Putting the Picture Together: Inquiry into Response by Government Agencies to Complaints of Family Violence and Child Abuse in Aboriginal Communities

Putting the Picture Together: Inquiry into Response by Government Agencies to Complaints of Family Violence and Child Abuse in Aboriginal Communities Report

• Author(s): Gordon, S., Hallahan, K., Henry, D.
• Published: 2002
• Publisher: Department of Premier and Cabinet, Western Australia

Link to resource Report broken link

Abstract: In November 2001 the Western Australian Government announced a special inquiry into the response by Government agencies to complaints of family violence and child abuse in Aboriginal communities. This was prompted by the coronial inquest into the death of a 15 year old Aboriginal girl at the Swan Valley Nyoongar Community (SVNC) in1999. In July 2002, Putting the Picture Together, commonly known as the Gordon Report identified that thirteen agencies had been providing services to the Aboriginal girl and that individual agencies were not aware of all the services being provided by each other and there was a lack of clarity as to who was the “lead coordinating agency” (Government of Western Australia 2002,p.17). The Government’s response Putting People First concluded that: It is important that workers from different agencies come together to address the complex issues evident in the lives of many children and families in need (ibid,p.17) The specific outcome of the StrongFamilies model was to be a unified case plan that identifies each agency’s roles and responsibilities and a lead agency worker to oversee the plan. (ibid,p.17) The Government of Western Australia agreed with the Gordon Inquiry’s recommendation that the StrongFamilies initiative be implemented Statewide.

• Urls: https://www.findandconnect.gov.au/ref/wa/bib/WP0000495.htm, https://www.slp.wa.gov.au/publications/publications.nsf/DocByAgency/FEB7D71FB3A6AF1948256C160018F8FE/$file/Gordon+Inquiry+Final.pdf
• Publisher Location: Perth