Page 673 - Week 02 - Thursday, 21 February 2019
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(1) What percentage of care leavers in the ACT currently request financial subsidies after age 18, and of those, what percentage are successful in obtaining this support.
(2) In addition to subsidies, what trauma-informed continuing care models are currently being used to assist care leavers and do these also need to be opted into; if so, how does one opt in.
(3) Does the ACT Government track how many care leavers end up homeless or coming into contact with the justice system; if so, what are these figures; if not, why not.
Ms Stephen-Smith: The answer to the member’s question is as follows:
(1) Of the 37 young people who turned 18 years old in the 2017-18 financial year, 11 or 29.7% requested extended financial support subsidies, of which 100% were successful in securing this support.
Of the 18 young people who turned 18 years old from 1 July 2018 to 30 November 2018, 10 or 55.6% requested extended financial support subsidies of which 100% have been successful in securing this support.
(2) An important element of A Step Up for Our Kids is to ensure young people are engaged in conversations that plan for the next stage of their life. This transition planning commences for young people at the age of 15 years and continues until they reach the age of 18 years. Transition planning is not a static plan, and is built upon and changed as the individual needs and circumstances of young people change. Beyond the age of 18 years, a young person voluntarily consents to engage, or not engage, in transition planning.
ACT Together have implemented a Transition Panel to provide oversight and quality assurance of transition planning for all young people in out of home care from 15 years of age. The panel aims to ensure the development of high quality and timely transition plans that are developed with the active involvement of young people transitioning from care.
As part of the transition planning the case manager ensures that the young person is aware of their right to seek and receive aftercare support. ACT Together generally prepares the paperwork on behalf of the young person or their carer.
Aftercare support can include case work and coordination; planning and oversight of therapeutic interventions based on the individual needs; assisting access to their care records; practical supports including applying for the Commonwealth Transition to Independent Living Allowance (TILA), housing applications and support to access further education or employment; and supported referrals to community based support services, such as counselling and a range of other universal services.
These supports are in addition to the continuation of subsidy payments for eligible carers who continue to support young people to remain in care with them.
For young people who are in residential care, ACT Together offers a range of differential services that support young people to transition to independent living. The Community Adolescent Program (CAP) has a strong focus on supporting young people to obtain and maintain safe and appropriate stable housing. Young people have access to case management and support with an emphasis on building the young person’s capacity for independent living.
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