In 2010-11 the Office of the Guardian audited 246 annual reviews in total, conducted in 16 Families SA offices. This was 12 per cent of the reviews that should have been conducted in the year.
A full report of the audit is provided to the Minister for Families and Communities, following opportunity for comment from Families SA.
The following are main points from the Audit of Annual Reviews 2010-11- Summary Report which can be downloaded in PDF.
- Six offices facilitated children and young people to attend the review meeting.
- The direct participation of children and young people increased from 16 per cent in 2009-10 to 25 per cent. Additionally, in 39 per cent of cases reviewed the social worker spoke in detail about the child or young person’s involvement in case decisions and demonstrated a thorough knowledge of the child’s views.
- Thirteen per cent of children and young people did not have a voice in case planning or annual reviews.
- Nineteen per cent of children and young people did not have regular contact with the same case worker.
- Sixty-eight per cent of children and young people whose cases were reviewed were in stable, long-term placements.
- Eighty-nine per cent of children and young people whose cases were reviewed were receiving services to meet their needs.
- Nineteen children and young people, including ten adolescents approaching independence, did not have any significant connections beyond Families SA.
- For the most part, good efforts, and in some cases exceptional efforts were made to ensure family contact was maintained.
- Sixty-two per cent of the Aboriginal children whose cases were reviewed were placed with their extended family or with Aboriginal carers. In most cases there was evidence that the children had been provided with information about their cultural heritage and identity.
- Thirty-three per cent of the children and young people had a Life Story Book.
- There was evidence of strong inter-agency collaboration in 101 cases (41 per cent of all cases, and 61 per cent of cases requiring interagency collaboration). In 81 cases, Families SA reported that no other agency was involved in the child or young person’s life and that inter-agency collaboration was not needed.
