South Australian Consolidated Acts South Australian Consolidated Acts8—General functions of Minister
(1) The Minister must
seek to further the objects of this Act and, to that end, should
endeavour—
(a) to
promote a partnership approach between the Government, local government,
non-government agencies and families in taking responsibility for and dealing
with the problem of child abuse and neglect;
(b) to
promote and assist in the development of co-ordinated strategies for dealing
with the problem of child abuse and neglect;
(c) to
provide, or assist in the provision of, services for dealing with the problem
of child abuse and neglect and for the care and protection of children;
(d) to
provide, or assist in the provision of, preventative and support services
directed towards strengthening and supporting families, reducing the incidence
of child abuse and neglect and maximising the well-being of children
generally;
(e) to
assist the Aboriginal community to establish its own programmes for preventing
or reducing the incidence of abuse or neglect of children within the
Aboriginal community;
(f) to
provide, or assist in the provision of, information or education services for
parents, prospective parents and other members of the community in relation to
the developmental, social and safety requirements of children;
(g) to
provide, or assist in the provision of, education to persons who are required
to notify the Department on forming a reasonable suspicion that a child is
being abused or neglected;
(h) to
provide, or assist in the provision of, services—
(i)
to assist children who are under the guardianship or in
the custody of the Minister; and
(ii)
to assist persons who, as children, have been under the
guardianship or in the custody of the Minister, to prepare for transition to
adulthood;
(i)
to collect and publish relevant data or statistics or to
assist in their collection or publication;
(j) to
promote, encourage or undertake research into child abuse and neglect;
(k) to
encourage the provision, by tertiary institutions in relevant courses, of
instruction about child abuse and neglect and its prevention and treatment;
(ka) to
encourage the provision of child safe environments particularly by government
and non-government organisations that provide services for, or have contact
with, children;
(l)
generally to do such other things as the Minister believes will further the
objects of this Act.
(2) The Minister
must—
(a)
assist in the provision of—
(i)
services directed at enhancing the quality of care of
children and family life by strengthening and supporting families, and thus
preventing or reducing the incidence of child abuse and neglect; and
(ii)
support services to children who have been abused or
neglected and their families; and
(b)
ensure that those support services are offered to children who are known by
the Department to have been abused or neglected and their families and that
genuine efforts are made to encourage such children and their families to
avail themselves of the services.
(3) The Minister must,
at least twice in each calendar year, consult groups representing, or
comprised of, children or other persons who are, or have been, under the
guardianship, or in the custody, of the Minister.
(4) The purpose of
consultation as required under subsection (3) is to ensure that the
Minister regularly receives advice from, and is made aware of the experiences
of, persons who are, or have been, under the guardianship, or in the custody,
of the Minister.