Independent Inquiry into Foster and Kinship Care in South Australia

Key documents:

 

Tuesday 28th February 2023:

NEW Carer Consultation opportunity with the Minister for Child Protection
The Hon. Katrine Hildyard MP (Minister for Child Protection) is hosting another consultation session for Carers to have their say in regard to the Inquiry Report & Recommendations:

Wednesday 15th March 2023
11:00am – 12:30pm
Marion RSL, 31-39 Norfolk Road, Marion 5043

Registrations required - please click here to register

 

Monday 20th February 2023:

Consultation sessions for Carers with CEO Fiona Endacott – Inquiry Report Recommendations
Further to the recent consultation sessions hosted by the Minister for Child Protection, CF&KC-SA invite Carers to have their say directly with CF&KC-SA CEO Fiona Endacott, regarding the Inquiry report recommendations. The plan is to present a summary to the Minister of key questions / priorities reflecting the Carer voice about the government’s suggested plan of action.

We are keen to ensure Carers have the opportunity to let the Minister know exactly how they are feeling about the list of recommendations, to be kept informed and a part of what happens next.

We are offering two online sessions to choose from:

  • Tuesday 28th February, 10.30am-12.00noon - click here to register
    OR
  • Tuesday 7th March, 10.30am-12noon - click here to register

In preparation for the session, we invite you to review the following documents:

A summary document will be provided to the Minister in advance of her upcoming Carer consultation on Wednesday 15th March, (time/venue to be confirmed).

If you are unable to attend any of the sessions but wish to have your say, you are invited to do so via:

 

Thursday 9th February 2023:

As per the Hansard Report extract on 9th February 2023:

"The following papers were laid on the table:
By the Minister for Child Protection (Hon. K.A. Hildyard)—
Foster and Kinship Care, Independent Inquiry into—Report—November 2022"

The tabling of Dr Arney’s report on the 9th February 2023 is in response to the requirements specified in the Children & Young People (Safety) Act 2017. CF&KC-SA will continue our organisational commitment to ensure each recommendation is thoroughly considered and actioned accordingly.


Monday 9th January 2023:

The CF&KC-SA Board subcommittee, led by our newly appointed Chair Holly Veale, together with our CEO Fiona Endacott, have now had the opportunity to review the final report by Dr Arney (the Arney Report). We now provide our members with the following:

 

Thursday 29th December 2022:

Carer Inquiry Report: Carer Consultation Sessions with The Hon. Katrine Hildyard, Minister for Child Protection

CF&KC-SA is pleased to facilitate three information sessions at the invitation of The Hon. Katrine Hildyard MP (Minister for Child Protection) who will provide an overview of the Independent Inquiry into Foster & Kinship Care Report & Recommendations. Minister Hildyard is keen to engage in a Q&A with Carers about Dr Arney’s report and the recommendations.

This is an opportunity for Foster & Kinship Carers to hear directly from the Minister and to have their voice heard by the Minister in regard to the Inquiry Report & Recommendations.

The Minister provided us with her availability and we invite you to join her at one of the sessions on offer:

The sessions will be facilitated by the CF&KC-SA Board-led subCommittee

 

Thursday 15th December 2022:

The Honorable Katrine Hildyard (Minister for Child Protection) has now shared a link to the full Inquiry report:

Click here to access the report online

Click here to read Minister Hildyard's media release in relation to the Inquiry Report

 

Wednesday 14th December 2022:

At 2:30pm today Fiona Endacott (CF&KC-SA CEO) and Holly Veale (CF&KC-SA Chair) met with The Honorable Katrine Hildyard (Minister for Child Protection) and Cathy Taylor (Department for Child Protection CEO) to receive a verbal briefing of Dr Arney’s Independent Inquiry into Foster & Kinship Care report.

CF&KC-SA received an embargoed hard copy of the report with confirmation the full report will be available electronically to the public tomorrow morning (Thursday 15th December 2022) on the Department of Premier and Cabinet website. CF&KC-SA will supply this website link as soon as it is live.

Minister Hildyard shared that Dr Arney’s 186 page report took into consideration the input from 206 submissions over the duration of the Inquiry and confirmed Dr Arney's report provided 28 recommendations.

Minister Hildyard confirmed she is actively considering all 28 recommendations and any that require legislative change will be considered as part of the current legislative review of the Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017.

At this meeting, Minister Hildyard invited CF&KC-SA to co-host both virtual and face to face briefing sessions with Foster and Kinship Carers in January and February 2023 to explore the report and recommendations further. More details will be provided when the dates are confirmed by the Minister.

The Board led subcommittee will now, as previously indicated, undertake a thorough review of the report and provide a summary to the membership in due course.

 

Tuesday 6th November 2022:

On 28th October we wrote to Minister Hildyard (letter attached) regarding timing of the Report being received on 30th November 2022.

Click here to read Minister Hildyard's response on 6th November.

 

Tuesday 2nd August 2022:

On 2nd August we wrote to Dr Arney (letter attached) regarding the delay with the Inquiry report and non-communication to Carers about this delay. We have requested urgent communication of this extension, to the Carer community, particularly to those that provided submissions. We will provide an update once a response has been received.

 

Thursday 14th July 2022:

On 20th June we wrote to Minister Hildyard (letter attached) querying the delayed timeframe for the report on the Inquiry into Foster & Kinship Care and requesting urgent communication to Carers about the timeframe and why it has been delayed.

On 10th July we received a response from Minister Hildyard (letter attached) confirming that the Inquiry report is anticipated in September 2022 and that the Inquiry website would be updated accordingly - click here to view the updated website. We are also contacting Dr Arney regarding clarification about the extended timeframe.

We will continue to meet with the Minister on these matters to share our ongoing concerns, and those of Carers.

Should you wish to discuss any issues, please contact our team on 1800 732 272 or via email to: support@cfc-sa.org.au

 

Monday 20th June 2022:

On Monday 20th June 2022 CF&KC-SA wrote to The Minister for Child Protection, the Honorable Katrine Hildyard, requesting clarification regarding the timeframe of the Minister receiving the report and tabling in Parliament. Members will be updated as soon as a response is received.

 

Wednesday 15th June 2022:

The Independent Inquiry into Foster and Kinship Care in South Australia has now been completed. In accordance with Section 169A.3 of the Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017:

(4) On completing the inquiry, the person conducting the inquiry must cause a report of the inquiry to be prepared, and a copy of the report provided to the Minister
(5) The Minister must cause a copy of the report provided under subsection (4) to be laid before both Houses of Parliament within 6 sitting days after receiving the report

Click here to view the Legislation

We will provide a further update once the Minister has received the report.

 

Tuesday 31st May 2022:

We are pleased to provide a summary of CF&KC-SA's involvement in the independent Inquiry into Foster & Kinship Care.

Since the 16th December 2021 we had 74 enquiries from 55 different Carers and 6 employees from the child protection sector. Of the 55 Carers, 26 wanted assistance making a submission and to our knowledge, 24 submissions were made.

We facilitated 8 group submissions via 9 zoom sessions based on particular matters raised by Carers (FASD, care concerns, carer payments, meaningful consultation in decision making, therapeutic supports, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Carers, existing complaints mechanisms within the DCP, and non-Aboriginal Carers for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people). The zoom sessions were then transcribed and turned into 8 written submissions. 34 different Carers were involved in the group submission process.

In total, we helped 59 Carers make submissions with 32 submissions made overall.

We look forward to receiving the Inquiry Report and reading the recommendations.

CF&KC-SA is committed to ensuring appropriate actions are taken in regard to the recommendations and will engage the Carer community for your input once the report has been released.

 

Tuesday 10th May 2022:

We are pleased to share with you the CF&KC-SA organisational submission to the Independent Inquiry into Foster and Kinship Care. A copy was sent to Dr Arney yesterday afternoon (Tuesday 9 May 2022). We are incredibly proud of this robust, assertive 55 page document addressing the challenges, best practices and areas for change in line with the legislated Terms of Reference.

The team and Board have worked relentlessly over the past three months to collate feedback provided by Carers regarding their experience of providing care in the child protection system. We have combed through our annual survey data, reference group outcomes, advocacy case findings, lobbying documents and input from support calls to inform our detailed submission. We focussed on ensuring the voice of Carers, metro and regional, past and present, was clearly articulated in this submission. We will keep members informed of the outcome of the Inquiry and recommendations made by the Inquirer.

Click here to access our submission, or if you would prefer a hardcopy version, please contact support@cfc-sa.org.au or call 1800 732 272 to arrange for a copy to be posted.

I would like to thank all our Carer members who have provided their support, input and guidance in ensuring the Carer voice is heard loud and clear. We are grateful for your time as it is precious. We commit to ensuring the elements of our submission our kept alive in our ongoing lobbying for better outcomes for Foster & Kinship Carers.

Fiona Endacott
CEO

 

Video 1 - How CF&KC-SA can help Carers with an Inquiry submission

Video 2 - How Carers can be part of a CF&KC-SA group submission for the Inquiry

Video 3 - How Carers can contribute to CF&KC-SA's organisational submisison to the Inquiry

Video 4 - Inquiry Summary

 

 **To sign-up to the Carer Inquiry email list, please scroll to the end of this page**

Alternatively you can sign-up to "Become a Member" of CF&KC-SA, where you will receive the Carer Inquiry updates along with other general information, forums and events relevant to Foster & Kinship Carers - click here to Become a Member

 

Submission deadline has been extended to 17th May 2022

We can assist you with your submission by helping you get started, reading through and editing your draft, answering your questions,
and guiding you on how to document your issues and concerns

Our team and Carer Advocates are here to listen and support you through this process

Contact Emma Feagan via email:
inquiry@cfc-sa.org.au or freecall 1800 732 272

 

Key documents:

 

Key websites:

https://www.sa.gov.au/topics/care-and-support/foster-care/inquiry-into-foster-care
https://www.childprotection.sa.gov.au/carers/carer-news/update-independent-inquiry-into-foster-and-kinship-care

 

Carer mental health and wellbeing during the Independent Inquiry
Sean Lappin, Managing Director of Connected Self held a dedicated self-care session for Foster & Kinship Carers on Friday 8th April

If you would like to chat about your concerns and feelings that may be emerging as a result of participating in, or considering participating in, the Inquiry into Foster & Kinship Care, please contact our Carer Advocacy team on freecall 1800 732 272 or email:
support@cfc-sa.org.au

 

Information Sessions for Group Submissions:
Contribute your ideas, issues and concerns for group submissions CF&KC-SA is writing for the Inquiry. To register, click on your preferred topic(s) from the list below:

  • Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) - was held on 10th March
  • Care Concerns - was held on 17th March
  • Carer Payments - was held on 24th March
  • Meaningful consultation in decision making - was held 31st March
  • Therapeutic Supports - was held on 7th April
  • Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Carers - was held on Monday 11th April
  • Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Carers - was held on Tuesday 12th April
  • Discussion on existing complaints mechanisms within the DCP - was held on Wednesday 13th
  • Non-Aboriginal Carers of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander children & young people - was held on Thursday 14th April

 

 

 

Monday 2nd May 2022:

Sharing a statement from The Hon. Katrine Hildyard MP regarding the Inquiry into Foster & Kinship Care - click here to read

 

Friday 29th April 2022:

We have now received confirmation the Inquiry will accept recorded submissions.

We previously asked the Inquiry if recorded submissions would be an option for Carers to provide their input and we have received confirmation that this format will be accepted by the Inquiry.

Carers are welcome to record their submission (I.e. via smartphone) and send the recording via email to carer.submissions@sa.gov.au

Please note, the submission deadline was recently extended, with the end date now Tuesday 17 May 2022.

 

Thursday 28th April 2022:

We have just received notification this morning from the Independent Inquiry team that they have extended the timeframe for submissions to 17th May 2022

We are waiting on a response from The Hon. Katrine Hildyard MP, Minister for Child Protection to our letter on 28th March regarding our urgent concerns about the Inquiry. We will update this page once a response has been received.

 

Thursday 14th April 2022:

CF&KC-SA CEO, Fiona Endacott, wrote to The Hon. Katrine Hildyard MP, Minister for Child Protection, on 28th March outlining our urgent concerns regarding the Independent Inquiry into Foster & Kinship Care

Click here to read our letter

We will update once we have received a response

 

Tuesday 5th April 2022:

The independent Inquiry government website was updated on 29th March with Terms of Reference and Submission Guidelines for Carers - click here to access

 

Thursday 10th March 2022:

Ombudsman cases and Inquiry submissions

It recently came to our attention that Carers who had previously engaged with the Ombudsman were now restricted or denied the opportunity to share their case as part of an Inquiry submission. The rationale provided by the Ombudsman was their matter was deemed confidential therefore could not be shared.

On Tuesday 8 March 2022 CF&KC-SA wrote to the Ombudsman to raise this issue and advocate for Carers to be provided permission to share their case, in order to have their voice heard as part of their Inquiry submission.

The Ombudsman carefully considered our request and advised CF&KC-SA today that "The Ombudsman assessment outcomes may be relevant to the Inquiry, which should be well positioned to sensitively handle any information provided to it".

The Ombudsman has authorised CF&KC-SA to advise Carers who have previously complained to his office that:

  • they are authorised, pursuant to section 29A(3)(a) of the Ombudsman Act 1972, to discuss (and disclose as necessary) the Ombudsman assessment outcomes on a confidential basis for the limited purpose of making submissions to the Inquiry
  • this authorisation is subject to the condition that names of all individuals included in the Ombudsman's correspondence are redacted from that correspondence before it is provided to the Inquiry.

Please note: Carers who wish to disclose Ombudsman assessments on any basis other than that outlined above, must contact the Ombudsman office directly to seek an authorisation before doing so. CF&KC-SA has been advised that any disclosure other than in accordance with the Ombudsman authorisation listed above, is a criminal offence.

If you have any further questions please contact CF&KC-SA on 1800 732 272 to speak with one of our team.

 

Tuesday 8th March 2022:

Carer Inquiry Group Submissions - invitation to share your Carer voice

We would like to hear from Carers on a range of specific topics that will inform part of group submissions CF&KC-SA is writing for the Inquiry. These topics have been chosen based on our annual survey results and in consultation with our Carer Advocacy team who have identified the "top" priority areas they hear from Carers.

We will be offering a series of Zoom sessions to discuss your issues, concerns and ideas. To register, click on your preferred topic(s) from the list below:

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) 
Thursday 10th March 2022, 10.00-11.00am

Care Concerns 
Thursday 17th March 2022, 10.00-11.00am

Carer payments 
Thursday 24th March 2022, 10.00-11.00am

Meaningful consultation in decision making
Thursday 31st March 2022, 10.00-11.00am

Therapeutic Supports
Thursday 7th April 2022, 10.00-11.00am

We are also planning sessions with Aboriginal Carers and non-Aboriginal Carers of children & young people - dates TBA

The sessions will be co-facilitated by Foster Carer Nikki Mortier, Emma Feagan & Jacqui Nevin from the CF&KC-SA team.

The information we collect will not disclose any Carer personal details - your personal information will remain confidential.

If you are unable to attend one of the day Zoom sessions and would like an evening session please contact Emma and we will do our best to organise an evening session.  Alternatively if you would like to submit information on a relevant topic and you cannot attend the Zoom please email Emma and we will include your feedback in the group submission.

Email - inquiry@cfc-sa.org.au
Freecall - 1800 732 272

 

Friday 4th March 2022:

Carer Inquiry Group Submission - invitation to share your voice

We would like to hear from Carers on a range of specific topics that will inform part of a group submission CF&KC-SA is writing for the Inquiry.

We will be offering a series of Zoom sessions to discuss your issues, concerns and ideas. The first topic will be an opportunity to discuss your experiences caring for children and young people with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD):

Thursday 10th March 2022
10.00-11.00am
via Zoom

Click here to register via EventBrite

The session will be co-facilitated by Foster Carer, Nikki Mortier (experienced caring for children with FASD), Emma Feagan & Jacqui Nevin from the CF&KC-SA team.

The information we collect will not disclose any Carer personal details - your personal information will remain confidential.

If you are unable to attend one of the day Zoom sessions and would like an evening session please contact Emma and we will do our best to organise an evening session.  Alternatively if you would like to submit information on a relevant topic and you cannot attend the Zoom please email Emma and we will include your feedback in the group submission.

Email - inquiry@cfc-sa.org.au
Freecall - 1800 732 272

 

Wednesday 2nd March 2022:

*New* Carer Guide on Legal Rights & Risks

The CF&KC-SA team has developed a new Carer Guide to assist Foster and Kinship Carers understand their legal rights – and, importantly, their legal risks - when participating in the Independent Inquiry into Foster & Kinship Care

Click here to view the Carer Guide on Legal Rights & Risks

If you have any questions regarding your legal rights, contact our team on freecall 1800 732 272 to speak with our Legal Consultant, Jacquie Nevin or email: inquiry@cfc-sa.org.au

 

*Updated* Inquiry Frequently Asked Questions Carer Guide

The Inquiry FAQ Carer Guide has been updated to include the following information:

Can I make an anonymous submission?
We have confirmed with the Inquiry that it is possible to make an anonymous submission if you wish. In order to maintain your anonymity, once you have completed your submission, you can email it to our inbox: inquiry@cfc-sa.org.au
We will then email your submission to the Inquiry on your behalf.

Does mandated reporting apply to submissions?
Yes. Under the CYPS Act, we are required to report suspicion, on reasonable grounds, that a child or young person may be at risk. Before you share your submissions with us, we encourage you to carefully think about what and how you include certain information in your submissions with the following mandatory reporting requirements in mind:

  • Under section 31(1) of the CYPS Act, a person must make a report if the person suspects on reasonable grounds that a child or young person is, or may be, at risk; and that suspicion was formed in the course of the person’s employment.
  • However, under section 31(2), a person need not report a suspicion… if the person believes on reasonable grounds that another person has reported the matter…

More specifically, 31(2) means that if we have reasonable grounds to believe that DCP or your support agency is already aware of all the information that forms the basis of our suspicions, we do not need to make a report.

Click here to view the Inquiry FAQ Carer Guide

 

*New* Sample Submission Template for Carer Payments

The CF&KC-SA team has developed a sample template for Carers wishing to lodge a submission on the issue of Carer Payments.

Click here to view the Sample Carer Payments Submission Template

Should you wish to discuss your ideas for a submission, please contact Emma on freecall 1800 732 272 or email: inquiry@cfc-sa.org.au

 

Tuesday 1st March 2022:

Inquiry Team responses to CF&KC-SA Questions

CF&KC-SA submitted the following questions to the Inquiry Team who have responded as follows:

1. When will a submission template be available on the Inquiry website?  
The Inquiry is completing this template and it will be available as soon as possible. The website will be updated when it is available.

2. When will a phone number and PO Box be made available on the Inquiry website?  
The Inquiry does not have a phone number or post box at this time. When this changes, this information will be made available on the website.

3. When will the details about confidentiality & anonymity of submissions be provided on the Inquiry website?  
Information has been drafted and once the Inquiry has obtained legal advice this information will be available.

4. Will you be accepting oral (including face to face) / recorded / transcribed submissions? (Many Carers are time poor and this option will assist in the Inquiry receiving submissions)  
The Inquiry is considering a range of options for taking submissions and will make information available on these options as they become available.

5. Will you provide an autoreply/receipt of submission email when the Inquiry receives a submission?  
Auto replies noting the receipt of submissions are in place.

6. Does the Inquiry now have DCP staff on the team?
As previously advised no DCP staff are on the Inquiry team.

7. Where will submissions be stored after the Inquiry? 
Some Carers are holding off sending their submissions until information regarding confidentially is made public by the Inquiry.  
The Inquiry is seeking further legal advice on this matter. Storage will be in accordance with legal requirements.

8. Can DCP and Foster Care agencies access submissions after the Inquiry?  
Submissions are not able to be accessed by anyone outside the Inquiry team and will not be released after the Inquiry.

 

Friday 25th February 2022:

Click here to access the sample template developed by the CF&KC-SA team, which you can use as a guide for your submission.

You may choose to construct your submission in a different way, for example as a written letter, an email, a table. Feel free to contact the CF&KC-SA team to chat about what might work best for you.

We are hoping to provide additional templates shortly.

 

Friday 18th February 2022:

Click here to view the Updated Inquiry FAQ Carer Guide
Please note: new information published in this Carer Guide will have pink headings

New information includes:

  • How can I be involved in this Inquiry?
  • Is there a submission template to guide me?
  • How many words should my submission be?
  • Can I make a submission orally?
  • Do I need to consider any legal matters?
  • Where can I get help?

This guide is intended to help Foster and Kinship Carers understand the Independent Inquiry into Foster and Kinship Care, and how Carers can be part of the process.

 

Monday 14th February 2022:

The next Information Session by Mark Parnell (Civics Educator and retired parliamentarian) on "What is an Inquiry" will be held in the evening on:  Monday 21st February 2022, 7.00-8.00pm via Zoom

Mark has kindly donated his time to develop these sessions to help Carers understand:

  • what an Inquiry is
  • the process of an Inquiry
  • how it will work
  • how to make an effective submission

Click here to register

Please note if you missed the session last week, the same content will be covered

 

Friday 11th February 2022: 

CF&KC-SA is aware that many Carers have questions about the Inquiry into Foster and Kinship Care.  That is why we have put together a group of existing employees and new volunteers to help you better understand the Inquiry and assist with the submissions process if you wish to take part.

For all questions about the Inquiry, the following staff and volunteers are here to help you:

  • Emma Feagan (Project Officer)
  • Jacquie Nevin (Legal Consultant)
  • Natalie Baron (Administration and Events Coordinator)
  • Niamh Keller (Legal Volunteer)
  • Anita Chaplin (Legal Volunteer)
CF&KC-SA’s Inquiry team is dedicated to helping Carers navigate the Inquiry and submission process by:
- responding to emails and phone calls via our support line 
- booking appointments (virtually and face-to-face) with Carers

- assisting Carers to draft, develop and edit submissions before the due date on 7 May 2022

We highly encourage Carers to contact us for help with submissions as soon as possible.

During the inquiry, Emma will be your main point of contact. You can email Emma using our dedicated inquiry email address:
inquiry@cfc-sa.org.au or phone us on freecall 1800 732 272

A reminder there are two main government websites dedicated to the Inquiry. We recommended checking each website regularly to keep abreast with any new information that may be shared:

You can also contact the official Inquiry team with any questions, which includes Dr Fiona Arney (Lead Inquirer), and other staff, by emailing carer.inquiry@sa.gov.au

 

Tuesday 8th February 2022: Today we held the first of our planned Information Sessions on "what is an inquiry" with Mark Parnell (Civics Educator) which included information on what an Inquiry is, how it will work and how to make an effective submission. We are currently organising another of these sessions (to be held in the evening) and will update this page once the date has been finalised.

Should you have any questions please contact our team on freecall 1800 732 272 or email: support@cfc-sa.org.au

 

Friday 4th February 2022: CF&KC-SA received confirmation this afternoon the Inquiry submissions process will begin next Tuesday 8th February until Tuesday 3rd May 2022.

Earlier this week it was confirmed by the Inquiry Team that the submission process would initially run until 30th March 2022, a period of only 7 weeks. We expressed our deep concern regarding the brevity of this timeframe and requested an extension to ensure Carers are afforded the time and support required to develop high quality, succinct submissions. We are pleased to hear our feedback, along with the feedback with others, was taken into consideration and the updated timeframe reflects a decent extension.

A reminder, we still have tickets to the "what is an Inquiry?" information session next Tuesday 8th February, hosted by Mark Parnell. Tickets are available here

If you haven't had a chance to view our Inquiry FAQ Carer Guide - click here to view it

This guide is based on questions supplied by Carers contacting CF&KC-SA and will be regularly updated as further information comes to light. If Carers have additional questions that are not covered within the FAQ guide, please contact us on 1800 732 272 or at:
support@cfc-sa.org.au

 


Tuesday 1st February 2022: CF&KC-SA wrote to Premier Marshall on the 6th January 2022 advising that Carers need an Inquiry they can be confident in - click here to see a copy of our letter. We alerted The Premier to these concerns about independence and requested he addressed the issue as a matter of priority.  After avidly pursuing a response, we received a letter on 28th January 2022 from Minister Sanderson on behalf of The Premier. A copy of this letter is available here. If Carers have concerns regarding independence that have not been addressed, please contact us.

Based on feedback and questions supplied by Carers contacting CF&KC-SA we have developed an Inquiry Frequently Asked Questions Carer Guide. This guide will be regularly reviewed and added to as further information comes to light.

If Carers have additional questions that are not covered within the FAQ guide, please contact us on 1800 732 272 or at support@cfc-sa.org.au

 

Monday 31st January 2022: we are thrilled to offer Carers the opportunity to register and attend a series of information sessions regarding "What is an Inquiry?" presented by Mark Parnell, Civics Educator and retired parliamentarian. These sessions have been developed by Mark specifically for the SA Foster & Kinship Carer community to ensure people are empowered to understand the process of an Inquiry. We have arranged for additional sessions to run with the same content, so please do not be worried if you have missed the first session. Further information will be emailed this week to all members and individuals who signed up for the Inquiry mailing list.

Please find the eventbrite link to the first session here

 

Tuesday 18th January 2022: last week CF&KC-SA sent correspondence to the Premier's office requesting clarity regarding the independence of the appointment of Inquirer Dr Fiona Arney. Within our letter we asked for clarity on specifc concerns raised by the Carer community including questions pertaining to co-authorship on research and funding supplied by the Government for research. To date CF&KC-SA has not received a response from the Premier's office. We have persisted in contacting the Premier for a response to no avail.

Our CEO Fiona Endacott, Board Chair Megan Hender and Legal Consultant Jacquie Nevin met Dr Arney last week to confirm the need for independence in the Inquiry, ensuring the submission process is treated with the highest level of confidentiality. The need for anonymity in the submission process is paramount to ensure Carers feel confident and safe to share their experiences with the Inquiry team.

CF&KC-SA is pursuing conversations with the Minister with regard to the provision of adequate support for the Carer community iduring the Inquiry. We want to ensure the submission process is easy to understand and Carers can access support to develop their submissions confidently and concisely.

We are awaiting further information regarding the composition of the Inquiry team as we have been advised it is still in its estalblishment phase.

 

Thursday 6th January 2022: CF&KC-SA is aware some members have expressed their concern regarding the recent appointment of Dr Fiona Arney as Inquirer on 23rd December 2021.

In response to these Carer concerns, The Hon. John Darley MLC convened a meeting with Dr Arney to discuss the Inquiry on 30th December 2021. The meeting was attended by two representatives from our organisation, two representatives from The Carer Project, Ms Belinda Valentine and Mr Ted Lee (a member of Mr Darley’s staff). Dr Arney submitted herself to be questioned by all those present.

Our organisation came away from the meeting with confidence in the skills, knowledge and experience of Dr Arney. Since this meeting, additional questions have been raised by some Carers regarding independency of the appointment.  As a result, we contacted the Premier today to seek additional clarity regarding these concerns. We will update members as a priority when a response is received from the Premier's office.

We are committed to ensuring all South Australian Foster & Kinship Carers have faith in the Inquiry and they can trust the process is run independent from the Department for Child Protection. We have called for these concerns to be heard, respected, resolved and responded to by government at the earliest opportunity, and for this to occur before the Inquiry is formally underway.

 

Thursday 23rd December 2021: Today CF&KC-SA received confirmation from Minister Sanderson that Dr Fiona Arney, former Director of the Australian Centre for Child Protection, has been appointed as the independent reviewer to lead the inquiry into foster and kinship care.

Minister Sanderson stated "Dr Arney has considerable experience as an independent expert advisory role and is well placed to conduct the inquiry. She has significant national and international experience in child protection spanning two decades and has served on multiple royal commissions and independent oversight bodies".

The Minister informed that the inquiry will commence on 8th January 2022.

Further details about the process for submissions will be available in the new year.

 

Monday 20th December 2021: The Inquiry Bill was assented by the Governor for South Australia on Thursday 9th December 2021, meaning it is now legislation. The Inquiry will commence one month after this date, as the 9th January 2022.  The Inquiry must be completed within six months of the Bill becoming an Act, being the 9th June 2022. Foster & Kinship Carers will be provided the opportunity to provide "submissions" during this time frame.

The legislation states the Inquiry must be conducted by a person who is independent of the Department for Child Protection and not involved in the administration, operation or enforcement of the Act.

CF&KC-SA communicated today with Government members the need for the Inquiry to be viewed as independent by the public and the person appointed to the role of Inquirer must also be independent.

We anticipate the Inquirer will be appointed within the week.

For further information please register for the Carer Inquiry mailing list below.

 

Thursday 16th December 2021: The 1st December 2021 saw the Children and Young People (Safety) Inquiry into Foster & Kinship Care Bill accepted in the Lower House - a monumental achievement spearheaded by The Carer Project. This Inquiry is slated to begin in early 2022, with Carer input sought by way of submissions. This is a crucial opportunity for the Carer voice to be heard and inform legislative reform.

At the invitation of the Hon John Darley MP, The Carer Project and Connecting Foster and Kinship Carers SA recently met at Parliament House to discuss a range of strategies to ensure the Carer voice is thoroughly documented in a safe, confidential and consistent manner throughout the Inquiry in 2022.

Our meeting was expertly facilitated by Belinda Valentine to ensure all South Australian Foster & Kinship Carers are informed and supported throughout the process.

We are looking forward to working with The Carer Project and the SA Foster & Kinship Carer community to ensure the Independent Inquiry yields outcomes that will guide the October 2022 full Legislative Review of the Children and Young People (Safety) Act.

We will keep you up-to-date as more information comes to hand.

To register your interest for further information contact The Carer Project or CF&KC-SA:

freecall 1800 732 272
or via email: support@cfc-sa.org.au

Join the Carer Inquiry mailing list

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