DEPARTMENT OF CHILD SAFETY

1. DEPARTMENT OF CHILD SAFETY The Meaning and Practice of Government and Community Partnerships • Joann Schmider • Director, Indigenous Support and Development Branch

2. The Child Protection Reform Agenda • December 2003 - Audit of foster carers subject to child protection notifications • January 2004 - CMC Inquiry into the abuse of children in foster care • March 2004 - “Blueprint” for implementation Building strong and enduring partnerships between non-government and government sectors across the primary, secondary, and tertiary care continuum to better address and fund identified needs

3. Partners in development

4. Traditional approaches $ $ Policies & Regulations Funds Services $ Government controlled

5. Moving towards partners in development $ MOU Development agents / organisations $ $ Policies & Regulations Funds Services Capacity development worker $ Government controlled Community controlled

6. Actualising Partnerships $ PSO’s A plethora of relations exists among individuals, families, communities, government, non governmental and private sector organisations. Through these relations, individuals, families and communities increasingly get involved in and effect beneficial community participation in, and control over, the services that are being delivered. Development agents or organisations $ $ $ $ Civil Political Economic Cultural Social Personal Environmental Policies & Regulations Funds Services $ Government controlled Community controlled

7. Developing strong and sustainable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities through building - the capacity of government agencies / service providers and - the capacity of Indigenous communities and organisations, as well as - the capacity of governments and communities to engage and negotiate shared responsibilities, participation and service responses based on local plans and aspirations. Shared Responsibility Individuals Families Organisations Communities Government + NGO Service Providers Participative Engagement and Partnerships A: Building the capacity of all parties involved to support and facilitate the processes involved in both capacity building and service delivery B. Facilitating parties being able to work in joined-up approaches C: Fostering and encouraging leadership of all parties involved D: Fostering and developing the governance capacity of all parties involved

8. The Department of Child Safety’s Mission To lead, deliver and promote effective: • Protection for children and young people who have been harmed or who are at risk of harm • Support for children, young people and their families who are subject to statutory intervention to secure the future safety of children and young people, and • Care environments that are safe and meet the diverse needs of children and young people.

9. Indigenous over-representation: • Indigenous children are 6.3% of Queensland’s population • Yet Indigenous notifications are 14% of all notifications • 24% of all children in care are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander • “Representation ranges from 25 to 30% through much of Queensland with up to 60 to 70% in North and Far North Queensland.”p14 Blueprint

10. 2003/4 Figures 8 Centres 369 IA, 84 in Murgon + Kingaroy 132 CPO, 40 in Murgon + Kingaroy 6 Centres 519 IA, 326 not Cape 249 CPO, 126 not Cape 6 Centres 721 IA , 247 in the west 194 CPO, 103 in the west 5 Centres 263 IA, 18 in Redlands + 73 Gold Coast 91 CPO, 10 in Redlands + Gold Coast 37 4 Centres 5 Centres 302 IA, 87 in Inala 107 CPO, 28 in Inala 302 IA, 98 in Toowoomba 107 CPO, 26 in Toowoomba 510 IA, 213 from Rockhampton, 125 from Mackay & Bowen 184 CPO, 93 from Rockhampton, 25 from Mackay & Bowen 6 Centres

12. CSMAC SNAICC FACSIA National level Child Safety Directors’ Network State level Statewide Partnerships Taskforce PSO Recognised Entity Peak Body Family Reunification Service Indigenous Support and Development Branch Therapeutic Service Healing Service NGO + PSO services Residential Service Foster Carers Support Service Recognised Entity SCAN Relationship of CSSCs and Zones with local communities and services Kinship and Foster Carers Indigenous officers Zonal planning and partnerships Local and Zonal levels

13. Strong Communities Primary Services Support and education for children + families Strong families Joined up Government, NGOs and community Secondary Services Reduce stresses Families at Risk Indigenous children in Child Protection Department of Child Safety, NGOs and community Tertiary Services Statutory intervention

14. Alternative Care CLAN FAMILIES Department of Child Safety CSO Child Protection Act • PORMPURAAW COMMUNITY • CHILD PROTECTION COMMITTEE • COMMUNITY ELDERS • JUSTICE GROUP • QLD HEALTH, QLD EDU, QLD POLICE • NGO, PORMPURR PAANTH CAFS Department of Communities CSO (Support) RAATSICC Youth Justice (Department of Communities) OUTREACH JAB COMMISSION FOR CHILDREN & RFDSY.P FAMILIES CLAN

15. The challenge for governments is to find ways of organising, endorsing and working with partnerships which permit the double role of government to be respected - as the central authority ultimately responsible for social order within its jurisdiction, and as a partner with communities in supporting social and economic development.[NCVER: 2004]