House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-11-19 Daily Xml

Contents

FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES DEPARTMENT

Mrs REDMOND (Heysen—Leader of the Opposition) (14:31): Once again, my question is to the Minister for Families and Communities. How can the public have confidence in the accuracy of files and investigations of Families SA, when the select committee into the department has reported:

Case workers failed to adequately verify facts and case notes include conjecture as fact.

Evidence was received by the select committee that:

It is not uncommon for case records to be altered when they come under scrutiny.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE (Wright—Minister for Families and Communities, Minister for Northern Suburbs, Minister for Housing, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Disability) (14:32): As I said earlier, we will have a very close look at the assertions that have been made—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: We will have a close look at the assertions that have been made by the select committee. But, let me just say also that there has been criticism, I understand, from the opposition in relation to a new case management service that is being rolled out throughout the Department for Families and Communities—it is within a number of agencies now—which will give us an up-to-date, state-of-the-art case management tool with which we can—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: —much better manage the cases of the children who come into our care.