Media Release

The Standing Committee on Health, Ageing and Community Services (the Committee) has made six additional  recommendations in its final report inquiring into child and youth protection services (Part 1).  The Committee’s report was tabled today—Thursday 27 August 2020.  The report can be accessed at: https://www.parliament.act.gov.au/parliamentary-business/in-committees/recent-reports

‘Sadly, the matter subject to Part 1 of the Committee’s inquiry into child and youth protection services involved the removal of five children from the care of their mother.  In that context, the Committee was asked by the Assembly to analyse the 2018 Court of Appeal decision related to the specific case—to identify potential systemic issues that may need to be addressed, and report these to the Assembly,’ the Committee Chair, Ms Bec Cody MLA, said.

The Committee presented an interim report on Part 1 of the inquiry in March 2020—setting out a detailed analysis of potential systemic issues that it considered may need to be addressed along with 10 recommendations.  The Committee Chair stated ‘in the final report, after receipt of outstanding information that was not available at the time the Committee presented its interim report, the Committee has made six additional recommendations to conclude its consideration of the matter referred to it by the Assembly’.

The Chair added that ‘the Committee has approached the remit given to it by the Assembly with great care and empathy and with a deeply held concern to ensure that any potential systemic issues arising are identified and addressed.  In its examination of the referred matter the Committee has applied careful, rigorous and thoughtful consideration and has been acutely aware and alert to the sensitivity of the issues raised by this inquiry’.

The Committee thanks all of those who contributed to its inquiry.  ‘The Committee acknowledges that questions about, and decision-making surrounding, the care and protection of children and young people in the Canberra community are often controversial, complex and require a balancing of rights. In that context, those working in the care and protection space work in a challenging, tough and complex environment. Equally important is that all in the Canberra community have a role to play in the well-being and safety of children and young people in our community,’ the Chair concluded.

The Committee Chair thanked her Committee colleagues for working so cooperatively on this profoundly important inquiry.

STATEMENT ENDS—Thursday 27 August 2020

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contacts:	Ms Bec Cody MLA (for comment on the inquiry)	Committee Chair	(02) 620 51448
	Dr Andréa Cullen (for further information)	Committee Secretary	(02) 620 50136