Published Tuesday, 05 June, 2007 at 03:32 PM
Minister for Child Safety
The Honourable Desley Boyle
Child Safety budget to extend the reach of child protection services into the regions
Capital funding of more than $36 million in the Department of Child Safety Budget includes spending to extend the reach of child protection services and strengthen their presence in regional and remote communities.
Child Safety Minister Desley Boyle said the Department of Child Safety received an extra $6.7 million for capital works in 2007-08, bringing the total to $36.4 million.
“The Department of Child Safety has almost completed the largest office accommodation program in the history of child protection in Queensland,” Ms Boyle said.
“This Budget will see that work of building and expanding offices continue to cater for our increased workforce, which has grown by 85 per cent since the new Department started.
“We’ll also be investing in communities that previously did not have direct access to child protection workers, which will help make responses to child safety concerns quicker and more effective,” Ms Boyle said.
“We’ll be improving services in Indigenous communities by building accommodation there for staff and residential “safe houses” for Indigenous children, reducing the need for them to leave their home communities.
“There’s also funding for more new offices to cater for growth and residential care houses to provide more placement options for children with complex or extreme needs in key locations across the State.
Capital funding highlights in Child Safety’s 2007-08 budget include:
• $15.5 million in capital funding over four years ($7.6 million in 2007-08) to strengthen child protection services in Indigenous communities. This funding includes a First Placement House on Palm Island and residential “safe houses” in Pormpuraaw, Kowanyama, Aurukun, Weipa/Napranum and Doomadgee. Housing and office accommodation will also be established for Child Safety Officers on Cape York so they are closer to the communities they look after, rather than being based in Cairns and flying in. Child Safety Officers will deliver services from branch offices located in Weipa, to look after Aurukun and Napranum; Cooktown, covering Hope Vale and Wujal Wujal; and Thursday Island for the Northern Peninsula Area.
• $9.6 million to build or expand office accommodation to support a growing workforce across the State, including: a new Child Safety Service Centre to cover the Forest Lake/Centenary area; the completion of new centres at Woodridge, Caloundra and Nerang; the relocation of centres at Fortitude Valley and Roma and the relocation of the Cunnamulla branch office; the expansion of the Bundaberg centre; and planning for the relocation of the Rockhampton North and Thuringowa centres.
• $6.4 million to establish therapeutic residential homes in Cairns, Townsville and South-East Queensland. These will be for children with complex behaviours or mental health issues, which often arise because of the abuse they have suffered.
• $3.6 million for residential care homes to provide a wider variety of placements, for example for large sibling groups, children with extreme disabilities or highly-complex needs. These will be in Mackay and on the Gold Coast and the Darling Downs.
• $6.7 million for information technology, including an additional $3.7 million for ongoing investment in the Integrated Client Management System which gives Child Safety Officers instant access to state-wide records.
Ms Boyle said the 2007-08 Budget reflected that the Queensland Government had implemented all 110 of the Crime and Misconduct Commission’s recommendations for reform and had a solid foundation to build upon.
“The new Department of Child Safety is up and running and it is time to look at what we can do to better deliver timely, high-quality services and to support our valuable staff,” she said.
Ends
*Staff – 2280 at Dec 06, was 1217 when new Dept started in 2004
Media contact: 3224 7477
5 June 2007
Child Safety Minister Desley Boyle said the Department of Child Safety received an extra $6.7 million for capital works in 2007-08, bringing the total to $36.4 million.
“The Department of Child Safety has almost completed the largest office accommodation program in the history of child protection in Queensland,” Ms Boyle said.
“This Budget will see that work of building and expanding offices continue to cater for our increased workforce, which has grown by 85 per cent since the new Department started.
“We’ll also be investing in communities that previously did not have direct access to child protection workers, which will help make responses to child safety concerns quicker and more effective,” Ms Boyle said.
“We’ll be improving services in Indigenous communities by building accommodation there for staff and residential “safe houses” for Indigenous children, reducing the need for them to leave their home communities.
“There’s also funding for more new offices to cater for growth and residential care houses to provide more placement options for children with complex or extreme needs in key locations across the State.
Capital funding highlights in Child Safety’s 2007-08 budget include:
• $15.5 million in capital funding over four years ($7.6 million in 2007-08) to strengthen child protection services in Indigenous communities. This funding includes a First Placement House on Palm Island and residential “safe houses” in Pormpuraaw, Kowanyama, Aurukun, Weipa/Napranum and Doomadgee. Housing and office accommodation will also be established for Child Safety Officers on Cape York so they are closer to the communities they look after, rather than being based in Cairns and flying in. Child Safety Officers will deliver services from branch offices located in Weipa, to look after Aurukun and Napranum; Cooktown, covering Hope Vale and Wujal Wujal; and Thursday Island for the Northern Peninsula Area.
• $9.6 million to build or expand office accommodation to support a growing workforce across the State, including: a new Child Safety Service Centre to cover the Forest Lake/Centenary area; the completion of new centres at Woodridge, Caloundra and Nerang; the relocation of centres at Fortitude Valley and Roma and the relocation of the Cunnamulla branch office; the expansion of the Bundaberg centre; and planning for the relocation of the Rockhampton North and Thuringowa centres.
• $6.4 million to establish therapeutic residential homes in Cairns, Townsville and South-East Queensland. These will be for children with complex behaviours or mental health issues, which often arise because of the abuse they have suffered.
• $3.6 million for residential care homes to provide a wider variety of placements, for example for large sibling groups, children with extreme disabilities or highly-complex needs. These will be in Mackay and on the Gold Coast and the Darling Downs.
• $6.7 million for information technology, including an additional $3.7 million for ongoing investment in the Integrated Client Management System which gives Child Safety Officers instant access to state-wide records.
Ms Boyle said the 2007-08 Budget reflected that the Queensland Government had implemented all 110 of the Crime and Misconduct Commission’s recommendations for reform and had a solid foundation to build upon.
“The new Department of Child Safety is up and running and it is time to look at what we can do to better deliver timely, high-quality services and to support our valuable staff,” she said.
Ends
*Staff – 2280 at Dec 06, was 1217 when new Dept started in 2004
Media contact: 3224 7477
5 June 2007