Page 1368 - Week 04 - Thursday, 4 April 2019
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had this conversation last year with ACT Together as well regarding the language that we use with young people and the conversations that caseworkers have with them, whether or not young people are clear that the conversations they are having with their caseworker actually relate to a transition plan, and something that is called a transition plan.
What is clear is that caseworkers need to be having those conversations. Again this came out in the youth roundtable: young people want genuinely to be told what is happening in their plans, even if those conversations are difficult for them. They want to be able to be given time to consider the information that they have received, and to respond to it in a considered way rather than giving their first, immediate reaction, which, the young people at the roundtable acknowledged, may be an emotional reaction. They want to have time and opportunity to consider the information that they are given, and they want to properly understand the context of that information.
I believe it is not the case that young people do not have transition plans; it is the case that, with respect to the way those conversations are being held with young people, they do not necessarily understand that the conversations they are having with their caseworker are contributing to a thing called a transition plan.
MS LAWDER: Minister, why has children and young people’s overall satisfaction plummeted nearly 25 per cent over five years for the ACT, which is in contrast to other jurisdictions’ results?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I thank Mr Lawder for her supplementary. As I said, these are complex results and we will be having further conversations with young people, both those currently in out of home care and those who have had an experience of care, to further discuss the challenges that they are experiencing in the system.
As I said, it was very heartening to hear from one young person and Create’s ACT director, Susan Pellegrino, who clearly indicated that 15 months ago this young person was having a very difficult time and probably would have provided very negative feedback to a survey like this. Today, thanks to the dedicated support from his caseworker, his Australian Childhood Foundation worker, he has hope for the future, he understands where he is and he can see a positive future for himself. This is the very difficult work that CYPS caseworkers, ACT Together, the Australian Childhood Foundation and all of our partners undertake, working with young people who are in very difficult circumstances. We are absolutely committed to ensuring that their voices are heard, and heard better, both in their individual circumstances and in relation to building a stronger system to keep young people strong, safe and connected.
Child and youth protection services—review
MR WALL: My question is to the Minister for Children, Youth and Families. The Glanfield inquiry stated that a review should be undertaken of what decisions made by child and youth protection services should be subject to either internal or external merits review and that the review should have regard to the position in other jurisdictions. On 17 August 2017 you told this Assembly that the ACT government had commenced this review. On 27 June last year it was stated in estimates hearings
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