National Child Protection Conference Feedback Report

A report on the National Child Protection Conference Feedback Survey Findings has now been released. This conference was co-hosted by PeakCare, the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Protection Peak (QATSICPP) and the Child and Family Welfare Association of Australia (CAFWAA) in Brisbane on 24th and 25th June. Thank you to all who responded to the survey and for the mostly very constructive feedback that was submitted. This will be used to inform the planning of future events of this type.

As completed surveys commenced being received, it became quickly apparent that some feedback said little about the actual Conference and much more about the values and beliefs that some attendees brought with them to this event.   In previous editions of eNews, PeakCare has published snippets of this feedback and a strong response was received to our blog, Feedback about the National Child Protection Conference – on the one hand this, on the other hand….  with comments posted by Mr Michael Hogan, Director-General of the Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women and several senior Departmental Officers and many senior executives of non-government organisations and other peak bodies including Life Without Barriers, Disability Law Queensland, Kyabra, UnitingCare, Mercy Community, Act for Kids, Youth Advocacy Centre,  QATSICPP, CREATE  Foundation and Queensland Alliance for Mental Health.

On 2nd August, PeakCare released this invitation to our Members and Supporters to gather for constructive dialogue about ways forward in addressing these contentious matters.  If you wish to join the many organisations that have positively responded to this invitation, email lwegener@peakcare.org.au.

Some have reminded PeakCare that the concerning comments were stated by only a few. In PeakCare’s view, a few is far too many.

If you have comments you wish to make about the Conference Feedback Survey Findings, enter them here  – anonymously if you prefer.

 
Queensland Kinship Care Forum

On 2nd September, PeakCare in association with the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Protection Peak (QATICPP), CREATE Foundation, Queensland Foster and Kinship Care (QFKC) and NSW Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies (ACWA) hosted a very well attended Queensland Kinship Care Forum. This was one of a series of similar forums conducted in various States and Territories throughout the country. Our sincere thanks are extended to the keynote speaker, Dr Lucy Peake, Chief Executive of Grandparents Plus, a national charity in England and Wales supporting both formal and informal kinship carers and Meredith Kiraly, Psychologist and Research Fellow in the Social Work Department at the University of Melbourne, whose specialty research area is kinship care. Our sincere appreciation is also extended to all who assisted in coordinating this event and presenting information during the panel-led discussion including Jo Roff (IFYS), Marijka Kelly (QFKC), Dion Tatow (QATSICPP), Dulcie Bronsch (UnitingCare Community), Rachael Donovan and CREATE Young Consultant, Hannah (CREATE Foundation) and Polly Auld (Department of Human Services). A big thank you to all who attended and enthusiastically participated in the forum with special mention made of the many Kinship Carers who were our VIP guests and whose voices added enormous richness to our dialogue. Expect to read more about the outcomes of this important forum in future editions of eNews.

 
Employee, contractor or volunteer? Updated guidelines now available

Not-for-profit Law’s updated employee, contractor or volunteer guide covers the differences between these  types of workers and how the differences can affect organisational obligations, as well as providing links to further resources and highlighting state-specific regulations. The guide outlines the type of work and benefits to which employees, contractors and volunteers are entitled, and highlights any exceptions that may apply. Access the guide. There is also an app designed to complement the National Volunteer Guide, to help volunteer-involving organisations understand the key legal obligations that not-for-profit organisations have towards volunteers. The key topics include recruitment, safety, unlawful workplace behaviour, managing performance and ending the volunteer relationship. Access the app.  

Removing the barriers to young people volunteering - issues paper released

Volunteering Queensland and the Queensland Family and Child Commission have released an issues paper on supporting young people to participate in volunteering in Queensland prompted by findings from the Growing up in Queensland project, which heard from over 7,000 young Queenslanders in 2018. The findings highlighted various issues including age restrictions on volunteer participation, even though young people valued volunteering as a way to gain useful skills to improve future employability and to give back to the community. The issues paper contains both young people's perspectives and organisational perspectives on the benefits and opportunities afforded by volunteering, as well as information about legal and policy concerns, and asks readers to reflect on policy, strategy and communication to support young volunteers. Read the issues paper.
 

Consultations for individuals and families now open

A number of consultations for individuals and families are currently receiving public submissions. 

The Australian Council on Children and the Media is seeking feedback on how useful the Australian National Classification System is to families, and how it could be improved. The survey can be accessed here.

The Australian Senate is inquiring into the adequacy of Newstart and related payments and alternative mechanisms to determine the level of income support payments in Australia, with public submissions invited until Friday, 13th September. The inquiry will consider what constitutes an acceptable standard of living in Australia, including the cost of safe and secure housing; the nature of work in Australia now and into the future; and the appropriateness of current income support arrangements in supporting those unemployed or looking for more work. Public submissions can be made here.

The Australian Senate is also inquiring into Centrelink's compliance program with public submissions accepted until Friday, 20th September. The inquiry will consider the ongoing impact of the Federal Government’s automated debt collection processes upon current and past income support recipients; data-matching techniques and inherent limitations and uncertainties; organisational capacity of Centrelink to issue debt notices; error rates involved, and more. Public submissions can be made here. 

Tenth edition of AICD Not-For-Profit Governance and Performance Study now available

The Australian Institute of Company Directors' Not-for-Profit Governance and Performance Study is the largest of its kind in Australia. Now in its tenth year, the 2019 report highlights seven key findings, including that not-for-profit (NFP) directors are spending more time on their NFP board roles as workloads rise, that boards continue to focus on culture, financial performance and the diversification of income sources, that NFPs are effective but continue to be financially challenged, and that boards are increasingly focused on improving the board’s oversight of strategy formulation and execution. Access the report.
 

Drought grants available for Queensland communities

The Tackling Tough Times Together grant program helps communities access the resources they need to support one another through the ongoing effects of the drought. Grants are available for a broad range of grassroots, community-led initiatives that directly and clearly benefit local communities. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis and assessed quarterly. Projects must demonstrate a focus on one of seven activity areas, from building community resilience to improving community health and social wellbeing. Projects can apply for funding between $20,000 and $150,000. Find out more and apply.

First sitting of Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability

The Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability (DRC) will hold its first public sitting in Brisbane on Monday, 16th September at 10 am. All Commissioners will be in attendance: the Chair of the Commission, the Hon Ronald Sackville AO QC, Ms Barbara Bennett PSM, Prof Rhonda Galbally AC, Ms Andrea Mason OAM, Mr Alastair McEwin AM and the Hon John Ryan AM. There will be no appearances, evidence or testimony given at the first sitting. However, the Commissioners will outline the work of the DRC, including its scope, key themes likely to direct the DRC’s initial inquiries, the next steps for the DRC in progressing its work, and how it will ensure people with disability can engage with the DRC. To register, visit the website.
 

Brisbane City Council Australia Day Awards now open for nominations

The Brisbane City Council Lord Mayor's Australia Day Awards is an annual event that recognises Brisbane's unsung heroes. Celebrate what's great about the Brisbane community by nominating someone who has made a significant difference to your life or to the lives of others in Brisbane, in any of the eight award categories, including Young Citizen of the Year, Community Event of the Year or Australia Day Achievement Award. Nominations close 5pm Monday, 4th November.

Child & Adolescent Mental Health Conference 2020 registrations now open

The Australian & New Zealand Mental Health Association extends an invitation for you to join colleagues at the inaugural Child & Adolescent Mental Health Conference being held at Mantra Legends Gold Coast on Monday, 30th to Tuesday, 31st March 2020. The conference provides a platform for professionals to connect and gain insight from industry experts, as well as develop a greater understanding of mental health in children and adolescents from ages 3-19 years. The two-day event will focus on early diagnosis and prevention, as well as treatment and recovery of mental health for children, young people and their families. Find out more and register.

Our thoughts are with you

PeakCare’s thoughts are with all who are being impacted by the bushfires burning within our State. Our gratitude and best wishes are also extended to all emergency services, government and non-government agencies, families, friends and community members who are looking out for and assisting those in need. 

Each week, PeakCare publishes a 'Thumbs Up' and/or a 'Thumbs Down' about matters that have come to our attention and draw either our commendation or condemnation. If there are matters that you think are worthy of one or other of these acknowledgements, email lwegener@peakcare.org.au and we will consider publishing them.

Thumbs Up to Coffs Harbour City Council for requiring that Alice Springs councillor, Jacinta Price observe proper protocols in seeking permission from the Gumbaynggire Aboriginal People before entering their land to deliver speeches about fixing Aboriginal poverty. And a corresponding Thumbs Down to the commentary by Andrew Bolt (Courier Mail, 9th September) that this represented a breach of Ms Price’s freedom of speech. Perhaps we could all impolitely land on the doorstep of Mr Bolt’s home to let him know what we think of his views and, if he refuses us entry, complain that he is curtailing our freedom of speech.


Thumbs Down to the Federal Government for its intention to introduce drug testing of people receiving Newstart or the Youth Allowance in three trial sites – Logan City, Canterbury Bankstown and Mandurah. There is no evidence to support the introduction of this stigmatising and demeaning practice.