To:

The Hon Rachel Sanderson MP

Minister for Child Protection

This annual report is to be presented to Parliament to meet the statutory reporting requirements ofthe Public Sector Act 2009, Children’s Protection Act 1993 and Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017 and meets the requirements of Premier and Cabinet Circular PC013 Annual Reporting.

This report is verified to be accurate for the purposes of annual reporting to the Parliament of South Australia.

Submitted on behalf of the Department for Child Protection by:

Fiona Ward
A/Chief Executive

Signed 30 September 2019

Cathy Taylor, Chief Executive of the Department for Child Protection, wearing a black, yellow and green striped jacket.In 2018-19, the Department for Child Protection made considerable progress in consolidating the reform efforts it commenced in 2016 following the release of the Child Protection Systems Royal Commission.

This annual report provides an overview of the department’s structure, functions and performance in its third year as a stand-alone department. The report identifies a range of significant improvements in performance across both its service delivery and corporate operations, all of which are the product of deliberate and active work to streamline our efforts, drive quality and increase efficiencies without compromising our capacity to keep children and young people in South Australia safe from harm.

This financial year has seen the department further mature as an agency.  We have continued organisational change that will ensure we have the optimal structure to deliver quality services. We have increased the exposure of the agency and raised its national profile through leading and partnering within and across jurisdictions.  We have collaborated with both government and community partners to consolidate the foundations of a child-centred system that will support positive and sustained change. In particular, this year DCP has focussed on strengthening the way we work with Aboriginal children and young people, families and their communities, and have actively implemented the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle. I am also pleased that for the first time, through careful planning we have achieved a favourable end of year budget position despite the continued growth of children and young people requiring our protection.

Child protection is an inherently challenging area in which to work but I believe we are starting to see the return on our investment in carefully considered reform and strategic planning. In 2018-19, the department has worked incredibly hard to support the South Australian Government to develop a clear and connected whole of government plan for supporting vulnerable children and their families, and to establish its own strategic agenda within this broader system. Through this plan, we will ensure the department is best placed to protect children and young people and provide them with quality care if they can no longer remain safely with their families.

In presenting this report, I acknowledge the leadership of the Minister for Child Protection, the significant contribution of the department’s many valued partners across government and the community, and the tremendous passion and commitment of my colleagues, particularly those working directly to support our children and young people. I am proud of our achievements in 2018-19 and look forward to working with each of you in the next financial year.

Cathy Taylor
Chief Executive
Department for Child Protection

Our strategic focus

Our Purpose

The Department for Child Protection’s (DCP) purpose is to keep children and young people in South Australia safe through the administration of the state’s child protection services.

Our Vision

DCP’s vision is for all children and young people to grow up well cared for, connected and empowered to reach their full potential.

Our Values

DCP’s values:

  • Child centred   practice that includes the voice of the child
  • Strengthening   families
  • Supporting our   carers
  • Cultural safety   and governance
  • Quality and   performance
  • Partnership and   collaboration
  • Workforce learning   culture

Our functions, objectives and deliverables

  • Provide a   state-wide central point of entry to receive, assess and respond to reports   of abuse and risk of harm to children and young people.
  • Apply for care   and protection orders and place children and young people in care when it is   necessary to ensure their safety.
  • Work with   families to address the safety concerns that led to the child or young person   entering care, so reunification can take place when it is safe and in their   best interests.
  • Plan for   permanence and stability to support children and young people in care to   ensure they have attachment relationships, which are critical to their health   and wellbeing.
  • Provide   assistance and support to young people to transition from care seamlessly to   independent adult life.
  • Implement the   Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle.

Our organisational structure

Changes to the agency

During 2018-19, the following changes to the agency’s structure and objectives were implemented as a result of internal reviews and machinery of government changes:

  • Realignment of roles and functions of Statewide Services Directorate to other areas of the agency.
  • Realignment of roles and functions of Strategy and Performance Directorate to other areas of the agency.
  • Cessation of the Financial Wellbeing Program.

Our Minister

The Honourable Rachel Sanderson MPThe Honourable Rachel Sanderson MP is the Minister for Child Protection.

The Minister is responsible for the care and protection of children and young people in South Australia.

The Minister is also responsible for promoting the wellbeing of children and young people, and supporting early intervention where they may be at risk of harm.

Our Executive team

  • Chief Executive
  • Deputy Chief Executive
  • Director, Executive Services
  • Regional Director, Northern Region
  • Regional Director, Far North Far West Region
  • Regional Director, Central Region
  • Regional Director, Southern Region
  • Executive Director, Out of Home Care
  • Director, Residential Care
  • Director, Aboriginal Practice
  • Director, Quality and Practice
  • Director, Commissioning, Performance and Disability
  • Director, Legal Services
  • Chief Financial Officer
  • Chief Human Resources Officer
  • Chief Information Officer

Legislation administered by the agency

  • Adoption Act 1988
  • Adoptions Regulations 2004
  • Adoption (General) Regulations 2018
  • Adoptions (Fees) Regulations 2018 (revoked 1 July 2019)
  • Child Protection Review (Powers and Immunities) Act 2002
  • Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017
  • Children and Young People (Safety) Regulations 2017
  • Children’s Protection Act 1993 (repealed 1 July 2019)
  • Children’s Protection Law Reform (Transitional Arrangements and Related Amendments) Act 2017 (administered by Department of Human Services as of 17 January 2019)
  • Commission of Inquiry (Children in State Care and Children on APY Lands) Act 2004
  • Family and Community Services Act 1972
  • Family and Community Services Regulations 2009

Performance at a glance

The period of 2018-19 has been one of significant improvement and innovation in a number of key areas within DCP.

Over this period, DCP has increased the proportion of children in family-based placements to 85.8% (3,418), compared to 85.2% (3,147) as at 30 June 2018. Additionally, DCP has extended payments for carers of young people until they turn 21. This new program is designed to support young people in their transition to adulthood. It also recognises the important work our carers do in providing security and stability for vulnerable young people.

Number of children in out of home care: 2014-19.

Children in Care 30 June 14 30 June 15 30 June 16 30 June 17 30 June 18 30 June 19
Foster Care 1114 1158 1261 1333 1434 1536
Kinship Care 1162 1261 1469 1563 1684 1854
Family Day Care N/A N/A N/A N/A 29 28
Residential Care 261 275 289 388 408 413
Independent Living 21 15 34 38 47 50
Commercial Property 73 129 190 162 93 103

DCP will soon release its Children and Young People in Care Strategy (2019-2022), developed during 2018-19, and through this strategy will continue work on priority actions such as further increasing permanence and stability in placements and supporting young people transition from care.

During 2018-19, contacts to the Call Centre rose by 12.5%, increasing from 93,485 contacts in 2017-18 to 105,175 in 2018-19. These contacts included both telephone contact and eCARL submissions. Despite this significant increase, the average wait time to the Child Abuse Report Line decreased by 4 minutes 31 seconds. A considerable decrease was also noted in the volume of calls that were abandoned.

With the commencement of the National Redress Scheme (NRS) on 1 July 2018, DCP has received 130 Requests for Information (RFIs) from 83 unique applicants. DCP has met all required timeframes, including responding to 117 of the RFIs.

Agency contribution to whole of Government objectives

Key objective Agency’s contribution
More jobs
  • Focussed recruitment in service delivery roles.
  • Expanded the scope of qualifications for case management roles.
  • Participation in the Skilling SA Government Apprenticeship and Trainee Signature Project.
  • Aboriginal employment reached 5%, with a commitment to 10%.
  • Launched the Aboriginal Employment Strategy.
Lower costs
  • Introduction of a new contract performance and management framework, including consistent KPIs and reporting.
  • Increased system capacity for family based placements, reducing demand for more costly placement types.
Better Services
  • Introduced new and improved service provision arrangements for disability support.
  • Implemented the stability in family-based care program, extending payments to carers of young people to age 21.
  • Coordinated the response and progress reporting on the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
  • Developed the Aboriginal Cultural Footprint program to embed cultural capability across DCP.
  • Increased the percentage of children in family-based care.

Agency specific objectives and performance

Agency objectivesIndicatorsPerformance
Quality child protection services for children, young people and their families Percentage of children in care in family-based placements Increased the number and percentage of children and young people in family-based care to 3,418 (85.8%) as at 30 June 2019.

Number of foster carers

52 new primary foster carers were recruited above attrition during 2018-19.

Percentage of case plans

Increased the number of children and young people in care with approved and current case plans to 88.8% as at 30 June 2019, which is above the national average.
Transition plans Increased the proportion of young people aged over 15 years who have an approved and completed transition from care plan to 89.3% as at 30 June 2019.
Improved outcomes for Aboriginal children and young people in care Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle Increased the number of Aboriginal children placed in accordance with the Principle from 780 in 2017-18 to 854 in 2018-19.
Cultural connections Embedded the Aboriginal Cultural Identity Support Tool across practice.
Delivering a better service system Connected service delivery

DCP chairing responsibilities:

  • Child and Family Secretaries group.
  • Disability Reform Council Sub-Senior Officials Working Group – Child Protection and Family Support Interface.
  • Cross-government Taskforce for the prevention of child abuse and neglect.
  • Child Protection Reform Portfolio Management Board.
Referrals to other agencies Increased the proportion of notification-related matters referred to other agencies for support to 15.8% as at 30 June 2019.

NDIS plans

Increased the number of children and young people in care with approved NDIS plans to 635 at 30 June 2019.

Corporate performance summary

DCP is committed to building workforce capability by providing education and career opportunities for South Australians. In 2018-19, DCP has participated in the Skilling SA Government Apprenticeship and Trainee Signature Project to support more than 2600 participants undertake a vocational qualification in the SA public sector over four years to June 2022. The Signature Project is part of the State Government’s Skilling South Australia Initiative to support training and skills development needs and assist with addressing skills shortages across the private and public sectors.

Further, over this year, DCP had 152 Child and Youth Workers enrolled in the TAFE SA Certificate IV in Child, Youth and Family Intervention (Family Support). The significant majority of these enrolees are new to the public sector. At present, DCP funds this training and is exploring with the Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment options to recognise this activity under the Skilling South Australia Initiative.

DCP has also delivered on its commitment to Aboriginal employment, leading the public sector by increasing our Aboriginal workforce to 5%. By growing our Aboriginal workforce, we are better able to meet the needs of Aboriginal children, families, communities and carers.

This has further been supported by the launch and implementation of the workforce cultural capability program, the Aboriginal Cultural Footprint. This was developed in response to a number of Child Protection Systems Royal Commission recommendations to strengthen cultural safety for Aboriginal children in care, their families and our Aboriginal workforce.

Employment opportunity programs

Program namePerformance
Traineeships DCP engaged 15 trainees in 2018-19 including 6 trainees through the Aboriginal Traineeship program.
Graduates DCP recruited more than 40 graduates in 2018-19.
Aboriginal Employment The number of DCP employees who identify as Aboriginal increased from 4.8% at 30 June 2018, to 5.0% (117 employees) as at 30 June 2019.
Across DCP, there are dedicated roles designed to ensure culturally safe and responsive service delivery. These include, Director of Aboriginal Practice, Aboriginal Practice Lead, Principal Aboriginal Consultants and Aboriginal Family Practitioners.
DCP actively refers to the SA Public Sector Aboriginal Employment Register as part of its recruitment processes.

Agency performance management and development systems

Performance management and development systemPerformance
Performance Development Plans As at 30 June 2019, 62.5% of employees had completed a Performance Development Plan within the last 6 months, an increase on 51.2% of employees as at 30 June 2018.
DCP remains committed to improving performance, with compliance rates reported to leaders and monitored on a monthly basis.

Work health, safety and return to work programs

Program Name

Performance

Management of significant agency risks

Continued implementation of single system Work Health Safety and Injury Management (WHSIM) safety systems.

Continued implementation of injury management systems.

Other programs

  • Trauma Informed   taskforce
  • Mental Health   First Aid Training
  • Immunisation   procedure
  • Update WHSIM   Intranet
  • Cultural Safety
  • Remote and   Isolated
  • Safe Work   Method Statements being developed
  • WHS Car Risk   Assessments – Fit for Purpose
  • Commencement of   Fatigue Management program
  • WHSIM   Manager/supervisor face to face training
Workplace injury claims2018-192017-18 % Change (+ / -)

Total new workplace injury claims

128

106

+ 20.7

Fatalities

0

0

0

Seriously injured workers*

4

2

+100

Significant injuries (where lost time exceeds a working week, expressed as frequency rate per 1000 FTE)

20.61

32.50

-36.6

Work health and safety regulations2018-192017-18 % Change (+ / -)

Number of notifiable incidents (WHS Act 2012, Part 3)

2 2 0

Number of provisional improvement, improvement and prohibition notices (WHS Act 2012 Sections 90, 191 and 195)

0 0 0

*number of claimants assessed during the reporting period as having a whole person impairment of 30% or more under the Return to Work Act 2014 (Part 2 Division 5)

Return to work costs**2018-192017-18 % Change (+/-)
Total gross workers compensation expenditure ($) 4,934,386 5,514,534 -10.5
Income support payments – gross ($) 1,738,550 2,939,594 -40.8

**before third party recovery

Data for previous years is available at: https://data.sa.gov.au/data/dataset/1f5439d0-0e78-4c34-8c0f-44a820ae07b1

Executive employment in the agency

Executive classification Number of executives
EXEC0F 1
SAES 2 4
SAES 1 6

Data reflects the number of employees employed under an executive contact as at 30 June 2019, this figure does not include those employed on executive backfill contracts at that time.

Data for previous years is available at: https://data.sa.gov.au/data/dataset/51fa28a7-5220-45e0-ab73-92472f1b2c00

The Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment has a workforce information page that provides further information on the breakdown of executive gender, salary and tenure by agency.

Financial performance at a glance

The following is a brief summary of the overall financial position of the agency. Full audited financial statements for 2018-19 are at Appendix – Audited Financial Statement 2018-19.

Statement of Comprehensive Income 2018-19 Actual  
$000s
2017-18 Actual
$000s
Variation
$000s
Expenses 554,163 530,347 23,816
Revenues 8,142 8,231 (89)
Net cost of providing services546,021522,11623,905
Net Revenue from SA Government 528,899 520,771 8,128
Net result(17,122)(1,345)(15,777)
Other comprehensive income 958 740 218
Total Comprehensive Result(16,164)(605)(15,559)
Statement of Financial Position 2018-19 Actual $000s 2017-18 Actual $000s Variation $000s
Current assets 47,296 42,751 4,545
Non-current assets 38,076 39,651 (1,575)
Total assets85,37282,4022,970
Current liabilities 56,756 47,249 9,507
Non-current liabilities 53,150 43,523 9,627
Total liabilities109,90690,77219,134
Net assets(24,534)(8,370)(16,164)

Consultants disclosure

The following is a summary of external consultants that have been engaged by the agency, the nature of work undertaken, and the actual payments made for the work undertaken during the financial year.

Consultancies with a contract value below $10,000 each

There were no consultancies with a contract value below $10,000.

Consultancies with a contract value above $10,000 each

There were no consultancies with a contract value above $10,000.

As DCP became a stand-alone department in November 2016, data is only available from this time. This data is available at: https://data.sa.gov.au/data/dataset/0ec74e12-fdd5-46d5-9341-70f3af068262

See also the Consolidated Financial Report of the Department of Treasury and Finance for total value of consultancy contracts across the South Australian Public Sector.

Contractors disclosure

The following is a summary of external contractors that have been engaged by the agency, the nature of work undertaken, and the actual payments made for work undertaken during the financial year.

Contractors with a contract value below $10,000

Contractor / Business Name Purpose - nature of work undertaken $ Actual payment (GST Exclusive)

SJ Hughes Consulting

HR - Contracted & Professional Services

$9,885

Extrastaff

HR - Contracted & Professional Services

$8,870

Dept Of Family & Comm Services

Professional Services - BRII Inter-Jurisdictional Consultative Group (Salinger Privacy)

$8,158

Shaw Dispute Resolution

Professional Services- Investigation Services

$8,000

Child & Family Welfare Association

Professional Services - Child Welfare Assessments

$7,743

RH Advisory

HR- Independent Board Member Fees

$5,000

Lifeflow Meditation Centre Inc

HR - Contracted & Professional Services

$4,935

DA Psychology

Professional Services - Kinship Care Assessment

$4,688

MJM Corporate Risk Services

HR - Contracted & Professional Services

$3,511

SRA Information Technology P/L

Professional Services - ICT Services

$3,023

Ema Lawyers Pty Ltd

Professional Services- Investigation Services

$2,461

Jensen Plus

Professional Services- Development Application Services

$2,206

Linda South & Associates

HR- Independent Board Member Fees

$2,000

Cognition

Professional Services - Psychological Assessments

$1,813

Nijan Consulting

HR - Contracted & Professional Services

$1,800

SG Learning & Development P/L

HR - Contracted & Professional Services

$1,620

Id. Know Yourself

Professional Services - SWAN Training Workshop

$1,350

Sara McLean

Professional Services - Complex Case Consultation Review

$1,350

Valcorp Australia P/L

Professional Services - Asset Revaluation

$1,100

Other contractor payments

< $1,000

Various goods and services valued at below $1,000

$4,098

Total

 

$83,611

Contractors with a contract value above $10,000 each

Contractor / Business Name Purpose – nature of work undertaken $ Actual payment (GST Exclusive)

Hays Specialist Recruitment

HR - short term staffing

$834,473

FSE Consulting

Professional Services - Contract Reform Project

$431,120

Digital Bridge Consulting P/L

Professional Services - Procurement Project

$358,485

Chamonix It Management

Professional Services - Intranet Roll Out

$314,740

National Council On Crime

Professional Services - Child Development Project

$197,858

Hoban Recruitment Pty Ltd

HR - short term staffing

$180,065

Deloitte Risk Advisory Pty Ltd

Professional Services - Client & Case Management System Review

$166,644

Randstad P/L

HR - short term staffing

$155,640

RNTT P/L

Professional Services - Cooking Services

$131,515

Miktysh

Professional Services - ICT Services

$103,099

Child Welfare Assessments

Professional Services - Child Welfare Assessments

$98,392

Power Solutions Dtd Pty Ltd

Professional Services - ICT Services

$80,560

Galpins Accountants, Auditors

Professional Services - Audit Services

$79,264

Harrison Mcmillan Pty Ltd

HR - short term staffing

$74,977

DFP Recruitment Services

HR - short term staffing

$64,851

Modis Staffing Pty Ltd

HR - short term staffing

$51,533

Objective Corporation Ltd

Professional Services - ICT Services

$48,750

Centacare Catholic Family Services

Professional Services - Reporting And Evaluation Services

$46,458

Chandler Macleod Group Ltd

Professional Services - Cooking Services

$42,971

Careerlink Training

HR - short term staffing

$39,963

Margaret Coppin

Professional Services - WHSIM Framework

$37,305

Callie Rose Communications

Professional Services - Communications Strategy

$35,673

Innodev P/L

HR - Contracted & Professional Services

$29,000

Psychcheck Pty Ltd

Professional Services - Psychological Assessments

$28,703

Zed Management Consulting

Professional Services - DCP Third Party Contracts Review

$24,624

Henderson Horrocks Risk

Professional Services- Investigation Services

$23,394

Joy Woodhouse Consultancy

HR - Contracted & Professional Services

$21,221

Contour Management

Professional Services - Architectural Services

$20,843

Joe Busuttil

HR - Contracted & Professional Services

$20,177

Stacy Consulting Trust

Professional Services - Organisational development strategy services

$19,760

Oz Train P/L

Professional Services - Workshop Delivery

$18,400

Davies Stewart Recruitment

HR - Contracted & Professional Services

$18,170

Andrew Hill Investigations

HR - Contracted & Professional Services

$15,840

Dana Shen

Professional Services- Aboriginal Gazetted Organisations Project

$14,480

Architects Ink

Professional Services- Accommodation Services

$14,025

Ema Lawyers Pty Ltd

Professional Services- Investigation Services

$13,503

Bdo Advisory (Sa) P/L

Professional Services - Probity Advisory Services

$12,495

Jtwo Solutions Pty Ltd

Professional Services - ICT Services

$12,000

Uniting Communities

Professional Services - Culturally Grounded Care Project

$10,481

Total

 

$3,891,448

As DCP became a stand-alone department in November 2016, data is only available from this time. This data is available at: https://data.sa.gov.au/data/dataset/e87cca76-bbf0-47c6-a4ab-4bdd6549bddb .

The details of South Australian Government-awarded contracts for goods, services, and works are displayed on the SA Tenders and Contracts website. View the agency list of contracts.

The website also provides details of across government contracts.

The DCP Internal Audit and Risk function has undertaken a number of reviews in line with its 3-year, risk based audit plan across the agency.

In addition to these audit activities, work is progressing to embed risk management across DCP. This included assisting key units in establishing operational risk registers.

Fraud detected in the agency

Category/nature of fraud

Number of instances

Falsification of Signature

1

NB: Fraud reported includes actual and reasonably suspected incidents of fraud.

Strategies implemented to control and prevent fraud

A Fraud and Corruption Control Procedure has been adopted, which is designed to assist in the prevention, detection and response to activities labelled or defined as fraud. It outlines a range of corporate and operational activities to prevent and detect fraud including regular review of financial management policies and procedures, a comprehensive internal audit program, undertaking strategic and operational risk assessments, and raising the general awareness of fraud amongst staff.

As DCP became a stand-alone department in November 2016, data is only available from this time. This data is available at: https://data.sa.gov.au/data/dataset/d9725de4-0eba-4241-b51e-d0406dd52b8a

Whistle-blowers disclosure

Number of occasions on which public interest information has been disclosed to a responsible officer of the agency under the Whistleblowers Protection Act 1993:

Nil

As DCP became a stand-alone department in November 2016, data is only available from this time. This data is available at: https://data.sa.gov.au/data/dataset/aeb936c1-b4c6-477d-a887-a2fb047de0c3

Reporting by the Department for Child Protection

Act or Regulation

Requirement

Children’s Protection Act 1993

Division 4 - Matters to be included in annual report of Department

8E - Matters to be included in annual report of Department

(1) The annual report of the Department must include the following information in respect of the period covered by the annual report:

(a) information setting out -

  1. the number of applications made under sections 20(1) and 22; and
  2. the number and general nature of any orders made under the Act in relation to those applications;

(b) information setting out the number and general nature of any orders made under section 21(1)(ab);

(c) information setting out -

  1. (i) the number of applications made under section 37(1) or (1a); and
  2. (ii) the number and general nature of any orders made under the Act in relation to those applications.

(2) This section is in addition to, and does not derogate from, any other requirement under this Act or the Public Sector Act 2009.

As the Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017 came in full operation on 22 October 2018, the below report is for the period of 1 July 2018 to 22 October 2018.

Children’s Protection Act 1993

Section 20(1) Applications

Investigation & Assessment with custody

296

Investigation & Assessment without custody order

4

Section 20(1) Orders

Investigation & Assessment with custody

216

Extension of Investigation & Assessment

63

Investigation & Assessment without custody order

0

Interim Investigation & Assessment with custody

232

Section 21(1)(ab) orders

Capacity to care assessment

217

Course – Domestic Violence

4

Course - Drug/Alcohol

12

Mental Health Assessment

268

Drug assessment

413

Drug testing

436

Alcohol testing

0

Applications made under the Act in relation to section 37(1)

Guardianship of Minister to 12 months s 38(1)(c)

114

Guardianship of Minister to 18 years s 38(1)(d)

146

Custody to Minister to 12 months s 38(1)(b)(iv)

10

Care & Protection without custody or guardianship order

2

Guardianship to other to 18 years s 38(1)(d)

24

Guardianship to other to 12 months s 38(1)(c)

0

Custody to guardian to 12 months s 38(1)(b)(i)

4

Guardianship to facility to 12 months s 38(1)(b)(ii)

2

Custody to other  to 12 months s 38(1)(b)(v)

0

Orders made under the Act in relation to section 37(1)

Guardianship of Minister to 12 months s 38(1)(c)

181

Guardianship of Minister to 18 years s 38(1)(d)

95

Custody to Minister to 12 months s 38(1)(b)(iv)

1

Care & Protection without custody or guardianship order

2

Custody to other to 12 months s 38(1)(b)(v)

0

Supervision to Chief Executive

7

Guardianship to other to 18 years s 38(1)(d)

21

Interim orders section 37(1)

Interim guardianship of the Minister s 38(1)(c)

1003

Interim custody to Minister s 38(1)(b)(iv)

9

Interim guardianship of other person s 38(1)(c)

1

Interim custody to other person s 38(1)(b)(v)

0

The number and general nature of any orders made under section 37(1a)

Drug testing

76

Interim drug testing

58

Written undertaking

16

Treatment for drug abuse

13

Interim treatment for drug abuse

5

Interim supervision of CE

2

Supervision of CE

2

Alcohol testing

0

DCP is unable to report on section 22 of the Children’s Protection Act 1993 as reporting capability was under development.

The Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017 came into full operation on 22 October 2018. The below report is for the period of 22 October 2018 to 30 June 2019. As this is the first year of reporting, data capture for a number of items is in development.

Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017

Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017

Part 4 – Additional Reporting Obligations of the Chief Executive

Section 156(1) The Chief Executive must, not later than 30 September in each year, submit to the Minister a report setting out:

  1. the following information in respect of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people:
    • (i) the extent to which case planning in relation to such children and young people includes the development of cultural maintenance plans with input from local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and organisations:
    • (ii) the extent to which agreements made in case planning relating to supporting the cultural needs of such children and young people are being met (being support such as transport to cultural events, respect for religious laws, attendance at funerals, providing appropriate food and access to religious celebrations);
    • (iii) (iii) the extent to which such children and young people have access to a case worker, community, relative or other person from the same Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander community as the child or young person; and
  2. the following information relating to case workers and children and young people in care:
    • (i) whether a case worker has been allocated to each child and young person in care;
    • (i) whether each child and young person in care has had face to face contact with their allocated case worker at least once in each month, and, if not, the extent to which those targets have been achieved; and
  3. whether each child or young person under the guardianship of the Chief Executive until they are 18 years of age has a case plan that is developed, monitored and reviewed as part of a regular 6 monthly planning cycle and, if not, the extent to which that target has been achieved; and
  4. the emergence of any recurring themes in the matters referred to in a preceding paragraph; and
  5. the following information relating to recommendations of the Child Protection Systems Royal Commission (being information relating to the preceding financial year):
    • (ii) the extent to which any outstanding recommendations have been implemented;
    • (iii) if a decision was made to implement a particular recommendation that the government, or the Minister or Chief Executive, had previously indicated would not be implemented—the reasons for that decision and the manner in which the recommendation is to be implemented;
    • (iv) if a decision was made not to implement a particular recommendation that the government, or the Minister or Chief Executive, had previously indicated would be implemented—the reasons for that decision; and
  6. the number, and general nature, of placements of children and young people under section 77; and
  7. any other matter prescribed by the regulations for the purposes of this paragraph

DCP is unable to report fully on section 156(1)(a)(i)(ii),(iii), (b)(ii), (c), (d), and (f) as reporting capability is yet to be developed. DCP can report:

  • As at 30 June 2019:
    • 88.8% of all children and young people in care had a completed case plan.
    • 23.1% of Aboriginal children and young people had a completed and approved Aboriginal Cultural Identity Support Tool.
    • All children and young people of which DCP had case management responsibility had a Primary Assigned Case Worker recorded at 30 June 2019.
  • As at 30 June 2018, there were 180 Child Protection Systems Royal Commission recommendations yet to be completed. In the period from 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019, 88 recommendations were completed.  As at 30 June 2019, there were 92 recommendations yet to be completed.
  • DCP has reported on section 156(1)(e) in the form of the Child Protection Systems Royal Commission Annual Progress Report, which is a comprehensive multi-agency response to the implementation of the Child Protection Systems Royal Commission recommendations available on the DCP website via the following link:

https://www.childprotection.sa.gov.au/department/child-protection-systems-royal-commission

  • During 2018–19:
    • 368 children and young people were placed with a temporary carer
    • 475 temporary care placements were made.
  • As at 30 June 2019, of the 368 children and young people who were in temporary placements in 2018-19:
    • 156 were still in the temporary placement
    • 33 were no longer in care
    • 179 had been placed in an alternative placement type (for example, with an approved carer or in a residential care facility).

Reporting by the Minister for Child Protection

Act or Regulation

Requirement

Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017

Section 15 – Additional annual reporting obligations

(detailed below)

Section 15(1)(a) detailing the role of the Minister, and the extent to which the Minister has performed the Minister's functions, in respect of the operation of this Act for the financial year ending on the preceding 30 June; and

This annual report details the role of the Minister and the extent to which the Minister has performed the Minister’s functions for the 2018-19 financial year. In addition, the Minister has:

  • Undertaken significant contract reform to reduce costs and improved quality care.
  • Supported development, research and investment into evidence based out of home care models.
  • Worked across government to support system improvements including in the areas of early intervention, health and education.
  • Personally met with a significant number of children and young people under guardianship, their families and carers.
  • Implemented the following commitments:
    • Audit of children in non-family based care
    • Extend foster care and kinship payments to 21 years of age
    • Child Protection Workers – Recruitment Reform to broaden qualifications for staff.
  • Build specialist capabilities within the workforce through the engagement of a clinical psychiatrist and the recruitment of an allied health team with expertise in disability and development.
  • Increased the number of children and young people with active NDIS plans.
  • Implemented the new Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017.

Section 15(1)(b) setting out the following information relating to the provision of family support services and intensive family support services to children and young people who are at risk and their families:

(i) the extent to which such services were provided by, or on behalf of, the State (including statistical data relating to the number of times such services were provided) during the financial year ending on the preceding 30 June;

(ii) the amount of resources allocated for the provision of such services by or on behalf of the State—

(A) during the financial year ending on the preceding 30 June; and

(B) during the current financial year;

(iii) the extent to which the allocated resources were, in fact, spent on the provision of such services during the financial year ending on the preceding 30 June.

The following information summarises the delivery of programs/services that related to the provision of family support services and intensive services to children and young people who are at risk and their families. Due to the number of service providers delivering these services, the data relating to the number of times such services have been accessed is not able to be reported. Across-government discussions will explore how this may be achieved in the future.

DCP is unable to report on section 15(1)(b)(ii)(A) as the Act did not commence until 22 October 2018.

Program / Service

Description and summary of outcomes in 2018-19

Financial Information

2019-20
Budget
$m

2018-19
Actual
Expenditure
$m

2018-19
Budget
$m

Child and Family Assessment and Referral Networks (CFARN)

CFARN teams work with children and families to provide a coordinated, targeted and culturally appropriate earlier intervention approach to improve the safety, health, development and education outcomes where risk factors exist.

CFARN is led by DHS in Northern Adelaide, Southern Adelaide and the Limestone Coast, and in Western Adelaide by Relationships Australia SA (non-government partner).

635 clients in service during 2018-19.

$2.325

$2.022

$2.022

Child Wellbeing Practitioners

Child Wellbeing Practitioners deliver services to children and families to improve the safety and wellbeing of children who are identified as vulnerable and/or at risk of child protection within the state’s public school system.  3,000 children, young people and their families in service in 2018-19.

$8.474

$7.290

$7.290

Family by Family1

Family by Family is delivered by a non-government organisation to children and families who are assessed as vulnerable to child abuse and neglect and who are at risk of having involvement in the statutory child protection system. 193 families in service during 2018-19.

$1.633

$1.555

$1.555

Family Practitioners2

Family Practitioners deliver a state-wide service to children and families where child protection risks have been identified, to support children’s overall safety and wellbeing within the state’s Children’s Centres.  613 families in service in 2018-19.

$4.900

-

-

Family Preservation Services3

Family Preservation Services are delivered by non-government organisations to families to preserve and strengthen family relationships, ensuring children and young people can remain safely in the care of their families.

$3.669

$3.506

$3.506

Northern Adelaide Intensive Support Pilot

The Northern Adelaide Intensive Support Pilot is delivered by a non-government organisation to provide services to families whose children have been assessed by DCP as being at imminent risk of having their child or children placed in out of home care.

$1.400

$0.200

$0.200

Strong Start

Strong Start is a government led service in Northern and Southern Adelaide to support first time mothers experiencing multiple complexities in their lives, to create a safe and nurturing environment for their baby.  227 clients in service in 2018-19.

$1.761

$1.713

$1.713

Targeted Intervention Service4

Targeted Intervention Services are delivered by non-government organisations to families to improve family functioning, help to prevent family breakdown, decrease the occurrence of child abuse and neglect and to reduce the likelihood of children entering out-of-home care. 386 families in service during 2018-19.

$6.179

$5.907

$5.907

Community Services Support Program (CSSP) - Family Support and Early Intervention

CSSP Family Support and Early Intervention services aim to improve child development outcomes in vulnerable families, and to prevent crises or problems escalating within vulnerable families that can lead to family conflict and family breakdown. In 2018-19, providers reported that 2,973 individuals were provided with family support and early intervention through CSSP.

$3.999

$3.833

$3.820

Community Support Program (CSP)

The CSP stream is a transitional funding stream for organisations that do not yet meet the requirements of the Community Services Support Program. Two organisations were funded through the CSP stream in 2018-19 with both having a focus on supporting families of at-risk children or young people. One program has a focus on information provision (2,024 individuals supported in 2018-19) while the other provides family support and early intervention (173 individuals received services in 2018-19).

$0.282

$0.270

$0.270

Tiraapendi Wodli (Justice Reinvestment Port Adelaide)

As one part of the new Child and Family Support System, this program will build community capacity to reduce Aboriginal family violence and over-representation in youth justice and the child protection system.

The Tiraapendi Wodli Priority Action Plan 2019-2021 identifies actions to strengthen local community capacity and deliver improvements across a range of indicators in education, employment, health, justice, and family safety. It also aims to improve the accessibility of government services and strengthen collaboration between government and Aboriginal people.

$0.400

$0.130

$0.130

1 Family by Family was transferred from the Department for Education (DE) to the Department of Human Services (DHS) as part of Machinery of Government (MOG) changes on 1 July 2019.

2 Family Practitioners was transferred from DE to DHS as part of MOG changes on 1 July 2019.  The budget for 2018-19 was a combined budget and is unable to be provided separately.

3 Family Preservation Services was transferred from DCP to DHS as part of MOG changes on 1 July 2019.

4 Targeted Intervention Service was transferred from DE to DHS as part of MOG changes on 1 July 2019.

Section 15(1)(b)(iv) bench-marking the resources referred to in subparagraph (ii) and (iii) against those allocated and spent by other States and Territories in the provision of such services during the financial year ending on the preceding 30 June; and

The Report on Government Services (ROGS) details this information. It is published in January each year and is available from https://www.pc.gov.au/research/ongoing/report-on-government-services.

Section 15(1)(c) providing any other information required by the regulations for the purposes of this paragraph.

Program name

Indicators of performance/ effectiveness/ efficiency

Performance

Comparison to 2017-18

Child Protection Reform - implementing A Fresh Start

Refer to Child Protection Systems Royal Commission reporting on our website.

Responding to notifications

Total calls made to the Call Centre

70,297

In 2018-19, the number of calls to the Call Centre increased by 14.6% from 2017-18 (61,360).

In 2018-19, 81.5% of calls to the Call Centre were answered, a 2.9 percentage point improvement on the 78.6% (48,205) answered in 2017-18.

Number of calls answered

57,270

Average wait time to the Child Abuse Report Line

11 min 15 sec

The average wait time to the Child Abuse Report Line in 2018-19 was 4 minutes 31 seconds less than 2017-18 (15 min 46 sec).

Number of eCARL submissions

34,878

There were 3,834 (12.4%) more eCARL submissions in 2018-19 than 2017-18 (31,044).

Total number of notifications referred for an alternative response

10,894

Of the 10,894 notifications referred:

  • 4,557 were referred to an appropriate State Authority
  • 6,337 were referred for another outcome, including family meetings,   case management responses or phone contact.

Child protection responses

Number of notifications

78,199 (17,892 notifications for Aboriginal children and young people)

In 2018-19, there were 13,999 (21.8%) more notifications received than in 2017-18 (64,200). There were 4,878 (20.4%) more notifications screened-in for further assessment and response in 2018-19, than in 2017-18 (23,909).

Of the 2018-19 notifications, 36.8% were screened-in compared to 37.2% screened-in for 2017-18.

Notifications for Aboriginal children comprised 22.9% of all notifications in 2018-19 compared to 22.0% (14,093) in 2017-18, and 26.6% of screened-in notifications in 2018-19 compared to 25.5% (7,671) in 2017-18.

Number of screened-in notifications

28,790 (7,671 screened in notifications for Aboriginal children and young people)

Children placed on child protection orders

Total children placed on orders

1,831 (612 Aboriginal children and young people)

The number of children admitted to an order increased by 460 (33.6%) compared to 2017-18 (1,371).

Aboriginal children comprised 33.4% of children placed on child protection orders in 2018-19, compared to 32.0% (439) in 2017-18.

Children placed on orders for first time

758 (260 Aboriginal children and young people)

The number of children admitted to an order for the first time increased by 138 (22.3%) from 2017-18 (620).

In 2018-19, 41.4% of children were admitted to an order for the first time, compared to 45.2% in 2017-18.

Aboriginal children comprised 34.3% of children placed on orders for the first time in 2018-19 compared to 32.4% (201) in 2017-18.

Total children on a 12-month order at 30 June 2019

513 (187 Aboriginal children and young people)

At 30 June 2019, 43 (9.1%) more children were on a Guardianship for 12 months order, than at 30 June 2018 (470).

Aboriginal children comprised 36.5% of children on a 12 month order at 30 June 2019 compared to 27.9% (131) in 2018.

Total children on an order until 18 years of age under Guardianship of the Minister

3,406 (1,184 Aboriginal children and young people)

The number of children on a Guardianship to 18 years order at 30 June 2019 increased by 474 (16.2%) from 30 June 2018 (2,932).

Aboriginal children comprised 34.8% of children on an order to 18 years at 30 June 2019 compared to 34.2% (1,002) in 2018.

Children in out of home care

Number of children (0-17 years) in out of home care at 30 June 2019

3,988 (1,365 Aboriginal children and young people)

The number of children aged 0-17 years in out of home care at 30 June 2019 increased by 293 (7.9%) compared to 30 June 2018 (3,695).

A higher proportion of children are in family-based care in 2019 compared to 2018. Of the children in out of home care at 30 June 2019, 85.8% (3,421) are in family-based care, compared to 85.2% at 30 June 2018 (3,147). Family-based care includes foster, kinship, specific child only and family day care.

The number of children placed in a commercial property at 30 June 2019 has increased by 10 (10.8%) from 30 June 2018 (93).

The number of Aboriginal children aged 0-17 years in out of home care at 30 June increased by 149 (12.3%) in 2019 from 2018 (1,216).

Aboriginal children comprise 34.2% of the 0-17 year old out of home care population at 30 June 2019, compared to 32.9% in 2018.

Number of public complaints reported

Complaint categories

Sub-categories

Example

Number of Complaints

2018-19

Professional behaviour

Staff attitude

Failure to demonstrate values such as empathy, respect, fairness, courtesy, extra mile, cultural competency

39

Professional behaviour

Staff competency

Failure to action service request, poorly informed decisions, incorrect or incomplete service provided

65

Professional behaviour

Staff knowledge

Lack of service specific knowledge, incomplete or out-of-date knowledge

0

Communication

Communication quality

Inadequate, delayed or absent communication with customer

39

Communication

Confidentiality

Customer’s confidentiality or privacy not respected, information shared incorrectly

14

Service delivery

Systems/technology

System offline, inaccessible to customer, incorrect result/information provided, poor system design

96

Service delivery

Access to services

Service difficult to find, location poor, facilities/ environment poor standard, not accessible to customers with disabilities

2

Service delivery

Process

Processing error, incorrect process used, delay in processing application, process not customer responsive

0

Policy

Policy application

Incorrect policy interpretation, incorrect policy applied, conflicting policy advice given

4

Policy

Policy content

Policy content difficult to understand, policy unreasonable or disadvantages customer

2

Service quality

Information

Incorrect, incomplete, out dated or inadequate information, not fit for purpose

4

Service quality

Access to information

Information difficult to understand, hard to find or difficult to use, not plain English

1

Service quality

Timeliness

Lack of staff punctuality; excessive waiting times (outside of service standard), timelines not met

5

Service quality

Safety

Maintenance, personal or family safety, duty of care not shown, poor security service/ premises, poor cleanliness

6

Service quality

Service responsiveness

Service design doesn’t meet customer needs, poor service fit with customer expectations

70

No case to answer

No case to answer

Third party; customer misunderstanding, redirected to another agency, insufficient information to investigate

424

Total

771

As DCP became a stand-alone department in November 2016, data is only available from this time. This data is available at:
https://data.sa.gov.au/data/dataset/8a49679b-3f96-4a99-9e52-58e4a3ccc968

Service Improvements resulting from complaints or consumer suggestions over 2018-19

  • Established the Clinical Governance Framework.
  • Designed and implemented a Recommendations Register to support monitoring and review of complaint outcomes.
  • Reviewing, updating, targeted training and communication of key practice and policy guidance, for example:
    • Transition Guidelines
    • Information Sharing Guidelines
    • Exceptional Resource Funding
    • Manual of Practice.
  • Responded to individual and systemic matters identified by the Commissioner for Children and Young People, the Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People and the Guardian for Children and Young People.
  • More broadly:
    • In June 2018, Ombudsman SA compiled an Audit Survey Report documenting the progress made by 13 key state government departments including DCP, in the development of their Complaint Management Systems.
    • Agencies provided a status update against these recommendations in March 2019 and again in June 2019.
    • DCP has commenced a project to procure and implement a departmental incident and complaints management system that will allow for more comprehensive capturing of incidents and complaints at a local level. The system will also provide greater reporting capability and workflow functions.