Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services

On 8 August 2024, the Inquiry wrote to the Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services (DCSSDS) and requested a written submission outlining: 

1. The historical and contemporaneous relevance of the Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services’ functions and responsibilities to the matters described in paragraphs 5(a) to (d) of the Inquiry’s Terms of Reference;
2. An overview of any position, policy, strategy, plan or actions that the Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services currently has in place relevant to the matters described in paragraphs 5(a) to (d) of the Inquiry’s Terms of Reference;
3. Any broad categories of historical documents or data that the Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services holds relevant to the matters described in paragraphs 5(a) to (d) of the Inquiry’s Terms of Reference; and
4. Any work, tasks, goals or actions allocated to the Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services pursuant to findings or recommendations made by any previous inquiry or commission since 2010 that directly relates to the matters described in paragraphs 5(a) to (d) of the Inquiry’s Terms of Reference.

On 26 August 2024, DCSSDS provided a 94 page submission which provided the information requested. 

On 24 September 2024, the Director-General of DCSSDS appeared at a Government Session and provided oral submissions to the Inquiry. 

On 30 September 2024, the Inquiry wrote to DCSSDS and requested a submission that included the following: 

1. The Our Way Strategy;
   1. Any Action Plans under that Strategy;
2. Yangga Dahgu – Mekem Gen (Reframing the Relationship Roadmap);
3. Any reports, evaluations, reviews or compilation of data or statistics in relation to the implementation or effectiveness of the Our Way Strategy, related Action Plans or Yangga Dahgu – Mekem Gen (Reframing the Relationship Roadmap);
4. Any audit, review, report or evaluation commissioned or undertaken by the Department of Child Safety relating to:
   1. The over-representation of children in the tertiary child protection system;
   2. Biases in structured decision-making tools relevant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families;
   3. The implementation or effectiveness of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle.
5. Any ministerial briefing notes provided since 1 January 2020 by the Department of Child Safety to the Minister of Child Safety relevant to the matters identified in [4](a) to (c) above.

On 18 October 2024, DCSSDS wrote to the Inquiry requesting an extension to provide the information requested. 

As at 18 December 2024, no further submission had been received. 

Documents