The Acting NSW Ombudsman has released a special report on the Department of Communities and Justice’s (DCJ) management of supports for homeless children, finding that more work is needed to provide necessary care.
In his report, More than shelter – addressing legal and policy gaps in supporting homeless children, Acting Ombudsman Paul Miller said the Department was still working to implement the Ombudsman’s recommendations for reform it had accepted over two years ago.
“Children who present, alone, to homelessness services are extremely vulnerable,” Mr Miller said
“They should receive the highest level of care and support – shelter, certainly, but more than just shelter,” he said.
“Data obtained by the NSW Ombudsman shows that 2,588 children aged between 12 and 15 presented on their own to a refuge somewhere in NSW in 2018-19, without a parent or guardian.”
“Whether these unaccompanied homeless children are receiving the necessary supports remains unclear.”
Mr Miller said the Department had not yet implemented the recommendations of the Ombudsman June 2018 report and more progress was needed.
He said the DCJ had not clarified decision-making authority for homeless children when they stayed in a refuge and its policy, Unaccompanied Children and Young People 12-15 Years Accessing Specialist Homelessness Services, provided insufficient guidance to homelessness services.
“DCJ has taken significant steps towards better tracking of the children but there is still no routine collection and public reporting of data about them,” he said.
“There are no requirements to monitor homeless children who are already in the care of the Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services.”
Mr Miller made a further seven recommendations, the first for the Department to publish a plan within three months outlining how and when it would deal with the outstanding issues that were the subject of the other six recommendations.
The Acting Ombudsman’s 42-page Report can be accessed at this PS News link.
