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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2020-10-13 Daily Xml
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Youth Justice Services

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (14:55): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Human Services regarding youth justice.

Leave granted.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: The Community Youth Justice program oversees children and young people in fulfilling community service orders and other orders within the youth justice system, rather than detaining them in the Adelaide Youth Training Centre. The government's 2019-20 budget papers claimed that 70 per cent of community based orders were successfully completed. However, the opposition understands that the Department of Human Services has begun work to outsource this important program, which has been provided by the government for many years. My questions to the minister are:

1. Does the minister believe that this program is failing or underperforming in some way and, if so, how?

2. Will any privatisation tender ensure that cultural responsiveness and cultural responsibility are at its core, in view of the over-representation of Aboriginal young people in the system?

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (14:56): I thank the honourable member for her question and for her interest in this important area. In response to the last question, the overwhelming answer is yes. A bit of background in relation to the decision to take this pathway in relation to community orders is that it has arisen from our Youth Justice State Plan, Young People Connected, Communities Protected. Through the consultation that came about, there was a strong message that a number of stakeholders believed that more connections, particularly through the non-government sector, would be of great benefit to young people who are currently going through these programs.

This measure is actually designed to provide better outcomes for children. We think that we can do better than 70 per cent and so we want to provide that diversity that the non-government sector has on offer. There is a range of services that operate in that space, and that was one of the messages that we received from the sector in relation to the programs as part of it.

I can also say that the process began much earlier this year. The advice I have received is that, on 28 February this year, the Department of Human Services announced to staff that alternative methods for the metropolitan delivery were being explored by Youth Justice services, and on 17 April, following a consultation period with staff that included consultation with the Public Service Association, it was announced that the metropolitan CSO program would be put to tender. Staff and stakeholders have continued to receive communication and support throughout this process, and we think that there are great opportunities in this program going forward.

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