What We’ve Done
Sentencing Advisory Council seminar: understanding why young people offend – can we build better responses?
Cheryl Leavy, Deputy Commissioner, QFCC, took part in a Sentencing Advisory Council panel discussion on building better responses to children and young people in the youth justice system. The panel discussed what happens in the life young people to lead them to have contact with the youth justice system, and what could have been done differently to help them make better life choices.
A recording of the event can be found the Sentencing Advisory Council’s website.
In Focus
Child Protection Reform Amendment Bill 2017
On 28 September 2017, the Health, Communities, Disability Services and Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Committee tabled its report into the Child Protection Reform Amendment Bill 2017. The Committee also held public hearings between 15 and 21 September.
As reported in the previous policy scan, the Bill proposes priority reforms to the Child Protection Act 1999. These include:
- new Permanent Care Orders to transfer guardianship of a child to a permanent guardian
- powers to delegate functions of the Act to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations
- establishing independent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander entities to provide cultural advice
- expanded information sharing provisions, allowing non-government organisations to share information with each other without consent in a child’s best interests
- provisions to support young people transitioning to independence between the ages of 15 and 25.
The Committee report recommends the Bill be passed. There is no timeframe currently identified for the Bill to be debated in Parliament.
For more information, visit
Queensland Productivity Commission – public forum for the inquiry into service delivery in remote and discrete Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
The Queensland Productivity Commission is holding a series of public forums to consult stakeholders, after releasing a draft report into service delivery in remote and discrete Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Cheryl Leavy, Deputy Commissioner, QFCC, will attend the public forum in Brisbane on 20October2017.
For more information, please see
Keeping Watch
The first thousand days: an evidence paper
On 25 September 2017, the Centre for Community Child Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute published an evidence paper regarding the significance of the first 1,000 days of a child’s life. The paper examines the biological, global, environmental and social factors that influence children’s outcomes during this critical period of development.
To access the paper, visit
Seeking help for domestic violence: exploring rural women’s coping experiences
On 14 September 2017, the National Research Organisation for Women's Safety published the report, Seeking help for domestic violence: exploring rural women’s coping experiences. The report provides results of a study, whichlooked at five different types of social and geographical locations at sites in South Australia and Western Australia. The study sought to investigate how geographical and social isolation shapes women’s decisions to seek assistance for domestic and family violence, and their efforts to live safely.
The report is available at
Looking Nationally
Australia
Family Assistance and Child Support Legislation Amendment (Protecting Children) Bill 2017
On 14 September 2017, the Minister for Social Services, the Hon Christian Porter MP, introduced the Family Assistance and Child Support Legislation Amendment (Protecting Children) Bill 2017. The Bill proposes minor amendments to the system of family support payments, including amendments to tax assessments and overpayment procedures.
The Bill also proposes an amendment to the existing ‘no jab, no pay’ immunisation policy to start from 1 July 2018. If passed, families who do not meet the health check or immunisation requirements for a child will have approximately $28 per child withheld from their fortnightly rate of FTB Part A.
There is no timeframe currently identified for the Bill to be debated in Parliament.
More information is available at
New South Wales
Principles for child-safe organisations
On 13 September 2017, the NSW Office of the Children’s Guardian released its Principles for child-safe organisations.
While policies and procedures are beneficial, the principles also remind us of the importance of organisational culture, the attitudes, values and beliefs of an organisation in keeping children safe.
The principles are:
- the organisation focuses on what is best for children
- all children are respected and treated fairly
- children’s families and communities are welcome and encouraged to participate in the organisation
- children receive services from skilled and caring adults.
For more information, please see
Western Australia
Commissioner for Children and Young People submission to the Australian Law Reform Commission inquiry into incarceration rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
On 26 September 2017, the WA Commissioner for Children and Young People, Colin Pettit, made a submission to the Australian Law Reform Commission inquiry into incarceration rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The submission includes evidence on incarceration, along with the views of children and young people in WA.
To read the submission, please see
Northern Territory
Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory - Voices: What children have told us – Child Protection
On 26 September 2017, the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory released the report, Voices: What children have told us – Child Protection. The report captures the views of children and young people as heard by the Royal Commission.
In a speech introducing the report to the NT Council of Social Service, Commissioner Mick Goodadeclared, ‘just as a new approach is needed for youth justice and detention what we have heard during the Commission about the child protection system in the Northern Territory also signals the need for a paradigm change.’
The report can be accessed at
The speech by Commissioner Mick Gooda, introducing the report, can be found at
The Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory is scheduled to release its final report on 17 November 2017.
qfcc.qld.gov.au | talkingfamilies.qld.gov.au1