Child Protection commission of Inquiry

Case examples to illustrate issues presented in submissions to the Child
Protection Commission of Inquiry

Dear Member Agencies and Supporters
For those of you who have been able to watch live streaming of the public hearings
of the Child Protection Commission of Inquiry or read transcripts of the hearings,
you will have realised the importance of being able to substantiate and illustrate
issues that are being raised by witnesses.
It will be similarly important to provide information that can substantiate and
illustrate matters addressed with written submissions to the Inquiry.
To this end, PeakCare has invited our Member Agencies and Supporters to submit ‘case
examples’ that demonstrate aspects of the child protection system that are
problematic as well as those that are working well.  The intention in collecting
these case examples is to make use of them to explore and support arguments that
will feature within PeakCare’s submissions to the Inquiry as well as inform the
discussions of the Commissioner’s Advisory Group of which I am a member.
Throughout the course of the Inquiry, PeakCare will be attempting to faithfully and
accurately represent issues of concern held by our Member Agencies and Supporters.
Our capacity to do so well however will be enormously influenced by the amount and
quality of the information you are prepared and able to provide to us.
Anecdotal reports and discussions with PeakCare staff will not cut it!
As previously advised, PeakCare has made available a proforma for documenting
de-identified case examples. This proforma appears in both ‘electronic’ and ‘word’
formats within the Members Only section of our web-site.  The ‘word version’ is also
attached to this email.
To date, only a small number of documented case examples have been received. Thank
you to those organisations that have already submitted their case examples to us.
I am aware that within some organisations, focus groups and similar exercises are
being undertaken to collect and document case examples.  This seems to be a very
useful approach in ensuring that a wide cross-section of staff members, carers,
children, parents and others are able to add their voices to the issues being
addressed by the Inquiry. We very much look forward to receiving the products of
these exercises.
It is appreciated that, within your own organisations, you may be making use of case
examples to support your own submissions to the Inquiry.  Whilst this will be
useful, it is suggested that the supply of case examples to PeakCare will assist in
the presentation of sector-wide viewpoints and opinions that can, in a powerful way,
complement and reinforce the arguments put forward by individual organisations.  As
your peak body, PeakCare is well placed to promote issues that are of sector-wide
importance, but we need your help to do so.
You are urged therefore to take advantage of the opportunity being provided to allow
your case examples to both inform and illustrate PeakCare’s submission to the
Inquiry.  Please forward your documented case examples to
groberts@peakcare.org.au<mailto:groberts@peakcare.org.au> as soon as you are able.
Yours sincerely
Gary Roberts
Office Manager

For and on behalf of

Lindsay Wegener
Executive Director
P:  07 3368 1050
F: 07 3368 1160
17 Ross Street (PO Box 159)
Paddington QLD 4064
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