How the WA Government is implementing the recommendations from the Royal Commission to Institutional Responses into Child Sexual Abuse

On 22 December 2019, the Western Australian Government published its second annual report on progress implementing the Royal Commission’s recommendations.

The Western Australian Government published its first annual report on its progress implementing the Royal Commission’s recommendations in December 2018.

• Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse 2019 Progress Report – Healing past hurts; Protecting children now; Preventing further harm

• Media statement: 22 December 2019 App gives more children a voice in response to Royal Commission

• Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse 2018 Progress Report

• Media statement: 19 December 2018 First annual progress report on Royal Commission released

Independent oversight seeks to strengthen the integrity of institutions by reviewing the decisions they make and the services they deliver in the performance of their duties. This ensures that institutions are compliant and accountable in their responsibility to protect children within their system or service.

Recommendations for independent oversight of organisations engaged in child-related work

The Department of the Premier and Cabinet has been asked to provide advice to Government on 11 recommendations across four areas of independent oversight. These are:

• Introducing, monitoring and enforcement of Child Safe Standards. These are ten key elements, developed by the Royal Commission, that are needed to create child safe institutions.
• Establishing a legislative reportable conduct scheme.  As defined by the Royal Commission, a reportable conduct scheme obliges heads of certain institutions to notify an oversight body of any reportable allegation, conduct or conviction involving any of the institution's employees. For this work, a reportable allegation would relate to child abuse.
• Accreditation scheme for government and non-government out of home care providers, audits of accredited out of home care providers to ensure compliance with accreditation standards. The Royal Commission stated that the accreditation of out of home care providers would help protect children by promoting improved standards, transparency and public confidence in the quality of out-of-home care services.
• Independent oversight of youth detention by staff with expertise in child trauma and identification of child sexual abuse issues. The Royal Commission indicated that detention environments may present higher levels of risk of child sexual abuse, as compared to many other institutional contexts.

These recommendations will be relevant to a wide range of government and non-government organisations that work with children across WA.

Their implementation will be an important way to improve safety for children who access these services. The document below outlines the full details of each recommendation.

How will the Western Australian Government implement these recommendations?

The Department of the Premier and Cabinet will be leading the development of advice for Government's consideration on options for how to implement the independent oversight recommendations in order to keep children in WA safe from abuse.

Communication and engagement

The Department of Communities is currently developing an overall Royal Commission communications and engagement strategy to guide communications, consultation and engagement that will occur. This overarching strategy will guide engagement specifically on independent oversight.

This will ensure that the many organisations that may be affected by the Royal Commission's recommendations are appropriately involved in the development of plans for their implementation, and ultimately, in making Western Australia a safer place for children and young people.

On 27 June 2018, the Western Australian Government announced its response to the Royal Commission’s 409 recommendations.

• Royal Commission response speech - delivered by Child Protection Minister Simone McGurk.
• WA Response 2018 - response by Minister McGurk on behalf of the Government of Western Australian
• WA response recommendations - detailed responses to each of the 409 recommendations 
• Media statement: (27 June 2019) WA responds to Royal Commission and signs up to National Redress Scheme
• Media statements: (27 June 2019) WA to sign up to National Redress Scheme

On 27 June 2018, the Premier of Western Australia delivered a formal apology in the Western Australian Parliament to all Western Australian survivors of child sexual abuse .

• Premier of Western Australia's Royal Commission response and apology.

On 15 December 2017, the Western Australian Government released its “Statement of Intent by Minister McGurk on behalf of the Government of Western Australia”. This indicated the Western Australian Government’s strong commitment to thoroughly considering the Royal Commission’s recommendations. A clear commitment was made to address historical abuse; prevent abuse from happening; and identify and respond swiftly to abuse should it occur again.

• Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse Statement of Intent