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

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 9 Hansard (28 August) . . Page.. 3337 ..

MR HARGREAVES (continuing):

a college-and heard first hand in public hearings from young people and young carers. The committee also visited the Quamby Youth Detention Centre and spoke to staff and young people who were detained there. I commend all the young people with whom we spoke for their courage and their maturity. For myself I was particularly impressed by the maturity and honesty of the young carers who gave evidence to the committee.

I'd like to put on record the appreciation of the committee to all those people who provided submissions and assisted the committee in its deliberations. Some of the people who gave evidence laid bare their private lives and did so out of commitment to the welfare of children and young people in their charge, and often exposed family relationships, which must have been very difficult indeed.

The committee received some assistance from the Family Services Bureau and the department of education. In most cases the department was helpful although at other times the provision of information was, it seemed, reluctantly given. This was particularly the case with requests for quantitative data. The committee was critical of the way in which data on children in care was collected and applied by the department. It became obvious that the systems within the department were inadequate to safeguard the welfare of many young people in their care. The committee understands that the department is addressing this issue and looks forward to improvements in this regard.

The report focuses on a range of issues and makes recommendations for moving forward. It should be noted at this stage that the committee felt that it should make recommendations which, in all probability, would entail some costs. The committee was also mindful that it is not the committee's job to micro-manage the various portfolios affected by the recommendations but rather leaves it to the government to determine whether additional resources should be applied and from where they should come, or to determine some other reorganisation of resource priority to accommodate the recommendations.

I do not intend to go through all of the 41 recommendations but merely point to some which are have major impact on the interests, rights and wellbeing of young people in the ACT. Twelve of the recommendations that stand out above the others are:

the need to establish an inpatient psychiatric facility for young people which should be co-located with the existing day program;

the need for an investigation of remand options for young people as an alternative to placement in Quamby;

amendments to the Children and Young People Act to ensure that children at risk of neglect and abuse are protected;

measures to enhance the substitute care sector;

the development of core curriculum components in high schools and colleges to educate young people of their rights before the law as well as their responsibilities;

funding for an evaluation of the first stop pilot for a youth legal service;

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