OOHC Reform Workshops and Consultations | Department of Communities

Workshops and consultations

Upcoming workshops

Service model co-design workshops – stage 1

The IRG will assist Communities to facilitate co-design workshops to further develop the OOHC service models. These workshops will seek to:

clarify the principles framing Western Australia’s approach to the care and protection of children
articulate the conceptual framework for service design within which OOHC is situated
specify measurable outcomes for children and families
conceptualise how the service model will best achieve these outcomes.

Workshops will commence December 2019. Community service organisations interested in future tendering opportunities and selected Communities staff will be invited to participate in these workshops.

Service model co-design workshops – stage 2

A second stage of workshop facilitation between the IRG and Communities will take place to further refine the OOHC service models. These workshops will seek to:

Integrate the various Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO) strategies and Guidelines for Delivering Culturally Safe Care with the service models.
Work with current and potential service providers to identify and act upon existing opportunities for reform.
Where possible, trial flexible coordination arrangements to reduce the number of Aboriginal children coming into care, increase family reunification outcomes, and build the capacity of ACCOs to provide OOHC services.
Obtain the views of young people (particularly Aboriginal young people) with lived experience on the desired outcomes and likely challenges of the proposed service model.
Continue analysis of costings to develop an agreed and sustainable pricing model while ensuring timely application of the Needs Assessment Tool and approval arrangements within the Care Team Approach.
Ensure that service models consider and account for workforce costs, award wages and occupational health and safety (OHS) requirements.
Integrate the:

Recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability recommendations
National standards for OOHC and the Better Care Better Service standards for children in OOHC
2012 Equal Remuneration Order implications
Building a Better Future: Out of Home Care Standards in Western Australia 2016.

Activities will take place between March and May 2020. Community service organisations interested in future tendering opportunities and selected Communities staff will be invited to participate in these activities.

Past workshops and information sessions

Workshops to determine and agree on variations to existing contracts

Variations to current OOHC contracts will take the first steps towards achieving some of the OOHC reform principles and will aim to address some of the immediate and pressing issues impacting OOHC services.

Workshops were held on 13 November and 4 December 2019. Current OOHC service providers and Communities staff were invited to participate in these workshops.

Input obtained was used by the Interim Service Solutions Subgroup of the Independent Reference Group to develop six (6) contract variations (PDF, 121KB) to current OOHC service agreements.

OOHC Information Session on 16 January 2020

Stakeholders were invited to attend an information session on 16 January 2020. The information session provided an overview on the OOHC Reform Program, including:

the OOHC governance structure and role of the OOHC Reform Program Board
the Independent Reference group (IRG), their membership and role in progressing the OOHC Reform Program
key achievements and decisions made in 2019
key activities and milestones for 2020
information on how you can be involved in engagement activities.

One-page summary: Download a one-page summary of the information session.

Presentation: The presentation (PDF) was delivered by Brad Jolly (Assistant Director General, Commissioning and Sector Engagement), Professor Maria Harries and Professor Dawn Bessarab (Independent Reference Group Co-chairs).

Video: The session was video recorded to ensure all interested parties have access to the information.

Q&A: Questions and Answers summary (PDF)