Page 2892 - Week 08 - Thursday, 17 August 2017
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
others in our community remain significantly concerned about one issue in particular. Like many Canberrans, I was troubled recently by news reports of a young person in the territory who was being pressured to drop a domestic violence order against one of her former foster carers. This case was brought to public attention by Bill Bashford, who earlier this year resigned in frustration from his role as one of three official visitors for children and young people appointed by the ACT government.
Perhaps more troubling than the details of this specific case, however, was Mr Bashford’s account of what he experienced when he raised his concerns. He claims that his complaints to child and youth protection services, or CYPS, were first ignored and then dismissed. When he finally got a response, three months later, he was told only that the matter had been handled in accordance with internal protocols and that he was not entitled to any further explanation.
Some may wish to dismiss Mr Bashford’s frustration, but I can assure you that his experiences are not isolated ones. I have heard nearly identical stories shared by dozens of similarly frustrated families and carers. Decisions are made without clear explanations why. Requests for information are refused. For many who interact with the system, matters at CYPS appear to be decided under a cloud of protective secrecy and with an air of absolute infallibility. When those directly affected find themselves in serious disagreement with decisions made, they often feel they have nowhere to turn.
In light of the growing number of Indigenous children receiving child protection services in the ACT and in the face of what he has labelled the arrogance of the system, Mr Bashford has recently asked for an independent Aboriginal community body to oversee Indigenous children in care in the ACT. In a similar vein, Julie Tongs, CEO of Winnunga, has proposed the appointment of an Aboriginal social justice commissioner for the territory. In both cases, the wish is to have someone external to the system to whom people can turn.
I feel confident that the dozens of worried and frustrated Canberrans who have contacted my office would agree that we desperately need an independent body to oversee the decisions that affect our children in care and protection, their families and their carers. This desire is not misplaced or new. The lack of external review for CYPS decisions has been a known flaw in the territory’s child protection system for too long. Thirteen years ago, the Vardon report noted:
Parents, carers and agencies all relayed stories of frustration about having nowhere to go when they disagreed with Family Services—
the predecessor to CYPS—
about such things as placement decisions, care plans … The consensus was that an independent mediator was needed to deal with these disputes.
The report’s preferred recommendation, supported by both magistrates and legal representatives, was the appointment of a commissioner for children and young people who would chair an independent tribunal to review a decision made by
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video