Page 3685 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 28 October 2014
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MR GENTLEMAN: I am pleased to stand in the Legislative Assembly as Minister for Children and Young People to table the Children and Young People Official Visitor’s annual report for 2013-14. The Official Visitor Act 2012, which became operational in September 2013, requires me, as the operational minister for the Children and Young People Act 2008, to provide to the Legislative Assembly an annual report collating the information I have received throughout the year from the official visitors appointed under the Children and Young People Act 2008.
There are two official visitors appointed under the Children and Young People Act 2008, one of whom is an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person. Ms Narelle Hargreaves has been the Children and Young People Official Visitor since 8 May 2012. Ms Tracey Whetnall was appointed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Official Visitor for Children and Young People on 1 March 2014.
The Children and Young People Act 2008 requires an official visitor to visit places of detention, places where a detainee has been directed to work or participate in an activity, places of therapeutic protection and places of care. In their role, the official visitors visit and inspect these places to ensure that children and young people who are in detention or who are living in a place of care have the ability to raise concerns or complaints with an independent adult, external to the government.
The official visitors support children and young people to resolve their concerns and complaints. This is done by raising the complaint with the Community Services Directorate, with me as Minister for Children and Young People or with an investigative agency such as the Human Rights Commission.
During the reporting year, the official visitors visited Bimberi Youth Justice Centre, Narrabundah House Indigenous Supported Residential Facility and Marlow Cottage. The official visitors visited Bimberi almost every week during the reporting year and visited Marlow Cottage at least once a month.
Children and young people residing at a place visitable by the official visitors are also able to contact an official visitor at any time.
I am pleased to inform the Legislative Assembly that during the reporting period there were few complaints raised by young people at Bimberi and no complaints raised by young people residing at Narrabundah house or Marlow Cottage.
In all circumstances in relation to Bimberi, minor concerns and complaints were settled on the day of the official visitor’s visit between the official visitor and the management at Bimberi. I am also pleased to report that complaints and concerns raised by young people at Bimberi that required investigation by the official visitors were settled without further action. Reports received from the official visitors throughout the reporting period have continually complimented the management and staff of Bimberi for the quality of their work with young people. In her reports, the Children and Young People Official Visitor has written:
On my visits I continue to be impressed with the manner in which the staff at Bimberi are interacting with residents.
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