House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-05-08 Daily Xml

Contents

Child Protection

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:39): A supplementary, if I may, sir. Now that the sad event has occurred, that the child has died, and some months have passed and you are now aware that there had been multiple notifications about this child generally, albeit before 11 November on the information you have been provided, are you saying that, therefore, you haven't requested any change of the management of these notifications in your department since that disclosure and, indeed, the death of a child?

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE (Wright—Minister for Education and Child Development) (14:39): I am advised that all notifications were appropriately assessed and rated. This family had the support of the Safe Babies Program for some considerable time. Respite was being provided, and there was support being provided by a non-government organisation. I understand those involved with the family were reporting that the family was, in fact, doing well, and there was, at that point, no requirement that there be a statutory response to that family.