Page 1835 - Week 05 - Thursday, 16 May 2019
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These focus areas identify existing initiatives to be continued, building on work undertaken by this government over the previous six years, as well as new initiatives to be considered and explored. For example, the report makes clear that improving long-term outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the ACT remains a critical focus, with self-determination as the driving principle. Significant work is underway to establish processes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-led input and leadership to progress reform across the human services system.
As part of this government’s work to shift our service system towards early support, engagement forums are being established to develop, test and implement Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-led solutions to drive service system changes to policy and practice. The taskforce has also identified the need for a multidisciplinary approach through a family-centric model of support. This approach would build on the existing single case management model in Child and Youth Protection Services and involves adopting a broad understanding of family, including extended family or others who have a significant role in the lives of children and young people.
The report shows that we have made significant progress as a community in diverting young people from the youth justice system and developing therapeutic support services. But there is more work to do to ensure that children, young people and their families in our community are safe, strong and connected.
As the Assembly would be aware, the ACT Human Rights Commission recently released its commission-initiated review of allegations regarding Bimberi Youth Justice Centre. While the ACT government is currently considering the recommendations and will provide an initial response as soon as possible, I am pleased to read that most young people spoke highly of staff at Bimberi. I also wish to acknowledge the sensitivity, care and commitment demonstrated by staff who work with young people at Bimberi.
I note that several recommendations of the commission’s review align with key focus areas of the blueprint taskforce’s report. These relate to areas that focus on improving drug and alcohol services at Bimberi, enhancing through-care for young people who leave Bimberi and exploring therapeutic options for young people aged under 14 who engage in harmful conduct and come into contact with the youth justice system. The blueprint taskforce recommends developing an implementation plan to identify future work, including actions, time frames and responsibilities. The taskforce acknowledges that this work will require funding decisions and investment to explore new initiatives. Following consideration of these recommendations, I intend to deliver a government response to the final report by the end of 2019.
As we move into the final four years of the blueprint, Madam Speaker, I am conscious of the continuing and emerging challenges that need to be addressed to ensure we continue to achieve better outcomes for young people and their families. Keeping young people out of the youth justice system is crucial to achieving positive long-term outcomes for vulnerable families. Maintaining a youth justice system that is rehabilitative and provides opportunities for young people who do enter the system is also an important priority.
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