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The Office for Children Annual Report, which includes the Office for Children, the Commission, and the Children's Guardian reports, is also available for download.

Highlights of the Commission’s Annual Report for 2007-2008 are provided below.

Year at a glance

Children are safer in child-related workplaces

Intermediate results

Organisations are child-safe and child-friendly

Organisations improve management of child safety risks

Organisations identify their child safety risks

Results

• 237,486 background checks conducted
• 581 estimates of risk undertaken
• 84% of preferred applicants assessed as high risk were not employed
• 63 Prohibited Persons applied for a review of their status
• Screening agencies implemented the new risk estimate model known as AWARE
• Child-safe Child-friendly web pages accessed 15,038 times
• Nine Child-safe Child friendly training programs delivered, attended by 180 people

Plans for the future

• Upgrade information technology systems supporting the Working With Children Check
• Introduce certificates for self-employed people
• Review Relevant Employment Proceedings Database
• Update the Child-safe Child-friendly training package
• Support out of school hours care, children’s disability services and early childhood services in Child-safe Child-friendly practices

Child deaths are prevented

Intermediate results

Child Death Review Team (CDRT) recommendations are implemented

CDRT recommendations are agreed

CDRT identifies factors contributing to preventable child deaths and recommendations made

Results

• Drafted the study Trends in Child Deaths in New South Wales 1996–2005, including nine recommendations
• Tabled Trends in the fatal assault of children in NSW: 1996–2005 report
• Convened the third annual meeting of Australian and New Zealand Child Death Review Teams (ANZCDRT)

Plans for the future

• Release Trends in Child Deaths in New South Wales 1996–2005

Children benefit from improved legislation, policies, practices and services

Intermediate results

Commission’s recommendations to improve children’s wellbeing are implemented

Commission’s recommendations to improve children’s wellbeing are agreed

Commission identifies factors contributing to children’s wellbeing and makes recommendations – e.g. road safety, alcohol, work, built environment

Results

• Made 13 submissions to formal inquiries, including the Special Commission of Inquiry into Child Protection Services in NSW, the Senate Standing Committee Inquiry into the Sexualisation of Children in the Contemporary Media Environment as well as the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Children and Young People’s Inquiry into Children and Young People aged 9–14 Years in NSW 
• 321 public engagements on children’s issues
• Babysitting Guide released
• Research into support for Paid Maternity Leave released
• Papers on children’s experience of poverty released

Plans for the future

• Continue highlighting the benefits that paid parental leave provides to babies
• Release Child-friendly community indicators – a planning resource for Local Government
• Release good practice guide for participation of kids in Local Government decisions
• Release discussion paper on regulating children’s employment

Children participate in decisions that affect their lives

Intermediate results

Organisations help children to be effective participants in decision-making

Organisations and agencies make changes so children can participate in these decisions.

Decision-makers know the value of having children participate in making decisions that affect their lives

Results

• The views of children included in submissions, including the Senate Standing Committee Inquiry into the Sexualisation of Children in the Contemporary Media Environment, and the NSW Legislative Council Standing Committee on Social Issues Inquiry Into Closing The Gap – Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage Ran a workshop for government agencies on helping children and young people participate in five State Plan Priority Areas
• Established two Kids Advisory panels
• Conducted two online discussion forums with children and young people

Plans for the future

• Establish new Young People’s Reference Group
• Continue developing online participation mechanisms, including improvements to the online discussion forums and creating an online participation form

The Office for Children Annual Report (pdf 5MB), which includes the Office for Children, the Commission, and the Children's Guardian reports, is also available for download. The Office for Children Annual Report is also available as a Word document (doc 600KB).

Hardcopy: Not Available

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