George Jones Child Advocacy centre child and family advocacy - improving outcomes for children

George Jones Child Advocacy centrechild and family advocacy - improving outcomes for children Basil Hanna CEO Parkerville Children and Youth Care Natalie Hall Director, George Jones Child Advocacy Centre

Overview • What is a Child Advocacy Centre • Why a CAC in Western Australia • Our Journey • Standards • Service Provision • Where to from here

George Jones Child Advocacy Centre

George Jones Child Advocacy Centre

2006 - 40thAnniversary Fellowships awarded in each state for issues of concern to younger Australians • In W.A. awarded to Natalie Hall to research • Multi-agency services for children who have been harmed. An examination and comparison of services provided to children and families where the child requires a forensic interview, medical examination, legal services, counselling and family support services.

Systems Issues in Australia • Children have little input into decision making in systems established to further their interests and enhance their wellbeing • Many parents feel judged, punished and excluded by child protection processes and interventions and are therefore less inclined to be positively motivated to make changes to their behaviour and lives • Families where there is no substantiation but high levels of need receive few or no services to address their needs • Inadequate mechanisms exist for interagency & multidisciplinary work, leading to fragmentation, lack of planning and poor communication • High quality targeted services are needed for children in need of protection or at risk of significant harm

2008

The Way Forward in the West Working on Two Campaigns at once • Capital Campaign • ($4.5 million) • From • Corporate • Lottery west • Wealthy Individual • Community Minded Cultural Campaign (Priceless) From Police Health Department for Child Protection Legal Community of Armadale

Welcoming facilities & child focused responses Training Leadership Research Child & Family Advocate MDT Team Forensic interview Medical examination Community Education & Involvement Child & Family Police investigation DCP assessment Groups Mentoring Tutoring Therapeutic responses & Other services Case reviews

Child Advocacy Centre Standards • Child-Appropriate/Child-Friendly Facility: a comfortable, private setting that is both physically & psychologically safe for clients (Parkerville Children and Youth Care). • Multidisciplinary Team (MDT): team response to planning and delivery of services (Department for Child Protection, WA Police, Parkerville Children and Youth Care , Department of Health). • Organisational Capacity: alegal entity responsible for program & fiscal operations (Parkerville Children and Youth Care). • Cultural competency & diversity: policies, practices and procedures that are culturally competent (Department for Child Protection, WA Police, Parkerville Children and Youth Care, Department of Health). • Forensic interviews: neutral, fact finding, and coordinated (WA Police and Department of Child Protection). • Medical evaluations, specialised medical evaluation and treatment as part of the CAC team response (Department of Health and Parkerville Children and Youth Care). • Therapeutic Intervention: Specialized mental health services as part of team response at investigation and throughout subsequent legal proceedings (Parkerville Children and Youth Care). • Child and Family Advocacy: as part of team response (Parkerville Children and Youth Care: advocacy and support & Department of the Attorney General: preparation for court by the Child Witness Service. • Case Review: team discussion & information sharing regarding the investigation, case status and services needed by the child and family (Department for Child Protection, WA Police, Parkerville Children and Youth Care, Department of Health). • Case Tracking: system for monitoring case progress & tracking outcomes, suitable for all team components (Parkerville Children and Youth Care).

Referrals Of Children and Young People where concerns for sexual or physical abuse or neglect exist from Children, Young People, Parents, Relatives, Friends, community members, community agencies GJCAC Child & Family Advocate assessment and planning with children young people and families support and advocacy for as long as needed referrals to appropriate services childFIRST / CAIT DCP District District Detectives Sexual Assault Squad Child Abuse Squad PMH Armadale Health Campus SARC GJCAC Child and Family Advocate Strategy Meeting DCP/POLICE & GJCAC Referral to Primary Services Child and Adolescent Health Parenting Programs Community Groups Referral for Tertiary Services MDT Services provided at GJCAC Child and Family Advocacy childFIRST / CAIT Forensic Interview DCP Child Assessment Interviews Medical examinations Therapeutic Services Case Reviews Case Tracking Referral to Secondary Services Family Support Therapeutic Youth Family and Domestic Violence Drug and Alcohol Services GJCAC Child and Family Advocacy Police Investigation Child Witness Service Case Closure Referral to Primary and Secondary Services

Referrals Since Opening in March 2011 through to 30 June 2012 GJCAC has received 293 Referrals, 59 of these referrals were from families referring themselves for assistance. With 1 FTE at GJCAC the Child and Family Advocates are working with an average of 57 families per month.

Child and Family Advocates: help to provide for children, young people & families • a voice for them during forensic child protection responses and information and support whilst they access services across multiple agencies • empowerment of children and young people and through involvement in planning and decision making about services • crisis intervention, support and education • Assessment of other stresses such as domestic violence, unemployment, single parenthood, inadequate housing, mental health, or drug & alcohol problems. • Referrals and linkage to other agencies to strengthen the family or provide a prevention or early intervention service to reduce harm to children • Challenging attitudes about child abuse through client advocacy, support groups and community education.

Therapeutic Family Services Psychologist Role • Consultation • At time of Referral • Prior to forensic interview • Child and family Advocate • Acute response- day of interview/soon after • Immediate psychological support/psycho-education or consultation can reduce the negative long term impact of child abuse • Individual therapy • Parent groups

Paediatrician Dr Rajiv Shah • 2 days a week GJCAC Linked to Child Protection Unit at PMH. • Forensic examinations • Child Development examinations • Medical advice to professionals at time of interview, throughout investigations and assessment • 2 days a week Child Development Centre.

Involving Children and Young People • Designing the Building • Artwork for Murals • Urban Art Exterior • Representatives on Advisory Group • Designing the Website. • Involvement in Decision Making and planning service they need • Evaluation and Feedback on services

George Jones Child Advocacy Centre

Evaluations: within a CAC • Significantly more evidence of coordinated investigations • CACs with strong involvement of police and DA showed an impact on criminal justice outcomes, guilty pleas, more cases proceeding to prosecution and convictions • Fewer foster placements for abused children • More children received a medical assessment • Most children received therapeutic services (60 % vs. 22%) • Effective at increasing multi-agency involvement Snell 2003, Finkelhor etal 2006

Evaluations: within a CAC • Parents/carers more satisfied • Children were less scared about being interviewed at a CAC • CACs regarded as community leaders and expertise • Cost effective cost savings of $1000 per case (NCA 2006) • Finkelhor etal 2006

Amy

Children’s Feedbackabout their Advocates “She doesn’t treat me as if just because I’m younger that my say isn’t important. She actually does the opposite” “ The advice she gave was really helpful and she understands me and everything. Like she told me what I could do.... and gave me tutoring and stuff.” “She is always happy and smiling, bubbly and everything. She is probably the best person I have ever spoken to. I could trust her more and felt more comfortable.... not under any pressure.” “She just changed it and made everything seem easier to deal with and helped build trust between me and my mum and dad and just made everything easier with having someone to talk to.”

Parent’s Feedback “ I feel very comfortable here, its easy to be open, here I can be really relaxed, if I want to talk I can just say how it is and I don’t have to be careful about how I say it. When the police interview was on it felt private and comfortable. We were never left alone unless we wanted to be, all the staff are friendly and they care.” “staff of the advocacy centre understand that families go through unforseen circumstances everyday day”. “I liked how they introduced themselves to both of us – and they included my daughter as much as me in all of our interactions together. She was involved in all the conversations when we were together as a group; you know I could tell they thought she was important”

Professional’s Feedback • “Thank you for bringing this to our attention and we trust that you will accept our sincere apologies for the difficulties you encountered in doing so. It seems that this case was lost in our system due to staff changes and without your advocacy this child and family would not have received the support they needed”. DCP Team Leader

Child Aware InitiativeProject July – December 2012

Where to from Here • Evaluation • Expansion of the CAC model nationally • Consolidate the Role of the Advocate • 2nd Centre in W.A.

George Jones Child Advocacy centre child and family advocacy - improving outcomes for children