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Only six recommendations not yet
implemented:
Child and Youth Advocate
In her first status report, the Child and Youth Advocate says of 173 recommendations made since 2006, just six have not been implemented. Carol Chafe says 88 per cent of recommendations have been addressed while 12 per cent require further follow up.
Chafe examined seven investigations, and four case reviews, three investigations of which were completed prior to her appointment to the position. The report outlines each recommendation made and the status of each to November 2014.
Of the recommendations yet to be actioned, all fall to the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services. Of the six recommendations, three are repeated.
While Chafe says legislative changes have been made, she calls it a first step. She says in some cases the practices haven't flowed to frontline staff. Chafe believes separate workers should be assigned to a child when they are in receipt of different programs. And, while there is a policy on home visits Chafe says it doesn't require children to be seen. She says doing so would make a difference.
Chafe says it is very important the children be observed, even if it's just to see them in a room. That will allow them to see if a child is clean, neglected or healthy. She says it was obvious in 'Joey's Story' and 'Turning a Blind Eye' that had children been viewed the children would not have suffered for as long as they did and would have been removed from the homes sooner.
Chafe say the department has yet to establish mandatory reporting of child deaths and critical incidents, but she says work is progressing towards such a policy. She says a working group has been established to define a 'critical incident' for each government department and agency. Chafe says there has been a lot of collaboration and cooperation and she believes there will be a change made she just hopes it's sooner rather than later.
Child, Youth and Family Services Minister Sandy Collins says the department agrees with the intent of the recommendations left outstanding, but has differing clinical opinions than the Advocate.
Collins says while Chafe is of the opinion a youth receiving services should have a worker for each individual service they receive, the advice within the department suggests that for continuity reasons one worker should be assigned to each youth.
The Liberals have committed to legislation to make child death reporting mandatory. While the province seems to be moving in that direction, Leader Dwight Ball says the process is taking way too long.
Ball says the recommendation has been around for quite some time and given government response's to a Liberal Private Member Motion, the province doesn't seem to have the will to make it happen.
News report
February 18 2015
