Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 5 Hansard (9 May) . . Page.. 1464 ..

b) ABS figures for all child deaths in the 1 to 14 year age group for the 2000 calendar year indicate that 3 males and 3 females in the ACT, all of whom were aged between 1 and 4 years old.

c) The ABS does not have a matching age category. However, figures for the 15 to 19 year age group are available for the 2000 calendar year. These figures indicate that there were 5 males and 4 females in the ACT.

4) This information has been included in question 3.

5) An audit revealed that there have been no deaths of children and young people in these age groups who were involved with Child Protection Services recorded in the 2000-2001 financial year.

6) A total of 15 deaths were referred to the ACT Coroner's Court from July 2000 to June 2001. This included 11 males and 4 females.

7) Initially child death inquiries tended to concentrate on abuse and neglect cases but have developed much broader terms of reference, generally to cover all deaths.

A proposal for an ACT Child Death Review Team was developed by the Children's Services Council with some consultation with the previous Chief Health Officer of the ACT Department of Health and Community Care.

A working group consisting of the Department of Health and Community Care, Department of Education and Community Services and the Community Advocates Office recently met and asked the Chief Health Officer's Quality Unit to investigate this proposed team and its application to the ACT.

The proposal will then be forwarded to Government and significant community consultation will be undertaken.

8) While there is initial agreement that a Child Death Review Team should be developed broadly based on the NSW Child Death Review Team, there is a need for more information about how this team works and its adaptation to the ACT context.

In particular, reporting and investigating arrangements between the Team, health based quality assurance mechanisms, police and the Coroner, amongst others need to be considered and processes adapted to the ACT context. In reviewing these arrangements consideration should also be given to privacy and immunity issues.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .