6. National Standards for Out of Home Care
This section provides an overview of:
- the principles underpinning the National Standards for Out of Home Care; and
- the proposed National Standards for Out of Home Care, including rationale.
The section concludes with a summary and highlights some implementation issues that are further discussed in section seven.
6.1 Principles for the National Standards
The proposed National Standards have been based on the following principles which have been informed by the consultation process.
The principles include:
- Care provided to children and young people living in Out of Home Care is focussed on their best interests and maximising their potential
Rationale: All children and young people in care should expect to have their best interests as the primary concern for the decisions about their care arrangements.
- Children and young people living in Out of Home Care are provided with opportunities for their voice to be heard and respected
Rationale: Children and young people need to be able to say what they feel about their experience in care and be listened to.
- Children and young people living in Out of Home Care have their privacy respected
Rationale: Children and young people need to be able to feel safe and protected, without the stigma associated with being in Out of Home Care.
- Children and young people living in out of home care are provided with a level of quality care that addresses their particular needs and improves their outcomes.
Rationale: The National Standards need to be measurable in order to ascertain performance and identify areas of improvement, and be able to be monitored to validate that system performance is improving.
- The National Standards should add value to the current state and territory arrangements and not be unnecessarily burdensome
Rationale: The National Standards provide mutual recognition to current arrangements to minimise additional administrative burden on governments and non-government organisations.
- Continuous improvements are made to enhance the life outcomes of children and young people living in Out of Home Care
Rationale: The National Standards should drive system improvement to raise the performance of the system and deliver positive outcomes for children and young people living in Out of Home Care. The National Standards should focus on quality to drive system improvement on a continuous basis.
- Changes to the Out of Home Care outcomes for children and young people are measured, monitored and reported in a transparent and consistent manner
Rationale: Performance against the National Standards will be transparent to maximise confidence in the outcomes of Out of Home Care and performance reporting.
- Carers are key stakeholders and partners in the system
Rationale: Carers are the critical support for the child/young person and should be viewed as a partner in the care of the child/young person.
6.2 Overview of the proposed National Standards
The table below provides an outline of the National Standards and includes:
- the proposed National Standards; and
- the rationale for including each Standard.
| Rationale | Potential Standard |
|---|---|
| Children and young people needing care often arrive after experiencing a family crisis, domestic violence, forms of abuse or neglect. To address ongoing mental health and trauma-related issues, these children and young people must have their health assessed and their safety and security assured. From the outset, careful thought should go into placing these children and young people with suitable carers, with the children/young people and carers given a say in the home they go to. |
|
| Children and young people in care should experience "growing up" in the same way as other children and young people. Highly traumatised and vulnerable children and young people can find it hard to go to school, pursue training, move into jobs and build the skills they need for an independent life. Even engaging in social activities can be hindered, which can affect confidence and social skills. Children, young people and their carers may feel reluctant to ask for help in accessing the opportunities that will allow children to participate and achieve. |
|
| Emotional care is just as important as physical health for children and young people who are separated from their birth family. Children and young people can lose their sense of identity, particularly those with Indigenous or culturally and ethnically different backgrounds. Maintaining family, cultural, spiritual and community links can strengthen children and young people's sense of identity and help them feel loved and accepted in their homes. |
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| The important people who are providing care need to have training and support to help them deliver the best care possible in often complex circumstances. The children and young people too must be confident that their carer understands them, listens and knows how to plan for the future. Most importantly, children and young people must feel safe and secure with their carer. |
|
| 'It's time to leave' sounds easy, but transitioning out of care can be one of the most difficult stages. Children and young people should keep special memories and information about their time with families so they can maintain a sense of identity. Young people moving to an independent life will need emotional resilience as much as practical help to prepare for the future. |
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DSS2921 | Permalink: www.dss.gov.au/node/2921