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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2016-02-23 Daily Xml
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Disability Justice Plan

Ms COOK (Fisher) (15:00): My question is to the Attorney-General. Would the Attorney-General update the house on the implementation of the Disability Justice Plan?

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Justice Reform, Minister for Planning, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Child Protection Reform, Minister for the Public Sector, Minister for Consumer and Business Services, Minister for the City of Adelaide) (15:01): Specialist training for investigative interviewers working with vulnerable witnesses is a key initiative of the Disability Justice Plan. The Centre for Investigative Interviewing at Deakin University has been selected to provide specialist training to interviewers working in South Australia Police, Child Protection Services, Families SA, the Department for Education and Child Development, and Disability SA.

On Friday 5 February this year, Assistant Commissioner Linda Fellows launched the training program at Fort Largs Police Academy in a half-day event involving approximately 70 training participants. Participants also heard from Margie Charlesworth, convenor of Women with Disabilities South Australia; and Professor Martine Powell, founding director of the Centre for Investigative Interviewing.

Deakin University is comprised of world-class researchers and trainers in investigative interviewing and will provide access to specialist resources and customised training to develop and maintain interviewer competency. Under the partnership with the Attorney-General's Department, Deakin will also undertake new world-leading research into interviewing people with a disability. The results of this research will further enhance techniques for interviewing people with a disability in the existing training program.

Importantly, the training will give effect to the policy and intention of the Statutes Amendment (Vulnerable Witnesses) Act 2015 passed by the parliament with all parties' support and receiving the royal assent on 6 August 2015. The act is intended to come into operation on 27 June this year, by which time the first cohort of interviewers will have been trained.

It is anticipated that 100 interviewers will be trained per calendar year over the initial two-year period with Deakin, following which the government has the option of two 12-month extensions, based on performance. The training is central to the implementation of the government's Disability Justice Plan and will work alongside other elements such as the Communication Partner Service.

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