Page 1286 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 11 May 2021
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records, including life story work, which is critical for the psychological wellbeing of young people to understand why they were in care and their own care experience; practical supports, such as assistance with housing applications, driving lessons and accessing the transition to independent living allowance that the commonwealth provides; mediation with families and/or carers; and financial support and funding of services for young adults up to 21 years who have high and complex needs.
So there are a range of supports already in place, but I have also heard from young people, from advocates and from carers, that the current system of making determinations on a case-by-case basis is a bit complex for people. I acknowledge the contribution of Mr Davis and his office in writing paragraph 2(b) of my amendment, to explore options to enact a presumption that the continuum of care subsidy automatically extends to young people up to at least 21 years of age, including for those exiting residential care and those unable to remain in foster care or kinship care placements. I think the change to a presumption that care will continue changes the conversation that caseworkers are having with young people as they plan the transition from out of home care to independence.
That planning is statutorily required to start at the age of 15. The plan is more than a list of aspirations; it provides a flexible plan of action that specifies how the young adult will access education, employment and health services, and it must include information about where the young adult will live from the age of 18. A transition plan may also incorporate contingency arrangements in the event of a breakdown of their living arrangements after they have left care. In planning for this transition from care it is the role of the care team to coordinate the tasks and activities necessary to support a young adult in accordance with their transition plan. This should detail any medical, educational and therapeutic requirements and will include referral to mainstream services such as Centrelink, education and training providers, housing authorities and providers within the public health system to support ongoing needs, including organising support through the National Disability Insurance Scheme, if that is a possibility and not already available. An application for the Transition to Independent Living allowance may be completed where the case manager and young adult agree that the proposed use and timing is appropriate.
As members would be aware, the government is currently in the process of developing the next iteration of A Step Up for Our Kids, the out of home care strategy. This process represents an opportunity to review what has worked in the first iteration of Step Up, what can be strengthened, and what can be done better or differently. I had the privilege yesterday morning of attending a working breakfast with staff from Child and Youth Protection Services. I had conversations with some fantastic, experienced Child and Youth Protection Services staff about what has worked, what has improved in the last five years, what needs to be done and what more can be done to do things a bit differently. They were really great conversations, and it was heartening to hear about the improvements that they have witnessed over the last few years through the implementation of A Step Up for Our Kids.
In April 2020, state and community services ministers met. This reflects an ongoing priority within the framework of the third action plan for protecting Australia’s children, but it is an ongoing priority for ministers across the country. As Mrs Kikkert
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