Page 1216 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 2 April 2019
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I committed to improving on how we engage with and listen to children and young people, in particular those in out of home care. In November last year, I was fortunate to meet with a group of young people who are currently in care, or who had been in care, at a youth round table. They came together to discuss their experiences in the care system and to share ideas about how young people can be a bit more involved in decision-making.
In the last session of the day, young people with support shared the themes and priorities they had discussed, not only with me but also with senior staff from child and youth protection services and ACT Together, as well as with the Office of the Public Advocate and the Children and Young People Commissioner.
I am grateful to the young people for sharing their stories. Child and youth protection services and partner agencies work to hear the voices of children every single day, including through the use of Viewpoint and the involvement of children and young people in case planning.
However, the round table provided us with information about how we can empower and support young people to be better involved in the care system. The report from the round table released today emphasises the importance of ensuring that young people have the opportunity to be involved in decisions and understand what is happening in their lives, and why.
Feedback and insights from the youth round table will help to inform and shape future policies and practices. The governance group overseeing the implementation of A step up for our kids is actively considering the findings and recommendations in the report. As a first step, the Community Services Directorate is hosting a series of presentations on the findings with governance groups, child protection staff and executives to consider the feedback and policy implications.
Efforts will be focused on developing strategies and making improvements to our service system to better empower children and young people in care. We are currently refreshing the charter of rights for kids in care and developing new website content in recognition that clear, easily accessible information is a priority for young people.
The findings will also help to inform the rollout of a new client management system to better support children and young people’s participation in decision-making. All children and young people have a right to participate in decision-making about their own lives. For children and young people to feel safe and secure, we recognise that they need to know why decisions have been made and what it really means for them. This message was also highlighted last week at the launch of the CREATE report Out-of-home care in Australia: children and young people’s views after 5 years of national standards.
At the ACT launch it was a privilege to hear the messages of young people in out of home care and to hear from and speak with Dr Joseph McDowall, CREATE executive director of research. In particular, it was a privilege to be able to hear one young person’s experience of transitioning to independence and how their understanding and attitude have evolved with the help of the dedicated staff that support them.
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