Reviewing Implementation of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle Tasmania 2019

Introduction

This report reviews the progress of the Tasmanian Government in implementing the full intent of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle.

This implementation review is conducted on the basis of the best practice approach set out in SNAICC, 2017, Understanding and Applying the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle – A Resource for Legislation, Policy and Program Development and SNAICC, 2018, The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle: A Guide to Support Implementation.

It considers changes in the implementation of the five elements of the Child Placement Principle – prevention, partnership, placement, participation and connection – described in diagram across five interrelated system elements, since the comprehensive baseline analysis SNAICC released in April 2018 (2018 Baseline Analysis). These system elements are legislation, policy, programs, processes and practice.

The review therefore only considers the Child Placement Principle implementation efforts from 1 May 2018 – 30 April 2019.

Key findings of the Implementation Review for Tasmania 2019

For 2017-18, Indigenous status in Tasmania was not cross checked with data from other databases. As a result, the number of clients of ‘Unknown’ Indigenous status is larger than in previous years, impacting the reliability of data disaggregated by Indigenous status.

The Department did partner with SNAICC over the reporting period to hold a two-day workshop to improve implementation of the ATSICPP. The Department also reports that it engaged an Aboriginal trainer to develop and deliver a training package Understanding Aboriginal Children and Families to Child Safety Staff to improve child safety and youth justice outcomes for Aboriginal children and their families in Tasmania. In a positive step, in June 2018 the Tasmanian Government appointed the state’s first child advocate. However, there is still no Aboriginal Children’s Commissioner to advocate for the interests of Aboriginal children in Tasmania.