Page 4369 - Week 12 - Thursday, 24 October 2019
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Auditor-General’s report No 7 of 2019—referral processes for the support of vulnerable children
MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella—Manager of Government Business, Minister for Advanced Technology and Space Industries, Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Minister for Planning and Land Management and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (3.26): Pursuant to standing order 211, I move:
That the Assembly take note of the following paper:
Auditor-General Act, pursuant to subsection 21(1)—Auditor-General’s Report No 7/2019—Referral processes for the support of vulnerable children—Government response.
MS STEPHEN-SMITH (Kurrajong—Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, Minister for Children, Youth and Families, Minister for Health and Minister for Urban Renewal) (3.26): Thank you for the opportunity to table the government response to the ACT Auditor-General’s report on the referral processes for the support of vulnerable children, report No 7 of 2019.
The ACT Auditor-General tabled the report on 27 June 2019. The ACT government response addresses the report’s findings and recommendations about referral processes, including monitoring and reporting, for vulnerable children across a select number of early childhood services provided by the Community Services Directorate and Canberra Health Services.
As members may be aware, the report contains the results of an audit into the referral processes for vulnerable children through the Maternal and Child Health—MACH—Service, child and family centres and child development services, as examples of accessible and universal ACT government contact points for families, with the capacity to identify potentially vulnerable children and their needs for support.
It aimed to examine the effectiveness of the processes in place utilised by these agencies to identify vulnerable children and to enable appropriate supports that address their developmental and other needs. The report also acknowledges the rich evidence of a range of services and supports put in place by the agencies for the children and families to address their specific needs and vulnerabilities.
Recommendations are provided on how referral processes could be strengthened by improving the take-up of some of the services, as well as improving administrative and procedural guidance, public reporting and accountability for the delivery of services to vulnerable children and their families. Opportunities to improve the effectiveness of these referral processes are critical to ensuring that vulnerable children and their families receive the support they need.
The insights provided by the report help to identify current strengths and highlight opportunities for improvement for the services and referral pathways explored in the audit. For example, improving the take-up of the MACH first home visit may be possible through the identification of further opportunities for engagement with other
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