible role that foster and kinship carers play in opening their hearts, homes and lives to children and young people—children and young people who face some really difficult circumstances. I am incredibly appreciative of the efforts, the compassion, the care that foster and kinship carers provide and I will continue to listen to their views.

I just want to say also to the shadow minister in response to his question that, as well as speaking with carers extensively following receipt of the report, since becoming the minister I have also fulfilled the commitment that I gave before the election to consult and meet regularly with carers to hear from them. Prior to the forums that I have been holding to receive feedback, I have also conducted various roundtables with foster and kinship carers in many parts of the state, and I certainly intend to continue to do that.

The other point that I just want to mention is to say that we are really proud of the election commitment that we made, that we are fulfilling to provide an additional $800,000 for carer advocacy here in South Australia. That will provide an opportunity for carers to voice their concerns, as will the carer council that is recommended also by Dr Fiona Arney, which I have already publicly committed to progressing, amongst other commitments that we made following the Dr Arney inquiry.