Presented by KIMBERLEY FLANAGAN

Director Connections Outer South

Listening to outputs and outcomes means ignoring the voice of

vulnerable children and youth

WEDNESDAY 4TH NOVEMBER 2009

What is child abuse?

1614

1216

• Outputs:

•Notifications

•Substantiations

• Program evaluations

What metrics are used for child welfare and are they valid?

Using output measures to guide interventions and inform policy

Outputs are driving demand management strategies which are changing the risk

threshold for at risk and vulnerable children.

• 8.2% demand greater than organisational capacity

• 35 out of 100 people eligible for child welfare services turned away

• 17.4% of unmet demand in youth services

Concealing the real picture:

– stripping back the spin to reveal the meaning of the data.

 Victoria

NotificationsChange from previous year

Substantiations in Victoria

Rate of Substantiation in

Victoria

Change in substantiation

rates from previous year

NSW Notifications

QLD Notifications

SA Notifications

1999-00 36805   7359 19.99%   30398 19057 15181

2000-01 36966 0.44% 7608 20.58% 0.59% 40937 22069 9988

2001-02 37976 2.66% 7687 20.24% -0.34% 55208 27592 11203

2002-03 37635 -0.91% 7287 19.36% -0.88% 109498 31068 13442

2003-04 36956 -1.84% 7412 20.06% 0.69% 115541 35023 14917

2004-05 37523 1.51% 7398 19.72% -0.34% 133636 40892 17473

2005-06 37987 1.22% 7563 19.91% 0.19% 152806 33612 15069

2006-07 38675 1.78% 6828 17.65% -2.25% 189928 28580 18434

The Victorian story

– family support program evaluation

“The Innovations program is a clear success with sustainable and strong downward impacts upon Victorian Child Protection system

activity”

The Victorian story

• “how well we do it”

and

• “is anyone better off”

Outcome measures – the Holy Grail?

• Outputs that measure and target “no child coming before the Child Protection system more than twice in his/her lifetime”.

• Outputs that measure and target out-of-home care - reunified children within his/her family within 12/24 months or within a stable, long term placement by this time.

• Outputs that measure and target for children who come before the Child Protection / Family Support system to achieve the same level of educational attainment and health outcomes as their peers.

Possible new measures:

The voice of the child

– is anyone listening?

Who was satisfied in Karen’s family and are they the voices that count?

Is anyone better off?