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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-02-18 Daily Xml
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Child Protection

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (14:19): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Human Services regarding child safety.

Leave granted.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: The Department of Human Services website says:

DHS has lead responsibility on behalf of the South Australian government in the areas of…safety and wellbeing of children.

I seek leave to table a printout of the said website.

Leave granted.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Given that, my question is: how does the minister reconcile the answer she has just given with what her own department's website says? Secondly, what exactly does the minister do, as her department is the lead agency regarding child safety?

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (14:20): Perhaps I can outline for the honourable member the range of programs that we run through the child and family support system, which is quite extensive.

The Hon. K.J. Maher: Are you the lead minister for child safety?

The PRESIDENT: Order! The leader has asked a question; let the minister answer it.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: For the programs—

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: For the programs that I will outline, I will—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Ridgway is not assisting. The minister has the call and will be heard in silence.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: The Department of Human Services administers a number of programs and also is involved in quite a number of programs in the family space that are responsible for ensuring that our families are safer and are able to nurture their children going forward. These include the child wellbeing practitioners, the child and family assessment referral networks, family practitioners, community development coordinators, Child and Family Health Service, Strong Start—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The deputy leader is out of order.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: —Multi-Agency Protection Service, parenting and family support programs, non-government organisations and contracted services and Aboriginal community-controlled organisations. We also have close collaboration through a system adviser network of people with lived experience and the Aboriginal Leadership Group and regular meetings—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: —with the non-government sector. We are in the process of recommissioning—

The Hon. I.K. Hunter interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Opposition Whip is out of order.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Minister, continue.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: —our evidence-informed services, which includes a focus on evidence-informed service models, collaboration, evaluation and monitoring system outcomes. I think I have spoken before in this place about the fact that the Department of Human Services underwent an extensive co-design process, including with the Department for Child Protection, to recommission services. We have made the decision that 30 per cent of those programs will be ring-fenced for Aboriginal community-controlled organisations. We have the child safe environment space, which is under the Children and Young People (Safety) Act—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: —which requires prescribed organisations to provide safe environments for children—

The Hon. E.S. Bourke interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Ms Bourke will come to order.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: In order to establish safe environments—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: —for children and young people, organisations must develop policies and procedures to ensure child safe environments that meet the child safe environment principles of good practice, meet working with children check requirements for people with children or undertaking child-related work and lodge a child safe environments compliance statement—

The Hon. C.M. Scriven interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: —with the Department of Human Services.

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