Question On Notice No. 2765 asked in the Legislative Council on 11 February 2020 by Hon Nick Goiran
Question Directed to the: Leader of the House representing the Minister for Child Protection
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
Question
I refer to the media statement “New processes to strengthen Working With Children Checks” released on 3 February 2020, where it was stated that $5.7M of the 2019 Budget was provided to support the 409 recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, and I ask:
(a) how much of this $5.7M has been expended to-date;
(b) what are the names of the specific measures that have been implemented for each recommendation;
(c) further to (b), what are the expenditure amounts set for each specific measure; and
(d) which recommendations do not require any expenditure?
Answered on 17 March 2020
(a) The $5.7 million in funding referred to in the media statement was distributed between the Department of Communities (Communities), the Department of Premier and Cabinet, the WA Police Force, and Ombudsman WA.
The allocation for Communities was $3.74 million over 2019-20 and 2020-21 and, of the $1.92 million budgeted for 2019-20, Communities has currently expended approximately $860,000.
(b) The State Government has completed 125 of the 310 recommendations within the first two years of our 10-year reform program
Over 95 per cent of applicable recommendations have either been completed or are progressing. Responses to seven recommendations relevant to WA have not yet commenced, as other recommendations, including legislative changes, need to be in place first.
The Department of Communities is leading on 104 recommendations relevant to WA. A total of 18 recommendations have been completed, and work has commenced on the remaining 86.
The key areas that Communities is leading include:
- Implementation of the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations;
- Improving Working with Children Check screening;
- Improving information sharing;
- Increasing the range of groups obliged to report child sexual abuse, and
- Improving advocacy, treatment and support for survivors of child sexual abuse, including children with harmful sexual behaviours.
(c-d) The State Government is two years into a 10-year reform program, and is working with Australian and other state and territory governments to ensure a coordinated and effective approach to the recommendations, many of which also require coordinated responses to ensure national collaboration and consistency.
It is not possible at this stage to indicate which recommendations may require expenditure. Progress on the remaining recommendations is subject to future whole of government planning processes coordinated by the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, informed by agency level planning. Should the need for additional funding be required, this will be considered through the budget process.