Page 3994 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 25 November 2014
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A further 12 children and young people who died and/or their siblings were subject to a child concern report, or 11 per cent, which is information about the child or young person recorded by Care and Protection Services where the director-general did not suspect on reasonable grounds that the child or young person was in need of care and protection.
Eleven children and young people were the subject of active intervention by Care and Protection Services at the time of their death. When a child or young person is referred to as being subject to intervention at the time of his or her death, this type of intervention was either in the form of voluntary casework, a residence order, a voluntary care agreement or an ongoing appraisal. It does not necessarily mean the child or young person was in the care of the Community Services Directorate. I am fully briefed in the event that there is a death of a child in the care of the Community Services Directorate. These matters are always independently reviewed, normally through a coronial inquiry.
As outlined in previous reports of the committee, the majority of these deaths were of infants less than one year of age. When looking across all age groups, the main cause of death was medically related.
It would be inappropriate to go into any more detail on individual cases, given the small numbers involved and the sensitivities felt by the many people involved with a child’s or young person’s death. A retrospective report to be completed in the next year will cover a 10-year time frame rather than the five years contained in this report. This bigger cohort may facilitate a more detailed analysis of any trends and the surrounding circumstances.
The ACT Children and Young People Death Review Committee annual report will provide the community with information each year on the deaths of children and young people that occur in the ACT, as well as those deaths of ACT children and young people that occur outside the ACT.
The death of any child or young person is devastating. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my condolences to all families and friends affected by the death of a child or young person.
I formally commend and present the ACT Children and Young People Death Review Committee annual report 2013-14 to the Assembly and I take this opportunity to thank the committee for their work over the past year.
Small business—importance
Discussion of matter of public importance
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Ms Lawder): Madam Speaker has received letters from Ms Berry, Dr Bourke, Mr Coe, Mr Hanson, Mrs Jones, Ms Porter, Mr Smyth and Mr Wall proposing that matters of public importance be submitted to the Assembly. In accordance with standing order 79, Madam Speaker has determined that the matter proposed by Mr Smyth be submitted to the Assembly, namely:
The importance of small businesses to the ACT economy.
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