Western Australia Annual Report 1983-84 wtLrAR: SF^VICES Western I.'31 \pv Australia t5 JUL 1937 1983 - 1984 , ™.403 Oxford St.,
Department for Community Welfare
Annual Report
FOR THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 1984
PRESENTED TO BOTH HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT
Photo Front Cover - Youths participating in a Departmental Camping Activity.
1 THE HON. K.J. WILSON MINISTER FOR YOUTH AND COMMUNITY SERVICES
Sir: In accordance with Section 11 of the Community Welfare Act 1972-78, I hereby submit a report on the work of the Department for Community Welfare for the year ended 30th June, 1984
K.A. MAINE DIRECTOR FOR COMMUNITY WELFARE. APPRECIATION
The thanks of the Department go to all Governmental and semi-Governmental bodies, religious and community organisations and individuals who, by their active participation or by their friendly support, have contributed in any way to the welfare of those for whom the Department has responsibility in the State of Western Australia.
3 CONTENTS
Page
APPRECIATION 3
INTRODUCTION 5
FIELD SERVICES 10 Metropolitan Field Services 10 Northern Country Field Services 15 Southern Country Field Services 22 Specialist Services 30 Adoptions 30 Adoptions — International 31 Family and Substitute Care Unit 32 Community Based Offenders Programme (inc. Children's Suspended Proceedings Panel) 33 Children's Protection Service 37 Early Childhood Service 39 Family Court Counselling and Welfare Service 42 Aboriginal Accommodation Service 43 Homemaker Service 44 Parent Help Centre 45 Student Unit 46 Emergency Services 46 Youth Activity Services 47 Hostels 48 Crisis Care Unit 49
INSTITUTIONAL SERVICES 52 Longmore Remand and Assessment Centre 53 Longmore Training Centre 54 Riverbank 55 Nyandi 56 McCall Centre 58 Koorana 60 Community Support Hostels 61
SUPPORT SERVICES 62 Financial Statement 63 Financial Statement from Auditor General 63 Maintenance and Relief Branch 65 Planning and Research Unit 67 Legal Section 68 Community Services Training Centre (Inc. Staff Selection and Training) 70 Welfare Services Library 72 Metropolitan Children's Court 72 Psychology Branch 74 Property Section 75 Catering 75 Records 75 Personnel and Staff 76 Computer Services Section 76
STATISTICS Index 77
4 INTRODUCTION
The financial year 1983/84 has been one of review and The working party was established as a result of the vital preparation for change. Most importantly the Welfare need for co-operative efforts of both the government and and Community Services Review, the Seaman Land private sectors in order to achieve an effective range of Inquiry, the Parliamentary Select Committee into supports to low income families in the community who Adoption Legislation Amendments Bill 1983. the review are at risk through financial stress. of Juvenile Justice Practices within the Department by Doctor David Thorpe, together with a government With the Working Party still to complete its task, its initiated review into the delivery of emergency financial interim deliberations have already begun to influence aid, have contributed to this very busy year for the financial assistance provisions within the State. The Department. concessional model of assistance, whereby support is provided according to set criteria rather than by In September 1983, the Hon. Minister for Community discretionary process, is but one issue to receive Welfare, Mr. Keith Wilson, instituted the establishment attention. of the Welfare and Community Services Review, the purpose of which was to review the State's welfare Whilst the above and other reviews have been in policies. progress, the dynamic aspect of a large welfare organisation has continued to be evident. Changes have The terms of reference of the Welfare and Community occured in the Department's Field Services, particularly Services Review are:— in relation to the delivery of the services. The demand for Departmental services evident over the past few 11 To study and report upon the nature and adequacy years has continued. In an effort to cope with demands of welfare policies and practices in Western Australia and to maintain available services, many Divisions have with special reference to the structure and mode of adopted a team approach with some specialisation to the operation of the Department for Community handle work flow. This has been well accepted and has Welfare services. generally proved to be a most successful approach.
2) To identify priority areas of welfare policy and A major change in direction of dealing with young service delivery and recommend appropriate offenders has been establishment of the Community measures for their development in the future (to the Based Offenders Programme, designed to promote an end of the eighties). alternative method of dealing with offenders to that of institutionalization. 3) To consider the role and functions of Government and non-government organisations in the welfare Following on from the recommendations of the field in Western Australia and recommend how their Edwards' Report on "The Treatment of Juvenile respective contributions could be enhanced. Offenders", practices relating to the admission and discharge of children from institutions are now 4) To advise the Minister of any other related matters substantially governed by two principles put forward in arising from or having relevance to the above terms the Edwards Report, namely:— of reference.
An Advisory Board to the Review consisting of twelve 1) Offenders and non-offenders should be clearly and members, chaired by Bishop Michael Challen. released completely separated and dealt with separately. in May its First Report of the Review which dealt with aspects of that term of reference dealing with the 2) The Children's Courts (and not the Department) organisational structure of the Department for should determine whether children found guilty of Community Welfare. The Final Report which will deal offences should be detained in custody. with all Terms of Reference will be presented to the Government in September 1984. and will make wide range recommendations to the Government concerning The change in practice was initiated in a move towards welfare policies and service delivery. Information has a more justice oriented model, largely based on the need been collected from nearly two and a half thousand to safeguard the rights of children against inappropriate persons, tapping a broad range of community opinion. detention.
Another major undertaking this year was the Changes in Institutional Services over the past year have establishment of a Working Party with both seen the closure of three institutions and the provision Government and voluntary sector representation, to of residential care for children by the "Community review matters relating to the administration and Support Hostels" system which now comprises seven distribution of State concessions and emergency decentralised hostels with administrative services based financial aid. at Bridgewater. 5 It has been a very difficult year for staff with the prevailed during this time. While work loads and implementation of new initiatives, and concerns over pressures have risen and we have all felt the added possible changes to services resulting from the many exposure to external examination and criticism, we have inquiries into existing policies and practices. nevertheless maintained a most positive motivation towards improvements and the desire to contribute It is to the credit of staff that in coping with the towards the teamwork that is essential, if good ideas are uncertainties of the past year, they have continued to to be turned into better programmes and services in the provide dedicated service and co-operation in future. introducing various changes and new initiatives. To all. I express my gratitude for a job well done. I also wish to compliment Departmental officers for their personal K.A. Maine contribution to the high level of morale that has Director
6 Guide to the Department
THE MINISTER FOR YOUTH AND COMMUNITY SERVICES
DIRECTOR
DEPUTY DIRECTOR
SPECIAL COMMUNITY SERVICES MAGISTRATES TRAINING CENTRE
WELFARE SERVICES LIBRARY
INTERNAL ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AUDIT ASSISTANT DIRECTOR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR SUPPORT SERVICES INSTITUTIONAL FIELD SERVICES SERVICES
SUPPORT ADMINISTRATION CHIEF OF INSTITUTIONAL SERVICES SERVICES
DEPUTY CHIEF OF INSTITUTIONAL SERVICES
CHIEF OF WELFARE CHIEF OF WELFARE SERVICES SERVICES
INSTITUTIONAL SERVICES SPECIALIST FIELD SERVICES SERVICES
7 Divisional and District Offices of The Department for Community Welfare
Key • Divisional Offices • District Offices Divisional Boundary
Metropolitan^-' \ nNarrogin Offices Bunburyy* OCollie Perth r>/ \g Midland Busselton Gnowangerup • Belmont Fremantle Mirrabooka 200 kms Rockingham CnTith^"^ Albany J Innaloo (Waneroo) 2>OUin Victoria Park (Gosnells) West Division Guide to Field Services
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FIELD SERVICES
CHIEF OF WELFARE SERVICES CHIEF OF WELFARE SERVICES DIVISIONS SPECIALIST
PRINCIPAL SOCTAL PRINCIPAL SOCIAL PRINCIPAL SOCIAL WORKER WORKER SUPERINTENDENT WORKER COUNSELLING EARLY PARENT PARENT ABORIGINAL HOSTELS AND WELFARE CHILDHOOD EDUCATION HELP ACCOM. — METRO NORTHERN SOUTHERN FAMILY COURT SERVICES AND ASSISTANCE CENTRE SERVICE I I PROJECT
INNALOO DIVISION WANNEROO MURC H1SON DIVISION GREAT SOUTHERN DIVISION
CH1LDRENS CRISIS STAFF COMMUNITY BASED - PERTH DIVISION PANEL CARE SELECTION OFFENDERS — P1I.BARA DIVISION — CENTRAL DIVISION UNIT AND TRAINING PROGRAMME
VICTORIA PARK DIVISION EAST K1MBER1.EY GOLDFTELDS CiOSNELLS DIVISION DIVISION
• SOUTH WEST •—WEST K1MBERLEY DIVISION DIVISION
MIDLAND' PRINCIPAL SOCIAL WORKER DIVISION SPECIALIST _ SERVICES
FREMANTLE DIVISION HOMEMAKERS ADOPTIONS FAMILY AND CHILDRENS AND WELFARE SUBSTITUTE PROTECTION AIDES CARE UNIT SERVICE MIRRABOOKA DIVISION
BELMONT DIVISION STUDENT INTERNATIONAL YOUTH UNIT ADOPTIONS ACTIVITIES ROCK INGHAM DIVISION MANDURAH
I— COURT OFFICER FIELD SERVICES The changing scene of welfare has probably been more It will achieve this by direct involvement of Unit marked this year than in the past 12 years since the members in planning and implementation of a range of inception of the Department. Changes have been very Community Based Programmes for offending youth. As evident in the Department's Field Services particularly well, the Unit will provide expertise and back-up support in relation to the delivery of the services. The substantial for field staff in the development of divisional increase in requests for Emergency Financial Assistance programmes. within the metropolitan area has forced a re-ordering of our service priorities at Divisional level. The sustained In general, field staff look forward to the many climate of economic difficulty has meant the challenges which will be undertaken in the forthcoming Department has had to adapt services to cope with year. increasing numbers of individuals and families requiring financial and other forms of assistance. Very substantial increases in demand have been experienced by the Department's Financial Relief Services during the past Metropolitan Field Services year and figures outlining this increase are set elsewhere in the report. Problems of family stress associated with The demand for Departmental services evident over the economic hardship and unemployment have been past few years has continued. This is particularly evident in this increased level of demand for welfare significant in the area of emergency financial relief services particularly on the basis of emergency need. where the demand has severely strained staff resources. This trend particularly in the metropolitan areas, has required field divisions to reorganise work loads and In an effort to cope with demands and to maintain restructure priorities in order to cope with these available services Divisions have adopted a team increases at the same time as dealing with existing approach. There are both similarities and variations workloads which have not reduced. Planning in order between Divisions in their team organisation reflecting to anticipate and adapt to these service demands has adaptation to local conditions and optimal resource been a high priority which has occupied considerable management. time at management level. Although some additional staffing allocations to Field Services has been achieved The additional staff available to each Division through in the past year, these staff have been rapidly absorbed, the redeployment of group workers has enabled a focus and work pressures on staff have not been substantially on dealing with offenders and emphasis on family modified, given the continued upward trend in demand support functions to be strengthened and integrated with for welfare services. the team approach.
The year has also been one of review and anticipation. Maintaining field staff establishment numbers has Most importantly the Welfare and Community Services continued to be difficult however this has been alleviated Review, the Seaman Land Inquiry, the Parliamentary to some extent with the availability of staff via relief Select Committee into Adoption Legislation and training pools. There has been significant use of Amendments Bill 1983, the review of Juvenile Justice temporary relief staff during the year which at one time Practices within the Department by Doctor David was as high as 20% of metropolitan field staff Thorpe, together with a number of other planning establishment. initiatives in the child care field have had an important impact on the welfare scene. Because of the influence Office accommodation has posed problems for some which these various inquiry and review bodies hold and Divisions exacerbating effective service delivery the impact their recommendations are likely to have on difficulties. structures and programmes for services provided by the Department, it is understandable that a climate of In view of the increasing demands for service, quite uncertainty and anticipation has developed amongst the often in difficult circumstances, the efforts of various groups and levels of field staff during the last metropolitan Field Staff and Supervisors is commended. year. Confirmation of future direction and tasks will be important in resolving current uncertainties and the The activities of the eight Metropolitian Divisions are effects they have on staff confidence and morale. summarised below:
Redeployed staff and other resources from the Department's Institutional Services resulting from the Perth Division closure of Hillston and Bridgewater have assisted in providing extra field-based services both to strengthen Over the latter part of the last year a response to the existing services and to develop community-based client needs of this Division has resulted in the formation substitute programmes for offenders. As an example the of staff interest groups/teams. The team approach has Community Based Offenders Programme was meant a spread of responsibility and consequently established in 1983. This programme is designed to knowledge in particularly important areas of service promote alternative methods for dealing with young delivery, and has resulted in more innovative approaches offenders to that of institutionalisation. to particular problems. 10 The substitute care team has been very active in devising a generic approach, resources have been reallocated to new strategies for recruitment of foster parents, and has more specific functions. A team of workers has been established contact with a wide variety of non• created to deal with intake work, crisis intervention and government agencies and community groups. So far this short-term casework. Another team now specializes in has not led to a significant increase in the number of long-term case work, primarily in the statutory area. recruited foster parents in the greatest area of need — Greater individual attention has also been given to the i.e. teenagers. However, one of the benefits of this areas of juvenile deviance and justice, substitute care activity has been the increasing number of requests and of children and community development. thereby opportunities to discuss the Department's general role in the community as well as the specific role Statutory responsibilities for the Division continued to of fostering. rise with some 1,450 children appearing before the Children's Court and 612 before the Children's The Division's services to refugees and migrants is now (Suspended Proceedings) Panel. This represents a total in greater demand than ever before and new strategies 11 % increase over the previous year. There were 6,518 to try to cope with this have been adopted. A team Emergency Monetary Assistance payments made by the approach has again proved beneficial. The aim has been Division representing an increase of 189%. to identify resources and liaise closely with other agencies involved in service delivery to refugee/migrant The emphasis upon specialised intake service has groups. This has resulted in closer working relationships provided a more rapid and effective response to families with these agencies and in particular with the and children in need. Concentrated intervention has Department for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs. lessened the number of actions the Division brings before the Courts to protect children. This approach has Consequently special meetings involving appropriate greatly strengthened the preventive aspects of the Departments have been arranged to resolve difficult Division's work. problems relating to income support, determination of real ages and health of refugee children. A Refugee In the casework area, parents and where applicable, Settlement Forum is now being organized by the foster parents, have been increasingly encouraged to Department for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs participate in the regular review of cases. The new resulting from an initiative of the Divisional team. Divisional structure has indicated a reduction in the need for substitute placements for children. Where The information of an administration team has made substitute care for children has been required, the a noticeable difference to the smoother operation of recruitment and training of foster parents has been quite office systems. adequate for pre-teen children. Substitute placements for older children however have been difficult to obtain. The Homemakers and Welfare Assistants continue to provide an important back up support service, highly The Division has strengthened its role in community valued by the field staff. development over the year. This has been achieved by working closely with a wide range of agencies and An area of increasing importance particularly in the city assisting in the formation of local welfare groups. The is that of homeless/"street kids". A youth team has been Division is also involved in projects on a partnership formed to look at methods of increasing the effectiveness basis. Examples of these are the Karawara development of service delivery to these young people. This has project and the Street Worker project at Langford. The resulted in closer liaison with other agencies involved Division's own neighbourhood centre at Gosnells has in service delivery to youth. In particular it has resulted become increasingly popular and participants have been in closer contact with a streetwork programme operating encouraged to both plan and run activities. The in the inner city area. This Division has become the establishment of similar centres is under consideration. major Departmental contact and support for the streetworkers which has proved to be mutually Innaloo Division beneficial. The team concept at Innaloo has been operative for Because of an increasing demand for help with parent 12/2 months. This has given the Division the child conflict and in particular parent-teenage child opportunity to evaluate its effectiveness in terms of conflict, in-service training over the past year has been service delivery to the client and utilisation of staff concentrated mainly in this area. The pairing of field resources. It was evident that the team system depended officers with the Divisional Psychologist for joint upon full staffing of the Division at all times and the interview/counselling sessions with families had shown early difficulties in this regard have been overcome with encouraging results both for the families concerned and the deployment of the relieving Family Welfare Officers. for the staff. Further training is planned for this area of special need. The Divisional Staff were formed into teams with specific responsibilities. The teams comprised an intake Victoria Park Division team and two casework teams, one based at Innaloo and the other at the Wanneroo Sub-office. Over the \ear a number of initiatives have been taken to increase the quality of professional practice. Where The intake team has been responsible for all initial in the past the staff structure was based essentially on contact and provision of intense short-term intervention.
1 1 The casework teams were responsible for the Staff changes have been frequent with a number of management of all statutory and ongoing cases. experienced staff (including the Supervisor) being seconded to work in other sections of the Department, This specialisation has enabled the Division to improve or resigning. Three new field officers including two its service delivery to clients and has provided collegia! former institutional staff, have joined the Division on support within individual teams. a permanent basis, while other vacancies have been filled by temporary relieving staff. The team concept in various forms, has spread to other Divisions with which highlights its versatility and A most successful venture during the year was the acceptance as a "modus operandi" for improved service provision of a series of day activities for mothers and delivery. children during the Christmas and May school holidays.
The Divisional Group Home commenced operation in Thus the past year has been one of re-evalution and October 1983 and has generally maintained a full review on a local level stimulated by and reflecting in compliment of residents since that time. It has provided part, the work of the Community Services Review. a valuable resource to this Division having catered for accommodation on a short-term basis for adolescent Belmont Division children. The increasing demand for emergency financial In the latter part of 1983. modifications to the assistance and counselling has continued to put pressure Wanneroo Sub-office were completed. It now provides on Divisional resources throughout the past year. As excellent office accommodation for staff and has was reported last year, two staff members have regularly facilities to cater for Children's Panel and conferences. attended all meetings of the South East Region Emergency Relief Committee in an endeavour to respond more effectively to this problem. One of these Officers also attended the Financial Counsellors Mirrabooka Division Conference in Melbourne during March 1984.
The 1983-84 year has been one marked by a variety of The needs of adolescents and children in substitute care changes within the Division. however, continues to be the main focus of work in the Division. In December an additional staff member was The most significant of these changes has been the provided to specialise in the area of youth. The role of implementation of the team approach in working with this staff member, is to balance the Department's clients. Following intensive review of staff workloads, responsibilities in working with offenders and identifying the introduction of new Departmental policy regarding community resources for youth in general. young offenders, and a greater emphasis on providing family supports at the appropriate time, there emerged The increase in parent/tennage conflict has also been in March three teams focusing on long term case-work, addressed by Divisioal staff. The Substitute Care Officer intake work and work with young offenders. The aim has been actively promoting the fostering of teenage of the change was to provide a more effective purposeful children with a fiar degree of success. This has been service and avoid the pitfalls of welfare drift. It is too encouraging, considering that such conflict frequently early to evaluate the effect of this change but one produces mixed results at best. noticeable outcome has been the enthusiasm generated in field staff by these changes and an accompanying The Homemaker service has continued to consolidate commitment to ensure the new structure works to its support function within the Division in the areas of improve the service provided. short-term case work and group activities. In addtion. the service has been extended to include contracting of While the numbers of children statutorily in care, under Homemakers to non-Departmental agencies to provide control or on probation have remained similar to community support. previous years, there has been an increased demand for financial assistance from families on low incomes. This The Queen's Park Youth Group continues to function latter support topped 2,000 in the first quarter for 1984. and some 20 children attend twice weekly. The Division A new initiative has been undertaken in providing has actively participated in the Department's Port assistance in this area by developing a specific Kennedy Camping Programme, with some 50 children programme of financial counselling operated by some obtaining a holiday during the past 12 months. of the Division's Homemakers. Futhermore. a touring camp to Kalgoorlie was conducted by Divisional staff during the May school The additional responsibility during the past year of holidays. Approximately 20 children were involved and dealing with applications for subsidies under the Utility the tour proved both interesting and educational. Consumption Subsidies Scheme, resulted in an extra staff member being provided for the Branch. On average Divisional staff have maintained their commitment to there has been a total of 3.000 people visiting the office training and development of skills with three full day during each quarter of the past year and reception staff seminars on matters directly related to their work e.g.. are to be commended for the way in which they coped redefining and structuring Divisional resources, financial under difficult circumstances. counselling and parent/teenage conflict. 12 Fremantle Division Clients of the Division are serviced b\n Field Officers and two part-time Psychologists. The Divison 1983-84 has been a year of re-appraisal of service was recently allocated a Substitute Care Officer position. delivery of Fremantle culminating in a teamwork approach which has the potential to enable a more The Rockingham Office is centrally located and within economic, efficient and specialised service. close proximity to the Commonwealth Employment Service and the Department for Social Security. This Divisional staff have been divided into three teams is of benefit to clients and staff alike. representing the functional areas of:— Last year also saw the opening of the Mandurah Sub- 1) Juvenile Justice Office in Pinjarra Road. It currently operates two days per week and services are to be extended in the near 2) Statutory child services, and future. Two Rockingham Field Officers, a Homemaker and two Welfare Assistants provide services to the 3) Preventive family and community services which Mandurah and Pinjarra areas. comprise the Department's mandate. The Rockingham Division has witnessed a marked Each team is working upon developing their particular increase in the provision of non-continuous financial strategic goals. assistance and it is anticipated that this trend will continue as the area is severely economically depressed. For the juvenile justice team these include providing appropriate information to parents and children prior The Division was instrumental in assisting with the to Court and implementing meaningful offender establishment of Chesterfield House, a homeless youth programmes with an emphasis on maintaining children shelter, in conjunction with the Shire of Rockingham within the community. The team is soon to begin Child and Youth Care Trust. Chesterfield House is probation classes for children on probation. staffed by a Social Worker, a caretaker and voluntary- workers. A welfare officer was recently appointed under The casework team has developed a system of collegial the Community Employment Programme. This youth case reviews to ensure that children do not drift into shelter has proven to be a valuable resource for local limbo situations. Wherever practicable and appropriate, youth as well as those other areas. The shelter's statistics the goal of the Division is to maintain children with their indicate that 60% of referrals come from Government parents to return them to their parents care. agencies.
The support services team encompass the dual roles of The Family Activity Centre in Ridley Way, Medina is assisting individual families on a supportive basis as well very popular with local residents, and is well attended. as liaising with community groups to help address the The Centre is staffed by Departmental Homemakers and need for welfare services within the community. Child Care Workers. Similarly the Aboriginal Cultural Presently a community profile for the Shire of Cockburn Centre in Medina is well attended, and is staffed by two is being developed to assess the welfare needs of that Aboriginal Homemakers. employed by the Department. area and determine how the Division can assist in Their services are being increasingly sought by Kwinana meeting those needs. residents. The Centre provides a kindergarten for pre• schoolers, a tutor for local students, and a variety of The high demand for financial relief has been of activities including sporting clubs. increasing concern because the human resources of the Division have been expended in this area thus affecting May 1983 saw the establishment of a neighbourhood the quality of casework service. The distribution of centre in Pinjarra. The Division currently has the use financial relief has increased 1000% since 1980 and is of the centre two days per week. The majority of the rapidly increasing. women attending are not originally from the area and are separated from their extended families. In an attempt to deal with this problem, the Division implemented a pilot financial counselling scheme, however it is apparent that the majority of people do not have sufficient disposable income rather than a lack of budgeting skills. Midland Division
The Division has recently employed peer group leaders The past year has been one of significant change for under the supervision of a Social Worker to work with the Midland Division. New staff have joined and a isolated youth particularly in the Mosman Park area. number have moved on to other positions within the Department. An exciting aspect of our work has been the recognition that a change in the previous work approach was necessary in order to provide a more Rockingham Division efficient and effective service to the public. Divisional staff were involved in a programme of developing The Rockingham Division encompasses a wide strategies to improve service delivery. The result has geographic area which includes Kwinana. Rockingham. been the establishment of three teams, to deal with the Mandurah and Pinjarra. areas of crisis, casework, and juvenile offenders. The Crisis team is responsible for all initial contact and placed with them. Regular child progress reviews are the provision of intensive short-term intervention. The held as a focus for planning for children in substitute team provides a consistent duty service to the public and care and foster parents are encouraged to take an active is aware of existing resources to meet particular needs. part in these reviews.
The Casework team maintains active involvement in the The Division is also very mindful of the need for long-term statutory and preventive cases. The Juvenile appropriate recruitment and meaningful assessment of Offenders team is responsible for all children who have foster parents. To this end, a series of information offended and have subsequently been placed on court evenings are currently underway to inform and orders. Both teams meet separately once per week. encourage prospective foster parents and aid staff in assessment. An area of concern to this Division is the Skills sharing and shared decision making is a feature lack of appropriate foster placements for pre-teen and of the teams. It is envisaged that preventive programmes teenager children, especially if these children have will be developed as teams being to identify areas of need behaviour problems. It is hoped that we can raise local in the Division. community awareness of this special need and recruit suitable foster parents by careful selection and Court assessment: this will be an important goal for the Substitute Care Officer in the coming year. The Midland Division moved into new premises in July. 1983. These premises also house the new Midland Children's Court. Access to Children's Court records, Community Development for those charged overnight are immediately available The Community Development Officer assists a wide due to the Court being in the same building as the range of community groups throughout the Division in Departmental office. their funding, organisation and co-ordination with other groups. The offenders listed for hearing in Midland Children's Court has shown a considerable rise to the previous The officer works on certain committees whose services years. in specialised fields reaches large sections of the Community. These include the Community Youth The figures for 1983/84 are 2556 as opposed to 1543 Support Scheme for young unemployed; Swan Caring, the previous year. Of this figure 1782 are criminal which provides services to the elderly and sick at home offences and 777 are traffic. and the Midland Counselling Service.
On the Children's (Suspended Proceedings) Panel area The Swan Emergency Accommodation Committee there have been 288 cases heard as against 276 in the works in close liaison with the Division providing for year previous. homeless youth and families. Homemaking During the year 131 young people were accommodated In the past year the Homemaking Service in Midland at the Junction refuge. A part-time Youth Worker, Division has undergone a review of its services leading employed by the committee assisted many of these to a broader community focus on one hand and a more young people into housing and employment. task centred approach when dealing with the Department's traditional clients on the other. The latter The family refuge has been used by 110 persons since change has evolved around a contract system whereby its inception in March. 1983. The Department provides the client identifies goals and then meets with the Field a Homemaker to work with these families in budgeting Officer and Homemaker to disucss, then adopt a and establishing them in normal housing. tripartite contract using their own and the Department's skills and resources to meet the goals. The lastest initiative is a low cost food centre for pensioners and unemployed. The Swan Food Centre in This approach has led to rapid and more satisfactory Midland provides a range of food items and is staffed resolution of problems with a heightened sense of by volunteers and three unemployed persons receiving purpose and achievement for all those taking part. training under the Commonwealth Employment Programme. Community homemaking has been expanded at the "No. 12" centre with the provision of a broad array of The Centre was established through the co-operation interest groups from crochet to women's sexuality to of many voluntary agencies, local government and the playgroups to yoga. Increasingly the centre is responding Department. It is associated with the Second Harvest to outside agency referrals and currently we are seeking Organisation of Western Australia. a larger and more centrally located accommodation to meet community demands.
Substitute Care Cullacabardee Village A very gratifying element of working with foster parents The Cullacabardee Village has now been open for in this Division has been their enthusiasm which has almost four years. In that time a number of activities shown through in their "teamwork" approach in co• and small enterprises have been attempted, some of operating with field staff and the parents of children these have been successful and others not so. Some
14 activites have been short-term such as cooking classes The Rotary Club of Midland have raised funds to assist which were successful in achieving their major the village in constructing an adventre playground for objectives. Other long-term projects such as the the children of Cullacarbardee. It is expected that a team establishment of a shop have wained due to lack of funds of Rotarians and villagers will construct the playground and managerial skills. The success of all projects has towards the end of June, 1984. depended very much on the initiative and energy of Cullacabardee residents together with support from The Department's Youth Activities Section has outside agencies. allocated a number of hours for the employment of a peer group leader at Cullacabardee. Work will begin on the 2nd of June, and continue each Saturday to establish The Department continues to work in a broad way with a youth group with the aim of it becoming self-operative. the Cullacabardee community, encompassing all of the normal welfare functions and a community development approach. Departmental support is vital to the Developments at Cullacabardee over the next twelve community while other agencies remain hesitant about months will hinge on the success of the C.E.P. their involvement. This approach must continue until submission. Employment under this proposal is expected such time as the community wish to take over the to be for at least five months. It will create urgently operation of Cullacabardee or parts of. or a "normal• needed short-term employment and training enabling isation" of the delivery of services to Cullacabardee takes villagers to improve and provide facilities within place. Cullacabardee.
The prospects of longer term employment will exist as Future operation of Cullacabardee is dependent on a projects and further developed. Once villagers can see number of factors which are linked to a real appreciation that Governments and their agencies are prepared to of "self-determination" by the community. Ongoing expend funds in developing and improving consultation must take place with the community in an Cullacabardee as a place of permanence, it is hoped that effort to establish an environment which will provide physical developments will be matched with social and a wide range of opportunities for all members of the community developments. community.
In April of this year the community were formally Youth Activities advised that their application for incorporation nearly During the Christmas holidays, staff from Midland twelve months previous, had been successful. The name Division took 33 children away for a week at Port of the community is now "Cullacabardee Aboriginal Kennedy Beach Camp. The ages of the children ranged Corporation". This now enables the community to apply frm 8 to 13 years of age and most came from Midland for and receive Government funds. This has been a and surrounding suburbs. Positive and encouraging major barrier to all developments within the village over feedback has been received regarding this venture. the last three years.
An application to the Department of Aboriginal Affairs Psychology for a five week training programme in cement and The applied psychology model has enabled the concrete products has been successful. Work on this psychologist to be involved in a wider range of relevant project commenced in mid-June. 1984. All monies will tasks involving other northern divisions. As a part of be managed by Cullacabardee with assistance in the northern area psychology team, the Midland bookkeeping from the Balga Technical College. Mr Division psychologist has helped to organise and lead Ronald Mills. Treasurer. Cullacabardee. is attending the a parent/adolescent conflict workshop for field officers college, and completing a course in accountancy. The las requested by theml; and training in discussion group Principal of the college has agreed that Mr Mills' class skills for homemakers. The latter project was organised take the task as a project. by the psychologist at Midland Division. It was attended by eight Midland homemakers and three community The corporation has also won the contract to replace workers/homernakers from other divisions. All projects the existing boundary fence at Cullacabardee which is were evaluated with positive results. presently in poor condition. The psychologist is a member of the Crisis Intervention Both these projects will mean the creation of urgently team and maintains contact with the Casework and needed employment while at the same time beginning Offenders teams. an improvement plan for Cullacabardee.
These two projects are hoped to lead into a much larger Northern Country Field Community Employment Programme. Arrangements for this are still being negotiated with the Shire of Swan. Services The programme will undertake a total landscape of Cullacabardee with proposals to develop footpaths, a During the past year the focus of the work of the multi-purpose grassed oval, basketball courts and northern Divisions has been the implementation and vegetable market garden. facilitation of community based programmes. These
15 programmes have covered a wide range of fields Carnarvon has had a year of consolidation especially including Aboriginal housing programmes, alternative in the Mungullah Community, where the Departmental placements and activities for juvenile offenders, youth officers have shown a sustained commitment, as indeed activities, isolated women's group, day care, and alcohol have been their efforts in the Youth Club. rehabilitation groups. Mullewa has had a stable year. At present plans are in In addition to their community work Departmental hand to transfer the title of Aboriginal Camping Reserve officers have continued to provide high quality to the Dandi Club, an incorporated Aboriginal Body, individual case work to the northern area of the State, to enable them to build an Alcoholic Rehabilitation despite the heavy demand make on their time by the Centre on the site. Isolated Patients Travel and Accommodation Assistance Scheme which involved Departmental officers in Geraldton considerable administrative work. On attaining a full compliment of Staff, Geraldton Office has changed its means of service delivery to a The majority of the Department's remaining Aboriginal team approach rather than by Geographic allocation. reserves are in the northern region, and during the last This has proved successful especially as it has helped year, major upgrading programmes have been new officers to clarify their areas of responsibility. commenced on the Kennedy Hill Reserve in Broome, the Fork Creek Reserve in Wyndham. the Number 2 Arising from this, one officer was allocated the respons• Reserve in Halls Creek and the Derby Reserve. ibility of Community Development and as a result, the Geraldton Emergency Relief Organization has become On 1 July 1984 the Kennedy Hill Reserve in Broome a viable community resource, funded to enable was transferred to the Aboriginal Lands Trust, and is it to distribute Federal Emergency Relief Funds. From now being managed by the Mallingbarr group which this organisation a sub group interested in emergency represents the residents of the reserve. accommodation for youth has developed. After some negotiation, two old railway houses, which had been If funds are available it is hoped that upgrading works classified under the National Trust were leased and a will proceed on the Wyndham. Port Hedland and project under the C.E.P. scheme saw them restored. Meekatharra Reserves. Further funding has seen a Social Worker and a Caretaker employed on a full time basis. There are Attracting staff to some northern areas has become a eighteen beds available and since opening at the end of problem during the past year and as a result there has March the facilities have been used to near capacity. been a considerable delay in filling some vacancies. Recognition should be given to those staff who have Mullewa carried on providing a high quality service despite staff The Mullewa Office has experienced a year of steady shortages. progress. Previous community development initiatives are now being consolidated and are coming to fruition.
Murchison Division The aged Aboriginal pensioner units which were completed last year are now in use. The Department, The Murchison Division has again experienced frequent through the Diandi Club, had made funds available to staff changes throughout the past year. At present the furnish each of these units with complete sets of Division has a full staff compliment which has resulted furniture. This furniture is currently being purchased. in a boost to staff morale and increases in service provided. The Youth Programme, run in conjunction with the Diandi Club and D.C.W. has now been re-structured. With the appointment of a Senior Divisional Officer it It is hoped this will result in a wider variety of activities has been possible to provide greater support to District for children in all age groups. The school holiday Officers, particularly in the areas of Staff Training and activities and bush camps were again successfully run. Office Administration. fulfilling a valuable recreational outlet.
The appointment of a part time enquiry officer by the The Mullewa Homemaker has assisted in the Department of Social Security, who is located at the commencement of a "Gentle Gym" in Mullewa. This Meekatharra Office of the Department for Community has proved popular with both the European and Welfare, has relieved Departmental officers of work Aboriginal communities. She has also been instrumental associated with Social Security enquiries, leaving them in the setting up of a "Meals on Wheels" project for with more time to devote to their statutory work. pensioners. Extended care for elderly is also being undertaken by the Mullewa Aboriginal Homemakers. The Youth Activities Programme continues to improve, These ladies are a voluntary group who are operating however, the lack of employment possibilities, an Aboriginal house-keeping service and a sewing group. particularly for young Aboriginals is a serious problem. The office continues to deliver the full range of statutory Home units for pensioners are presently under services over a large section of the Murchison area. construction in Geraldton. and their completion is Because of the absence of many Government Depart• eagerly awaited. ments in Mullewa. the office has a significant level of
16 client contact which is associated with liaising and Youth Activities advocacy work with other Government instrumentali• Physical involvement with programmes at the ties. The office is encouraging clients to become more Carnarvon Youth Centre has lessened to a great degree, aware of available resources. although the Centre is still supported. Efforts are being made to increase community interest and The other major centres within the Mullewa district are participation in the many and varied activities available Morawa and Perenjori. Morawa in particular has at the centre. experienced an increase in persons requiring welfare services over the previous year. This is the result of The Centre is functioning well and involves all sections people moving into the area because of the availability of the community. Requests have been made to the of accommodation. Department of Youth Sport and Recreation and Department of Aboriginal Affairs for assistance to Although the Children's Court appearances in Mullewa purchase the property to ensure the continuation of the have remained at a relatively low level, there has been programmes. The Centre has proved itself to be an increase in Morawa. The Department is at present instrumental in stemming the escalation of juvenile working within the community to help and encourage crime and reducing it markedly. There are few juvenile stimulation of local social facilities. offences committed against persons and property in Carnarvon, the majority of offences now being of lesser Meekatharra seriousness such as offences against good order. The Centre continues to operate six nights per week and The past year has seen a stabilizing of staff at the caters for all ages from 5 to 25 years. Meekatharra Office with the result of offering a better service to the district. C ommunity Service Order Programme Officers have continued a regular service to the towns An Aboriginal CSO Supervisor has maintained the iif Mt Magnet. Cue and Wiluna and the increasing work programme enabling children to complete their orders loads have resulted in overnight visits to these towns. promptly and satisfactorily. There has been an emphasis on youth activity Mungullah Aboriginal Community programmes in Meekatharra co-ordinated by the Aboriginal Welfare Aide and two Peer Group Leaders. Mungullah continues to make considerable progress, These have included weekly discos, camping trips, and has completed a Commonwealth Employment organised sporting activities and the regular opening of Programme which, entailed the employment of eight the Youth Centre. These programmes have been people levelling and seeding of a playing oval at the initiated in an attempt to alleviate boredeom, reduce village. offending behaviour and counter the effects of unemployment among the local youth. All the Youth The Leaders and Committee members of the village Activity Programmes have been well attended and have continue to work strenuously towards having the been beneficial to the community. Mungallah Community recognised as a village, and to have the village committee granted the usual decision Twelve Pensioner Units have been built in Meekatharra making powers. and will be completed in June 1984. Homemaker support will be used to assist in the move, especially with The Mungullah community although geographically the reserve people. isloated from the town proper are involved in town activities and events. There are children participating A new development has been the employment of a in basketball, football, and youth activities at the Youth Social Security Officer who operates out of this office. Centre. This has greatly reduced the counter work and enabled the staffs energies to be used in more appropriate areas. Work has commenced on the construction of a shop at Mungullah and this must be the most ambitious venture Meekatharra has two 12 bed hostels operating to cater b\e community to date. The community looks for Aboriginal Secondary School students mainly from forward to the completion of the shop with much Wiluna. This year has seen the demand for enthusiasm. accommodation at Kyarra Hostel at Cue. dramatically decrease and currently there are moves to close this Pilbara Division hostel down. This is an educational hostel for Aboriginal children whose parents are employed on Stations in the The Department provides an extensive and varying district. Due to the employment and pastoral situation service delivery to the Pilbara. There is a significant there is limited employment available on stations, diversification of work, varying from the rural areas of therefore the demand for hostel placements has been Onslow. Marble Bar and Roebourne. to the population minimal. centres of Hedland. Karratha. Newman. Paraburdoo and Dampier.
Carnarvon Aboriginal groups and communities continue to Carnarvon staff have completed an exciting and busy consolidate initiatives commenced in previous years, and year, including involvement with Youth programmes, the process of self management of services continues to Mungullah Community and C.S.O. programmes. expand.
r An important initiative undertaken during the year has Youth Sport and Recreation and local staff were been the establishment of a Divisional Office at Port engaged in running the programme. Hedland. Separated from the District Office, this action has facilitated the consolidation of all District Office staff This office over the past two years has been closely at South Hedland. It has also brought about an involved with the Newman Day Care Centre improved service delivery, great accountability and self Committee. Funding has now been approved and the determination for District Staff, and has. to date, been Day Care Centre will open in the very near future. a very successful venture. A service to Jigalong has been maintained on a Hedland Fortnightly basis and community members and staff In Hedland, the residents of the 3 Mile Reserve have alike have access to the officer for support and advice. been encouraged to take an active interest in the reserves self-management. The establishment of a representative Plans for future service delivery in Newman include committee is anticipated and will be responsible for addressing alcohol related problems in the community. recommendations associated with the major upgrading programme to commence in 1984/85. The Homemaker A representative from the Dept. of Youth Sport and Service continues to operate with enthusiasm. Whilst Recreation visits Newman with the mandate to assess retaining Boab House as its base, it continues to service the leisure needs of women in isolated areas. Input from both Port and South Hedland. The Homemaker Service various community groups has been sought with a view has recently commenced working with 3 Mile Reserve to setting up appropriate programmes. residents and has undertaken fund raising ventures to purchase furniture and some personal necessities for Tom Price those in need. The Tom Price office is responsible for the towns of Tom Price. Paraburdoo and Wittenoom. Attempts continue to formalise the Children's Protection Panel and close liaison with our metropolitan The two Departmental officers are engaged in both counterparts is seen as crucial to the establishment of casework and community work, in addressing problems a standardised procedure. This initiative in Hedland is associated with: comparatively advanced and is seen to be of great assistance in the early detection, co-ordination and A) Isolation intervention in Child Abuse. The co-operation received B) Marital disharmony from other agencies in this Panel is to be commended C) Women's issues and without which its effectiveness would be D) Youth dramatically reduced. E) Teenager/Parent conflict F) Financial counselling In the area of youth, Peer Group Leaders in conjunc• tion with Shire personnel, operate a drop-in night three Wittenoom is situated approx 130 kms south west of times per week at the John D. Hardie Centre. The teen• Tom Price and now has a population of approx 70 agers of Hedland are also advantaged by the availabil• permanent residents. The major issue for Wittenoom ity of a supervised Disco. concerns the future of the town and whether or not it will be relocated in a more environmentally suitable site. Aboriginal communities serviced by the Staff in Hedland include Yandeyarra, Strelly and 12 Mile. The staff of Tom Price are also involved in the following activities and organisations: The South Hedland Group Home caters for the needs of the Division, and its operation is a credit to the Group Community Forum — an organisation which will take Home Parents. This facility is consequently an issues on behalf of individuals or groups and assumes extremely valued one, particularly as alternative care a social action role. resources in the North West are limited. Fortescue Health Care Committee — an organisation Newman which aims to develop better liaison between those A major function of the Newman office is to act as a working in the Health and Welfare fields. resource centre. In addition this office acts in a liaison capacity for clients seeking assistance from other Neighbourhood Centre — The office, in conjunction agencies not represented in the town. The Department's with Kobinya Day Care and the Women's facilities are utilized by other State and Commonwealth Community Centre is working on a proposal to build agencies who visit Newman on a regular basis. a multi purpose centre to incorporate the functions of these and other community groups in the district. Community work is also an important function of Staff also have a substantial input into day care service delivery to the town. Activities included co• centres, family day care centres and childrens holiday ordinating the Welfare Sub-committee of the Newman activities in the area. Counter Disaster Committee and co-ordinating the Women's Working Group, Pilbara Division. In addition Roebourne funding for a holiday programme over the Christmas The year has proved a difficult one for the Roebourne holidays was obtained through the Department of Office. Contributing factors such as cyclone Chloe and
18 general community unrest subsequent to the death of also involved in assisting in the establishment of the a juvenile has placed departmental staff under Half-Way House for Alcoholics. considerable stress. Homemakers assist in specific cases for family support Considerable support has been given to Cheeditha and and are responsible for the maintenance of a community Ngurawaana groups in their efforts to establish self- resource index. regulating communities outside Roebourne. A course has been set up to train members of both groups in Onslow community administration and accounting and is run In Onslow, government funding has been provided to by Karratha College. These enterprises are seen as seal the access road and work was scheduled to excellent examples of the type of initiative that is likely commence in June 1984. to solve many of Roebourne's long-standing problems. The Housing project commenced Stage One on 20-6-84 Yaandina Family Centre, formerly Yaandina Babies and it is anticipated that the first sixteen units would and Children's Centre and run by St. John of God be completed by the end of October '84. There have been Sisters, has now run for 12 months under the control a considerable number of meetings held in relation to of Ieramugadu group. A major part of the funding is Land Rights in general and specifically the future vesting provided by the Department, while Ieramugadu and management of Onslow reserve. The issue of community provide the staff and a management incorporation by the Bindi Bindi group is being explored. committee. It has been run effectively and efficiently An on-going programme of exchange visits with and has provided excellent care to children (and neighbouring aboriginal communities, eg: Mungullah sometimes their parents) in need. The centre has begun broadening its activities by applying for funding to build and Woolshed, are being pursued. a day care centre. This will further its other aim, ie: to provide training for employees and members of the Some current issues receiving attention are:— community in child care. (A) The establishment of infrastructure and community organisation to facilitate smooth trans• Weeriana Hostel continues to provide long-term ition from reserve status to self-managing village. accommodation for isolated school children and for some town children whose home circumstances prevent (Bl The provision of increased employment opportun• them from benefitting from school. Considerable efforts ities for young aboriginal people. have been made to reduce numbers of the latter group so that wherever possible; responsibility remains with (C) The persuing and development of a formal Youth the family. Activity and camping programme. The Youth and Community Centre continues to attract regular attendance. Youth Group is supervised by three Marble Bar part-time aboriginal youth workers. The withdrawal of YMCA outreach has left the group with little support Marble Bar has been serviced by relieving staff since but they have continued to operate nonetheless. The September 1983. However, a permanent officer is due Lumpers Mess at Point Samson continues to attract to be appointed in the immediate future. groups from throughout the Pilbara and has recently undergone a face-lift. There has been an increased service offered to Nullagine with weekly trips made by the Welfare Aide and the Roebourne Homemakers have initiated a pensioner Officer. These have proved their worth and other support scheme to help provide security and comfort agencies in Nullagine have welcomed their regularity. to residents of the pensioner flats in the village. They have also been active in re-establishing the Housing Holiday camps have been organised for the children of Committee. This committee meets to discuss Marble Bar. The Christmas camps being held in improvements to housing and associated needs. A Hedland at Moorgunyah Hostel, and the May camp was community Homemaker programme is operating at a bush camp at the Coongan river crossing, south of "Woolshed" and is helping prepare people for the Marble Bar. Additional camps will be held in the future transition from Roebourne townsite to their own with the hopeful inclusion of the Nullagine children and housing village. the added support of the teachers from Nullagine.
The Homemaker Service has been given high priority, Karratha both the Officer and the Homemaker have been able In Karratha there has been an emphasis on preventative to offer an organised and planned service to the town. case work encompassing parent-child relationships, understanding child development, personal counselling, The Marble Bar reserve has been improved over the past marital counselling and family therapy. few months with the installation of a water cooler and a solar hot water system. Additional windows have been Outreach activity has included supervising and staffing made in the houses to allow better air circulation and Wickham sub-office, involvement in various community the wood stoves have been placed outside some of the committees, initiating Youth Activity Programmes with houses to lessen the build up of heat inside. The Welfare subsequent support of same. Departmental officers are Aide has greatly assisted in co-ordinating the work done 19 by environmental health workers on the reserve, which programmes in the town. Close liason is maintained with includes the introduction of a dog dipping scheme to the school, the Shire Recreational Officer and reduce ticks. Waringarri. Halls Creek Clinical Psychologist Like Kununurra the Halls Creek Aboriginal groups are The nature of the problems referred to the Clinical becoming more involved in initiatives in providing Psychologist vary, however the most common referral services to their own communities. Ngoonjuwah is a child or adolescent with behavioural problems Resource Agency has been established in the town and causing conflict at home and at school. The child's provides a bookkeeping service and a stores run to problem is usually a consequence of relationship diffi• outlying communities. culties between his/her parents. A family intervention is often required. Departmental staff provide a welfare service to outlying communities at Balgo, Bililuna, Ringers Soak and In accordance with the applied model, the psychologist Chinaman's Garden. also operates as a consultant to staff, community educator and researcher. She is currently involved in In town, the original No. 1 Reserve has been demolished an alcohol group treatment programme in Hedland, and the State Housing Commission has completed the regular education forums with a professional group in construction of 22 new homes on the site, one to be used Newman, and regular consulting sessions with House for a Community Centre. To assist people in the 65 Emergency Accommodation staff. transition to the new housing, the Department funds a Community Homemaker Scheme where by the Homemakers have an educative and enabling role East Kimberley Division within the community. From the Community Centre The East Kimberley Divisional Office is situated in the Homemakers co-ordinate and oversee activities Kununurra and staffing comprises a Social Work within the community. Supervisor, a Senior Divisional Officer and a Clerk/Typist. The other Reserve in town still continues to cater for transient Aboriginals, particularly during the "wet The Division consists of three District Offices which are season". There has been extensive upgrading on this situated at Kununurra, Wyndham and Halls Creek. The reserve to bring it up to a reasonable standard. field staff from these offices are supported by Aboriginal Resource Officers and together with Homemakers Further accommodation has been provided for transient deliver a wide range of services to the towns and Aboriginals through the provision of funding through communities in their area. The Division also shares the the Commonwealth Fringe Dwellers and Town services of a Clinical Pschologist who travels from Camping Scheme. The administration of this program Derby. was carried out by the Ngoonjuwah Resource Agency.
Kununurra The Charles Perkins Hostel, a Departmental facility, Increasingly Aboriginal groups are becoming more continues to provide a valuable accommodation resource involved in initiatives in providing services to their own for some 24 children from outlying areas who attend communities and groups. The Waringarri agency the Halls Creek School. operate a local Group Home (the child care facility) in Wyndham Kununurra on contract from this department. This provides short term emergency care for Aboriginal The Wyndham District Office continues to provide a children. Also in Kununurra is Balangarri Resource comprehensive service to the community. Regular Agency, an unbrella agency that offers bookkeeping contact is also maintained with the communities at services and food runs to Aboriginal communities. Kalumburu and Oombulgurri.
Greater emphasis is being placed on upgrading facilities Because of the growth of the homeland movement, on Kununurra Reserve. In addition to Departmental greater assistance is being given to developing isolated funds being expended on maintainance and upgrading Aboriginal communities in the region. the Aboriginal Development Commission propose to upgrade housing on the reserve at an anticipated cost The Department is anticipating allocating funds for of $80,000 major ungrading of the Wyndham Reserve in the coming financial year. Upgrading is seen as a priority Due to the increase housing development in Kununurra and local staff are assisting reserve inhabitants to a number of the fringe dwelling Aboriginals have been become involved in the project. displaced. The Department was heavily involved in providing basic services in the initial stages of their Upgrading is also occuring on the Fork Creek Reserve resettlement however Waringarri have now taken over with the installation of 240 volt power and the many of these responsibilities. installation of a central bathroom facility to cater for the elderly Aboriginal people at this community. Close Because of the increased incidence of juvenile offending liason is maintained with the Public Health Department in and around Kununurra increased emphasis has been who continue to administer to the medical needs of the placed on improving and providing youth activities elderly. 20 The Bulungurr Hostel situated in the town of Wyndham cook meals for the pensioners and sell clothes and do has been utilized as a transient hostel. However because whatever else the Council decides they should of its declining use in this area, discussion is occuring undertake. The Department pays the community who with Ngnowar-Aerwah a locally based alcohol rehabil• then pay the Homemakers. itation group to enable them to use part of this facility. Aboriginal Communities — Besides the town community there are the The overall emphasis of Departmental activities in the communities of Mowanjum, Imintji, Looma and area is directed towards greater self management of Pandanus Park in the Derby district. Departmental both emerging Aboriginal organisations and staff carry out duties relating to statutory communities. responsibilities in these communities as well as offering considerable support especially in the West Kimberley Division Pandanus Park and Imintji communities which are the newest and most fragile although both have The West Kimberley Division of the Department for become stronger in the last twelve months. Community Welfare encompass the towns of Derby, Broome and Fitzroy crossing. Staff — The Derby staff consisting of a Psychologist, Social The majority of the work undertaken by the staff is Worker, District Officers and Aboriginal Resource directed towards the Aboriginal Communities although Officers enables the Department to offer a in recent years a concerted effort has been made by the comprehensive service to the whole community. staff to involve themselves in working with the Hostel and Group Home — European Community. Both of these are child care facilities. The hostel being Community Development for children who come from communities which do not have a post primary educational facility and is Community Development is the underlying philosphy used exclusively as an educational hostel. The group of the majority of the work in the Division with both home provides short team emergency care for a the European and Aboriginal communities. Basically it maximum of eight children when for whatever reason is getting communities to take responsibility for and take they cannot remain with their parents. action to deal with problems that they have, be it Housing, Alcohol, Land, Isolation, Child Rearing etc. Fitzroy Crossing Noonkanbah, Looma, Bayulu, Imintji, Beagle Bay and Fitzroy Crossing is 260 kilometres east of Derby with One Arm Point are a few examples of Aboriginal a population of around 2000 people. Communities who saw the problems facing their people and have taken steps to provide an environment where Communities — their culture and people could survive and function The majority of the Aboriginal population in the away from the pressures of the large towns. Fitzroy Crossing district live out of town in the communities of Bayulu, Noonkanbah, Millijidee, Within the European Community, the Family Support Djugaerr, Christmas Creek, Pinnacles, Yiyili, Services Scheme in Derby and Chu Chu's Day Care Muludja, and some people still live on pastoral Centre in Broome offer support to the women coming stations. Departmental staff in conjunction with the to these remote towns who, with few family supports, Marra Worra Worra Resource Agency offer find that they have problems coping with isolation. considerable support to these remote communities. These organizations are able to offer advice to the Reserve — women, and referrals to specialists in this or other The Fitzroy Crossing Reserve has been divided up departments if necessary. Departmental staff maintain into three sections. One has been given to the close ties with these organizations. Kurnangki Community, the State Housing Commission is in the process of building a village on Derby the site, and another has been given to the Marra Derby is both the Divisional and District Office and Worra Worra Association on which they are going consequently has eleven full-time and three part-time to build a new administration centre, funding for staff. which has already been received from D.A.A. The Reserve — Department has retained the final section on which the reserve houses are located. At this stage it is not Departmental staff are working closely with the clear what will happen to this section when the reserve residents in an effort to obtain better housing Kurnangki group move to their new village. on the reserve. The people have forwarded their request to the Hon. Minister with a plan of the Homemakers — development and the type of houses they would There is a Homemaker enabler in Fitzroy Crossing prefer. who supports community Homemaker projects in the Homemakers — Bayulu and Christmas Creek communities. This The Department employs one Homemaker whose person has also helped in the establishment of a role is to support the Community Homemaker second hand furniture store financed by three of the Programmes at Looma and Pandanus Park communities which provides a much needed service communities. In the communities the Homemakers in the Fitzroy Crossing area. 21 Staff — The staff of three District Officers and two Aboriginal This has been due largely to the continuing impact of Resource Officers are looking at handing over more permanency planning issues, an improved staffing of the support role for the communities to Marra situation brought about by the appointment of Worra Worra which is going to require additional Substitute Care Officers and a more stable level of funding for that organisation. The staff are becoming staffing at the Divisions. Similarly in the area of juvenile more involved in the local issues in Fitzroy Crossing justice there have been considerable changes and officers and supporting the European Community to have kept pace with the developments and are working overcome some of the problems they have, such as constructively in this area. lack of day care and recreational facilities. In all Divisions there have been significant development- Hostel — in community development and liaison work. Example- The Hostel in Fitzroy caters for the children of the are two social impact studies in the Goldfields, one Muludja Community who although their comunity totally a Departmental initiative in relation to the is only 40 kilometres from town are not provided with Leonora re-housing project and the second larger stud}. a bus service. This results in the children having to which the Department funded and supported, the live at the hostel through the week and return home Coonana Downs study. In the South West Division. :r on weekends. addition to effective programmes in Collie an; Manjimup, an officer will be seconded to work with the Bunbury Voluntary Group. In the Great Southern Broome Division community liaison work particularly in Broome is 220 kilometres south west of Derby and has Katanning, Gnowangerup and Narrogin has seen some a population of around 6000 people. significant gains for those communities. Central Division has always been prominent in the region in the area of Communities — effective low key community development and this There are approximately 1000 people living out of continues to be a major achievement in that Division Broome in the communities of Bidjadanga, Beagle Bay, Lombadina and One Arm Point. The main focus of Departmental work is statutory as all of these The region has therefore responded most effectively to communities have their own advisors. the many new developments in the various key areas of the Department's work and can face future change- Reserves — with confidence born from successes already achieved Broome has two departmental reserves, Kennedy Hill and One Mile. On July 1st 1984 the responsibility for the management of the Kennedy Hill Reserve trans• Great Southern Division ferred from this Department to the Aboriginal Lands Trust, and the residents, the Mallingbarr Community will now take more responsibility for the total During the past year, the Great Southern Division basec management of the reserve. Before the handover date in Albany with District Offices located at Gowangerup. the reserve underwent extensive repairs to bring it up Katanning and Narrogin, has continued to consolidate to the best standard possible. and to re-organise its resources, in response to changing demand for Departmental Services. Staff — Staff consists of a Social Worker. District Officer and Present levels of high unemployment has seen increasing Aboriginal Resource Officer which enables the office demand for Emergency Relief, and/or the Department's to provide a fairly comprehensive service to the Officers acting as agents for other State anc Broome district and cover both the European and Commonwealth Departments, particularly in those Aboriginal communities. towns where no offices of the Department of Social Offenders — Security or State Housing are based. This trend, together In Broome staff have implemented an offender with Officers administering such schemes as Utility programme to identify habitual juvenile offenders, Subsidy. Isolated Patients Travel Assistance, Medicai undertaking intensive work with them for a short time Travel, State Housing Ingoing Fees and Rent Warrantee in an effort to give them a new focus and then Assistance, has placed demands on Officers time. This withdrawing. Early results are quite encouraging. has been to the detriment of their availability for Case Work, Family and Individual support and of course their Catherine House — Catherine House is a child care facility run on statutory obligations, to children under the Care and contract from the Department, by a committee of Control of the Department. Under these circumstances local residents. The facility provides short term the Great Southern Division has responded by looking emergency care for up to eight children and one adult. to, and working with Voluntary Agencies to endeavour to develop alternate resources, particularly for the Family and individual clients.
Southern Country Field As a further response to changing demands for Department services, the Shire of Wagin has been re• Services allocated to the responsibility of the Narrogin Office. The past year has seen a consolidation in the statutory While the Shire of Kent has been re-allocated to the work area particularly in the area of alternative care. Katanning Office. 22 Gnowangerup Katanning Now a single officer posting, has with the support of Katanning is now established as a three officer posting an Aboriginal Welfare Aide and Homemakers re-opened as a result of an Officer Item being transferred from the Gnowangerup Homemaker Centre as of June 1983. Gnowangerup in 1983.
The Homemaker Centre has been most successful not Katanning has for some time experienced a greater only in terms of traditional Homemaker activities, but increase in demand for Departmental services by also as another venue for the Gnowangerup Noongah comparison with other Officers in the Division. There Progress Association. Together with the Progress has also been a disproportionate increase in juvenile Associaiton, the Homemaker Centre has undertaken offending and associated problems. Youth Activities and family barbecue evenings. A Xmas Party was held and well attended by some 250 families There is at this time an urgent need in Katanning to or individual children. provide activities and greater support to the family. In regard to family support the Department has provided At Jerramungup the Gnowangerup Officer worked with a Homemaker position at Katanning which has been and assisted in establishing the Jerramungup Ladies filled by an Aboriginal lady. In due course as the Activities Centre. The Department supported this Homemaker becomes established consideration will be initiative by providing the rent for the Centre. At this given to a Homemaker Centre. time, the Jerramungup Ladies Centre is well attended, particularly by young mothers and new arrivals in the In regard to Katanning youth and the increased level District. Film evenings, discussions, housekeeping/ of juveniles offending, the Department is presently cooking and child care groups are held, and information reviewing the function of 'Kartenup', Katanning's and support shared. Working Boys Hostel. This year has seen a marked decline in admissions of offending working age boys to At Tambellup the Gnowangerup Officer together with Kartenup with offenders being of a younger age group. the Tambellup Noongah Progress Association has Consideration will be given to possible alternate use of regenerated interest and activities in the Association Kartenup and/or the creation of youth clubs and/or Centre. At this time the Association in developing its sporting activities. activities is offering support to Aboriginal families, and as a venue for people to meet. Marribank Mission some 15 kilometres from Katanning has continued to develop its Family Support Programme. Not only providing housing for disadvantaged and homeless Aboriginal families, but more changing their emphasis of working with the Narrogin family as a unit rather than the child alone. The Narrogin is a three officer posting, supported by Department in supporting Marribank's initiative has Homemakers, with Homemakers also at Brookton, provided a part-time salary for a Marribank Hingelly and Williams. Narrogin Officers have Homemaker. Katanning Officers also support and work continued to provide an effective service throughout with the Marribank staff as requested. their areas of responsibility. The Narrogin Homemaker Marribank, has also, in keeping with its emphasis of Centre having been re-organised has provided an Family Support, changed the function of their Group excellent support for families of the town with Home located in Katanning, to short term emergency traditional Homemaker activities. care. This Group Home can now provide care for children at a time when parents are temporarily unable Now that Wagin Shire is also an area of Narrogin to do so. responsibility the Narrogin Officers will continue to work with and develop the Wagin Homemaker Centre Katanning Officers are at this time negotiating with a which was established in lated 1983. The Department voluntary Agency with a view to establishing a has supported this initiative by providing a position of Financial Counselling Service similar to that already Wagin Homemaker. Wagin has for some years now had established at Narrogin. problems of disputes between Aboriginal family groups. The establishment of the Wagin Homemaker Centre is Albany as a response by the Department to not only support As the Divisional Office, Albany has continued to individual families, but to also provide an open venue consolidate and provide support to offices throughout where community differences can be aired. Progress the Division. This year a further officer was appointed towards these goals is, though encouraging, not as Substitute Care Officer, to give support to Officers unexpectedly slow. throughout the Division with an emphasis of returning a child to his family whenever possible, to ensure that In Narrogin the Narrogin Budgeting Service is now well children do not remain unnecessarily in alternative care. established and has the ongoing support of the Shire's Social Worker. The Department in supporting this In Albany the Department supported the Youth initiative provided a salary for a part-time counsellor. Employment Support Scheme by providing the salary This service is seen as an important non-government for a part-time youth worker, an initiative directed alternative for individuals and families experiencing towards working with the unemployed youth and the financial difficulties. problems they experience. 23 This year the Albany Homemaker Centre has been re• responsible field staff. In this type of work, Homemaker organised having in the past fallen into disuse. Activities centres, furniture stores, clothing shops and group are being developed and attended by ladies along meetings have proved very popular in establishing a local traditional Homemaker lines, however other activities support network in the community. will be encouraged according to client group served. Northam
As a Division a holiday camp was organised at Bremer Northam Office has had to deal with the bulk of the Bay during the Xmas holidays, some 30 children attend region's pressure of financial relief and income who might otherwise have not had an opportunity for maintenance difficulties. Local inhabitants, traveller- such. The camp was a great success and was supervised and new comers to the region patronize the office for by both Officers and Homemakers on their own request. advice and assistance.
Northam staff have the extra help of five Homemaker- and one Welfare Assistant who service the major Central Division outlying towns of Goomalling, Wundowie, Toodyaj. Dowerin, York, Meckering, Cunderdin and Beverley Central Division is responsible for the Central wheatbelt area of Western Australia with a population of The district continues to administer a flourishing approximately 45 000 people in 26 country centres. community development program at Wundowie, using a neighbourhood centre concept. This program has District Offices are located at Moora. Kellerberrin. commenced a number of initiatives in the area of single Northam and Merredin. Sub-Offices operated on a part- family support services and group activity aimed as time basis, are located at Dalwallinu. Southern Cross recreational and personal development. An ongoing goal and Wongan Hills, sub-offices are most efficiently is the introduction of better community and transport staffed by Welfare Assistants and visiting Field Officers. services to the isolated town of Wundowie.
Recent developments in the region include a fully The Northam office has also supported the renovated District Office at Merredin. additions of two commencement of a youth activity program in bedrooms to the Northam Group Home and a relocated Goomalling with financial assistance and Homemaker and up-graded Sub-Office at Wongan Hills. These supervision to start a drop-in coffee club in the town renovations have greatly improved the physical aspect of the premises concerned and given staff and occupants Similar liaison, but on a larger scale, is also afforded to a more stimulating working environment. the Cunderdin Youth Support group with the Loan of the Department's buildings as a Youth Centre in that There has been some staff turnover due to transfers but. town. Assistance to the management committee is an in general, staffing has been constant. The division has ongoing part of Departmental involvement. been allocated a Substitute Care Officer and this person, yet to be appointed, will provide a better service to foster The employment of a Community Services Co-ordinate parents and children in the central area. Hopefully, this to administer the various work orders and assess suitable will include better liaison with foster families, regular projects is proving a success in Northam. releasing staff monitoring of placements and better matching of for other duties. children to available placements. Merredin The department's staff in this area, including In the past year the Merredin Office has sought to Homemakers and Welfare Assistants, provide a wide improve its service to the public by the introduction of ranging number of statutory and preventative services a fortnightly visit by the Homemaker to Bruce Rock, to the country community. A substantial area of work one of the outlying towns near Merredin. These visits, is still the provision of financial relief and food vouchers half day each fortnight were started in response to our to low income families or income support in times of inability to adequately provide for the many demand^ crisis. Include in this has been an increase in medical made by people living in the area. A Shire Office was travel and State Housing Commission establishment kindly made available to the Homemaker. from where assistance. she could answer or refer on. any enquiries and could issue material assistance where needed. The outcome Included in the area of Social Welfare assistance is the of this project has been very pleasing, and consideration considerable liaison with local Departments of will be given to introducing it in other areas if the need Employment, Education and Social Security. exists.
On the family side of Community Welfare intervention, Another activity currently in the stage of investigation the bulk of the work has been assistance and counselling and implementation is the re-introduction of a contact in areas of parent-child conflict, relationship conciliation meeting amongst welfare oriented groups in Merredin. and adolescent problems. Particularly vulnerable are It is hoped meetings will commence is supporting parents on low incomes who seek advice and September/October. 1984. They will be held fortnightly guidance over domestic and family problems. Support at different venues for a period of twenty weeks, at the work with families in small towns who face social and end of which the groups' productiveness will be geographical isolation, is the core of the work done by reviewed. It is hoped that these meetings will assist a Homemakers and Welfare Assistants along with the community based approach to common local problems. 24 Moora development of social support networks in order to In the period June 1983 to June 1984, the Moora Office effectively pursue preventative work with individuals has seen developments in its provision of community, and families. non statutory services to various country towns. Court and Panel appearances have been stable. Demand In the town of Moora an effective community centre for financial assistance appears to have remained has been operating from the premises of the Homemaker constant over the year. Clarification of policy in this House in Clinch Street, Moora. under the facilitation area is needed to deal with a growing range of requests of the two Homemakers. A secondhand furniture and and reliance on emergency relief as a stable source of clothing store is operated from the Homemaker house income. and it has been particularly successful in providing low income groups with access to cheap furniture and Homemakers were involved in providing ongoing clothers. A successful Children's Holiday programme support to individuals, families and groups in their was also run at the centre in January this year. respective communities. The Tammin Homemaker continues to be involved in the management and running of a successful community centre, offering a Financial and consultancy support has been given to wide range of activities, utilized mainly by disadvantaged various community based groups in Moora. This has families. This year an Aboriginal Sales Assistant enabled the development of activities which would not successfully completed twelve months training at the otherwise have occurred and has allowed some groups centre. Commonwealth Employment Programme to expand their activities to provide a more effective funding for further employment is being sought. The service to the community. Wyalkatchem Homemaker is similarly involved in a community centre. In addition, this year she has There has been an increase in requests from clients for established a fortnightly Out Reach Service to adjacent assistance relating to parent/child relationships in the Shires. This work comprises an Information and first six months of 1984. Referral Service plus network development, and is integrated with the Field Officer's fortnightly service. In the town of Dalwallinu, the Department's part-time Two Homemakers were appointed at Kellerberrin Welfare Assistance continues to provide a valuable during the year. The Aboriginal Homemaker has service to the local community. New office worked from the Kellerberrin Aboriginal Progress accommodation is being sought in Dalwallinu so as to Association Centre, facilitating group activities for make possible an expansion of the services in 1984/85. women. The more recently appointed European Homemaker will develop her role as a support person The Department in the last year has provided to a newly established Women's Group, in helping to considerable financial support to the Dalwallinu Youth establish a Neighbourhood Centre, and in compiling an Group. Assistance was initially given to get it established extensive Community Resource Index. Monthly co• and since then, regular contributions of equipment have ordination meetings for Homemakers continue to be assisted its continued growth. This youth group has been held at Kellerberrin and will be widened to include very successful in meeting the needs of the towns youth. Merredin District in the forthcoming year. Meetings cover information sharing, local training and guest The officers of the Moora Office have in 1983/84. speakers. provided a regular visiting service to the towns of Jurien and Cervantes. This service normally operates Community development work within the District has fortnightly and has been well received by both clients been expanded in recent years. In the more self-sufficient and other local helping agencies. communities this work has been relatively low-key, involving for example, organisational development for In Wongan Hills, the community house has been the Tammin Centre and network development in operating from December and is staffed by a Welfare Koorda. Bencubbin and Trayning. However, the work Assistant. Mrs Yvonne Panton. In addition to her within Kellerberrin. with its significant Aboriginal normal duties, she also runs a drop-in coffee morning minority which has been the focus of community and clothing store. It is also planned to start a sewing development work for several years, was given impetus group, with the recent gift of a sewing machine from by a violent confrontation, with racial connotations, in the local Rotary Club. May 1984. Subsequent discussions led to the formation of a Community Liaison Group, which is looking at the macro elements of community problems, and an Kellerberrin Aboriginal Community Council, which has particular Two Field Officers based at Kellerberrin provided emphasis on the internal functioning of the Aboriginal services to seven Shires, with regular visits to Bencubbin. community. Ongoing advisory support has been given Koorda, Tammin, Trayning. Quairading and to the Kellerberrin Aboriginal Progress Association. The Wyalkatchem. The District has give Homemakers. of Association's Centre, staffed by a full-time Aboriginal whom two are located at Kellerberrin and one at each Liaison Officer, was open in late 1983 by the Hon. of Quairading, Tammin and Wyalkatchem. Minister for Youth and Community Services.
Early intervention arising from ongoing, close links with The major projects for the forthcoming year will be to the community has enabled the emphasis to remain on more closely integrate Federal, State and Local resources preventative work. An emerging need is for the available to the Kellerberrin community, to prepare a 25 report which analyses its fundamental social problems offers a statutory service to these communities and acts and to continue action in the key areas of employment, as a liaison point for Central Reserves residents wishing housing and Aboriginal self-determination. to make contact with other agencies. The officer assigned to this area hopes to become more involved Goldfields Division with youth activities.
The Goldfields Division is the largest in area for the This year saw a re-vitalization of our services to the State. It covers an area in excess of half a million square Trans Line communities. These communities are very kilometres and serves the Shires of Boulder, Coolgardie, small and isolated and are now visited monthly by Dundas, Esperance, Ravensthorpe, Menzies, Leonora Homemakers. The Homemakers travel with the Tea and and Laverton and the Town of Kalgoorlie. Sugar train providing activities for children and a supportive information service for the adult population. The Divisional Office is located centrally at Kalgoorlie. The Australian National Railways have been most co• There are District Offices at Esperance, Norseman. operative in assisting us to establish this service. Other Kambalda and Laverton. There is a Sub-Office at Homemakers continue to work within Kalgoorlie and Leonora. Across the Division, staff are working in a to maintain a Neighbourhood Centre to reach isolated great variety of settings, from the agricultural area members of the community. around Esperance, the company towns of Kambalda and Leinster, the historical settlements at Menzies and In Kalgoorlie we have continued to promote a Coolgardie and the isolated Aboriginal communities in community approach to preventive work. The office has the Central Reserves. It was mining and agriculture attempted to rationalize the work load, allowing more which brought European settlers to the Goldfields and involvement in community projects. Staff work closely these two activities remain the mainstay of the area. with groups such as the Goldfields Community Action Given that these early settlers had vastly different Group, Goldfields Emergency Relief Fund, Goldfields interests from the traditional Aboriginal land owners this Youth Management Committee and the Pensioners area has experienced some difficulties as the different Action Group. A community based Youth Worker will groups have attempted to adjust to each other. There be employed for 12 months in 1984/85 and this still remain some areas where the Aboriginal people live Department will co-operate fully with his programmes. a relatively traditional life-style. Where these people Kalgoorlie staff have also been involved in promoting come in contact with European settlements they become a local solution for offending juveniles. The Community town campers on the fringe. Based Offenders Programme and Dr. David Thorpe visited this Division twice to provide inputs for our The mining towns of the Goldfields continue to attract proposal. Major changes to the institutional services in unemployed people to the area. These people arrive, Perth stimulated this Divsion to research the many times made destitute by their travel, with few characteristics of our contact with offending youth more supports in the community, hoping for work. Kalgoorlie closely. The Division now hopes to provide an intensive and Norseman especially are called on most frequently support service for recurrent offenders within their home to provide relief for stranded travellers. These towns are environment and thereby reduce the number of children on the main East-West route. admitted to institutions. It is proposed that this intensive programme will be conducted from the Nindeebai Kalgoorlie Hostel in Kalgoorlie. Changes in local communities have reduced the need for this hostel to be used for student Kalgoorlie staff service the Kalgoorlie and Boulder accommodation. More local based education Communities and travel weekly to nearby settlements programmes are becoming available and the Christian such as Cundeelee, Coolgardie and Menzies. In these Aboriginal Parent-Directed School at Coolgardie is towns the officers provide a statutory service by case providing boarding facilities. work and court work and attempt to promote community development. In Menzies this year there has The Department continues to utilize the Working Boys been a revived interest in the Menzies Cultural Society. Hostel and Working Girls Hostel in Kalgoorlie for The Aboriginal community now manages its own accommodating teenage youth. Those accommodated clothing store and with the assistance of a Departmental range from offenders on After-Care programmes or Homemaker is providing a Play Group and skills sharing remand to non-offenders experiencing family group for women. breakdown.
The Cundeelee community is continuing its preparation The Student Hostels at Leonora (Primary aged children) for the move to Coonana Station, some 40 kms from and Laverton (Secondary Students) continue to serve Cundeelee. This Department initiated a Social Impact the outlying areas. This is the first year of operation for Study to be conducted at Cundeelee to ensure a the Laverton Hostel. The Department will continue to satisfactory consultation with the people concerned. The encourage students to study within their own study is being undertaken by anthropologists from the communities wherever possible. The Laverton Hostel Western Australian Museum and from the Department provides for those where there are no other education of Aboriginal Affairs with support from Community resources. Welfare staff. The Goldfields Group Home in Boulder continues to An officer from the Kalgoorlie office also covers the cater for children under 13 years in need of short term Central Reserves by monthly patrol. The Department emergency accommodation. The majority of children 26 admitted are under five years of age and stay for less At Mt Margaret the community remains stable. A new than a fortnight. Plans are underway to replace the store and four houses have been completed. existing Group Home with a purpose built facility. Laverton staff continue to respond to the communities This year saw the appointment of a Divisional Substitute of Leinster, Teutonic Bore and Agnew on a needs basis. Care Officer and Family Support Worker stationed at the Kalgoorlie office. The SCO continues to promote The Laverton Children's Court dealt with 159 charges and enhance the alternate care service and receives the involving 103 children in the 10 months to the end of co-operation of local foster parents and institutions such April 1984 with 18 children appearing before the Panel. as the Kurrawang Aboriginal Christian Centre, the The Laverton Youth Club continues to operate well and Norseman Children's Home and Fairhaven. Kalgoorlie has a good attendance on the three nights per week it has the first established country branch of the Foster operates. Care Association.
Kambalda Leonora Kambalda is a Company mining town located 58 The Leonora Aboriginal Community has at last seen kilometers south-east of Kalgoorlie. The District Office a practical response to their need for housing. Nine services the townships of Kambalda, Kambalda West pensioner units with Caretakers Quarters have been and Widgiemooltha. The two townships have a completed and occupied. The Department assisted with population of 5.000. An estimated one quarter of the a grant for furniture and has assigned a Homemaker population are migrants. to the project to assist in the transition process.
The Office is staffed by a Field Officer, a Clerk Typist Negotiation continues between government agencies for and two Homemakers. The Officer engages in statutory more housing in a village complex. The Department work and preventative family and community work. undertook a survey of people likely to recieve housing Kambalda also has a neighbourhood centre which to ensure their views were appreciated. The Department operates as a drop-in centre three afternoons per week. has also appointed a part time officer at Leonora to work exclusively with families about to be housed to ensure Kambalda, unlike many other mining towns does not as far as possible that the transition from bush camp attract a large number of transients or single people in to house is smooth. search of employment. Unemployment is therefore not a major problem of Kambalda (however females aged In the Statutory Area the Leonora Children's Court between 15 — 25 do find the employment market dealt with 52 children on 115 charges to the end of April limited). 1984. There was one child before the Panel.
Kambalda does have an unusually high percentage of Esperance \g children and a fairly mobile population that lacks extended family systems. Together with marital This Office is staffed by one full time District Officer disharmony, spouse and child abuse, drug dependency and the other item is filled by a Senior Social Worker and personal isolation, these areas create the bulk of the and a Graduate Welfare Officer who share the position. Field Officers family and community work. The This arrangement has proved to be beneficial to both Homemakers are also involved at this preventative level. the Department and staff involved. There is also one Welfare Assistance, two Homemakers and a Clerk Kambalda lacks many support services such as Typist. emergency house-keeping, domicilary care and specialist nursing care. The Officer liaises with other Government Esperance is a growing area having a population of Departments and non-Government Organisations to 10.000 which is swollen by tourists and job seekers arrange and sometimes co-ordinate "makeshift" services moving both east and west. Just prior to Christmas the staffed by volunteers. Department of Social Security decided to place a part time officer here and this has proved to be a positive The Officer is currently involved in a number of move which has relieved this Office of a pressuring load community projects including the formation of a of defacto work. surrogate grandparents group and a community profile which will lead to a needs assessment survey of The Homemakers Service with two Homemakers and Kambalda. Centre continue to be fully utilized in the community and a full programme is in operation. Field Officers have Laverton been fully involved in community based programmes The Laverton area has been stable this year but the and during this period, two S.T.E.P. programmes, each perennial problems of homeless fringe dwellers remains of nine weeks duration were run. also a programme in unsolved. Wongatha Wonganarra. a local Aboriginal Effective Communication this being of five weeks Group, has established a successful soup kitchen for the duration. fringe dwellers and a limited store. A 'CARE' programme has commenced involving over At Cosmo Newberry the appointment of a new manager 20 volunteers from the community working with the njv seen a re vitalization of the community and return aged, sick, infirm and isolated persons. Field Officers of some residents who had moved away. are involved in statutory case work and court work, with 27 Courts and Panels attended in Ravensthorpe and A greater proportion of tasks centre around supervision Esperance. A close relationship is maintained with other of children in care, or children involved in the Juvenile government instrumentalities, especially Police and Justice System. Schools and many problem areas in the making are nipped in the bud and do not come to fruition. The balance is spent in preventive counselling services, on behalf of other agencies, unrepresented in the Concern for a special group of teenagers attending High Division and committee work. The Divisional Office has School prompted the office to set up a week 'Outward a voluntary after hours roster for weekend and other Bound' type programme. This was led by an officer who emergency needs. is a qualified Youth Worker, in co-operation with the High School, during the May holidays. The following is a list of services provided by each office:
Norseman Bunbury The Norseman Office continued to deal with a high volume of work throughout the year. The work was Projects developed last year have been maintained. diverse and not all of it from local sources. It is perhaps inevitable, due to its isolation and location on major They are:— roads that Norseman Office should receive a large volume of work and enquiries from passing travellers The Bunbury Voluntary Community Group : An and interstate sources. Officer seconded to the Group for 12 months. THE 'Sexual Assault Counselling and Support Fortunately the latter part of the year saw the high Centre' (South West Region). This is a confidential incidence of juvenile offending diminish with and non-judgemental service offered to any victim significantly less local children appearing in court. of sexual assault and their families. Service delivery includes unbiased advice, particularly with regard The results of the Norseman Youth needs survey, to the legal and medical aspects, ongoing support, initiated and partly funded by the Department was and an opportunity for catharsis and counselling. released earlier in the year. Although containing no The range and length of service required is unexpected findings the study did confirm the need for determined by the client. a Youth Worker in the town. THE 'Withers Amenities Group' — has developed The Department will also be closely involved with a from the Withers Leighleagh Homemaker Centre. larger socio-economic study of Norseman initiated by It is a neighbourhood action group based on the the Government and co-ordinated by the Department community development model aimed at improving of Industrial, Commercial and Regional Development. the quality of life for residents, by residents. It has Part of the terms of reference are the needs of the aged, served as a vehicle for discussion on a number of probelms of housing and juvenile delinquency in social issues and acts as a sounding board for Norseman. All are vital "areas of concern. Although proposed projects which may improve local living perhaps over-shadowing the earlier study it is conditions. This forum provided an avenue for nevertheless hoped that it will reinforce and focus on discussion between the local M.L.A. for Withers, the need for Youth Work in Norseman. David Smith, The Minister for Youth and Community Services Keith Wilson, and some of his In the light of the recommendation of the Welfare and advisors, the State Housing Commission and Community Services Review and the regionalisation of residents. The outcome was a proposed change in this Department presentation in the Goldfields will alter. housing allocation to be implemented later in the It is expected that statutory work with offenders and year. It is envisaged the 'W.A.G.' will be further children at risk will continue. The new regionalisation developed in the future. is also expected to further enhance the community based preventive work currently being initiated. In addition Special Projects suggests assistance to the Youth Hostel to alleviate youth accommodation difficulties where on application to the Hostels, the South West Division Department provided financial assistance for continuation of that project. This Division comprises four offices — Bunbury, Collie, Busselton and Manjimup. Bunbury still provides a back• Homemaker Centres have continued to be active up and specialised service as necessary. in the Bunbury, Brunswick and Busselton regions and in addition a proposal for Harvey is currently A review of population and case loads during the year under consideration. has revealed that this Division has a larger population than some Metropolitan Divisions and thus lends itself to a review of resources in terms of manpower. Busselton The development of a District Office at Busselton Field Officers' work comprise those under Statutes, continues, and during the current year the Officer preventive, ready access to the public and as agents for moved to separate premises central to the township and other Departments, both State and Commonwealth. readily accessable to the Department's clients. 28 Specific developments in the District include upgrading Kooloongar-Mia Group Home of Homemaker Services, moving to new premises and The Group Home continues to offer a valuable providing social health and child care education service for children who are unable to live at home programmes for clients. with their parents. There are presently six children at the home, ranging from 9 to 13 years of age. Another development is provision of youth activities via the Peer Group Leader Scheme. This programme fills The Group Home has continued to benefit from a an obvious gap for adolescents with whom the great deal of community interest and involvement Department works. through the Collie Welfare Council.
Previous services offered continue, including liaison Manjimup functions with Police, Shires and Welfare Agencies. The Division and State-wide trend for increase in emergency During the past year Manjimup has attempted to relief is also reflected in Busselton's figures. maintain existing services while coping with the very great increase in emergency relief assistance reflected throughout the State. Other services offered by the Manjimup Office throughout the year were: Collie Collie District Office continues to maintain a high Continued support for, and involvement in, other community profile, as well as providing an individual community groups in the area, e.g Stepping Stones and family social work service. Areas of work are Welfare Services in Bridgetown, Warren Commun• summarized as follows:— ity Centre and Warren Child Care Centre in Manjimup, etc. Community Development Projects undertaken in this area have involved Continued acting as "Agents for DSS", workload dissemination of information to the community and here has shown no decline. building up of links between various agencies in the area. Two Contact Lunches have been held; a The Homemaker Centre opened in 1983 and is now Seminar with medical staff on identification and fully functioning. It has been running for 18 months management of child abuse and, through Home- and is involved in supporting other community makers, community information stalls, which aim groups. The Centre's regular users include at physically taking information resources held in pensioners, single and married women. the District Office out into the town and surrounding areas. There has been a noticeable increase in involvement with cases of sexual abuse and teenager-parent Homemakers have also been involved in conflict. establishing Children's Play-grounds and holiday activities as well as link-up groups for new and General isolated people in the area. With the change of Government in 1983 and the advent of Bunbury 2000 there has been further demands for It is also hoped to assist in the establishment of a services in the Field Welfare work in this region. This Foster Parent Group in Collie. factor, combined with the recent Department's Review, would necessarily imply that the Bunbury Office will A continuing theme in this area has been take on a greater responsibility for demands in the involvement with various agencies to assist aged and region. Furthermore, in view of this new initiative in infirm Aboriginal people to maintain an indepen• decentralisation, it would appear that additional staff dent life within the community. will be provided, thus making the staff client ratio a more workable one. As a consequence of bunbury 2000 Case Work it would seem that this office will be offered improved Prominent in this area has been an increase in the accommodation, either at the Bunbury Court House, number of referrals involving child physical and/or which is due for completion late 1984, or at the proposed sexual abuse. During the past twelve months there Austmark Building, which is not due for completion have been 26 referrals of this nature, of which 19 until late 1985 or early 1986. were found to require some form of intervention. In only one case did this require statutory involve• The past year has seen the appointment of a Substitute ment to ensure the child's safety. Care Officer and a relieving District Officer and the transfer of two Social Workers to the Metropolitan Other major areas of case work have involved Area. These latter moves are inevitable but tend to support to low income families and families having create difficulties for clients at times. Provision of a difficulties resolving adolescent conflicts. Clinical Psychologist after a vacancy of twelve months has enhanced the general services to clients and other There has been a steady increase in levels of agencies in the Division. The Psychologist's emphasis financial assistance distributed at Collie as well as on extension work to the remoter towns on a percentage requests for second hand furniture and assistance basis has also ensured that places with less resources with debt management. have emphasis of services.
29 The Community Welfare Services Review and its approximately 16% involved healthy locally born apparent emphasis on regionalisation, direct servicing, children, approximately 6% special needs children and resource rationalisation and community involvement, approximately 19% children born and adopted from will be viewed as positive developments, provided that overseas. resources meet the philosophies expressed. Much positive anticipation exists regarding the implementation The number of healthy, locally newborn children of the Review's findings. significantly dropped but a notable feature was the number of applicants for these children who instead, accepted placement of Special Needs children. Almost half of the Special Needs children were placed with such applicants. Only ten years ago many of these children would have been considered unadoptable because of Specialist Services their medical condition, physical or intellectual handicaps.
The specialist field services of the department In November 1983, as a result of a case in the Family complement the generic social work and social welfare Law Court, the Department because aware that it had services offered through Divisional and District Officers. only limited power to control adoptions arranged privately. From 1975 to then, the Department had only Specialist services as they are now organised may offer accepted applications from couples who met certain set direct casework services in specialised areas to clients criteria. These criteria included age, marital status, as well as providing an advisory and consultative role infertility, length of marriage and size of family. The to the Department's staff and to other agencies, in the criteria were designed to limit the large number of specialised areas of their practice. applicants relative to the small number of babies in need of adoptive homes, and to maintain a reasonable waiting It is essential that specialist services are integrated within time for those applicants who subsequently had a child the wider field services of the Department. This ensures placed with them. A waiting list was maintained by the that the advisory and consultative support of Divisions, Department and applicants who had been on the list appropriate referral of cases, and co-ordinated inputs to the longest received first consideration for assessment development of policy, practice and training occurs and placement of a child. smoothly and the overall quality of service to clients improved. Maintaining integration is an issue which The Court decision means that the criteria and waiting Specialist Supervisors and Field Management give list determined by the Department can not be applied continuing attention. universally. Any couple who can locate a child through a Doctor, Solicitor or some other source, can apply direct The specialist services because of their consultative role to the Family Court to adopt that child and the Court and specialised areas of responsibility require in determining whether to grant an adoption order, can experienced and trained staff. It was difficult to maintain not take into account criteria or waiting lists maintained more than a core of experienced officers in some by the Department for Community Welfare. In specialised areas, particularly in the Children's December 1983, legislation was introduced to restrict Protection Service, during the year. However the arranging of adoptions to the Department for opportunities occurred for field staff to gain experience Community Welfare and licenced private adoption in more specialised areas of practice, through having the agencies. opportunity to work for short periods in a number of the specialised services. The legislation is being considered by a Select Committee of the Legislative Assembly. In April 1984, The present organisation of specialist services will assessments of further departmental applicants were change with the changes in the Department's structure deferred pending the report of the Select Committee. adopted following the Welfare and Community Services Review. These Changes will regionalise the specialist In August 1983, the Government gave approval for the services and clearly separate the programme elements introduction of a Contact Register. This allows:— from service delivery. The challenge will be to ensure the maintenance of high standards of knowledge and (a) (i) Adopted person 18 years and over; practice skills on a regionalised basis. (ii) Adopted persons under 18 years of age with their adoptive parents' permission;
Adoption Centre and
Adoption has traditionally involved the placement of (b) Relinquishing parents and other natural relatives of healthy locally born babies with infertile couples. adoptees However, this form of adoption now makes up a steadily diminishing proportion of adoption placements. to have contact with each other if both independently place their names on the Register. Contact can range In 1983/84 the majority of adoptions (over 50%) from face-to-face contact to non-identifying concerned adoptions by relatives (mainly step parents), correspondence sent through the Department. 30 The Register is operating for those adoptions for which South Korea has become the principal donor country the Department has records. Many adoptions before and source for 39 of the 45 overseas babies and children 1970 however were arranged privately without placed for adoption with Western Australian couples departmental involvement. Legislation giving the and families, in the year ending June 30, 1984. Department access to the records of the Registrar- General and the Supreme Court is necessary before the There have also been placements from India (1), Hong Contact Register can operate for these. Kong (2), Philippines (1), Sri Lanka (1) and Yugoslavia (1). The adoption from India was the first unrelated child There have been over 600 requests for inclusion on the placement to this State from that country. Contact Register, and registrations have "matched" in three instances. Non-identifying information about the person being sought, if available, has been given to those Overseas Visit persons whose registrations have not matched. In June 1983, the Supervisor of International Adoptions The Department has received correspondence from (Mr. R.L. Fletcher) visited Hong Kong and South Korea adoptees and relinquishing parents lobbying for changes in response to an invitation to visit South Korea by the to adoption law and practice. This has been stimulated Eastern Child Welfare Society Incorporated, in by a Bill introduced into the Victorian Parliament to reciprocation of their President's visit to Perth in significantly change adoption law and practice in that February 1983. State. This visit provided a valuable first hand exchange of A significant step in the field of research and knowledge and views as well as further development of dissemination of information on local adoption issues mutual working procedures and methods. This visit has took place in January 1984, with the opening of the led to an increase in mutual understanding, confidence Adoption Research and Counselling Service within the and trust between the International Adoptions Unit and Clinical Unit, Department of Psychology, University of Intercountry Adoption Executives and Staff of the Western Australia. This unit, is principally funded by International Social Service Branch in Hong Kong and the Department for Community Welfare and is the only the Eastern Child Welfare Society Incorporated, Seoul, service of its type in Australia. South Korea. An Adoption Service Agreement with the Eastern Child Welfare Society Incorporated was drawn The year has been one of uncertainty with respect to up in Seoul and is now operational. This Agreement the Department's continued involvement in adoption serves to protect all parties to adoptions, between South and the form future adoptions are to take. This will Korea and Western Australia. continue in the coming year as the report of the Select Committee and the Victorian Legislation are considered. In 1984, the President of the Eastern Child Welfare Society Incorporated, Dr. Kim Duk Whang, extended a further invitation for Mr. Fletcher to visit his Agency and Staff. The Premier gave approval and the visit took place between 23 June — 6 July 1984, with a stop-over International Adoptions in Hong Kong as previously. On this occasion, new agendas and itineraries were drawn up and other matters were updated. The main purpose was to review, Background consolidate and enhance the programmes. The Adoption Service Agreement was revised in South Korea and The interest in intercountry adoption throughout returned for consideration and approval by the Director. Australia has been stimulated, by the increasing Reciprocal visits to share direct current information and unavailability of Australian born children to satisfy the acquire feedback as well as negotiate important issues number of adoptive applicants and the growing concern are regarded as an essential part of international about the plight of children in third world countries. adoptions.
Prospective adopters are now turning in increasing numbers towards overseas countries to adopt a child. Voluntary Support Services In this State, all approved applications are processed through the Adoption Centre, 42-44 Parliament Place, Acknowledgement is made of the voluntary West Perth. organisation; The Australian Society for Intercountry Aid Children (A.S.I.A.C.) which has amongst its During the past year, intercountry adoptions accounted principal functions to offer and provide support services for approximately 50% of the total number of babies for families wishing to adopt children from overseas. and children placed with non relatives for adoption in Western Australia. A.S.I.A.C. offers pre-adoption support programmes to assist and inform persons interested in intercountry The Department has a number of working arrangements adoptions. A.S.I.A.C. is also available to arrange and with accredited overseas agencies, approved by their assist with travel and escort arrangements, on behalf of Government Authorities, for intercountry adoptions to approved applicants when they are offered a child, and proceed through the Adoption Centre of this State. acceptance formalities are in hand.
31 A.S.I.A.C.'s contribution to international adoptions is 2. Applications under assessment — unrelated appreciated. children 96
3. Applications under assessment — related Trend children 4
There is a strong trend towards an increase in 4. Applications approved: international adoptions in this State, with South Korea Applications being prepared for despatch 4 becoming the main source of children. Placements have also occurred from India, Hong Kong, Philippines, Sri Applications lodged and placements Lanka and Yugoslavia, this year. Statistics showing the in process for related and unrelated position as at 30 June 1984 is as follows:— children: Korea—Awaiting arrival of children 19 Awaiting Offer 5 Placement of Children to Western Australia 1 July 1983 to 30 June 1984 Hong Kong—Awaiting offer of From: No. children 2 Offer in Process 1 Hong Kong 2 India I South Africa—Awaiting offer of Phillipines 1 South Korea 39 child 1 Sri Lanka 1 Yugoslavia 1_ Sri Lanka—Awaiting offer of child 1 Total 45 Phillipines—Awaiting offer of child 1 Offer in Process _2 _32 176 Current Applications being processed as at 30.6.1984
Total Number of Current Overseas Family and Substitute Care Unit Applications 200 Less Deferred Cases 24 In the latter half of 1983 the Child Placement Service L76 was renamed the Family and Substitute Care Unit. This was intended to emphasise a major change of direction away from purely placement issues to an emphasis on Breakdown: prevention of family breakdown, and on reuniting chil• dren with their natural families. 1. Applications awaiting allocation for assessment 40 continued on page 33
Related and Unrelated Placements from 1.7. 1975 1.7.1975 1.7.1981 1.7.1982 1.7.1983 Total Children Placed From: to to to to Placements to 30.6.1981 30.6.1982 30.6.1983 30.6.1984 30.6.1984 Bangladesh 2 — — — 2 Burma 3 — — — 3 China — 1 — — 1 England 1 — — 1 Hong Kong — 1 1 2 4 India — — — 1 1 Malaysia 2 1 — — 3 Mauritius 7 10 3 — 20 Phillipines 8 — 3 1 12 South Korea 27 10 34 39 110 Sri Lanka 10 — — 1 11 Taiwan 1 — — — 1 Thailand 7 1 — — 8 Vietnam 12 — — — 12 West Germany 1 — — — 1 Western Samoa 1 — — — 1 Yugoslavia 2 — — 1 3 Zimbabwe — — 1 — 1 Total 84 24 42 45 195
32 In addition to a change in underlying philosophy, the Liaison with Substitute Care Officers new unit is primarily concerned with the development of: Liaison with Divisional Substitute Care Officers con• tinues as an important function of the Unit. The Sub• (1) Integrated policy and procedural recommendations stitute Care Officers hold a key role in the improvement on family support and substitute care matters. of substitute care practice and case review within Divi• sions. Early this year a Seminar was held for Substitute (2) Monitoring child-care practices within the Depart• Care Officers, Field Supervisors and Administrators ex• ment to ensure that children are regularly reviewed amining the direction of the Department's substitute and appropriate plans made. care policy and services. As a consequence a represen• tative Task Force of staff has been convened to review (3) Research in family support and substitute care and recommended a comprehensive policy to the issues. Department on Substitute Care.
(4) A consulting role and increased Departmental liai• son with the voluntary agencies, residential care Liaison with the Foster Care Association centres, the Aboriginal Child Care Agency and the Foster Care Association. The Foster Care Association has been invited to play a more central role in substitute care activities. For ex• (5) A consulting role to Divisional Staff, particularly ample, the Association has recently participated in in• Substitute Care Officers and Family Support Wor• formation sessions which have been very successful for kers in each Division. prospective foster parents. It is hoped that the fruitful dialogue between the Association and the Department (6) Staff in-service training programmes for Substitute will continue. Care Officers and Family Support Workers.
(7) Pilot schemes for children who have special needs Research and who require care away from home. The research function of the Unit continues to be a pri• ority. In late 1983 a survey of Aboriginal child place• Staffing Increases ments took place which found that some Aboriginal chil• dren were placed in culturally inappropriate substitute In addition to the renaming and refocusing of the Unit, care. The survey also revealed that Aboriginal organi• the proposal to strengthen preventive activities and to zations were consulted about placement in only a complement an expanded substitute care network spe• minority of cases. Following the survey specific guide• cifically involved the recruitment of ten positions for lines were developed to ensure that Aboriginal children field duties in the areas of family support and substi• will be placed in culturally consistent placements and tute care and one position within the Department's Fa• that the Aboriginal people will be consulted about mily and Substitute Care Unit. Aboriginal child care.
The Substitute Care Officers are located in Metro Divi• The Unit's clerical support staff continue to provide as• sions, C.L.P.U. and more recently in the Goldfields, the sistance in the processing and payment of subsidies to Great Southern and South West. caregivers through out the State and helping the Unit to run efficiently.
Family Support Workers
The "Children in Limbo" Report, released some 3 Community Based Offender Programmes years ago, revealed that there were a significant num• ber of children who had been in care for extended peri• ods and for whom little appeared to be done to reunite In accordance with the Department's intention and sub• them with their families. A primary conclusion of the sequent to the closure of Hillston, planning commenced Limbo Study was that the Department and child care for the provision of a range of community-based agencies should increase their efforts to provide "fami• offender programmes in October 1983. ly support" programs in order to prevent family break• down and/or to facilitate children returning to their These two moves, commensurate with the recommen• natural families. Five newly appointed Family Support dations made by Professor Edwards in his report 'The Workers have been located at Victoria Park, Freman- Treatment of Juvenile Offenders' (1982), have acted to tle, Innaloo, Belmont and the Goldfields. reduce the very high number of juveniles incarcerated in Western Australia. The development of a Family Support Worker role is a priority of the Unit which is currently being addressed. It is anticipated that Family Support Services will be Philosophy further developed as an integrated network of non• statutory and preventive services available to families, The underlying philosophy of Community Based particularly those at risk of breakdown. Offender Programmes (C.B.O.P.) is as follows: 33 • there is a clear distinction/separation between issues posed to incarceration. Results from studies in Europe, related to justice and welfare in the Department's (in particular U.K.) and America indicate that locking dealings with youth; up youths has, as its outcome, the unintended conse• quence of increasing offending both in quantity and • there is a clear difference in the Departmental quality. It must be stressed, however, that those youths response to offenders as opposed to non-offenders; on community-based programmes will not suddenly cease to offend. The running of community-based • penalties afforded to offenders are on the basis of programmes is by no means a panacea but indications offending and not 'contaminated' with social or wel• are that youths attending such programmes offend less fare issues; as a result and offend less seriously than their incarcer• ated counterparts. Thus, such programmes have shown • there are accountable Departmental alternatives to themselves to be a constructive response to young incarcerating offending youths; offenders in the long term. In addition, there is an eco• nomic advantage as community-based programmes are, • alternatives to incarceration such as attendance at on the whole, less expensive to run. supportive training programmes provide youth with greater opportunities to take responsibilities for their actions, decisions and choices; Functions
• alternatives to incarceration allows the family to re• Programmes tain responsibility for the youth and his/her well be• Since October 1983, the concept and function of ing which is not the case in residential training. C.B.O.P. has grown. Six programmes now fall under its auspices including Panel and Community Service Ord• Aims ers which were already operating before the inception of C.B.O.P. W.A. has had a very high incarceration rate of juvenile offenders as compared with any other State. It has be• There are four new programmes: come clear that this has occurred because of the nature of the system rather than W.A. having a higher • Challenge for Youth representation of offending youths. In the light of this, C.B.O.P. has two major goals, namely: • Camping
• to divert youths from prosecution and • High Threshold Work Order
• to divert youths from incarceration. • Intensive Training
Diversion from Prosecution Of these, Challenge for Youth and Camping have al• ready been successfully introduced. An examination of trends in this State indicate that up to 80% of first offenders never reoffend, a trend also reflected on an International level. In addition, on the local level, of those youths who do reoffend 60-70% Monitoring, Evaluation. Consultation only do so on a further one or two occasions. The In addition to these programmes C.B.O.P. is responsi• Department has seriously questioned whether these ble for the monitoring of all offending youths in Western youths warrant intensive or time consuming interven• Australia and evaluating the results of this monitoring tions. Therefore, C.B.O.P. aims to keep out of court the with particular regard to: majority of first, second and third offenders so that those youths who commit less serious or nuisance offences • determining which community based programmes are dealt with in a manner which is immediate and are necessary and where non-stigmatizing. • ensuring that such programmes maintain high Results of these measures will be two-fold:— threshold levels of entry
(i) it will enable more resources to be available for • ensuring that the introduction of community based those youths who continue to offend and diversionary programmes does not bring with it a net-widening effect (i.e bring more youths into the (ii) It will prevent those youths who are not commit• juvenile justice system). ted to a criminial career from being drawn into the juvenile justice system with the possible ef• This monitoring and evaluation will provide a more ac• fect of their entry enhancing further offending curate and incisive study of offending youth in W.A. activities. In addition it will provide a greater knowledge of Depart• mental, Judicial and Police responses to offending youth. Diversion from Incarceration In this way C.B.O.P. can act as an information resource There is a considerable current literature which evidence providing statistical data and feedback to all agencies the benefits of community-based programmes as op• involved in the juvenile justice system.
34 Once community-based programmes begin, evaluation in offences of less than $3.00 in value while approxi• and monitoring will be ongoing so that consistency and mately 60% appear with offences involving a monetary accountability is maintained in response to offending value of $15.00 or less. issues. The new year will be a year of further evaluation and As a springboard to initiate the introduction of development for the Panel and it looks forward to its community-based programmes the co-ordinator of new position within C.B.O.P. C.B.O.P. has, during the year, covered a considerable number of Departmental divisions in the State. During Community Service Order Scheme these trips, discussions were held with all agencies in• A milestone was reached on 1st July 1983 when amend• volved i.e. Departmental personnel, Police and the ments to the Child Welfare Act became effective provid• Judiciary. ing the Department with specific legislative authority covering Community Service Order Scheme. Training With the emphasis again on monitoring and accounta• The Community Service Order Scheme provides a bility, C.B.O.P. holds regular meetings with Departmen• meaningful disposition to Children's Court and is a valu• tal personnel involved with juvenile offenders from both able alternative to the Department in its work with divisions and institutions in the metropolitan area. young offenders.
The purpose of these meetings is to ensure a sound ba• Community Service is a punishment ordered by the Chil• sis of knowledge with regard to current philosophy and dren's Court and provides a definite consequence for aims of C.B.O.P. as it relates to the area of juvenile offending whilst allowing the child to work towards a justice. In this way consistency in responding to offend• non-conviction, or a lesser penalty. Involvement in the ing issues is more likely to be achieved. Scheme allows children to make a worthwhile contri• bution to the community and creates a greater aware• ness of community needs and resources. It also places Ongoing training projects for the group currently relate children in a position which develops confidence and to: feelings of self-esteem which may produce more posi• tive attitudes. • the nature of the court report and its role in court proceedings; The Scheme continues to meet broad community sup• • improving the probation agenda so as to make it a port. An integral part of the success of the Scheme is more credible, and accountable sanction/support that many community-based organizations participate option; in providing worthwhile situations where children may complete their Community Service work. • improving the role of Departmental representation of youths. The redeployment of three officers to the Section dur• ing the year eased the stretched staff resources of the Section and has allowed greater support to be extended The Programmes to both children participating and the overseers respon• sible for supervising them. As stated earlier, six programmes fall under the auspices of C.B.O.P. all of which service the metropolitan area. Research into the C.S.O. Scheme has commenced. Such Future planning for the centre, however, does not in• research is essential in ensuring that referrals to the volve it becoming a centralized location for the Scheme are appropriate. programmes. As addressed in an earlier section, C.B.O.P. will act as a consultant to regional supervisors Referrals to Metropolitan in areas where the need for community-based C.S.O Scheme: 791 (Av. 66 per month) programmes is seen to exist. Inappropriate cases: 72 719 The Panel Children not completing: _37 (5%) The Children's (Suspended Proceedings) Panel continues to provide certain first offenders with a distinct alter• Completed C.S.O.'s: 682 native to that provided by a Children's Court. During Camping the year ending 30th June 1984, 3257 children in the The Camping Programme acts as a support system to metropolitan area and 1039 children in country districts Field staff who are responsible for youths on Supervi• availed themselves of the opportunity extended them sion or Probation. Camping activities operate from be• and elected to be dealt with by Panel. tween 3 and 5 days. A wide variety of pursuits are un• dertaken including trail bike riding, canoeing and hiking. These figures represent an increase of 58 compared to last year. Relative to this increase is also an increase in Young people selected for the activity are assessed in• the number of first offenders who have not reoffended. dividually with tasks and goals set according to their The figure now stands at 86%. Another noteworthy individual needs and abilities. Group discussion and point is that approximately 35% of children appearing counselling are an important and integral part of the before the Panel, do so as a consequence of involvement programme. 35 Referrals for the Camping Programme come directly "You've got to learn to trust people especially when from the Field and close liaison with the Field Officer you're on a rockface at the end of 40 feet of rope." is an important aspect of the programme both before "I never thought I could talk to people about me, now and after the child has participated. Two staff members I know I can." run this programme. "The real challenge for us is now. Now the programme 'is over." Challenge for Youth This is an outward bound programme which acts an as It is highly likely that the relevance of these aspects will alternative to incarceration and is part of the Youth's be of great benefit to each of the youths in successful sentence. Appropriate candidates for this programme community living. are selected from either Riverbank or Longmore. Fu• The next two programmes to be described are not yet ture development of the programme will also include in operation, however, it is anticipated that they will selection from Nyandi. The Youth's inclusion in the be operating within the next six months. programme coincides with the last four weeks of his/her stay in the respective facility. Three staff members are involved in this programme. High Threshold Work Order (H.T.W.O.) This programme is organised by four staff members, all To date two Challenge for Youth programmes have now of whom have trade skills. It will operate as a diversion been undertaken involving a total of 10 youths. Both to incarceration, that is, it will cater for those youths programmes were highly successful and the youths who would otherwise be recommended to Longmore themselves offered these areas in which they felt they Training or Riverbank. had learned a great deal: High Threshold Work Order will be labour-intensive • responsibility programme for working-age youths to develop skills in • sharing trade areas, i.e. metalwork, woodwork, carpentry and • trust mechanics. Appropriate youths will attend the • self-confidence programme on a daily basis for a minimum of four • new skills weeks. It is envisaged that much of the work undertaken • independence will be of a community service nature. • concern for the welfare of others
Quotable quotes — Intensive Training (I.T.) "It was much harder than being locked up because we This programme follows the general thrust of Intermedi• had to think for ourselves." ate Treatment as carried out in the United Kingdom.
Boys participating in a "Challenge for Youth " programme. 36 Like the H.T.W.O. programme, it is diversionary. Co-ordination and liaison with other Departments and agencies has continued to be an important area of dis• This programme lasts for ten weeks with its major em• cussion and negotiation during the year. Achieving a phasis on offending behaviour. Through assessment, role balance in the essential roles of welfare, health and law play, role rehearsal and discussions (both group and in• enforcement in Western Australia has been a challeng• dividual) it seeks to provide the youth with access to ing and at times frustrating task. Toward the end of the new, non-offending ways of behaving and new ways of year, the Ministers for Community Services, Health and perceiving his or her behaviour. Police, met and set up a Child Abuse Review Panel com• prising nominees from each area. The Panel's task is to review and make recommendations in respect to Visiting Consultant procedural guidelines for the prevention, identification, investigation, assessment and management of child pro• The Department was privileged to have Dr. David tection cases, and to review reporting procedures. Both Thorpe as a visiting consultant for the first three months Children's Protection Service Supervisors are members of this year. Dr. Thorpe is based at Lancaster Universi• of this Panel which is chaired by M/s J. Pilgrim, Chief ty as a senior lecturer in social work, and is a Director Social Worker at Princess Margaret Hospital for of the Department for Youth, Crime and Community. Children. He has spent the last ten years studying juvenile justice systems at an International level and is consultant to Dr. B. Meddin, who has considerable expertise as a prac• 15 agencies developing community-based offender titioner and social work educator, was temporarily ap• programmes in the U.K. Dr. Thorpe's publications in• pointed as consultant and clinical coordinator to the clude 'Out of Care', a book specifically addressing non• interim Child Abuse Referral Panel in March 1984. residential programmes for young offenders. Recommendations of this Panel, together with the pos• Many gains were made as a result of his visit and in sible changes in emphasis and structure resulting from particular his lectures on social work practice and recommendations of the Welfare Services Review will juvenile justice were very well received. His identifica• have a strong bearing on the development of child pro• tion of many issues requiring examination in W.A.'s tective services in the future. juvenile justice system were of enormous benefit to the early development of C.B.O.P. and to juvenile justice The staff of both Units are currently participating in agencies as a whole. a formal exercise to identify decision making in the in• vestigation, assessment and management of all types of child abuse and neglect, and to identify circumstances Summary where children are clearly harmed or are at risk or harm. These findings will be of value to workers in the help• C.B.O.P. has had a very industrious beginning. The last ing professions and to the community at large. nine months have been devoted to planning, develop• ment, evaluation, monitoring, the setting up of This year the Advisory & Co-ordinating Committee on programmes and liaising with Departmental personnel Child Abuse was able to appoint a graduate as a part- and other juvenile justice agencies throughout the State. time development officer.
It looks forward to an exciting year of implementation The Committee proceeded with plans to re-organise it• of programmes and developing further all those areas self into a committee with less representation from addressed within the body of this report. government and professional disciplines, and more representation from non-government and consumer groups. Preparation is almost completed of the Com• mittee's constitution as an advisory body to the Minister Children's Protection Service for Community Services. A number of standing com• mittees are proposed which will deal with issues in a more effective way. (Incorporating Child Life Protection Unit 1970-1984 (0-6 years) And Child Sexual Abuse Unit 1981-1984 Currently there are two sub-committees, one dealing (6-18 Years)) with central statistics, the other to identify the resources During the year a considerable amount of energy was and changes required to implement comprehensive expended by the staff of both Units (separately and col• management of child sexual abuse cases. lectively) in reviewing the roles of protective and preven• tive services in the State, and in making submissions to the Welfare Services Review. The Child Life Protection Unit The Welfare & Community Services Review has provid• ed an opportunity to consider future development, The role of the Child Life Protection Unit continues to whether recommendations are for child protection teams be seen in terms of the provision of specialist services to be located in metropolitan and country regional to abused and seriously at risk children and their fami• centres, and for service delivery to be integrated with lies. The abuse to client children includes physical, emo• preventive and other community based programmes. tional and sexual harm.
37 Of the 293 referrals to the Child Life Protection Unit Child Sexual Abuse Unit in the past 12 months, there have been 14 committals into care. This represents an increase of over 150% on The Unit, despite staffing difficulties dealt with an in• the number of referrals for the previous 12 months. Of creased number of consultations and referrals this year. these referrals 20% were received from Departmental Figures for the past three years, since the Unit was es• Divisional offices, 2.5% from general practitioners, 6% tablished are:— from hospitals and 14% from parents who sought help 1981- 1982 134 for themselves in preventing harm to their 1982- 1983 179 child/children. 1983- 1984 244 The major goals of the Child Life Protection Unit dur• The 244 reports involved 272 children between 6-16 ing the past 12 months have included: years of whom 237 were female and 35 male. In addi• tion in the last eight months of the year the Child Life • The further development of the Unit's specialist Protection Unit received 26 reports of sexual abuse to staff, in terms of their skills, knowledge and deci• pre-school children. Bearing in mind that the Children's sion making; Protection Service receives only a small proportion of all • The further development of a comprehensive cases handled by doctors, hospitals, drug dependency specialist child protection service, able to respond agencies, psychiatrists, psychologists and police, it can immediately, professionally and skilfully to abused be seen that sexual abuse or sexual misuse of children and seriously at risk children and their families; is either being brought to official attention more readi• ly than in the past or is a significantly growing problem. • The fostering of sound working relationships be• tween Child Life Protection Unit and Departmen• The 1984 statistics collected centrally by the Advisory tal Divisional offices and between Child Life Pro• Co-ordinating Committee on Child Abuse showed that tection Unit and other agencies; recognised child sexual abuse cases now outnumber the combined total of cases of physical and emotional abuse • Finally the dissemination of knowledge and skill of children. (gained through an opportunity to specialise in one area of service to children and families) through The source of contacts with the Child Sexual Abuse training and education initiatives. Unit indicate needs and some changes from the pattern of previous years. The Unit continues to provide a consultancy and refer• ral service reflected in its receipt by staff of 423 intake Over 40 reports or 16.4% came from the non-abusing calls during the 12 month period. parent, usually the mother, nineteen reports were from relatives and 19 came from neighbours and friends to As at the end of the year the number of families super• whom the child had confided. Eighteen more reports vised by the Unit was 68, of whom 39 had been com• come from schools, and 18 more from professionals and mitted to care, with 26 in substitute care, and the re• non-government sources. Hospitals contacted the Unit mainder reunited with their families. in 28 cases, and doctors and other medical services contacted in 18 reports. Only three reports came directly Clinical Psychologists have been involved with 31 fa• from children who all were adolescents. Only 10 people milies from the point of view of assessment and/or ther• enquiring refused to identify themselves. By far the lar• apeutic intervention with an emphasis on the develop• gest proportion or 35% of reports came from the ment of improved parent-child interactions. A consul• Department's divisions, the Crisis Care Unit and the tancy service has been provided by psychologists in Child Life Protection Unit. Approximately 32 reports respect of an additional 29 families. came from country areas.
Three part-time Homemakers continue as valued Unit The enquiries showed 80% concerned sexual abuse by resources, with an involvement at the end of the year a male family member and the remainder by a known with 15 families. male person or family friend. In two cases the abuser was a mother and in three more cases a mother or fe• The Unit has further developed its role in the dissemi• male partner of the abuser participated in the abuse. nation of child protection knowledge and skills through training and education initiatives. Workshops were held The Unit was only able to meet a small proportion of in Bunbury, Geraldton and Kalgoorlie for Departmen• the services requested from it. The Unit took on 43 new tal Officers, and numerous talks and lectures given in cases, of families where children were clearly at risk. It schools, tertiary institutions and to the general public provided consultation in 127 more cases. throughout the year. Extended consultations occurring over a few days to several weeks occurred in 73 cases. In the absence of High staff turnover, and staff vacancies continue to add mandated reporting, the Unit has preferred to encourage to the stress of this demanding area of Departmental and support the non-abusing parent to report the abuse responsibility. The Unit's attempts to respond to a slight• to police. The law enforcement process ensures the ly broader spectrum of child protection issues have in• abuse is dealt with firmly and finally and except in se• volved staff in further change and the need to develop vere untreatable cases, provides for probation and ther• a range of skills appropriate to service delivery in the apeutic family counselling rather than imprisonment. area. 38 Of the cases managed by the Unit only three children The announcement by Senator Don Grimes, the required protective action being taken through the Chil• Minister for Social Security, that there would be an ex• dren's Court. tra infusion of $10 million for new day care services in the 1983-84 financial year and an extra $30 million in In November the Unit funded a 12 session therapeutic the 1984-85 financial year, has led to State and Federal group for mothers of abused children led by a Clinical Government initiatives. Psychologist. This led to the strengthening of a mothers/parents self-help group which now meets week• Child Care Planning Committee ly and is growing, and is urgently in need of profession• al support and funding. The Unit also runs a weekly The Child Care Planning Committee was formed in ear• support and information group for sexually abused ly 1984 to implement the Government priority of de• adolescents to which the Department and other agen• veloping new child care services in areas of highest need, cies may refer young people between 12-16 years of age. and with the aim of improving the provision of child care services generally. The Committee is a joint Fed• The high proportion of family consultations with the eral and State planning body with representation from Unit suggests that women and children are no longer Commonwealth, State and Local Government, con• prepared to be silent about familial abuse that is so often sumers and non-government organisations. begun insidiously and maintained through inducements, threats, misrepresentation, emotional blackmail and The terms of reference of the Child Care Planning Com• other forms of coercion. Love, guilt and adult athority mittee are: usually gain compliance. To collect and centralise information relevant to Scepticism is still felt by Unit workers about the capac• the assessment of need for children's services. ity of the course to provide justice for child victims since processes are still weighted heavily in the adults favour. To provide advice on the geographic areas within Two members of the Children's Protection Service will the State where there is a high need for "Children's visit the world renowned Child Sexual Abuse and Treat• Services Programme" services. ment Programme in San Jose, California in September 1984 for a short training course offered by the Institute To formulate proposals as to the most appropri• for Community as the Extended Family. The ate service types for these high need areas from C.S.A.T.P. project acts in support of the Criminal those available under the Children's Services Justice System providing treatment options for me Programme. course as alternatives to imprisionment, but which nevertheless are effective in bringing about a cessation To attach a priority ranking to the need for par• of the abuse. This system ensures participation of the ticular service types within high need areas in the family in counselling that firmly addresses the cause of context of a two year forward programme. the abuse. To formulate proposals for contracted field staff Whilst voluntary admission of a family to counselling to investigate local areas where needs cannot be is to be preferred, experiences here to date show that ascertained through normal consultation. without external controls such counselling is likely to be terminated early by the adults. Medical and psy• To report to the Office of Child Care, Central chiatric counselling, when available, is not geared to the Office, on the basis of a pro forma and timetable protection of the child nor to agreed indices of success to be advised. or outcome. To direct that local area consultations take place All counselling services are grossly overloaded and ex• in specified areas over a limited time period. perienced counsellors with skills in this area, are rare. A large injection of funds into training and community To liaise with appropriate State and Common• education seems inevitable. In particular funds for those wealth Departments and Local Authorities. programmes advising and enabling both girls and boys to protect themselves from assault and exploitation will To develop sponsorship and management capaci• be needed. ties in user groups.
To provide a forum for reporting to the appropri• Early Childhood Services Unit ate State Minister, who is the Minister for Youth and Community Services. The past year has been an extremely busy one for this Unit. There have been a number of reasons for this. The In the early part of 1984, the Committee established a level of public debate and interest in the provision of need and obtained Commonwealth funds for the build• child care has greatly increased the calls made upon the ing of three day care centres in Victoria Park, Duncraig Unit. The level of general enquiries, about the place• and Coolbellup. Standard plans were developed by the ment of children, and about the setting up of services State Housing Commission in consultation with the Ear• both private and community-based, have all contribut• ly Childhood Services Unit and some Directors of day ed to this very active year. care centres.
39 The Early Childhood Services Unit has contributed tc the Committee's process of identifying areas of need for The smart caloctioR of pie-school and day care statis• new services. The Committee, at the time of writing, tics was made m October 1983. had one Project Officer with the prospect of employing two more with Commonwealth funds. An Adviser of Seven thousand three hundred and ninety four children the Early Childhood Services Unit has been working were using child care faafiucs at this time. with the Project Officer and a Project Officer from the Number of children, staff and centres in the census are Office of Child Care, to work in areas where new serv• included in Table 1. ices are planned to establish community groups to oper• Table 2(a), lb) and ici show centres and places for chil• ate the new services. dren by Division. Funded day and occasional care centres and scheme family day care can offer subsidies to low income families. The Welfare Services Review Table 3(a) and (b) show the placement of special develop• The staff of the Early Childhood Services Unit spent mental needs children in centres across the last few a considerable amount of time preparing a submission years. There was an increase in the proportion of place• for this Review and made wide-ranging recommenda• ments for such children in 1983. The total number of tions concerning the future delivery of children's serv• special developmental needs children in care during the ices at the local level. census was 478.
Table 1 Number of Children, Staff and Centres in the Census
Day Care Occasional Care Family Day Care TOTAL Funded Private Funded Private Scheme Private No. of centres 44 49 15 4 263 66 441 No. of children Under 2 years 399 96 207 36 273 74 Over 2 years 2385 1545 772 193 1171 243 2784 1641 979 229 1444 317 7394 No. of staff 391 232 94 10 268 71 1066
Table 2(a) Numbers of Centres and Places — Private & Non-Profit Making — By Division Day Care Occasional Care Division Private Non-Profit Private Non-Profit Centres Places Centres Places Centres Places Centres Place-, Mirrabooka — — — — — Belmont 4 85 — — 2 15 — — (race days only) Fremantle 4 90 — — — — — — Rockingham — — — — — — — Midland 2 50 — — — — — — Innaloo 10 294 — — — — — Perth 11 250 1 50 — — 1 20 Vic. Park/Gosnells 18 444 — — — — 1 12 Great Southern — — — — - — — — South-West 2 50 — — — — 1 15 Murchison 1 35 — — — — — — Pilbara — — — — — — — — East Kimberley — — 1 20 — — — West Kimberley — — — — — — — — Goldfields — — 1 30 — — — — Central — — — — — — — — ic- 3 Totals 52 1298 3 _ 47
40 Table 2(b) Number of Places in Funded Day Care Centres by Division Division Day Care Occasional Care Family Day Care Centres Places Centres Places Centres Places
Mirrabooka 3 123 1 25 X 29 C/2 day p/wk) Belmont 1 50 — — — — Fremantle 3 114 2 40 X 208 Rockingham 2 75 1 15 — — Midland 2 95 — — — — Innaloo 3 118 — — X 450 Perth 7 302 4 140 — — Vic. Park/Gosnells 5 178 1 15 X 424 Great Southern 1 60 — — — — South-West — — 1 18 — — Murchison — — — — X 64 Pilbara 8 221 — — — — East Kimberley 1 15 1 23 — — West Kimberley 2 50 — — — — Goldfields 2 75 1 10 — — Central 2 30 — — —
Totals 42 1506 12 286 • 1175
Note: Schemes extend across Division boundaries. A cross in the scheme column indicates there is at least part of a scheme in that Division.
Table 2(c) Private Family Day Care by Divisions (Non Schemes) Divisions Centres Places Mirrabooka — — Belmont 25 100 Fremantle — — Rockingham 10 40 Midland 16 59 Innaloo 8 32 Perth 11 45 Vic. Park/Gosnells 5 21 Great Southern 2 8 South-West 3 12 Murchison 3 12 Pilbara 17 63 East Kimberley 4 16 West Kimberley 1 4 Goldfields 5 21 Central — — Totals 110 433
Table 3(a) Children with Special Developmental Needs Placed in Day Care Facilities Year 1980 1981 [982 1983 Funded Day Care Number of Children referred 216 208 158 236 Total number of children in care 2083 2329 2623 2784 Proportion referred 10.4% 8.9% 6.0% 8.5%
All Care Facilities Number of children referred 387 417 352 478 Total number of children in care 6341 6424 6820 7394 Proportion referred 6.1% 6.51% 5.2% 6.5% Table 3(b) Number of Children Week ended 2/10/1983 Code Day Care Occasional Care Family Day Care TOTAL Funded Private Funded Private Funded Private Children 1 Visually impaired 3 — — — 1 1 5 2 Hearing impaired 12 4 — 1 3 1 21 3 Speech impaired 24 12 7 1 17 2 63 4 Gross physical disability 9 — — — 1 — 10 5 Developmental^ delayed 29 3 5 — 12 — 49 6 Behaviourally disabled 14 4 2 — 3 — 23 7 Multiply disabled 20 8 2 — 3 1 34 8 Other referred child 51 5 47 — 5 — 108 9 Controlled condition 74 32 12 2 36 9 165 10 All other children 2548 1573 904 225 1363 303 6916 Total 1-9 236 68 75 4 81 14 478 TOTAL 2784 1641 979 229 1444 317 7394 Proportion 1—9 Total 8.5% 4.1% 7.7% 1.7% 5.6% 4.4% 6.5%
New Services Family Court: Counselling and Welfare This year saw the opening of the first Aboriginal child Service care centre, the Gurlongga Njininj Children's Centre The Family Court Counselling Service has completed in Newcastle Street, East Perth. An Early Childhood its eighth year of operation as a specialist section of the Services Adviser has worked for three years with this Department. The Counselling Section operates within group to help to bring about this achievement. Two new the precincts of the Family Court of Western Australia centres have been established in the Pilbara at Karratha at 45 St George's Terrace, Perth. and Newman. Ngal-a, after a trial period is now licensed to provide 24-hour care. This overnight care is availa• The Family Court Counselling Service is involved with ble to children using the day care centre or to others people at all stages of the process of marriage breakdown in special need. Interest is growing in 24-hour care and and separation. In working in this sensitive and some it is very valuable to be able to draw upon the experience times traumatic area, the service has as its goals:— of Ngal-a. (a) Helping the families involved to cope with the ef• fects of separation on themselves and their children. Inservice The Early Childhood Services Unit has organised 14 (b) Assisting them to resolve the many practical workshops with day care staff and Family Day Care difficulties which separation brings in its wake. Co-ordinators. The topics have ranged from "nutrition, (c) Providing people in the separation process with meals planning and budgeting, the needs of parents and sound objective information about the Court and children from different cultural backgrounds, report its processes, the various aspects of separation and writing, 0-3 year olds development, play and planning, its aftermath, and the possible effects of separation story-telling techniques, language development, commu• on children. nication skills and the role of the Supervisor". In addi• tion there have been a variety of inservice sessions held Referrals to the service come from the Court itself, with groups of family day care mothers who are not in• where people have made some application to the Court, tegrated into Family Day Care Schemes. and from people who are not yet involved with the Court but refer themselves or are referred by their soli• National Issues citors or other agencies. The Unit has continued to be involved in the develop• During 1983/84 3012 referrals were dealt with by the ment of the National Data Base for Preschool and Day service, of these approximately 50% were by Court ord• Care Services. The Supervisor has also been involved er and 50% on a self-referred basis. in State and Commonwealth consultation concerning During the year an additional two Counsellors were ad• a new basis for the recurrent funding of children's serv• ded to the staff giving a complement of a Director, a ices. This has involved the production of a paper on Senior Counsellor and Ten Counsellors. These addition• quality day care and quality family day care and an al• al two items, which were in the process of being filled ternative proposal for recurrent funding. at the time of writing, will allow the service to free one counsellor for special projects such as research, writing Trends pamphlets etc and another to work full-time on public This year has seen the commencement of a great deal education. of preparatory activity to the development of new serv• ices during 1984-85. This together with the changes that During 1983/84 the Counselling Service presented two are likely to arise as a result of the recommendations Information Forums per week and in addition addressed of the Welfare Services Review augurs an extremely 82 community groups on matters relating to the Court, busy future when the resources of the Unit will be Counselling and the separation process. With the avail• stretched to the utmost. ability of a full-time officer for this work it is expected 42 that this area will increase dramatically with a more sys• The method of attempting to have money repaid, is to tematic approach in 1984/85. encourage clients to participate in our Rental Repay• Counsellors make regular visits to Albany. Bunbury, ment Scheme satisfying a dual purpose of rent guaran• tees and bonds repaid at a minimal rate. Kalgoorlie, Geraldton and the Pilbara, with occasional visits to other country centres as required. Efforts have recently been made to have the adminis• A group-work programme for clients having difficulty tration of these funds currently being handled by the in coping with separation has been established during Anglican Health and Welfare Service, re-directed to the the year. This programme has proved extremely benefi• Aboriginal Medical Service. cial for those participating and will continue as a fea• Rental Repayment Scheme ture of the service offered by this section. As this particular section of the Aboriginal Accommo• The Family Court Counselling Service continues to be dation Service becomes more known and acceptable, the an essential and integral part of the Family Law process increasing usage it will receive may cause some adminis• and continues to be held in high regard by the Court trative problems. Again as a marker to success this and the legal profession. scheme, a part time assistant has been employed to con• Aboriginal Accommodation Service trol operations. This has effectively released the Wel• The past year has been one of consolidation of various fare officer assigned to operate the scheme, to channel support schemes initiated in previous years. Figures con• her energies into welfare type work. tinue to indicate, however, an increasing usage by The scheme particularly benefits those Aboriginal peo• Aboriginal clients of services offered by Aboriginal Ac• ple in receipt of Welfare benefits for whom employment commodation Service. opportunities are lacking. People on the scheme autho• The trend lately in assistance with accommodation re• rize the re-direction of their Social Security cheques to quirements has been for Aboriginal Accommodation the Aboriginal Accommodation Service. Service to merely act as an advisory, support and en• It has been an obvious realisation that with control of couragement body. This is an initiative designed to de• clients monies and having all essential budgetary items velop confidence and self-esteem of Aboriginal people accounted for, many of these same clients find it ex• in handling their own affairs and problems. tremely difficult to subsist on whatever monies are left. An example of this exercise is the encouragement of With this scheme Aboriginal families are assured of two officers to involve clients in actually contacting Estate things at least, viz a roof over their heads without any Agents themselves for accommodation. Support and en• real fear of eviction because of non-payment of rent and couragement is given regarding pitfalls, methods of ap• freedom from the fear of being goaled because of un• proach and guidelines generally in securing accommo• paid debts. For the price of that however, little money dation. Clients thus become familiar with a method of is available for other such expenses as school clothing increasing their chances of securing accommodation for for children, including bus fares, lunch monies, excur• themselves to such an extent that future similar sions etc; money sometimes even for food; and certain• problems could be handled by themselves. ly not money enough for basic household improvements Primarily the Aboriginal Accommodation Service has for many Aboriginal families. used for a greater part of this year, this period for con• solidation of various support schemes initiated in previ• In order to speed up release of clients money, negotia• ous years. tions are underway with the Post Office for allocation of a Private Box for receipt of cheques. As outlined in the report, the Aboriginal Accommoda• tion Service has three main areas of support services This method of monetary control is favoured by clients which include the Bond Scheme, the Rental Repayment as it offers security in prompt payment of all their ac• Scheme and the furniture store. counts. In this respect one can recognize the need for the continuation, refinement and upgrading of this Bond Scheme scheme so that it can offer a wider scale and access to Figures available from the State Housing Commission it by any number of Aboriginal people. continue to show the high number of Aboriginal fami• lies waiting for State Housing Commission assistance. Furniture Store A conservative estimate of numbers, not taking into ac• The Aboriginal Accommodation Service has at the mo• count families not listed with State Housing Commis• ment five Family Workers employed primarily to deal sion, would be in excess of 300 Aboriginal families cur• with material needs of Aboriginal clients. rently unhoused within the Metropolitan area. The two female officers operate from the Aboriginal Ac• Many Aboriginal families are unable to seek accommo• commodation Service, arranging and organizing deliv• dation in the private rental area, due to prohibitive costs ery of donations and the cleaning up of yards, lawn involved and Aboriginal Accommodation Service is able mowing, rubbish removal etc., while the actual services to assist only a small number of people with bond are provided by three male family workers. money. The bond scheme at Aboriginal Accommoda• tion Service operates on the basis of receiving quarter• A small charge is usually attached to the services given. ly grants of $2,500 for disbursement of bond. This small Charges although minimal, are designed more to gener• amount is usually issued within two to three weeks of ate feelings of payment for services rather than any Wel• receipt of funds. fare support given. 43 Statistics Report Table 5 Assistance Required l>t Jul> 1983 to 30th June, 1984 No. Houses 147 Table 1 Flats 111 Length of Contact: Temporary Accommodation 46 No. S.H.C. Applicants 50 Single Contact 677 S.H.C. Problems/Evictions 26 Less than 1 Month 1091 Bond 190 Less than 2 Months S.E.C 30 Less than 3 Months Water Board/Rates/Arrears 6 Less than 4 Months Eviction Prevention 22 Less than 5 Months Food Orders 29 Less than 12 Months 7 Identification Letters 76 More than 12 Months 46 Yard Cleaning 59 TOTAL: 1,821 Furniture to be allocated 141 Furniture to be Picked up (Donations) 116 Social Security 54 Rental Scheme to Secure Accommodation 604 Table 2 Rent (to Raise) 1 Source of Referral Other 113 No. TOTAL 1,821 Deitressed Persons Relief Trust 1 Grapevine 1,661 Aboriginal Advancement Council 2 Table 6 Aboriginal Legal Service 7 Type of Accommodation at Contact Aboriginal Medical Service 68 No. Department for Community Welfare 19 Conventional Housing (as Tenant) 1,081 Department of Aboriginal Affairs 2 Conventional Housing (as Non-Tenant) 421 National Aboriginal Conference 2 Semi Conventional Housing 121 Community Health 3 Improvised Dwelling 153 Municipal Shires 1 Other 12 Trades and Labour Social Welfare 26 Unknown 33 Educational Institutions 1 TOTAL: 1,821 Hospitals: Social Work Department 5 Other: Local Newspaper 23 Table 7 TOTAL: 1,821 Post Contact Accommodation No. Conventional Housing (as Tenant) 1,182 Conventional Housing (as Non- Tenant) 248 Table 3 Semi Conventional Housing 194 Family Structure Improvised Dwelling 168 No. Other 10 Single Parent 712 Unknown 19 Married 278 TOTAL: 1,821 Defacto 525 Single 260 Other: ie. Single grouping together as a Unit. 46 TOTAL: 1,821 The Homemaker Service
As stated in the last Annual Report, the Homemaker Service entered its fifteenth year of operations in 1983.
Table 4 To mark this event, the opportunity was taken to review Source of Income the work of the service since its inception and to ob• No. serve the moves away from a purely home management Supporting Parents Benefit 710 reaching service to a community and neighbourhood Unemployment 596 based resource. Invalid Pension 235 Special Benefit 32 The Service continues to emphasise its three points of Pension 14 being a voluntarily accepted, goal-directed, supervised Widows Pension 68 service that aims to help individuals, families, groups Studv Grants 40 and communities to develop skills that will enhance their Wags 126 immediate environment and enable them to use com• TOTAL 1,821 munity resources.
— Through consultation with field workers and workers The philosophy and approach of the Homemaker Serv• in other agencies the service aims to keep abreast of cur• ice in the programmes is encouraged and maintained rent social needs and to respond to these where through the training of personnel and consultation with appropriate. Departmental Staff supervising Homemakers and with other agencies on the role of Homemakers as well as assisting with planning for the use of Homemakers both There has been further co-operation with Local Govern• within and outside the Department. ment and Local Community Organisations to provide family support services that have a local base. These cover areas such as budget advice and material resources for emergency relief purposes.
Parent Help Centre An innovative project that is still in the pilot stage is the extension of a family support service to those iso• The Centre provides a 24 hour telephone crisis service lated families living in small communities along the for parents of pre-school children who are concerned Transline. This service supplements the existing child about their feelings or behaviour towards their child. health and education services by offering a range of ac• This service is supported by the Centre being open seven tivities to mothers and children, and is offered once a days a week, staffed by experienced parents, who, with month on the "Tea and Sugar" train between Kalgoorlie the support and guidance of two professional staff, pro• and Cook on the South Australian border. vide a range of responses and services to the family in contact. Homemaker Centres, whilst still maintaining a low pro• file for those who feel vulnerable in large community In the past year there were 2,899 contacts with the settings, also provide specific skills development for peo• Centre, of which 1,056 were visits and 1,843 were tele• ple who want a more structured programme. With the phone calls. Nearly 1,100 of the phone callers were in help of volunteers and the co-operation of T.A.F.E. and contact with Parent Help Centre for the first time, other education institutions a variety of short-term which represents a 62% increase on initial contact over courses have operated in some of the centres of neigh• 1982/83. By far the majority of families were request• bourhood houses. ing assistance with child management (39%), however anger towards their child (26%), marital difficulties One of the main requirements of Homemaker Centre (20%) and isolation (15%) were also areas that were users is the respite from sole and constant care of young identified as creating problems for the parent in con• children. Another is the development of social and per• tact. While the majority of callers were from an intact sonal skills in a stable and caring situation. Both the family (55%) one parent families made up over 30% respite and the required support are provided in of contacts. Homemaker Centres. From this environment users may graduate to membership and more direct participation In response to families requesting assistance, Centre staff in other community groups. offered help with child management techniques (24%), information on child development (12%), and focused on maximising parent/child interactions (8%). However, The Department currently employs 171 Homemakers by far the majority of parents (67%) were seeking friend• throughout the State, 35 of whom are Aboriginal. In ship and acceptance of themselves as people and par• addition there are the Aboriginal Community ents, from their contact with the Centre. Many fami• Homemaker programmes in which Aboriginal commu• lies were asking for advice on more than one issue. nities are subsidised to develop their own family and chil• dren's services. With the help of a nominated Depart• The Centre offers professional assessment of parents/fa• mental or community person the communities select milies on their initial visit. Each family's problems are workers from within their group who will work on responded to in an individual and personal way. selected projects. The Centre takes a family perspective of the problems, This approach of resourcing remote and intact commu• looking at the needs of both the parents and the chil• nities has proved to be effective in assisting them to de• dren. Specific programmes, treatments and activities are velop and provide their own family support arranged with a time and goal oriented approach. The programmes. One of the ways support is given to these Centre continues to offer to parents, options such as cou• programmes is by facilitating meetings between ple counselling, parents/child activities and individual programme workers from the different communities, at counselling in situations where parents are experienc• which are shared methods, new ideas and proposals for ing difficulties with their children. future activities. The most recent of these meetings was held over two days in Turkey Creek for Kimberley Com• The Centre provides a resource and information serv• munity Homemakers in a bush meeting, a style which ice for all callers and is also able to respond to a family suited both participants and content, and allowed for which is experiencing a crisis with their preschool child. the exchange of skills and information in a most valued It does this by arranging for a family to be seen immedi• and effective manner, particularly as it was a further ately during the hours the Centre is open. During after- recognition of participants' preferred mode of learning hours a social worker is available to facilitate crisis and communicating. services.
45 The emphasis of the Service in the past 12 months has local shopping centres. This has oeen found to be a very been to offer to families a range of professional and non• popular service with the public. If there have been any professional services, according to their individual needs. ongoing enquiries which the students have been una• ble to handle at the particular time, then contact is made with the enquirer at a later date. Student Unit A placement in the Department enables the student to The Student Unit located adjacent to Mirrabooka Divi• gain an understanding of the major Welfare Department sional Office offered social work students a placement within the State. It readily becomes apparent to the stu• dents that there is a great deal of liaison, and co- until March 1984, when the Unit went into recess to . operation with other agencies, both statutory and volun• enable a review to be undertaken. A decision on the fu• tary. The experience is valuable in their later social work ture of the unit had not been reached in June 1984. career because many of the clients of other agencies, may also have contact with the Department for Com• The Unit has taken students from the Social Work munity Welfare, although in some cases that contact Departments at the University of W.A. and the West may only be peripheral. Australian Institute of Technology. The placements have ranged in length from eight weeks to 14 weeks depending upon which practicuum it is, in relation to the The knowledge that social workers have of Communi• course. As is expected the final year students undertak• ty Welfare enables them to bring greater understand• ing a long placement have many more opportunities to ing to their management of the case. become involved in the department's duties, than do those students experiencing a shorter first placement. Many of the students have undergone a departmental orientation programme, and thanks are due to the staff who have been involved in these presentations. The stu• Community Welfare Emergency Services dents invariably find it helpful to gain an overview of the Department. During the year under review the Bureau of Meteorol• ogy and the Western Australian State Emergency Serv• Being located in the busy Mirrabooka Division enables ice ordered quite a number of "Cyclone" and "Flood" the students to become involved in a range of depart• watches. These reports were regularly received, around mental activities. The Mirrabooka staff also create op• the clock where necessary, by the "Cyclone Watch portunities for students to be involved in the on-going Officer", who closely monitored the situation and work of the Division. recorded all data. Where welfare assistance was required, the Department for Community Welfare were well pre• Student placements are by nature transitory and there• pared to meet the emergency. fore students are encouraged at all times to work with ongoing staff and organisations. This approach en• Emergencies were wide spread, ranging from cyclones courages continuity from the client's point of view. Stu• and flooding in the Kimberleys and Pilbara, flooding dents are encouraged to have contact with a wide range and earth tremors in the South West to flooding and of professionals, and also local organisations. This pro• a Tornado in the metropolitan area. Where Departmen• vides benefit to both groups. From the students point tal staff were involved in any of these emergencies, wel• of view, they gain the benefit of the experience which fare commitments and assistance were applied in a prac• the ongoing personnel invariably have. From the point tical and efficient manner. This included immediate wel• of view of the ongoing organisation or people working fare measures of disbursing Disaster Relief Funding, is• within that organisation, the contact with students me• sue of food, clothing and accommodation relocation. In ans that they have the contact with people who have the Cyclone "Chloe" disaster, the Roebourne Depart• new and innovative ideas and are enthusiastic to try out mental staff, after carrying out immediate Welfare meas• their new skills. ures, and rendering all assistance possible in the after• math, later undertook the task of obtaining, transport• During the first eight months of the year, 12 students ing and replacement of furnishings and household goods undertook a placement in the Unit. Other students have lost and destroyed through this disaster. The efforts been supervised during the year by staff throughout the made by Departmental staff involved with the Cyclone Department including some in country areas. Occasion• "Chloe" disaster, deserve commendation. ally isolated students have taken part in the group ses• sions at the Student Unit. Departmental staff also combined with the State Emer• gency Service and Transport Commission in airlifting Usually a number of students are placed in the Unit at urgently needed supplies and food to isolated commu• one time. This enables them to engage in group activi• nities, towns and motorists stranded on the roads. ties as well as provide support for each other. The stationing of a State Emergency Service Regional One of the activities that students have been engaged Coordinator in the Kimberley area has proved its worth. in, is to run an Information Stall during the time of their This service has given support and assistance to this placement. This has involved collecting brochures and Department and vastly improved the "Disaster and pamphlets from various organisations, and then display• Emergency Assessment" and "Required Action", expe• ing and making this information available at one of the ditiously in that area.
46 The Committee set up to investigate problems and me• The Department has developed a team of Helpers, usual• ans of assisting isolated communities is functioning ef• ly 15 to 16 years of age, who have themselves been fectively. Their positive recommendations have been through the program and are prepared to make a com• adopted and the Committee continue to monitor these mitment to work at the Centre and provide assistance and follow up regularly. to the Group Leaders. During the year a group of about twenty Helpers have met together regularly, had their The Department for Community Welfare has been very say regarding the operation of the centre and made a actively involved with the State Emergency Service and very significant contribution towards its maintenance. the Natural Disasters Organisation in examining means for a satisfactory and efficient changeover in the Na• In addition, during the year, 286 young people aged tional Registration and Inquiry System when necessary from 10 to 16 years became involved in a regular series at the end of December 1985. of weekend and school holiday programs at the Centre. A further 116 young people were involved in programs A submission has been made by the Department to "The at the Centre through other sources such as, Chester• Emergency Services Review Committee". This submis• field House, Holyoake, Family Camps and Pinjarra sion focused on practical measures associated with coun• High School. In all, 422 young people benefited from ter disaster responses. an involvement in a program or series of programs at Port Kennedy Beach Camp during the year. The State Welfare Emergency Committee still proves to be a functional and efficient group under the guidance of this Department. Regular meetings are held and these Whiteman Park are producing positive recommendations and planning. Approval has been received from the Metropolitan Agreement has been reached in the Department becom• Region Planning Authority to establish a camp for ing a "Participating Organisation" in various plans sub• youth within Whiteman Park (a major regional park lo• mitted by other Departments. These include "Exotic cated in the Shire of Swan). The Department began Diseases Plan", "Marine Pollution Plan" and the work at the proposed site in September 1983. This was "Metropolitan Ferries Marine Rescue Plan". This is in made possible by a grant of $131 650 through the Wage addition to other plans accepted and involves the Pause Program. Previously unemployed men and wom• Department in a responsible role in each plan. It is an• en helped prepare the site. Fences were constructed, a ticipated that further involvement will be required as motor mechanic's and machinery shed built, services other plans are completed. (roads, water, electricity) provided. The project was very successful and achieved a fine foundation for the fur• ther development of the program at Whiteman Park. The first stage of construction commenced in May 1984.
Youth Activity Services The facility will be used by the Department as a base for the wide range of youth activities that will be possi• During the year the Department gave greater clarity to ble within Whiteman Park. The setting will provide a the differentiation between personal development pro• unique opportunity for young people to take a major grams designed for offenders and those for children who role in community development. are not under current order. This was achieved by creat• ing a separately located unit responsible for Communi• ty Based Offender programmes. Peer Group Leaders
The youth activity programmes aim to help each young Peer Group Leaders are employed up to ten hours per person gain confidence in their own abilities (as well as week for working with small groups of children in their an understanding of their limitations) and achieve a own neighbourhood. Our experience has been that these greater level of independent responsibility. Group Lead• leaders are predominantly engaged in country areas and ers attempt to identify those activities to which the work extensively with "non-joiners". The program has young people in their charge will positively respond. proven to be a very valuable resource for Community They try to develop within the young people, a concern Welfare Officers and has enabled them to initiate local for the feelings of others and consideration of the ef• involvement in youth activities. It is commonly found fect their actions have on others. They also encourage that activities organised in this way correlate with a the continuity of attitudes and activities within the notable reduction in local Children's Court appearances young person's home, school and local neighbourhood. during the operation of the programme.
During the year, Peer Group Leaders have been engaged Port Kennedy Beach Camp with groups in Kununurra, Port Hedland, Carnarvon, Meekatharra, Gnowangerup, Cunderdin, Dunsborough, Port Kennedy Beach Camp (located on the coast 60 Albany, Gosnells and Queens Park. kms. south of Perth) is currently the main Perth Metropolitan Region venue used by the Department as Local Neighbourhood Activities a centre for these activities. It is a centre that has en• couraged maximum participation by the young people Youth activity programmes aiming to raise the compe• themselves. tence of young people have value, so that they may 6e 47 better equipped to gain personal satisfaction through 1981. It is designed to encourage the development of socially acceptable, locally based activities. Most child• services which enable the movement of homeless youth ren live in urban rather than in rural areas, so that out of shelter style facilities into more appropriate forms "Urban Bound" programmes can complement equally of accommodation. During the financial year ending 30 important "Outward Bound" activities bringing exciting June 1984, the following organisations were funded un• and personally satisfying moments, discovered in der the Youth Services Scheme: camping and semi-wilderness programmes, to activities in urban areas. $ Youth Care 50 700 The capacity to develop and extend these local neigh• Jesus People Incorporated 50 000 bourhood youth activities is sometimes limited by Anglican Health & Welfare 44 494 resources and sometimes by staff who also have statu• Rockingham Youth & Child Care 32 720 tory responsibilities. However, these activities have im• Swan Emergency Accommodation 30 320 portant and rewarding aspects and is an area in which City of Fremantle 22 250 the Department is keen to increase its level of Hedland Community Youth Service 21 692 involvement. Victoria Park Youth Accommodation 19 693 Bunbury Voluntary Community 19 263 Equipment Geraldton Emergency Relief Organisation 7 300 The Department maintains a small range of equipment Wilja Hostel Incorporated 6 853 and supplies in order to facilitate the youth activity pro• Mofflyn Child & Family Care 2 000 gram within the Department. City of Melville 715 $308 000 The use of equipment is heaviest during school holiday periods and at these times some groups are disappoint• ed because of our lack of sufficient stocks.
The location of the equipment store was changed dur• Hostel Services ing the year, to temporary premises at Bridgewater. With disposal of Bridgewater, more permanent accom• modation will be sought. Kimberley Division
Special Projects and Liaison Charles Perkins Hostel, Halls Creek Fitzroy Crossing Hostel, Fitzroy Crossing The Department as one of the government instrumen• Derby School Hostel, Derby talities with responsibility for services to youth, was in• volved during the year, in a number of government en• Pilbara Division quiries and special projects regarding youth. In partic• ular the Department was regularly represented on the Moorgunya Hostel, Port Hedland Youth Task Force established to make recommenda• Oolanyah Hostel, Marble Bar tions to the government in relation to the formation of Weerianna Hostel, Roebourne a Youth Affairs Bureau. Gilliamia Hostel, Onslow
The Department is also represented on the State Co• Murchison Division ordinating Committee for International Youth Year (1985) and is involved in'a number of working parties Meekatharra Hostel, Darlot Street, Meekatharra in relation to that initiative. The Department is plan• Meekatharra Hostel, Consols Street, Meekatharra ning to be involved in a number of youth programmes during International Youth Year. Goldfields Division
Nabberu Hostel, Leonora Youth Homelessness Boulder Working Youths Hostel, Boulder Kalgoorlie Working Girls Hostel, Kalgoorlie Youth homelessness is a subject of special concern to the Department. Effective liaison has been established This year the Welfare Review Committee's Inquiry as• with the Youth Accommodation Coalition of Western sisted our own appraisal of the Hostel Service in provid• Australia and maintained throughout the year. The ing accommodation for school aged Aboriginal children Department supported the non-government welfare sec• isolated from a school centre. Regular reviews of the tor in the development of accommodation services for children in care have differentiated between those who young people. live-in for welfare related reasons and those who have in fact family or extended families willing to care for The Department has a special responsibility through the them. This factor plus the increasing number of school administration of the Commonwealth and State fund• facilities being developed in isolated communities has ed Youth Services Scheme. This is a pilot program that led to a reduction of the numbers of children in each has been running in Western Australia since March hostel, and in two instances, it has been possible to close 48 "Activities in Kartan Hostel Workshop." the hostel facility altogether. These hostels were Nin- ice for the Department as an adjunct to existing Field deebai in Boulder and Kyarra in Cue. In Perth the Bed• and Institutional services. Secondly, it aimed to provide ford Park Hostel was closed. In the following year it a broad-based response to situations of personal or fa• is likely that two or three more may be phased out. mily distress in the after-hour periods as a complement to existing community agencies. The modus operandi With reduced numbers it has been possible in several of Crisis Care was to be that of crisis intervention, where centres to implement a cottage or unit style of care the goals were to avert serious mishap in the immedi• rather than the dormitory model. This has enabled chil• ate circumstances, assist the individual or family return dren to experience a more homelike and individualized to equilibrium and preferably for those with longer term style of care. Seven cottages have now been erected problems to sow seeds of situational or personal and throughout the service. inter-personal change through referral following the in• itial phase of the crisis. Training and employment of Aboriginal persons has continued and this year two Aboriginal Managers were The Unit was modelled closely on Adelaide's Crisis Care appointed. At the present time, one third of the Child though it was clear from the outset that local conditions Care staff are Aboriginal persons and there is a further would determine a character adapted to Perth. commitment to increase this number as people come for• ward for training. The initial team of Crisis Care comprised eight field officers, supervisor and clerk/typist and thirty voluntary Another advent with the closure of some dormitories workers to assist the telephone service in the after hours has been the opportunity to permit some community, periods. Field officers would utilise two radio controlled based programmes and operations to utilize part of our vehicles for contacts in the community. No service was hostel premises. Such programmes have had an Aborigi• to be provided at the Unit itself. nal base and it is likely that this will be a continuing trend as more vacant hostel units become available. The first year of operation provided a mixture of achievements and difficulties as could be expected. Early It is anticipated that next year will see the development publicity and preparation ensured a firm start and an of a regional model of administration with the im• average of 100 new calls were received per week over plementation of the Welfare Review Committee's the first five months. These were comprised of problems recommendations for a more decentralized Department. associated with marriage (22%), material needs (23%), and parent-child disputes (16%), runaway youth (7%), and children at risk (5%), which constituted a blend of regular departmental responsibilities and a new service Crisis Care Unit profile.
When the Crisis Care began on 20th June 1983 it aimed The level of demand for the service grew over the sum• to fulfil two functions. Firstly, to provide a 24 hour serv- mer months to a height in January and February when 49 well over 200 new calls were received each week. This Table 1 indicates the workload of the unit in quantita• placed considerable pressure on the service and the ini• tive terms for the first year. There is no doubt that the tial allocation of resources began to proye insufficient. unit provides a service not previously available in the Stop-gap provisions for service delivery from this time community. At the same time major areas of shortage diminished efforts toward longer-term developmental in• continue to be apparent. No service such as Crisis Care itiatives particularly in the areas of resource develop• can provide substitutes for the needs of housing, income ment and liaison. maintenance, especially when associated with housing problems, and preventive support services for families From the outset, thorough knowledge of community with teenagers. Furthermore, many problem areas as• resources and developed working relations with other sociated with cultural minority groups and women in agencies were seen to be fundamental to the operation violent situations, for example, have hardly been ad• of a crisis service. Prior to commencement the crisis dressed. The extension of resources and working liai• team visited all agencies seen likely to be relevant to cri• son with other agencies will be required before the unit's sis intervention and a liaison committee of agencies was impact reaches these groups. established. However, the latter proved difficult and was replaced by less formal working liaison. Tables 2 — 9 provide some features of the 644 out-reach visits made by crisis workers in the first year. Coming as it did at a time of major social welfare is• sues, Crisis Care could not be the forum for the sort The year ahead provides many more challenges. The of debate envisaged by several member agencies. service has made a sound beginning and operates on firm ground but a broader base with more complex reper• Amongst the network of agency liaison developed dur• toire of responses needs to be developed in partnership ing the year, notable were those with the Police Depart• with other statutory and non-government bodies. ment and St John Ambulance. The distribution in May of a jointly developed pamphlet for persons in domes• tic crises to all metropolitan police stations is tangible Table 1 evidence of growing co-operation between the two Telephone Calls Received by Crisis Care departments. St. John's Ambulance too has fully sup• 20.6.83 — 19.6.84 ported the Unit and integrated its service into all train• ing and resource information. Total first calls received 7426 Average weekly first calls 143 Anticipating more staff resources in the coming year, Total log entries 13826 greater effort will be put into agency liaison with par• Average weekly log entries 266 ticipation of all team members. Source of calls The crisis team comprising of field officers and volun• Public 78% teer workers has operated at the highest level given the DCW 4% constraints outlined above and the attention paid to in• Police 4% itial selection was vindicated. While a background of Agency 14% social welfare, especially departmental work, and general counselling skills have proved important, the element Presenting Problem of team work by which workers, professional and volun• Marital 20% tary, share the work effort, has emerged as perhaps a Parent/Child 14% unique requirement of effective crisis intervention. Food/Transport 14% Accommodation 12% Another important facit of the Unit's first year, has been Mental Disturbance 6% the integration of voluntary workers into a statutory Runaway 6% agency and this has proved successful. Participation of Child at Risk 6% voluntary workers, some without formal qualification, Suicide 2% some professionals in their own right, has provided the Other 20% Unit with human richness and resources not otherwise available. Their presence in the Unit provides a relative Action Taken viewpoint of great value within the welfare setting. Information 42% Counsel 28% Another notable development during the year has been Active Referral 10% that of the Emergency Foster Scheme. Given the closure Information Rec'd 8% of "Bridgewater," alternative community based care pro• In Home Visit 9% visions were needed and the Department co-operated Other 3% with private agencies to provide three regional short- term foster schemes. At present some 22 families are available to provide care for children of all ages at short Table 2 notice for up to one month's duration. While initial re• Out-Reach Visits 20.6.83 — 19.6.84 quests are co-ordinated by Crisis Care, the scheme offers resources for all agencies in the community. Such a Total number of visits 644 scheme offers great potential for the future of substi• Total number of people involved 1693 tute care and family support. Total number of children involved 934 50 Table 3 Table 7 Source of Calls Visit (Families) Current Clients of:
Departmental Facility 7% Departmental Division or Unit 23% Mental Health Services 4% Alcohol Authority 1% 35%
Table 8 41 17 15 Assistance Provided
3o
Table 4 Day of the Week
10 24 36
5 O
4? CD 8
Table 9 12% 12% 22% 21% Outcomes
W Th Su
Table 5 Presenting Problem
n 10 13 33 21 27 12 # 4 V "9 ft P c ,<5 ^ •I * 0>° Table 6 Ethnic Group of Primary Client
67 17 8 4 2 2
51 INSTITUTIONAL SERVICES The changes begun last year in the wake of the Edwards As a result of the closures of Bridgewater and Hillston Report on "The Treatment of Juvenile Offenders" and it was necessary to redeploy over one hundred staff to of declining numbers of children being admitted to other places or types of employment. The redeployment residential care for welfare reasons, have been was a major venture in both human and organisational consolidated. terms and required careful management to ensure that those affected were, as far as possible, relocated accord• In the welfare area, residential care for children is now ing to their interests and skills and that morale and in• provided by the "Community Support Hostels" system dustrial harmony were maintained. From an organisa• which comprises seven decentralised hostels with admin• tional view point the process was carried out smoothly istrative services based at Bridgewater. The system com• and feedback from staff indicated that the vast majori• bines the services previously provided by Bridgewater ty felt they had been treated fairly. and Walcott Centres, both of which have been phased out as residential facilites. The role of the hostels is to Practices relating to the admission and discharge of chil• provide skilled care for children for whom a more nor• dren from institutions are now substantially governed mal setting, such as an emergency foster home, is not by two principles put forward in the Edwards Report, available. The reduced number of beds has been quite namely:— adequate to the demand and numbers have continued to decline. 1. Offenders and non-offenders should be clearly and completely separated and dealt with separately. There has also been extensive restructuring of security services for offenders. The closure of Hillston, recom• 2. The Children's Courts (and not the Department) mended by Edwards, was effected in September, 1983. should determine whether children found guilty of This necessitated the conversion of Longmore Assess• offences should be detained in custody. ment Centre to a secure training institution for boys aged 16 and under with Longmore Remand taking on The Department is attempting to be clear in each case, whatever assessment is required. as to whether its mandate arises from a responsibility
GUIDE TO INSTITUTIONAL SERVICES
CHIEF OF INSTITUTIONAL SERVICES
DEPUTY CHIEF OF INSTITUTIONAL SERVICES
I KOORANA McCALL RIVERBANK LAUNDRY CENTRE COMMUNITY SUPPORT HOSTELS
NYANDI LONGMORE LONGMORE - Stuart House REMAND & TRAINING ASSESSMENT ' Tudor Lodge - Gwynne Lea - Warralea Hostel - Watson Lodge - Kyewong Hostel - Karingal - Warminda Hostel -McDonald House Medina Hostel -Vic Park Hostel - Darlington Hostel - Oceanview Hostel - Bedford Hostel 52 to provide care and protection to the child or, alterna• Programme tively, a responsibility to impose a sanction and exer• cise a corrective or controlling influence because the The Remand and Assessment Centre programme is child is an offender. In some cases, both mandates exist designed to make constructive use of the children's time and then it becomes necessary to make the decision in whilst they are in custody, either on remand or for as• respect of particular actions. It is generally acknowleged sessment. A social information programme operates dur• and was highlighted by Edwards that any blurring of ing the working day, five days per week. This the care/control issue can be detrimental to the children programme covers a three week period, so that any child concerned and result in a denial of proper justice to who is resident for that period or less will not repeat them. any of the subjects. The content of this programme covers 24 subjects, including such topics as Contracep• Consistent with this, the deprivation of a child's liberty tion advice, Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Safe Driving (for is seen as a serious matter of justice and not to be un• those over 17 years), accommodation finding for home• dertaken lightly or without due process. In general, it less youth, employment applications and knowledge of is considered that it should occur only when a severe Commonwealth Employment Service facilities and the sanction is warranted, others having been exhausted, legal system as it applies to children. There is also op• or when community protection is genuinely an issue. portunity for the children to participate in art and craft There is undoubtedly a tendency to incarcerate children activities. The information is disseminated using lec• for lesser reasons than would apply to adults and the tures, brochures, games, video tapes and 16 mm films. move towards a more justice orientated model is large• All children of legal school age attend school during the ly based on the need to safeguard the rights of children time that this programme operates. against inappropriate detention.
The new structure outlined in the "First Report of The Welfare and Community Services Review in Western Australia", together with the announced strategy of con• tinued devolution of resources from residential institu• Development tions to community based services, will mean further changes in the institutional area. A major focus for In• Significant charges to this Centre have occurred dur• stitutional Management during the latter half of 1984 ing the past year, most associated with the combining will be to ensure issues of concern to the Service are of the Remand and Assessment functions which took addressed in the planning of the new Department, and place in September 1983. Total bed capacity has in• provision is made for activities essential for the smooth creased from 22 to 32 and staffing levels have cor• running of the Service. respondingly increased utilizing staff redeployed from other Centres. As a result of this, as well as the opera• tion of the Liaison Unit (mentioned below), there has been yet another marked drop in the number of days during the year when the total number of residents ex• ceeded the number of beds available (13 days), even though the total number of admissions for the year has Longmore Remand and Assessment Centre remained fairly constant.
This centre situated at Adie Court, Bentley and adjoin• The Liaison Unit, staffed by four Group Workers trans• ing Longmore Training Centre is a maximum security ferred from the Centre's staff for periods of three facility designed to cater for 32 boys and girls between months, has proved most effective in procuring, where the ages of 13 and 18 years. The main functions of the possible, the earliest release of a child eligible for bail. Centre are: In addition the Unit has developed and maintained close working relationships with D.C.W. Divisions, the Chil• Remand — to provide secure accommodation for dren's Courts and the Police Department. children who have been arrested and charged with an offence or offences and who are awaiting appear• Another development at Longmore Remand and As• ance in Court, and for children who have been sessment Centre has been the establishment of a school• remanded in custody either for a further appearance room. Now, all residents of legal school age and who in the Children's Court or for appearances in the remain in the Centre for more than 24 hours have to District or Supreme Court. attend school. It is staffed by one teacher (transferred from another Centre) and a Group Worker. Assessment — to provide assessment of chil• dren who have been convicted by a Court and Lastly, with the combining of the Remand and Assess• Placed Under the Control of the Department. A ment functions, significant changes have taken place Case Conference held within three to four days af• regarding the Case Conferencing process, enabling faster ter admission decides whether to release the child and more streamlined decision making and planning. In or to recommend placement in a secure Training addition changes to the levels of Case Conference ap• Centre (Longmore Training Centre Riverbank or provals have considerably shortened the period of time Nyandi), taking into account the Court's recommen• between Case Conference and actual transfer to a Train• dation to the Department. ing Centre. 53 Population Characteristics Placement on Discharge: Home 1340 70.4 Non- Relatives 65 3.4 Aboriginal Aboriginal TOTAL Foster Parents 4 .2 Admissions: 1981/82 Private Board 156 8.2 Girls 121 137 258 D.C.W. Hostels & Others 203 10.7 Boys 603 863 1466 Riverbank 75 3.9 Nyandi 17 .9 724 1000 1724 Prison 16 .8 Admissions: 1982/83 Other (incl Interstate) 28 1.5 Girls 119 130 249 Boys 611 1062 1673
730 1192 1922 Admissions: 1983/84 Longmore Training Centre Girls ! 127 120 247 1676 Boys 586 1090 Longmore Training Centre is a maximum security fa• 713 1210 1923 cility situated at 21 Adie Court, Bentley. The Centre can accommodate 40 boys aged 13 to 16 years inclu• sive. The children have records of serious or recurrent Divisional Distribution: offending and are usually admitted at the direction of % the Court. Children are admitted for periods between Metropolitan 1610 83.7 one and six months. A community hostel which can ac• Kimberley 21 1.1 commodate six children is located in the grounds of the Pilbara 31 1.6 Murchison 25 1.3 main Centre. Central 56 2.9 Southern 86 4.5 The major aim of the Centre is to provide secure deten• Goldfields 52 2.7 tion for children where it is deemed necessary by the Interstate 42 2.2 Court. While the children are detained the Centre at• School/Employment Distribution: tempts to provide for their normal development and to % use the period purposefully by providing training that Primary School 28 1.4 will lead to a reduction in the child's offending be• Secondary School 394 20.5 haviour. When the child returns to the community con• Employed 207 10.8 siderable importance is placed on the reintegration of Unemployed 1294 67.3 the child into the community by the provision of after• Reason for Admission: care and hostel support. 1) Pre Conviction/Sentencing
Arrest awaiting Court appearance 1329 10 69.1 Programme Remand 188 9.8 Remand for Assess (Sect 28(2)b)... 23 1.2 The children work, attend school or are involved in a 2) Post Conviction PUC variety of social and community survival skill For Assessment 187 9.8 programmes during the day. The Centre, where possi• Others 28 1.4 ble, endeavours to create a normal school or work en• 3) Others vironment. A variety of activities and recreational pur• Default 128 6.7 suits are organised in the evening. Missing Person 1 .05 Departmental Request 20 1.0 The Centre's behavioural management programme pro• Medical 3 .15 Breakdown of previous plan 13 .65 vides the children with positive incentives to learn, work Miscellaneous 3 .15 and improve their inter-personal skills.
A team consisting of a Chairperson, an Aftercare Officer and a Group Worker meet regularly with each child, Discharges: the objectives of these conferences being to plan the Non- Aboriginal Aboriginal TOTAL child's programme, monitor their progress and redirect Girls 128 120 248 the boys with respect to their offending. The boys are Boys 576 1080 1656 expected to make positive plans to change their offend 704 1200 1904 ing behaviour.
Length of Stay: Development % Less than 24 hours 1081 56.8 The major development during the last year was the Les than l week 351 18.4 Centre's transition from an Assessment Centre to a i week to I month 249 13.0 Training Centre in September 1983. This involved a 1 month to 6 weeks 83 4.4 , . " . . : , 6 weeks to 12 weeks 88 4 6 reduction in the capacity of the Centre from 60 to 40 12 weeks to 24 weeks 49 2.6 and the change from admitting both sexes to only bo\ over 24 weeks 3 .2 There has been a reduction in staff in line with the 54 reduced capacity and reflecting the training role three 15 Assessment Boys were released on Longmore Aftercare Officers and three additional teachers have Training After-care been employed. 1 Assessment Boys were released Riverbank 1 Assessment Boys were released Home Children are now admitted to the Centre for specific periods of time at the direction of the Court. The September 26 1983 — 30 June 1984 Centre's programme has been modified to address the issues of minimising as far as possible the adverse ef• Longmore Training Centre: fects of institutionalization, providing normal develop• ment opportunities for the child and reducing offending. Population Characteristic: Total Admissions 182 This major transition has been completed successfully New Admissions 119 and smoothly to the credit of all staff involved. Readmissions 63 Discharges/Transfers 164 The change of role has resulted in a reduction of the Average Length of Stay 54 days total number of admissions but an increase in the aver• Range of Stay 10 days — 146 days age length of stay. These trends are likely to continue. Average Age of Longmore as a Training Centre is a participant in the Admissions 14 years 8 months Recidivism Monitoring Programme but it is too soon Age Range 11.4 years to 17.9 years to comment upon the readmission rate. The change in function has increased the need for staff training to in• NB 1 boy was aged 17.9 years next eldest 16.9 crease staff skills and in this context all Senior Group years. Workers have recently attended a week's training course to develop their supervisory skills. Riverbank
July — September, 1983. Riverbank in Hamersley Road, Caversham is a secure detention centre with accommodation for 40 boys usual• Longmore Assessment Centre ly in the age range 16 to 18 years of age. It provides Admissions: accommodation for children where detention is deemed as necessary by the criminal justice process. Girls 4 Boys ....79 83 Programme
Divisional Distribution: m Riverbank is the central point of a training system which "/o comprises, the secure residential centre, two metropoli• Metropolitan 59 71.1 tan annexes and a community support, after-care serv• Kimberley 0 ice. The total system has an average caseload of about Pilbara 4 4.9 130 at any one time. This case figure after diminishing Murchison 3 1.2 over recent years has remained constant during 1983-84. Central 1 1.2 Southern 3 3.6 The security of the centre allows for an appropriate Goldfields 15 18 training programme to be implemented, whilst assuring 83 that a boy will be kept in custody for the period of time specified by the court. Programmes are designed by Ages: identifying the problems and examining the needs of Average age of admission 15 years 4 months each individual boy. This takes place at a mini confer• ence soon after a boy is admitted. It is attended by the Age range 12.1 years to 17.7 years. boy himself, his counsellor/group worker, after-care Placement on Discharge: ^ officer and often his parents. The boy's subsequent progress is monitored by daily behaviour report dock• Home of extended family 47 47% ets and further mini conferences, which take place at Dept Group Home 26 26 least every four weeks. The programme is supported by Private Group Homes 2 2 a token economy system designed to assist individual Riverbank 15 15 development and improve competence in a wide range Hillston 4 4 of areas. Work training is designed to develop both basic Nyandi 2 2 skills and an ability to persist at production-line type, Other 2 2 repetitive tasks. Education at varying levels receives high Prison 2 2 priority. 100 Special emphasis is placed on training in outside living Average length of stay 38 days skills which are necessary for survival in the communi• Range of stay 1—152 days ty. Visits by outside groups and individuals is an im• Case Conferences/Reviews: 80 portant feature in providing social contact within the
55 confines of the facility. Isolation from the community side agencies. Staff involvement in specific aspects of inhibits the development of a socially competent per• programme development has also been intensified. son and considerable value is placed on this type of contact. During the latter part of the year eight residents have been involved in two Challenge for Youth programmes, With the closure of Hillston in September 1983 and the one of the Community Based Offender Programmes, as Department's adoption of a justice system in relation a finale to their custodial sentence. All participants have to detention for juvenile offenders, Riverbank's role has spoken highly of this programme and particular interest been modified during the year. It now caters, in the will be shown in their future. main, for offenders who are more than 16 years of age or those, who regardless of age, have been recommend• Population Characteristics ed to serve a period of detention in excess of six months. New Admissions 77 Aboriginal 46 The centre has generally operated at full capacity Caucasian 31 throughout the year and population characteristics in• dicate that whilst the average age of residents has re• Re-Admissions 180 Aboriginal 105 mained constant with the 1982-83 figure, indications are Caucasian 75 of increased mobility in terms of admissions/discharges Discharges/Transfers 243 Aboriginal 134 and a corresponding decrease in the average length of Caucasian 109 stay with the centre. Average Length of Stay 72 days As at 30 June 1984 eight cases were being held pursuant (All Discharges) to orders made in superior courts. Twenty cases were Range of Stay 322 Days — 8 days the subject of recommendation made in Children's (All Discharges) Courts as compared with 13 at the corresponding time last year. Only three admissions occurred during the year Average Age of 16 Years 8 Months which involved indeterminate sentences and other five Admissions had recommendations for periods of detention made in Age Range 13 Years 10 Months the District Court. 18 yrs. 0 months.
After-Care service continues to play an important role in the overall programme. Assisting to re-assimilate youths into the community who have been isolated from Nyandi society for lengthy periods is a prominent aspect of this service. The Client Group The Victoria Park Annexe, and since September 1983 McDonald House, when it was taken into the River• Two groups of girls are served by the Nyandi Treatment bank system with the closure of Hillston, continues to and Research Complex. These are: perform an active role in the Riverbank system and col• lectively each had an average daily bed rate of four boys Welfare Preventative Cases: throughout the year. A total of 84 admissions involv• The main presenting problems are behaviours which ing 56 individuals occurred. Some 43 work placements would put a girl at risk. Many girls in this group have were obtained. Whilst the average length of stay was criminal convictions, but these are of a minor nature. 25 days the range varied between one and 126 days. A The reasons for referral is to attend to Welfare needs. major repair and renovation programme curtailed the Half the admissions to the complex in the 83-84 finan• use of McDonald House for some months of the year. cial years were in this group.
Offenders: Development The reason for referral is the girl's criminal convictions. This group accounted for the other half of the admis• Two Recidivism Monitoring Programme Study Periods, sions on the 83-84 year. six months July — December 1981 and January — June 1982 have been completed during the year with 92% Girls are transferred to the Nyandi system only when and 94% of interventions completing their study peri• other agencies and alternative methods of working with od. The offence reduction rate of these cases was 52% the girl have failed. Girls admitted are either under care and 68% respectively. These figures are very similar to and protection or control orders from a Children's the previous five studies, dating back to the commence• Court. Referrals to Nyandi should present as the most ment of the programme in 1979, whose reduction figures serious offenders and the most "at risk" female clients have been 55%, 61%, 60%, 71% and 52%. in the welfare system.
In-service training and staff development has become The age range of girls is between 13 and 18 years. a more intensive aspect within the centre during the year with an ongoing programme involving participa• Aboriginal girls comprised 60% of new referrals in the tion by both Departmental staff and people from out• 83-84 year. 56 Nyandi transferred more girls out of the system then Maximum Security were admitted. The number of girls with Nyandi fell There are three types of maximum security programmes from 117 to 83 during the 83-84 year. This follows a run by the complex at the secure Centre in Bentley. consistent trend over the last four years which has seen the caseload of the system fall from a high of 180 in Pineview Programmes 1980 to its present level. This shows a positive trend The most difficult offenders referred to Nyandi take pan in the Department's ability to work with difficult girls in the long stay Pineview Programme. The use of long without institutional care. stay custody for non-offenders was eliminated in 1982 and has been greatly reduced for offender. In 1973 the Facilities average number in Pineview was 17. In 19&3 it was 4.5. During 83-84 admission to Pineview was altered to be The Nyandi System is composed of four units: determined solely by Court recommendation, so mov• ing more towards a legal justice model. The effective• ness of the Pineview Programme is shown in After-Care (Community Based, Non-Residential Carel "outcomes". Nyandi is primarily a community based system. At any Non-Treatment Holding one time some 80-90% of the girls live outside the residential facilities. The After-care unit, responsible for Nyandi is required to hold girls who are detained for these girls, consists of five groupworkers; three part-time brief periods by Statute. These include girls on Remand Homemakers, and one Social Worker. The unit concen• awaiting Court; those serving periods of "default" for trates on working with the girl in her immediate social non-payment of fines, and "overflow" girls from Long- more Remand Centre. environment. Community Time Out A new trial development this year has been the employ• ment of a half-time teacher, as a school liaison worker, The programme Community Time Out, used as a con• to maintain Nyandi girls in normal schools and avoid sequence for aggressive behaviour in hostels and run• suspensions or expulsions. ning away, ceased during the year. A Committee sub• sequently established by the Director to examine the ap• An important aspect of the After-care service is to plication of behaviour modification at Nyandi has recruit and support foster families willing to provide a recommended it be replaced with a Brief Secure Deten• supportive environment for difficult girls. The contribu• tion programme. Two trends during the year have great• tion of these people enables the time spent in "institu• ly reduced the need for the use of this type of custody. The referral of uncontrolled runaway girls to the Nyandi tion" care to be minimised. A follow up on 1982 admis• system has decreased sharply. Improved services are sions showed that short, or long-term foster care was offered by Field Divisions and the Community Support provided for 70% of girls referred that year. Hostels. This has meant that an increasing proportion of new admissions to the Nyandi system are offenders Day Attendance for whom the Court has recommended secure detention. A new development has been the conversion of a These factors have reduced the hostel population and residential hostel into a day attendance Centre. The aim the number of "uncontrolled" clients and hence the need is to enable girls to be placed directly back home, or in for Brief Secure Detention. foster care but enable meaningful work to be conduct-, ed during the day. This should allow intervention but Outcomes: avoid disruptive aspects of residential care. It is also 1.3.83 - 30.6.84 hoped the Attendance Centre will enable the develop• ment of a parent support group, and greater parential New Admissions: involvement in the helping process. The development Aboriginal 15 of the day attendance option will also allow a more ac• N/Aboriginal 10 tivities based programme for those residing in hostels. 25
Hostels Offenders 21 N/Offenders 4 Until recently, girls transferred to the Nyandi system were usually admitted direct to hostels. This has ena• Transfers Out Of System: bled the use of custody to be minimised. There are two Aboriginal 33 residential hostels. These are — Gwynne Lea in Bent- N/Aboriginal 57 ley and Karingal in Melville. Each can cater for up to eight girls but ideal numbers are three or less, given the 90 difficulty of the girls involved. Average Stay: The hostels are asked to fulfill two main tasks. These Long Stay security 44 days are to provide an environment where girls will stay Hostels 68 days despite previous histories of running away. They must Time-out 36 hrs also bring the girl's behaviour within socially accepta ble limits to allow her to be moved back to parents or Average Age of Admission: to foster/boarding placements. 14 Years, 8 months 5" Evaluation of the effectiveness of the Pineview offenders Kindergarten. programme is conducted on a six monthly basis. Follow up figures are now available for 1982. The evaluation The McCall Kindergarten has facilities to deal with takes 180 days of "opportunity time" (time the girl up to 15 children. This number is made up of chil• spends in community) before and after admission. The dren from the local community and five specialist figures for the first half of 1982 are in column (A) and referrals. for the second half in column (B). These specialist referrals constitute pre-school chil• (A) (B) dren who are experiencing emotional and be• Number of girls admitted 26 22 havioural problems that necessitate placement in a Number evaluated 25 22 specialised therapeutic environment. Appropriate Number of Offences Committed therapeutic intervention is provided for these chil• in 180 days of Opportunity Time dren both in the kindergarten and the home. Before Admission 213 212 Number of Offences Committed The referred children are usually non-residential, who in 180 days of Opportunity Time are integrated in normal pre-school or junior primary After Admission 91 46 schools prior to McCall Centre's withdrawal. Percentage Offence Reduction 57.28% 78.30%
Over the full year Vi of the girls admitted for offences committed, no further offences in the 180 days Opportunity Time following release. Programme
The philosophy of McCall Centre is one of viewing the child within the total social context. That is to say McCall Centre intervention with the child takes place within the context of the family and the school. Within the context McCall Centre is an intensive treatment facility for the of McCall Centre, work is directed towards developing treatment of emotionally and behaviourally disturbed a child's self esteem and positive self regard, through children between the age of four and 12 years. experiencing positive relationships. This is achieved There are three main facets to the McCall Centre largely through the medium of behaviour management. system. Each child at McCall has an individual treatment programme with behaviours and contingencies clearly defined. These are couched in positive terms so as to McCall Centre Residential Unit. allow the establishment of pro-social behaviour, as op• posed to attempting to reduce inappropriate behaviour. The residential facility can accommodate up to 20 The application of programmes is undertaken in a con• children and has a staff complement of Clinical Psy• sistent and positive environment. chologists, School Teachers, Group Workers, Speech Therapist and Support staff. These programmes may also include remedial education, Children who are resident may attend school at counselling, individual therapy, speech therapy, the de• McCall Centre or the local primary schools, depend• velopment of social and recreational skills. ing upon individual circumstances. Approximately 70% of the referrals over the previous 12 months Parent training is a major focus of the McCall have originated through the Department for Com• programme, whereby the parents are taught the special munity Welfare, the remaining 30% being skills necessary to manage and relate to their child. This predominately from Mental Health Services and the may involve simple parent training, individual therapy, or support in managing at home. Education Department.
The parent training programme is a practically based procedure which has been systematized and includes the• Community Support. ory, observation and practice. Where a child, for vari• ous reasons cannot return home, a foster or group home McCall Centre is increasingly becoming involved in may be found. These substitute caregivers are very care• preventative cases of non-residents. This has been fully selected and usually undergo an intensive train• primarily through the avenue of the parent training ing course. programme.
Involvement in family support following a child's dis• charge and maintaining a child's placement at home, foster placement, or subsequent care, has meant that McCall Centre's intensive intervention has continued Developments in the community. This has been extended to the school on many occasions with liaison between Last year, in association with Mofflyn Children's McCall and the child's teacher. Homes, a specialist group home was established for the 58 placement of particularly difficult children who could Population Characteristics not fit into the normal placement alternatives of home, foster care or residential care. Over the past 12 months the admissions totalled 27 com• pared with 21 for the previous 12 month period, with This operated quite successfully for a period of 15 there being a slight increase in the number of referrals months, however, the concept was reviewed in view of of children being under the care, control, or supervision the increasing number of children returning home. This, of the Department for Community Welfare. These chil• together with the fact that private agencies are now dren now represent 63% of our total admissions. more accepting of difficult cases, has led to the closure of the cottage. There has also been an increase in the number of chil-
POPULATION STATISTICS
Residential Centre
New Admissions Boys Girls Average Age Under Control of Dept 15 1 9 yrs 8 mths 65% Non Wards 7 2 9 yrs 3 mths 35% Total 25
Re-Admissions Boys Girls Average Age Under Control of Dept 3 11 yrs 75% Non Wards 1 10 yrs 8 mths 25% Total 4
Total Admissions Boys Girls Average Age Under Control of Dept 18 1 10 yrs 4 mths 63% Non Wards 8 2 9 yrs 11 mths 37% Total :.. 29
Transferred to Community Support Discharged to No. % Average Length of Stay Home 17 55 16 weeks Foster Care 6 19 24 weeks Private Agency Residential Care 8 26 15 weeks Hostel — — Total 31 100 18 weeks
Referral Source of New Admissions 5 year olds 4 6 year olds 2 No. % Total 31 Department of Community Welfare 17 68 Reasons fc Enrolment. Princess Margaret Hospital 1 4 Mental Health Services 3 12 Normal Preschool enrolment 65% Special Education & Guidance Developmental problems 16% Branch 3 12 Behaviour problems 13% Paediatrician 1 4 Social development and parent support 6%
Kindergarten Enrolments Special Needs Children — Referral Source Child Development Centre 2 3 year olds 7 D.I.H., 1 4 year olds 18 Special Education 3 Community Welfare 3 Paediatricians 2 59 dren discharged to home compared with that of the The child attending Koorana may be one of several chil• previous 12 months. Over the past 12 months 55% of dren in the family with behaviour problems, but he is all children discharged have returned home. This is a usually seen by the parents (and the school staff) as be• pleasing development and one which is still being ac• ing the most difficult. tively pursued. -
Programme
Koorana Case work with the families represented at Koorana uses a range of techniques, tying in where possible and neces• sary with the specific treatment programmes used dur• Koorana is a non-residential day-attendance centre for ing school hours at Koorana. Treatment and teaching children of primary school age whose behaviour is such programmes are closely monitored and changed as per• that they cannot profit from further attendance at a formance data dictate. Availability of the data assists regular school. In many cases such attendance had in training other professional personnel, as well as train• stopped before the child was referred to Koorana. If still ing parents. attending they are usually very disruptive. Daily trans• port is arranged from within the Perth metropolitan area to and from Koorana in Allen Court, Bentley. Anyone Work with the children and their families outside may refer a child; the family, the school system, or other Koorana aims to improve both parenting skills and the agencies which have worked with the child or family. community interaction of the child and parent/s. These are consulted before a decision to attend Koorana Koorana staff endeavours to involve families in social is made. These consultations may lead to alternative groups that are part of the general community, rather methods of teaching or behaviour management. than groups specifically developed by Koorana, or by the Department for Community Welfare. The only constant criterion for acceptance at Koorana Work continues with the child in the setting of his fa• is chronic problem behaviour. The family's total func• mily and of his new school where necessary and for as tioning is high amongst other considerations. Accep• long as necessary, after he has left Koorana. The amount tance is dependent on the lack of alternatives. To some and kind of post-Koorana intervention varies greaty. extent Koorana's inclusion criteria are determined by The child's, and family's, behavioural status helps de• the exclusion criteria of other agencies. The lack of co• termine how much. Strengths available in more 'nor• operation of the parent/s is a common excluding factor mal' settings also help determine the amount and kind for other agencies, but not for Koorana. Most referrals of intervention. commence within the Education Department, but most families of children attending Koorana have had prior contact with this Department. In many cases there has Outcomes been extensive work done with other members of the child's family, and this is sometimes continuing. There are seldom 'cures' of behaviour problems whilst the child is at Koorana. Rather the child learns new and Intervention strategies vary from case to case. The aims less limiting or destructive ways of managing his life, always include change within the child, usually within often in a family setting that does not really support his the family and sometimes within the school. The possi• new behaviour. The next school's staff, in consultation bility of continuing attendance at the local school, with with Koorana, has the task of helping the child to con• some changes to improve the child's functioning, is ex• tinue behaving in his newly-learned way. Weekly assess• plored before transfer to Koorana is arranged. Where ments of the child's progress allow for necessary this is possible, Koorana staff work with the local school changes. staff and, as need dictates, with the family. The transition, without loss of behavioural or learning status, from Koorana to a regular school, remains a Clients challenge. To offset the liklihood of loss, children are 'overtrained' at Koorana. Whilst this demands a heavy At present all twenty children attending daily are boys; commitment of time and staff, results suggest that it is the usual boy:girl ratio is something like 10:1. Though necessary and successful in most cases. the essential referring issue must be one of behaviour, there is frequently serious educational retardation also. Families represent most of the socio-economic range, with a clustering towards the lower end. Some children Future Developments have identified organic defects, but most do not. The recommendations of the Welfare and Community The child's history usually includes many changes of Services Review many influence future developments. address and therefore, of school. In very case serious Predictions from other factors are hard to make. problems of behaviour were present before the child commenced schooling. Though the expressed focus of Closure or other changes in residential child care centres concern on referral is the child's behaviour at school, that served the same population have not affected serious problems of behaviour are always present at Koorana. There appears to be a slight reduction in rate home and in the neighbourhood. of referral and in severity or complexity of cases referred. 60 Community Support Hostels ly so when the majority of children admitted are quite severely unsettled. The examination of available resources and optimum management strategies is an on The 1983-84 year has seen extensive developments in going concern. the decentralisation project since its commencement in May 1983. In May. Kyewong. Medina, Warralea were attached to Walcott (which was divided into Cawley and Andrew House) in addition to the existing hostels of Stu• Developments art House and Tudor Lodge. Consolidation of the decentralised system has been and In September 1983 the Bridgewater and Walcott Sys• will continue to be the prime focus of the immediate tems were combined and staff from other centres (Main• future. ly Bridgewater) were re-deployed into the new system. Darlington Cottage (ex-Hillston) Oceanview (ex- Particular attention has been given to introducing Bridgewater) and Warminda (ex-Mofflyn and replacing a Management by Objectivies approach for staff Andrew House) were added leaving Cawley House still management and development. Establishing areas of within the Walcott Buildings. key responsibilities for all staff has occurred and the monitoring of performance and the development and In January 1984 the final phase of decentralisation was consolidation of skills required for these responsibil• completed with Cawley moving to Bedford Park Hostel, ities is an on going process. the Administration relocated at Bridgewater and the whole system being renamed the Community Support Examination of the hostels programme has resulted Hostels. in some modifications being made, which were aimed at increasing staff and child involvement is setting The over riding focus that the Hostel System adopted and attaining goals. in accordance with Departmental policy was that of care. Children coming into the hostels would be in• An examination of the available resources to hostel volved in care/welfare issues as compared to Justice con• staff has resulted in the formation of a group that cerns. The understanding and acceptance of this at both provides flexible support where the needs are indi• practical and conceptual levels within the Department cated. This has been achieved by the temporary and in the general community is still to be consolidated. closure of one hostel.
The decentralisation has had a dramatic impact on all This support group has also commenced some in• personnel in that it has meant changes in roles and re• volvement in efforts to maintain children within their quired different types of skills. The absence of immedi• families rather than admitting or re-admitting to the ate back-up resources in times of crisis, with a subse• hostels. This support has been offered on an individu• quent increase in the need for staff self sufficiency, has al case basis to the Field and has complemented the created some pressure on the system. This is particular• Field Officer inputs.
61 SUPPORT SERVICES
cilities expanded and additional facilities were provid• Introduction ed in Head Office and the terminal network expanded to include Metropolitan Divisional Offices and Specialist The role of the Support Services Division of the Depart• Units. Planning is under way to extend facilities to ment is to provide administrative support to other Di• Country Offices. visions of the Department. The installation of the Departments computerized Client In the past year a number of important initiatives have Information System has now been completed. been undertaken and planning for other major initia• tives has commenced for implementation in the com• The Accounts Branch has completed the computeriza• ing year. tion of the Departments Salary System by utilizing a Commercial Bureau Service. Planning is also underway The Corporate Planning and Information Systems to computerize the Personnel and Staff Sections func• Branch was established during the year and will pro• tions using an existing commercially available Human vide comprehensive information and planning services Resource Management System software package. to Senior Management. The Branch will incorporate the existing Computer Systems section and an Information The Maintenance and Relief Branch again experienced Systems Section. During the year use of computer fa• a large growth in expenditure during last year in provid-
GUIDE TO SUPPORT SERVICES
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR SUPPORT SERVICES
I PSYCHOLOGICAL ACCOUNTS SERVICES
COMPUTER SERVICES PLANNING LEGAL SECTION SECTION AND RESEARCH
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
MAINTENANCE TYPISTS RECORDS CHILDRENS CATERING AND RELIEF COURT
DEPARTMENTAL STAFF RELIEVING STAFF ADMINISTRATION PROPERTY 62 DEPARTMENT FOR COMMUNITY WELFARE Statement of Receipts and Payments for Year Ended 30th June 1984
Childrens Expenditure Departmental Institutions Hostels and General Field Financial 1982/83 Particulars Reserves Miscell• Admin Operations Private Boarded Assistance Care Offenders Other aneous Institutions Out 25 499 180 Salaries & Wages 27 541 164 5 804 175 11 515 046 3 009 307 5 305 833 1 906 803 2 009 030 Administration 2 325 372 1 703 526 621 846 83 175 Printing 122 599 61 300 61 299 1 777 335 Field Expenses 2 324 328 1 969 474 354 854 2 198 222 Community Welfare Assistance 2 537 780 114 462 433 382 1 985 965 3 971 3 628 779 Maintenance of Children 3 526 595 55 430 2 323 334 1 147 831 1 611 217 FA.LP. 3 474 501 3 474 501 1 398 510 Institutions 1 249 412 312 767 819 563 117 082 867 238 Hostels 877 602 877 602 503 203 Residential Reserves 519 662 519 662 39 575 889 TOTAL PAYMENTS: 44 499 015 7 683 463 14 601 047 55 430 2 323 334 1 502 685 519 662 5 460 466 3 322 074 6 125 396 2 905 458 AGAIN! >T WHOM R ECEIPTS WERE: 1. STATE 65 824 Maintenance of Children 28 610 28 610 155 262 Recoverable Assistance (Welfare & Assistance Act) 114 720 1 14 720 804 064 Other Revenue 698 031 140 527 4 223 24 670 3 519 21 093 27 317 33 502 443 180 2. COMMONWEALTH 873 799 Aboriginal Affairs 784 160 24 277 670 929 42 850 42 850 3 254 366 530 Family Law Court 386 761 386 761 576 384 Childhood Services 610 277 1 512 214 946 386 000 7 819 76 047 Schools' Commission 94 160 1 014 93 146 413 442 Family Support Services 414 000 414 000 Special Employ. Rel. Prog. 200 301 200 301 382 378 Emergency Accommodation 64 338 64 338 Community Employ. Prog. 1 964 1 964
3 713 730 TOTAL RECEIPTS: 3 397 322 168 280 1 477 160 28 610 24 670 3 519 1 000 151 79 000 169 498 446 434 35 862 159 NET EXPENDITURE: 41 101 693 7 515 183 13 123 887 55 430 2 294 724 1 478 015 516 143 4 460 315 3 243 074 5 955 898 2 459 024 ing assistance to people facing financial hardship. Ap• Write-Offs: plications for assistance received by the Branch have increased since 1980/81 by 460%. The Department has undertaken planning for a major Computerized System Uncollectable debts written off with the approval of the to record monetary and other assistance to clients. Hon. Minister over the past three years are as follows:
At the begining of the financial year a new Utility Con• sumption Subsidy Scheme was introduced by the 1981/82 1982/83 1983/84 Government to assist those in need with the payment Ward's Wages Nil Nil Nil of Government service charges associated with SEC and Maintenance of Wards 26 957 263 — MWS accounts. Maintenance of Aboriginal Wards 8 365 — — Recoverable Financial Assist• The Departments Planning and Research Section was ance (SI23(1) Treasury also responsible during the year for the preparation of Regulations 810 270 2 866 150 Lost Monetary Assistance the tri-annual submission to the Grants Commission and Cheques 8 577 a strong case has once again been submitted to the Mission Purchase of Stores — — 2 231 Commission. Revenue, Sundries, Other Ledger 165 4 727 7 088 Sundry Equipment misplaced Many changes are anticipated in the coming year fol• lost or stolen — 2 822 96 lowing the Report of the Welfare and Community Serv• 845 757 19 255 9 565 ices Review.
Department for Community Welfare GRANT-IN-AID 1983/84
Second Harvest (Inc) Second Hand Truck $ 2 500 Gosnells Information Centre Expansion of Bill Paying Service.. 4 500 Kulila Association wnc Bedding and Linen 1 500 Manna House Food Centre Equipment and Fittings 2 000 Southcare Administration Costs 5 000 Southcare Information Folder Project 250 Foster Parent Assoc Admin. Costs 2 700 Geraldton Aboriginal Echo Group Establish Study Centre 1 000 Geraldton Emergency Relief Operation Establishment Costs 2 060 Calvary Welfare Service Rent 2 500 Milliya Rumurra — Broome Building Materials 885 Midland Counselling Service Admin. Costs 700 Ngoonjuwah Community Halls Creek.... Office Furniture 1 310 Warringarri Assoc. — Kununurra Furniture and Equipment 4 891 Warringarri Assoc. — Kununurra Operating Costs 825 Onslow — Working Boys Hostel Furniture 2 000 Kurrawang Centre Inc Diesel Motor — Electricity Supply 6 470 Squirrel Nutkins Operating Costs 8 000 Richmond Fellowship Linen 650 Aboriginal Rights League Linen 1 500 Learning Centre Link Office equipment 1 000 Family Law Awareness Group Office establishment 1 000 Lockridge Community Group Office establishment 1 000 Pat Thomas Womens Refuge Establishment Costs 870 Aboriginal Child Care Agency Office Equipment 2 105 Geraldton & Districts Senior Citizens Equipment 830 Newman Child Care Centre Office Equipment 1 000 Mia Mia Furniture Association Furniture 5 000 Guda Guda Community Wyndham Kitchen equipment 1 520 Marribank Mission — Katanning Water Supply Improvements 10 000 Looma & Trust — Derby Emergency Food 5 000 Ngarwah Alwah Corporation Trailer. Typewriter, Calculator 1 000 Country Womens Association Furniture for Emergency Accommodation 1 000 Collie Day Care Centre Pottery Kiln 1 475 Ngoonjuwah Council — Halls Creek Purchase Vehicle 1 900 Halls Creek Marching Girls Uniform and Travel 1 000 Waroona Learning Centre Rent, Insurance, Stationery 500 St Patricks Cathedral — Bunbury To assist in Purchase of Bus 3 400 Balangari Aboriginal Corp. Kununurra.. Equipment for Outstations 2 100 Disabled Gardeners Association Office Expenses — Stationery, Phone, Postage, etc. 500 People Who Care Equip a Vehicle to Carry Furniture 1 000 Still Birth Neo Natal Support Group Printing Pamphlets 500 The Compassionate Friends Printing & Purchase of Pamphlets 755 Fremantle Wesley Mission Display Cabinet, Filing Cabinet, Stationery 500
TOTAL. $96 196
64 Receipts in Suspense: Commonwealth Financial Grants — 198384 Total receipts for the year compared with the previous year as folows: 1. Department of Aboriginal Affairs: Recurrent and Specific-Purposes S S 1981/82 1982/83 1983/84 Kimberley 176 591.00 404 461 593 590 379 869 Pilbara 59 621.00 Murchison 50 363.00 South West 16 400.00 302 975.00 Homemaker Services 284 000.00 Group Worker Aides 85 700.00 Aboriginal Accommodation Service. 83 954.00 Remittances Received for Banking Course Coordinator's 3 254.00 Purposes: Hostel Senior Assistant's Training Scheme 20 000.00 1981/82 1982/83 1983/84 Stores Survey 4 277.00 Receipts 3 507 12 980 3 651 $ 784 160.00 Balance as at 30th June 32 346 37 618 40 104
2. Attorney General's Department
Recurrent Costs Remittances Received and Held in Family Court — Counselling Trust Account at Treasury: Service $ 386 760.77
1981/82 1982/83 1983/84 3. Department of Social Security: Receipts 7 586 11 095 14 295 Balance as at 30th June .... 16 787 14 110 14 590 Recurrent and Specific-Purposes 3.1 Childhood Services Programme McCall Centre — Kindergarten Salaries 7 819.30 Department for Community Welfare Parent Education & Assistance. 93 000.00 Welfare and Assistance Act, 1961 Balga Creative Play Activites.... 5 580.00 Statement of Receipt and Payments Early Childhood Services 1.7.83 - 30.6.84 National Data Base Collection 1 511.88 Kwinana Family Activity Payments: Group 9 055.31 Financial Assistance to Indigent Parent Help Centre 107 310.94 Persons $3 504 980.72 Youth Services Programme 159 000.00 Children's Services Grants to Receipts. $1,609.50 Women's Refuges 227 000.00 610 277.43
3.2 Family Support Services Scheme •414 000.00 $1 024 277.43
Report of the Auditor General of Western 3.3 Emergency Accommodation Programme for Families $ 64 338.12 Australia
* Pilot programme $18,188.00 not included. Welfare and Assistance Act 1961 — Audit of Accounts
In accordance with the provisions of Section 26(1) of 4. Schools Commission: the Welfare and Assistance Act 1961, the accounts kept by the Department for Community Welfare for all oper• Children in Institutions $ 94 159.72 ations under the Act have been audited for the year end• ed June 30, 1984.
5. Department of Employment and The accounts were found to be in order and the state• Industrial Relations: ment of Receipts and Payments is drawn up so as to present fairly the financial transactions for the period. 5.1 Women in Welfare Committee.. 1 964.00 5.2 Special Employment Related Programmes (Wage Pause).. 200 30Q.~9 W.F. Rolston $ 202.264."9 Auditor General November 21, 1984 TOTAL S2 555 960.S3 Maintenance and Relief Branch Burial Assistance The Branch which is located at 81 St George's TerraceFinancia l aid is also provided for the burial of persons Perth is responsible for the following functions: who die in indigent circumstances where the body is unclaimed or where kin have no financial capacity to accept responsibility for burial costs. Financial Assistance Under the provisions of the Welfare and Assistance Act 1961 the Branch administers the grant of financial Utility Consumption Subsidy assistance on a discretionary basis to families and single As from the 1 July 1983, the Government introduced persons in need. The Act also regulates the recovery of measures to assist low income families with their monies so advanced. electricity, gas and water charges. Such financial assistance is extended in a wide range It was anticipated that assistance of $50.00 per year of circumstances to persons who have a basic and would be granted to 36 000 households throughout the pressing material need that they are unable to provide State, with the administration of the scheme given to for from their own resources or from another the Department. appropriate welfare agency. Eligibility to receive this assistance was restricted to:— Although most payments are made on an emergency (non-continuous) basis, the Department is sometimes Persons holding Pensioner Health Benefits, Health required to provide continuous financial support when Care Cards, or Health Benefits Cards with dependent families or persons have special needs or when they have children living at home. no capacity to support themselves and no entitlement Veteran Affairs Service Pensioners and T.P.I. to support from any other source. Pensioners with dependent children living at home.
The depressed economic situation has resulted in a Household receiving Mortgage Relief Assistance spectacular growth in the Department's financial under schemes administered by the Registrar of assistance delivery. In three years the number of Building Societies. emergency assistance issues has increased from 17510 in 1981/82 to 66347 in 1983/84. While the number of Child Maintenance Recovery recipients of continuous assistance in those years has increased from 51 to 120. The Branch also pursues recovery of expenditure where wards and other children are maintained apart from their families at Departmental cost. This function is Medical Travel Assistance carried out under the provisions of the Child Welfare Financial aid is also provided under certain conditions Act 1947-82 to persons where travel for specialist medical treatment Although this function is primarily aimed at giving effect or other emergency purposes is necessary. to the concept of parental responsibility, decisions to recover are entered into only after consideration of the The Department's major activity in this regard is to full circumstances of each case, including the effect that advance assistance with fares to patients from remote recovery action may have on the family's capacity to areas, subject to later recovery through the manage. Commonwealth Department of Health's Isolated Patients' Travel and Accommodation Assistance A downturn in collections in this area resulted from the Scheme (I.P.T.A.A.S.) The increased usage of the redeployment of Maintenance Officers during the year I.P.T.A.A.S. Advance Scheme which resulted from the to provide adequate staffing resources in the vital and lifting of the means test on 1/11/82 was maintained in rapidly expanding financial and travel assistance 1983/84. In that year claims (4731) exceeded those in activities of the Branch. 1982/83 (2681) by 76%.
Relief Co-Ordination Accommodation Subsidies The marked increase in expenditure in the key area of In addition to direct payments to indigent persons, financial assistance is an indication of the growing certain voluntary organisations providing overnight problem facing both statutory and voluntary welfare accommodation to homeless persons receive agencies in providing an effective range of supports to Departmental subsidisation based on the number of low income families in the community who are at risk persons accommodated. through financial stress.
On 1 October 1982, the rate of subsidisation was It is clear that the best co-operative efforts of both increased by 50% to a maximum of $3.00 per week per sectors is vital if the community is to provide the desired person accommodated. level of support and promote the most efficient use of all available resources. This subsidy is in addition to financial supports provided by the Commonwealth Government through the In order to achieve these goals the Government this year Homeless Persons' Assistance Act. established a Working Party, with both Government 66 and voluntary sector representation, to review matters Planning and Research Unit relating to the administration and distribution of State As part of the support services to the Department, the concessions and emergency financial aid. Planning and Research Branch provides services in the While the final report of the Working Party is not yet area of planning and evaluation, research, statistical available, its interim recommendations have resulted in collection and liaison and advisory services to the non• significant changes in the direction of the Government's government sector of the community. financial assistance programme as far as possible towards a concessional model for delivery where supports are provided as a right rather than by a discretionary process Planning which by its very nature is demeaning to the receiver and despite the best efforts of the deliverer tends towards This year has been particularly busy in the area of inconsistency. planning with several major projects involving input from the Planning and Research Unit.
Home Dialysis Concession Co-ordination of the Department's submission to the Welfare and Community Services Review was a major One recommendation from the Working Party that has task at the end of 1983, as well as assisting in a number been implemented is a weekly concession to be made of specific submissions. availabe to patients who have use of a "Home Haemo- dialysis Machine." The submission outlined:— This recommendation was based upon additional expenses incurred by patients in the power and water — service priority areas identified by the Department; costs that is required to operate the machine. — existing policies and practices under the seven broad In November 1983 the Hon. Minister for Youth and policy areas of the Department; Community Services approved payment of $10.00 per week to these patients. — an account of recent changes within the organization, and proposals for changes to operation A direct liaison between this Branch and Royal Perth Hospital has been instigated to ensure all such patients to enhance functioning. receive this concession. — a chapter on the enhancement of the contribution Financial Relief of the non-government welfare sector. No. OF ISSUES In addition, statistical information from the Australian Category 1982/83 1983/84 Bureau of Statistics, the Department of Social Security Continuous Assistance 46 120 and the State Housing Commission was broken down Emergency Aid 31 547 62 670 into Department for Community Welfare Field Travel Assistance 4 226 3 677 Divisions. I.P.T.A.A.S. (No. of claims) 4 731 Total 35 819 71 198 A major inter-governmental review into Concessions and Emergency Financial Aid has been underway since September 1983. This Working Party, to review matters Expenditure relating to the administration and distribution of Category 1982/83 1983/84 concessions and financial aid has been serviced by the Planning and Research Unit. The report of the Relief Assistance — Continuous 59 135 100 684 * — Emergency 1 097 039 2 473 176 committee was presented to the Hon. Minister for Medical Travel I.P.T.A.A.S 463 680 1 198 837 Youth and Community Services in July 1984. There are Non I.P.T.A.A.S 37 175 78 978 a large number of recommendations in the report which Accommodation Subsidies 44 585 51 891 seek to address anomalies and inequities and to improve Burials 84 764 1 18 434 access to concessions and financial aid for all persons Incidentals 4 513 5 076 in receipt of a low income. Utility Consumption Subsidy 709 690 Home Dialysis Concession 9 220 Following on from previous years work with the Total 1 790 891 4 745 986 Australian Bureau of Statistics, this year saw the fruition of the emergency relief data collection both within the 'Includes Non Medical Travel Assistance listed separately last year. Department and the non-government sector. The branch has been closely involved in both these developments. Recovery Within the Department the data collection commenced at the beginning of April. Following testing of the form, Category 1982/83 1983/84 the collection was greatly simplified in the three areas Relief Payments 2 578 1 609 of application, recording and data collection by use of Burial Expenditure 20 638 21 093 one composite form. This development which involved Maintenance of Children 65 824 28 610 close co-operation between Planning and Research and Medical Travel Advances 152 683 928 273 the Maintenance and Relief Branch was introduced on Total 241 723 979 585 1 July, 1984.
6" With the non-government sector the State and Federal Family Support Services Scheme Governments have jointly funded a comparable data Children in Women's Refuges collection. A grant of $12,000 for the Department was Special Purpose Group for Women's Refuges matched by the same amount by the Department of Youth Services Programme Social Security which greatly facilitated this work. A Office of Child Care — Children's Services Programme Project Officer has been actively involved in this area and statistics are being compiled. A further $12,000 has The Branch was responsible for establishing and been allocated by the State Government to enable the administering the Work-Link programme funded under collection to continue into 1984/85. the Wage Pause Scheme for an eight month period. This programme, which was located in the Mirrabooka area, As part of a strategy for regionalisation of emergency was designed to develop people's skills and to create relief, the Federal Government allocated $440,000 to employment opportunities for the over 25 unemployed. Western Australia at the end of 1983. A member of the The project closed down at the end of June 1984 when Planning and Research Unit was appointed to the funding ceased. National Management Committee to plan and co• ordinate the allocation of these funds. A pre-requisite of funding was that agencies accepting funds be involved Information Systems Development in the data collection by W.A.C.O.S.S. which closely A major review of the Department's Information tied this move in with other events in the Emergency Systems, being undertaken by an officer outposted from Relief area. In May 1984 a further $12,000 was the Australian Bureau of Statistics and a departmental allocated to W.A. from funds not taken up by groups officer, continued during the year. in other States. The Management Committee has continued to meet regularly and is presently developing Significant developments and activities completed strategies to evaluate the existing distribution and plan include: to improve it. — the preparation of a statistical classification of As part of its forward planning activities the Branch co• D.C.W. service delivery programs and a detailed list ordinated the Department's submission to the Grants of activities in which departmental officers engage; Commission's Review of tax-sharing relativities. — the implementation of a programme of workload The first task associated with the exercise was the analysis studies on a divisional basis to provide preparation of an initial submission document outlining information to assist in staff resource allocation; the cost disabilities to the State in the provision of welfare services in the areas of Child Welfare and — the design of a Programme Planning Budget System Emergency Relief and other services. Secondly, the Unit (PPBS) for presenting departmental activities in a prepared a rejoinder to demonstrate that the cost of statistical framework. Welfare Service provision in Western Australia is significantly affected by the large size of Western — examination (with departmental working Australia, its dispersed population and a number of committeesl of fourteen service delivery programmes social composition factors. to define programme policies, goals and statistical data needs for incorporation in the PPBS: Consultancy has been provided by the Branch on the social impact of both the Argyle Diamond Mine and the movement of people from Cunderlee to Coonana. — compiling a series of background demographic and A member of the branch has also been closely involved service delivery statistics on a divisional basis to with the Ord River Working Party. assist divisional supervisors in resource management:
- providing advice concerning the development of a Corporate Planning and Information Systems Community Planning Branch in the Department. The Community Planning Section has over the year maintained close liaison and provided consultancy services to departmental divisional staff in planning Statistical Planning community development programmes and skills The Branch has been involved in preparing a statistical development as requested. bulletin which presents statistics by Division. This has Consultancy, liaison and support has also been extended been supplemented by the preparation of a map showing to many groups in the non-government welfare sector divisional boundaries which will assist in divisional with the objective of strengthening non government planning. services, especially in the field of self help. Assistance has been provided by preparation of Assistance by way of grants under the Grants-in-Aid computer programmes for major projects in other and Community Welfare Assistance Vote has enabled many new groups to become established and new sections of the Department. initiatives to be taken in the non-government area. A total of $105,000 was allocated over the 1983/84 Research financial year. In addition to departmental grants the Branch has A reduction in funds available for research has led to administered Federal funding to the following services: fewer major projects being supported this year. Two 68 studies are continuing. A study of the interactions A legal officer represents the Department in the Family between children and staff in Day Care Centres and a Court in disputed adoption cases, in care and protection project which is investigating the relationships between applications and represents wards of the Department parents and children in cases of child abuse. Assistance appearing in the Children's Court on defended criminal and advice has been provided within the Department matters and also in serious criminal cases where a plea on all aspects of research design and data processing. of mitigation is required. The Legal Section provides legal advice to field officers regarding the children under their care. Legal Section The Legal Section has a permanent staff of three legal The Legal Section is responsible for ensuring that all practitioners and a clerk. The Legal Officers are juveniles appearing in the Supreme and District Courts responsible for the supervision of all the legal work in are legally represented and that a welfare report on every the Department and advise the Director on matters such child appearing before these Courts is provided. as new legislation, insurance policies, staff matters and inter-departmental correspondence. They also advise The statistics on juveniles who appeared before the various committees on the law. Higher Courts in 1983/84 are as follows.
Supreme Court 1983/84 Males: All ages given are at the time of sentence SENTENCE AGE CHARGE NO PRISON OTHER 15 Murder 1 Life 16 Rape 2 Committed to care DCW 2 yrs. Committed to care DCW 2 yrs 9 months — strict custody 17 Rape 2 4 yrs — min 21 months 3 yrs — no minimum Armed Robbery in company 2 4 yrs — min 18 mths 4 yrs — min 16 mths IX Rape 1 3 yrs — min 9 mths
District Court 1983/84 Males:
15 Attempted rape 1 Committed to care DCW 12 mths — strict custody 16 Serious bodily harm 1 2 mths. Stealing 1 Adult probation 3 years. Stealing with violence x 2 1 Governor's pleasure — strict custody. Break, Enter & stealing x 4 1 Governor's pleasure — strict custody Break & enter with intent Stealing 17 Dangerous driving causing death. 1 Found not guilty Stealing with violence 1 5 yrs 8 mths — min 2 yrs 8 mths Break, enter & stealing 2 Adult probation 2 yrs Adult probation 18 mths Stealing 1 5 yrs — min 2 yrs. — Appealed — 3 yrs — min 1 yr. Break, enter with intent 2 4 yrs — min 2 yrs hard labour. Stealing with violence 4 yrs — min 22 mths — hard labour. Deprivation of liberty Stealing cars & burnings x 3 1 Adult probation 3 yrs. 200 hours community service order Females: stealing 1 Adult probation 3 years. Assault causing bodily harm 1 18 mths — min 7 mths.
Females:
18 Armed Robbery in company 1 4 yrs — min 2 yrs. Legal assistance for the Department's clients is not res• Minister and liaising with Parliamentary Counsel on the tricted to criminal matters. The Legal Section is also re• amendments. The amendments will require children quired to advise on matters such as Workers' Compen• working in the entertainment industry to be licensed and sation claims for wards, upholding the rights of children impose severe penalties on people who employ children in relation to a deceased parents' estate, and making for indecent or obscene purposes. A proposed amend• claims for criminal injuries compensation. ment to the Adoption of Children Act was also in• troduced but this amendment has been postponed in• During the year the Child Welfare Act was amended definitely pending the Report of the Parliamentary and the Legal Section was responsible for advising the Select Committee which was set up to consider it. The Welfare and Community Services Review was set After a hearing of 2Vi days the Court adjourned the up during the year and one Legal Officer was a mem• hearing for three months and allowed the boys to return ber of the Committee on Welfare Law. to their grandmother subject to conditions and the pro• vision of a report at the end of the period of The Legal Section during this year has negotiated im• adjournment. provements to existing insurance policies with the State Government Insurance Office. Of particular note is a During the adjournment the children changed school, new insurance policy for foster parents which will pro• the home conditions improved and there was a reduc• tect them against liability claims and will also provide tion in the hostility between the father and the grand• compensation if they are injured or if their property is mother. As a result the Department was able to apply damaged by a foster child or the parent of a foster child. to have the application in respect of the two boys dismissed. During the year numerous appearances were made by I^gal Officers in the Family Court and the Children's Case 3 Court. Some examples are as follows:— This case involved an application to the Perth Children's Case No. 1 Court heard in September 1983 to have three children released from wardship. The children had been wards The case arose out of allegations by a 5 year old girl since 1977. Following a period of contact with the that her stepfather had been sexually interfering with her. The Child Life Protection Unit, the Police, and the Department a care and protection application was made Sexual Abuse Unit at Princess Margaret Hospital were in a country Children's Court and all three children com• involved. All three were of the view that sexual abuse mitted to the care of the Department until each attained had taken place. A care and protection application was the age of 16 years. The evidence presented at the com• taken by the Department. Both the child's natural par• mittal proceedings related to a combination of medical ents had legal representation as did the stepfather. The and social factors including the hospitalisation of one matter was set for hearing in the Children's Court. The of the children, the failure to thrive of another, the un• Children's Court adjourned the hearing to allow the satisfactory explanations of bruising and burns on two matter to be dealt with in the Family Court. The Depart• of the children, and an admission from the mother of ment was opposed to the adjournment and appealed to the father's beatings of one of the children. the Supreme Court against the adjournment after tak• ing the opinion of Crown Counsel. The appeal was un• A fourth child was born to the parents in early 1981. successful and the Supreme Court decided incidentally This child stayed with them and at the time of the hear• that the Children's Court had no power to order the ing there was no evidence to suggest that he was in any placement of a child pending hearing of an application. way in need of care and protection. Additionally the par• This resulted in a change of practice for the Department ents sought help in overcoming their financial problems. and the Children's Court as it was previously taken to be the position that the Court determined the placement The case before the Children's Court involved a num• of a child between apprehension and the hearing of the ber of difficult and emotional issues. It was clear that application. some considerable efforts had been made by the Depart• ment in the past to reunite the children with the family The care and protection application was heard with an but these had been unsuccessful. It was also clear to the appliction for custody by the natural father. The natural Court that since December 1980 when a decision was father had applied for the custody of the child the made to place the children in long-term foster care, no Department was involved with, and also for custody of effort had been made by the Department with a view the two siblings of whom he was the natural father. The to reuniting the children with their parents. The evi• hearing lasted 10 consecutive days in the Family Court. dence from the parents' side was that their circumstances Four counsel were involved. The natural father's appli• had changed considerably since December 1980 and that cation for custody was dismissed as was the Depart• they should be entitled to have "another go". The ment's application to have the child made a ward. The Department's case however was that the parents had natural father was also denied access. already had a number of opportunities to demonstrate the love and affection that they felt for their children Case 2 but had not done so. Additionally the children had now This was a Children's Court application for a care and built up a warm and loving relationship with the foster protection order in respect of three children, two boys parents and that if they were now separated, some psy• and a girl who were being cared for by their grand• chological trauma was likely. From the Court's decision mother. Their mother was dead and their father had it is clear that it proceeded on the basis that children remarried and was living elsewhere in the area. There should be with their natural parents subject to the provi• was a certain amount of hostility between the father so that their wellbeing is not at risk with those parents. and the grandmother and the father complained about lack of access, and misbehaviour of the children while The result of the hearing was that the Court decided on access. It was conceded that the girl was in need of to release the children to their parents as it felt sure that care and protection and the case centred around the wel• their interest would be better served by doing so. In com• fare of the two boys. Evidence was given about their ing to this decision the Court made the point that the unusual behaviour at school, their behaviour in the decision to release the children back to their parents was home and the video-tapes they had been watching. Evi• reached after long and anxious thought and said that dence was also given about the hostility between the "one can rarely feel confident in the correctness of any grandmother and the father. decision relating to the custody of the children."
70 Community Services Training Centre b) The Senior Hostel Assistant Course continued to pro• vide training and practical experiences for Aborigi• The Training Centre located at 401-403 Oxford Street, nal students, nominated by DCW and voluntary Mount Hawthorn provides training for staff in the agencies, in the area of hostel child care. This year Department for Community Welfare and in the volun• 10 students commenced the course, five DCW and tary agencies in specialised areas of human service deliv• five voluntary sector nominees. The increasing inter• ery. est and numbers of Aboriginal nominees from the voluntary sector has been evident over the last two Residential Child Care Courses years. Minor structural changes have been made to the course to better meet the needs of students and The Residential Child Care Certificate is a part-time agencies. The course is now composed of two alter• course that can be completed in one year or extended nating blocks, academic and on-the-job training. over two years. It is intended to provide training for peo• ple wishing to work in both statutory and non-statutory The future of Residential Child Care training and the child care facilities. associated programmes for people of Aboriginal descent is dependent upon outcomes related to the Welfare and In 1984 there were 46 students enrolled in the Residen• Community Services Review's final recommendations. tial Child Care Course. Of these, 25 were sponsored by the Department for Community Welfare and 21 were Voluntary Sector Training voluntary agency staff. In the beginning of 1984, a thorough Needs Analysis of voluntary agencies resulted in the Centre producing The appointment of the Country Training Coordinator a calendar of workshops. In all, 24 workshops were held has lead to a greater involvement of country child care covering such diverse training areas as basic and ad• staff through the delivery of informal (workshops and vanced counselling, the training of volunteers and volun- seminars) and formal learning programmes. teerism and management courses for senior manage• ment personnel. The Training Co-ordinator completed an assessment of the training needs of residential child care staff work• These workshops were attended by welfare personnel ing in the country and a pilot project is being tested as working in a variety of agencies including the a way of providing a training service. Twenty two child Department. care staff were enrolled as external students in this programme. One practical unit was offered in situ, us• The response to the calendar workshops was so great ing local resources, and one academic unit has been that a number of them have been repeated due to this packaged for external delivery. A network of resource demand. people was developed to provide support and supervi• Agencies other than Community Welfare made requests sion for the trainee. This pilot programme is to be evalu• ated in terms of information necessary for developmen• for workshops, short courses and seminars. These agen• tal work in distance learning. cies were: Family Planning Association This work is being funded by the Commonwealth Sister Kates Schools Commission and results from the pilot study Australian Red Cross Society (2) will provide information upon which decisions regard• Foster Care Association ing future training services can be made. Common• Marribank Mission wealth funding is available for work to be continued into Education Department — CCC 1985, after which it is hoped that State resources will Christian Welfare Centre be made available. W.A.C.O.S.S. (2) W.A. Police The Curriculum Committee of the Residential Child Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs Care course completed its information-gathering task Aboriginal Legal Service for the review of the course. This review was com• Birthright menced in 1983. Clontarf University of Western Australia Two full-time courses available for Aboriginal people Wanslea have continued to be offered in 1984. Both the Com• Legal Aid Commission of Western Australia munity Services Certificate and Senior Hostel Assistant Hollywood Childrens Village Courses are primarily concerned with providing train• Worklink ing for future Aboriginal residential child care workers. A total of 119 different organisations have used the fa• a) The Community Services Certificate Course in 1984 cilities at the Community Services Training Centre for continues to incorporate the Residential Child Care programmes organised and delivered by themselves. A Course, in addition to broader welfare studies. This breakdown of usage by group follows: year there was an overall reduction in the intake numbers from 13 to seven, in an attempt to reflect D.C.W. sections and groups 40 decreasing employment prospects in children's in• Other Government Departments 18 stitutional care. Currently, five DCW trainee group Voluntary organisations 34 workers and one private student remain in the course. Other users 27 71 Department Training Training Newsletter
Field and Support Services As an adjunct to the services provided by the Centre, The past twelve months have seen an expanded train• a Training Newsletter is now produced every two ing provision for Field Services. The Staff Selection and months and circulated to all Departmental staff. It con• Training Unit has integrated its activities with CSTC, tains information on relevant training programmes as greatly facilitating the service offered to all staff espe• well as reports on courses and seminars attended by cially those spanning Field, Institutions and/or Support Departmental personnel. Services. The redeployment of group workers to field officer positions and the extensive, long term training provided is a clear example. Additionally, CSTC staff have conducted many new programmes for Field Serv• Welfare Services Library ices staff. Substantial efforts have been made to redress an existing imbalance of training offered to country Book purchases this financial year number around 1,000 areas. Clerical officers in all country divisions received items. Current journal titles have leveled at just over their first training in some years, in a concerted project 100. late 1983. A number of other programmes have been provided for welfare workers and supervisors, many of A box circulation of journals has been instituted to them held locally with visiting trainers from the Com• replace individual routing and photocopied title pages. munity Services Training Centre. Many country staff Batches of up to 30 journals are sent, on a weekly ba• have been able to attend both internal and external sis, to five metropolitan centres for display: Head Office, courses in Perth. New supervisors received a full Fremantle, Koorana, Mirrabooka and Midland. Jour• management training programme and Aboriginal Wel• nals are also displayed in the library for a week before fare Aides attended a comprehensive two week circulation. Country officers can still obtain photoco• programme. Local initiatives in the country have been pied title pages. supported by the conducting of needs assessment and the availability of consultative services at the Centre. A Library Bulletin has replaced the monthly Accession lists. The Bulletin contains the new book accessions, The creation of the Senior Divisional Officer role to in• libary notes and information, book and journal reviews itiate, co-ordinate and conduct local training activities and journal circulation lists. Organisations in the volun• has provided a much needed support to centralised train• tary sector of welfare with WACOSS members as a tar• ing programmes, and to staff travelling to the country get group have been granted borrowing rights to the to provide training. library.
Two Induction programmes have been provided, and a large number of short courses for generic and specialist field staff, in particular substitute care officers and cri• sis care workers.
A number of programmes in the area of Juvenile Justice Media Resources were carried out for all staff, notably programmes con• ducted by Dr David Thorpe. Again this year, the usage of media resources increased. Acquisitions of software increased, and were being more widely used by Departmental staff, both in the metropolitan and country areas. The present holdings Institutional Services of media software are: Special training committees for group worker and senior group worker training were established and early in 1984 16mm films 47 a special training programme was mounted for senior Audio Cassettes 362 group workers. This was facilitated by the secondment Sound/Slide Programmes 8 of a senior officer from Institutional Services to the Video Programmes 73 (3/4"), 86 (Vi Centre for that purpose. Gramophone Records 41
The group worker training committee is currently in• vestigating training activities for group workers.
Superintendents, Deputy Superintendents and Assistant Superintendents attended a number of supervisory and management programmes in 1984. Metropolitan Children's Courts
Staff from both the Department and voluntary agen• Metropolitan Children's Courts are held at Perth, cies attended a number of programmes in management Fremantle, Midland, Armadale and Rockingham, with and supervision delivered by the Australian Institute of at least 11 courts per week being held at Perth, one at Management under the auspices of the Community Fremantle and Midland, three per month at Services Training Centre. Rockingham and one per month at Armadale. 72 Special Magistrates 1981 1982 1983 Perth 10134 11213 11872 At present there are 13 part-time Special Magistrates:— Fremantle 2184 2053 2229 Midland 1647 1387 1641 Mr F. Bell Rockingham 718 754 877 Mr P. Blaxell Total 14683 15407 16619 Mrs V. French Mrs G. Gordon The increasing numbers of children appearing before the Miss B. Grant Mr R. Greaves Perth Children's Court is reflected in the number of Miss A. Kennedy charges and remands shown in the table below:— Mr I. Marshall Mrs A. Robins Mr P. Sharkey Year Charges Remands Total Mr N. Tolcon 1979 9223 5191 14414 Mr R. Viol 1980 9965 6201 16166 Mr J. Wisbey 1981 10134 6566 16700 1982 11213 7945 19158 1983 11872 10983 22855 Members
The 11 members are:— Drug Offences Mesdames: R. Bate The number of young drug offenders appearing before M. Christie the Perth Children's Court continues to increase as V. Forward shown below:— P. Goodheart H. Lawrence 1980/81 39 K. McKay 1981/82 79 A. McKenna 1982/83 147 A. Neal 1983/84 297 E. Price J. Van Noort M. Vickery Types of Offences Accommodation The following table shows the most common type of cases dealt with by the Perth Children's Court:— The Perth Children's Court continues to be housed in the old East Perth Primary School building, but it is hoped that plans for the construction of the new Perth Type of Offence 1982/83 1983/84 Children's Court will soon be given priority. Traffic Offences 2152 2232 The Midland Children's Court moved to its new Breaking & Entering 2329 2951 premises at 291 Great Eastern Highway, Midland in Stealing & Receiving 2160 2223 July 1983. Unlaw. Use of Motor Vehicle... 1354 1414 Wilful Damage 305 359 Disorderly Conduct 225 231 Adult Offenders Assault 217 305 False Name & Address 185 170 There is some concern over the system where adults ap• Drink Driving Offences 165 214 pear in the Children's Court for offences against chil• Liquor Act Offences 101 130 dren (mostly Indecent Dealing) and sit with child Drunk 81 105 offenders in the same waiting area. This problem will Drug Offences 147 297 be rectified should construction of a new Children's Other 1485 1567 Court building proceed. Total 10906 12198 Applications: Statistics Care & Protection 105 88 Uncontrolled 15 8 The work of the Metropolitan Children's Courts is Total 120 96 reflected in the number of charges in the following table:— Grand Total 11026 12294
73 Psychology Branch research, in the areas of Child Abuse, Substitute Care and Shoplifting, and community education via the pub• A Year of Change lication of articles on child management in the local press. The organisation of the Branch and the form of service delivery have undergone major changes during the year. Specialist Services This follows a self-initiated internal inquiry into the pro• vision of psychological services within the Department. To complement the team approach provision has been As a result a move has been made to extend the role made for three specialist positions to cover the areas of of the psychologist beyond that of clinician or therapist research, intervention and human development. These in line with similar movements both within Australia specialist psychologists have the role of assisting with and overseas. team and Branch projects while also being available for duties throughout the Department and, during the year, have made a particular contribution to staff training. The "Applied" Psychology Model
The concept of the psychologist adopting the role of the Educational Services Section applied behavioural scientist has led to greater partici• pation in research, evaluation, staff training and com• The Educational Services of the Department are co• munity education. In addition, a greater emphasis on ordinated from within the Branch. The educational lev• providing a consultation service to assist Departmental els of children in Western Australia who are or have staff in case management has led to a wider distribu• been in care or custody are, in general, fairly low. The tion of psychological knowledge. As Branch activities aim of services in the Education Section is to attempt have extended into the above areas, groups, organisa• to prevent social and educational disadvantage by focus• tions and communities have become the recipients of ing programs at the younger age levels, i.e psychological services in addition to individuals and families. The Pre-School Home Programme is a parent education/ early intervention scheme which involves workers Stated more formally the current objectives of the Psy• visiting homes with toys and books. The programme chology Branch, which take the applied approach into attempts to increase the level of stimulation and account are:— independent play of young children through work with parent and child together. Associated with this (a) To apply knowledge, experience and research programme is a short training scheme which offers skills findings from all aspects of scientific psychology to to personnel who wish to work closely with young the welfare field. families in similar roles. (b) To ensure that the resources of psychologists work• The Home Support Teacher Scheme offers a service to ing in teams are used as efficiently and effectively families with school-age children who are considered to as possible in relation to organisational needs and have education or behavioural problems in school. tasks. Home teachers work in a liaison role within the home- school system and offer skills to parents to help increase (c) To ensure that the Branch consists of competent, school contact, maintain school work and attendance, adaptable generalists and specialists who as scien• improve study habits, etc. This year a part-time Home tist practitioners will respond to the needs of the or• Support Teacher was appointed to help integrate girls ganisation and initiate action where appropriate. from the Nyandi System into the regular school. Two new appointments of Education Officers at Catherine McAuley Centre and Parkerville Children's Home have joined in the Home Support Teacher Scheme for The Team Approach assistance with training support.
Concurrent with the above changes in the form of serv• Homework Tutoring Programme. A tutor is available ice delivery, the Branch has also been regionalised with to all hostels and residential centres in the metropolitan the formation of four psychology teams. These provide area to help with homework. services to the North and South Metropolitan areas, the Country Divisions, and Institutional Services. This has ensured a more even distribution of Branch Resources across the Department with closer direction and co• Future Directions ordination of effort. It is intended that the teams will provide a broad range of services and take into account This process of change has taken place over a period the specific needs of the geographical areas concerned. extending from October 1983 to March 1984 and has Many of the tasks completed since the introduction of involved two workshops and a week of training in the the applied role have been achieved via joint effort and applied skills outlined above. Our aims therefore are to team co-operation. Examples include the running of consolidate and develop these progressive moves in the workshops, ranging from Parent-Adolescent Conflict to provision of psychological services during the coming Communication with Children and Child Development; year. 74 Property Section as possible standards of food servicing are achieved and maintained. Departmental Property The Department's trend away from larger institutions Vehicles to smaller family size hostels, and the commencement of the Community Based Offenders Programme has The Department operates a fleet of 213 motorised ve• resulted in the Department's food service becoming even hicles stationed at 77 centres throughout the State. Dur• more diversified than in previous years. ing the past year these vehicles covered 4,221,494 kilometres on official business. Exclusive of capital pur• In most of the smaller metropolitan hostels, staff and chase costs, the average cost to operate these vehicles residents shop at local supermarkets, this enables them for the year was 13.3 cents per kilometre. to learn such skills as shopping, budgeting and menu planning. Residents and staff prepare and cook their A breakdown of Departmental vehicles throughout the own meals in these smaller hostels, under the supervision State is as follows:— and guidance from the Catering Services Section.
Conventional Vehicles 168 The Community Based Offenders Programme hold Trucks 3 "Challenge for Youth Camps", each year, these camps Tractors 3 run for up to 25 days in duration and as well as using Trailers 65 fresh meat, fruit and vegetables, large quantities of Caravans 5 dehydrated and freeze dried foods must be used in the Buses 37 form of survival packs (each pack sustains one camper Motor Cycles 2 for 24 hours). Participants taking part in these camps have to at different periods carry up to six daily ration Private vehicles used on official business during the same packs at one time. Therefore, considerable period covered, 1,036,964 kilometres. experimentation had to be carried out to design suitable dehydrated food ration packs that would be light enough Office Accommodation: in weight to be carried at one time with all of their other camping gear, and at the same time contain enough An upgrading of office accommodation was pursued nutrients and bulk to sustain the campers for these six during the year and either extension of or new office day periods. space is being sought for:
Country Regular weekly and weekend camps are held during the year by the Youth Activities and the Community Based Kununurra New Accommodation Offenders Programme Camping Sections. Assistance is New Accommodation Karratha given to camp leaders with the compiling of menus, Extensions Northam supplying food and other general catering requirements. Kalgoorlie Extensions New Accommodation Geraldton In the Department's larger food services, the menus are New Accommodation Bunbury generally standardised, but careful consideration is given to individual needs. Amendments are made to suit Metropolitan specific requirements, such as age, sex, ethnic and Victoria Park New Accommodation cultural factors. Menus are compiled with the view to Gosnells New Accommodation acceptability and nutritional balance in mind, and are Innaloo New Accommodation approved by a qualified dietitian before being Perth New Accommodation introduced.
Continued liaison with food technologists, dietitians and Catering Services food manufacturers ensure that the Catering Services Section is kept up to date with modern trends associated with diets, and the food industry. This has helped The Catering Services Section of this Department considerably during this last year with the introduction continues to be one of the largest, most diversified food and tests carried out with dehydrated and freeze dried services in Western Australia. It controls and supervises foods used within the Community Based Offenders 64 food services throughout this State; these facilities Programme and camping activities. are situated as far North as Kununurra, inland to Laverton and as far South as Albany. Between July 1, 1983 and June 30, 1984 approximately 1,730,000 meals and snacks were prepared and served in these facilities. Records Branch As well as controlling Departmental food services, an advisory service is offered to many subsidised Church The Records Branch is responsible for maintaining the Missions, private institutions, hostels and Group Homes, Department's Information System. many of whom avail themselves of this service. Other operations undertaken by the Branch are:— Regular visits are made to all Departmental food services by Catering Administration staff to ensure that as high Distribution and despatch of correspondence, reception. 75 telex and telephonic services; issuing licenses to persons Government Accounting System with unrelated children under six years of age in their care; preparation of anaesthetic consents for wards and There are 13,000 cost recording items in the issuing permits to enter Departmental Aboriginal Department's Computerised Chart of Accounts running Reserves. under the Government Accounting System (GAS). This system has allowed decentralisation of some accounting All the Branch's recording duties have now been functions to units where costs are incurred and the computerised, with information such as: — names, computer produced reports assist managers in addresses, date and place of birth, medical reports, court monitoring expenditure. hearings, file numbers and locations, history of child movements, status (e.g. Ward, Probation, Supervision, Placed under Control etc) sex, status expiry date, Computerised Client Information System religion, school attending, office responsible, future review dates, aliases, siblings etc., titles of administrative The Computerised Client Information System, formerly files, being input by Data Entry operators. known as the Records Keeping System, is widely used. Thirty six terminals are located in Head Office and the This new computerised system has highlighted metropolitan area. Microfiche reports are provided as shortcomings of the previous manual system, increased a back-up to the computer system in the metropolitan the accuracy of information and allows efficient access area and for information for country divisions. Usage to statistical data. of the system averages over 5,000 transactions per day and continues to grow. The network of computer terminals installed for the Computerised Client Personnel and Staff Section Information System are also used for an electronic mail system for message passing within the metropolitan area This section is responsible for all personnel and industrial and for miscellaneous research projects. matters for persons employed by the Department. The staff complement is covered by some sixteen different awards. Salaries and Wages System
In addition, the Personnel and Staff Section is The Department's manual payroll has been responsible for induction and counselling of staff, computerised using the Mayne Nickless Computa-Pay collection and processing of statistical data for use within system. In addition to stream-lining the salaries and the Department by the Public Service Board, the wages system and providing staff with more informative Australian Bureau of Statistics and advising the pay slips, the system provides valuable management Department's Salary Section of all ajustments and information about the Department's staff resources. variations in salaries and wages.
Staff Computer Services Section The Computer Services Section now comprises the The use of computers in the Department has continued Manager, the Electronic Data Processing Coordinator to grow. and a Systems Analyst.
76 STATISTICS Explanatory Notes: individually. Applications to Children's Courts for children to be placed under "Care and Protection " Source of Information: are included with information relating to offences. Tables 1—5: Computerised Client Information System, Department for Community Welfare. Offence-Type Categories — Examples: Tables 6—8: Records maintained by the Adoptions Section of the Department for Community Welfare. Assaults Tables 9a-9b: Department for Community Welfare, (excluding Sexual Assaults) Administration Section. Assault occasioning grievous bodily harm 1. CHILDREN: Assault occasioning actual bodily harm Refers to persons aged up to and including 17 years. Other Assault
2. ADULTS: Drugs Refers to persons 18 to 21 years inclusive Possession/use of narcotics, cannabis, marijuana Dealing and trafficking in drugs. Manufacturing, 3. PERSONS: growing and other offences Refers to all those persons up to and including 21 years. Firearms and Explosives Unlawful possession of weapons. 4. STATUS OF PERSONS The following Status classification is used in Fraud categorising persons under the care of the Fraud, Forgery and False Pretences/Misappro• Department for Community Welfare. priation
Status Category Level Good Order Under Guardianship (of the Director) 1 Arson, Unlawful Possession of Stolen Goods Placed Under Control (Guardianship with Kidnapping Parents) 2 Other Sexual Offences Probation 3 Forcible Entry Supervision 4 Offences against Government Security Subsidised (allowance paid), excluding Furiously Drive/Ride/Carry above 5 Prostitution and Related Offences Other Offences against Good Order In this classification level 1 implies the highest degree of responsibility for persons under the care of the Homicide Department, and level 5 refers to a lesser degree of Dangerous Driving causing Death responsibility. Manslaughter (excluding by Driving) Attempted Murder Circumstances can result in a person being directed to more than one category of care at any one point Justice in time (i.e an individual may be on "Probation"and Offence against Enforcement of Order also "Placed Under Control"). However for record Breach of Maintenance Order keeping purposes within the Department, where Breach of Governors Pleasure more than one status category is applicable to a Refuse Name and Address. person then that person is recorded under the higher level category (i.e. in the above example, "Placed Liquor Under Control"). This principle is reflected in the Liquor and Licensing Offences tables contained herein. Offences involving Drunkenness
5. APPEARANCES: Property Number of appearances by children before a Property Damage Children's Court or Panel in a given period. Children appearing on more than one occasion are recorded Robbery separately for each appearance. Appearance Armed Robbery information includes instances of children "Placed Extortion on Remand" and/or "Released on Probation". Sexual 6. OFFENCES: Rape Number of offences by all children appearing before Carnal Knowledge a Children's Court or Panel in a given period. Incest Multiple offences committed by a child are recorded Indecent Assault
77 Offence-Type Categories — Examples: Traffic (continued) Theft Motor Vehicle, Traffic and Related Offences Motor Vehicle Theft Stealing from Person Other Shoplifting Other Offence against Person Going Armed in Public
1. Number of persons placed under guardianship and control of the Department for Community Welfare as at 30 June: 1979 to 1984 — Western Australia Status Persons: as at 30 June — 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 Under Guardianship 3389 2907 2556 2338 2023 1645 Under Control 512 695 810 827 821 632 Total 3901 3602 3366 3165 2844 2277
2. Persons for whom the Department for Community Welfare had responsibility as at 30 June 1984 — Western Australia.
3. Appearances by children before Children's Courts, Age Group and Division — Western Australia 1 July 1983 to 30 June 1984 Division Appearances by children, in age group — 0—8 9—11 12—14 15—17 years years years years no. no. no. no. no. Metropolitan Divisions 64 231 1599 6372 8266 Gt Southern 15 31 108 463 617 Central 8 33 74 241 356 South West 9 19 78 430 536 Goldfields 15 25 162 612 814 E. Kimberley 3 23 76 305 407 W. Kimberley 5 4 44 276 329 Murchison 1 32 162 467 662 Pilbara 8 8 65 353 434 Total 128 406 2368 9519 12421
78 4. Appearances by children before Children's Panels, Age Group, Metropolitan Divisions and Rest of State — Western Australia 1 July 1983 to 30 June 1984
Division Appearances by children, in age group — 0-8 9—11 12—14 15—17 TOTAL years years years years no. no. no. no. no. Metropolitan Divisions 59 474 1935 789 3257 Rest of State 29 212 575 223 1039 Total 88 686 2510 1012 4296
5. Offences brought before Children's Courts and Panels during the Year ended 30 June 1984 — Western Australia
Type of offence Number of offences brought before— Children's Courts Children's Panels
Assault 432 9 Drugs 544 39 Firearms and Explosives.. 73 21 Fraud 450 102 Good Order 1,849 302 Homicide 5 — Justice 701 54 Liquor 306 13 Property 841 333 Robbery 62 — Sexual 257 84 Theft 9,687 4,617 Traffic 5,004 408 Other 64 3 Total 20,275 5,985
6. Adoptions: Applications received and orders granted, Western Australia — 1 July 1983 to 30 June 1984 Applications received (a) Orders granted for adoptions (b| Type of adoption Arranged Arranged Arranged Arranged through Dep't through Dep't through non- through non- for Total for Total gov't gov't Community Community organisations organisations Welfare Welfare
no. no. no. no. no. no. Child not related to applicant (c) 156 8 164 51 12 63 Child related to applicant (c) (d)— Adoption by step-parents— • Child from previous marriage 72 72 • Ex nuptial child 45 19 64 [48 | 87 [ 135 Adoption by other close relatives (e) 15 15 Special child (f) 46 46 15 15 Foster child (g) 8 8 10 1 11 International adoptions 141 1 142 26(h) -(i) 260) Total 396 115 511 150(h) 100(i) 2500)
(a) As at 30 June 1984, there were 790 applications for locally born, unrelated children at various stages of assessment, of which 643 were initiated prior to 1 July 1983. In addition there were 178 applications for international adoptions in the process of assessment. (b) Orders granted in the 12 months ended 30 June 1984 relate, in the main, to applications made prior to 1 July 1983 and cover some children actually placed for adoption prior to July 1983. (c) Excluding special, foster and international adoptions. (d) Includes children either born prior to the parents marriage or resulting from a previous marriage and adopted into a subsequent marriage or by a close relative. (e) Close relatives include uncles, aunts, grand-parents, brothers and sisters. (f) Includes children with known special needs related to mental, physical, social and legal conditions, for whom parents with capacity for meeting these needs are sought. (g) Relates to children whose foster parents make application for adoption. Adoption consents would have been signed for some of these children at birth but adoptive placements may not have been available at that time. (h) In addition to the 26 orders there were 2 validations during the 12 months ended 30 June 1984. Validation involves the issuing of a statement by the Western Australian Family Law Court acknowledging the authenticity of an adoption order granted by an overseas country for a child adopted in that country, but subsequently residing in Western Australia. (i) There was one validation in the 12 months ended 30 June 1984. (j) There were three validations in the 12 months ended 30 June 1984. -
7. Adoptions: Children placed with approved applicants Western Australia — 1 July 1983 to 30 June 1984
Children placed— Type of adoption (a) Arranged through Arranged through the Department for non-government Total Community Welfare organisations no. no. no. Child not related to applicant (b) 32 7 39 Special child (c) 16 — 16 International adoption 44 1 45 Total 92 8 100
(a) As children in the categories "Related to applicant" and "Foster child" would have been actually residing with their prospective adopters throughout this period, they have not been included. (b) Excluding special and international adoptions. (c) Includes children with known special needs related to mental, physical, social or legal conditions, for whom parents with capacity for meeting these needs are sought.
8. Adoptions contact register — Western Australia, Enquiries registered in the 12 months ended 30 June: 1976 to 1984.
Enquiries registered (al in the 12 months ended 30 June T , „nn„lrJ„c
Enquiries registered by: H 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 Adopted persons (b) — 1 — 4 6 41 58 64 99 273 Relinquishing parents: Mother only — 1 2 2 17 36 47 63 104 272 Father only ______3 g 6 15 Mother & Father _____i 22 1 6 Adoptive parents: Mother only _____ 6 10 14 16 46 Father only — — — — — 1 11 — 3 Mother & Father _____2 147 14 Close relatives (c) 1 - 1 3 1 5 4(d) 10 17 42 Total 1 2 3 9 24 92 126 164 250 671
(a) The official Contact Register was introduced in August 1983, however enquiries made prior to that date were recorded by the Department. (b) Persons 18 years and over can register on their own behalf. Those under 18 years require the consent of their adoptive parents. (c) Close relatives include uncles, aunts, grandparents, brothers and sisters. (d) Includes one instance of a register enquiry aimed at ensuring "no contact" with an adopted person.
80 9a. Full-time employees as at 30 June 1984.
Staff Status
Public Ministerial Servant Appointment Wages Total HEAD OFFICE Director Deputy director Assistant Director— 1. Institutions 1 2. Field 1 1 J. Support Services 1 1 Administrative and Clerical 195 196
FIELD DIVISION Senior Social Work Supervisor 5 Chief Clinical Psychologist 1 Administrative and Welfare 315 315 Office Staff 90 90 Hostel Staff 1 15 97 113 Trainees 2 5 5 12 Reserve Caretaker 6 6
INSTITUTIONS AND HOSTELS Superintendents 7 7 Welfare and Institutional 11 373 44 428 Office Staff 5 11 16
COMMUNITY SERVICES TRAINING CENTRE Director Staff 14 Person Contracted by Minister under Section 8(4)
Total as at 30/6/84 636 420 153 1,209 Total as at 30/6/83 608 467 156 1,231 Total as at 30/6/82 564 477 165 1,206 Total as at 30/6/81 556 480 172 1,208 Total as at 30/6/80 583 456 148 1,187 Total as at 30/6/79 574 476 163 1,213 Total as at 30/6/78 539 471 165 1,175
9b. Part-time employees! f) as at 30 June 1984. Ministerial Wages
Homemakers '^1 Welfare Assistants 70 Parent Helpers 24 Others—Child Care Co-ordinators i_ Total __. (t) Working 15 hours per week or less.
WILLIAM C. BROWN, Government Printer, Western Australia 81