In July 2007, the NT Government announced an 'Independent Audit of Clients at Risk' to cover high risk clients within the Community Services portfolio. This followed the deaths of two people for whom the Department had some level of statutory responsibility.
In December 2007 the Minister for Family and Community Services committed DHCS to implementing all 30 recommendations arising from the Audit to improve complex client management and reduce gaps in service, including establishment of a new quality and performance unit within the Community Services division.
A number of other initiatives being delivered concurrently are also providing improvements and additional resources and services to support families and clients, and extra capacity to increase staff resources across child protection and family related services.
These initiatives include the:
- Northern Territory Government's 'Closing the Gap of Indigenous Disadvantage' initiative, a response to the Little Children are Sacred report by the Anderson-Wild Board of Inquiry into the Sexual Abuse of Indigenous Children;
- Australian Government Intervention program;
- Implementation of the new Care and Protection of Children Act 2007;
- NT Public Safety Model; and the
- Youth Justice Strategy.
A Report Card (Adobe PDF document - 236KB) highlights the implementation of the Audit recommendations and provides an update on implementation of initiatives under the Northern Territory Government Closing the Gap, Australian Government Intervention and new child protection legislation initiatives.
Factsheets
- Community Services Reforms and New Initiatives Report Card (Adobe PDF document - 236KB)
- Youth Services - Reforms and New Initiatives (Adobe PDF document - 145KB)
- Family and Children's Services - Reforms and New Initiatives (Adobe PDF document - 188KB)