Family reports and family report writers
(a) Should the terms ‘family report’ and ‘family report writer’ be defined in legislation to better clarify their purpose and application?
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Yes
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No
What issues would need to be considered in defining these terms?
These people need to be appropraitely qualified with experience and continual training.
(b) Should a legal definition of family report and family report writer apply to all cohorts of report writers (in-house and regulation 7 family consultants, and single expert witnesses) who undertake family and child assessments and reports?
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Yes
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No
(c) Should a legal definition of family report writer specify which social science professionals may prepare a family report?
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Yes
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No
(d) Should a legal definition of family report include all reports prepared by family consultants under s 62G of the Family Law Act 1975, including child impact reports and specific issues reports?
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Yes
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No
(e) Is it appropriate to exclude specialised reports on specific issues by single expert witnesses?
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Yes
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No
Scope and requirements of a family report
(a) What minimum content should a family report require?
Enter your response
All forms of domestic abuse. Especially when there have been third party involvement, eg police, womens refuge etc.
It should also not interview the children with the seccond parent straight after the first parent. It should be done on another day and time preferably when the child hasn't been with the first parent.
It should also not interview the children with the seccond parent straight after the first parent. It should be done on another day and time preferably when the child hasn't been with the first parent.
(b) Should minimum content requirements be legislated or otherwise made mandatory?
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Yes
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No
Data on single expert witnesses
(a) What is a reasonable estimate as to the number of family reports prepared by single expert witnesses each year?
Enter your response
no idea
(b) What is a reasonable estimate as to how many social workers, psychologists and psychiatrists prepare family reports in the capacity of a single expert witness each year?
Enter your response
no idea
(c) How could data on the number of single expert witnesses who prepare family reports be sourced?
Enter your response
no idea
Competency of family report writers
(a) What skills and competencies should family report writers have? Please provide specific details about the skill/competency.
Enter your response
Experience and training in parental alienation. The tactics used by these people. They need to have training in all forms of domestic violence and to be able to recognise coercive control. And recognise this as child abuse.
(b) Which should be considered essential or core competencies?
Enter your reponse
all of the above. A minium of degree qualified with at least 5 years experience.
Training in skills and competencies relevant to family report writing
(a) What training courses are available that cover the skills and competencies in Table 1 or other identified skills and competencies? Please provide detail on the course name, provider, and what standards they comply with (for example do they meet the Australian Qualifications Framework?)
Enter your response
I don't understand the question
(b) Are there any gaps in available skills/competency training?
If so, what specific training modules need to be developed?
I don't think I'm qualified to answer this question
Qualifications, professional registration and continuing professional development
What registration or memberships should be required for family report writers?
Enter your response
compulsory pschology board and/or medical board
Qualifications, professional registration and continuing professional development
(a) Should the attainment of identified core competencies be mandated?
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Yes
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No
(b) Are existing continuing professional development requirements sufficient or should there be specific requirements for family report writers? If so, what could this include?
Enter your response
Parental alienation and Domestic violence should be specific requirements
Screening for suitability
Should family report writers be subject to suitability screening?
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Yes
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No
If so, what type of screening is relevant?
being able to recognise PA and DV
Quality assurance mechanisms
Should all family report writers be subject to quality assurance mechanisms as part of their appointment/employment?
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Yes
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No
Your comments
definitely need some accountability for reports that are incorrect and not factual and have devistating impacts
Transparency
(a) Is there sufficient information available to families about the skills and qualifications of family report writers?
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Yes
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No
(b) What information should be available to the public and parties about family report writers that is not currently available?
Enter your response
what experience they have. Evidence of being unbiased
Implementing options for enhancing competency and quality assurance mechanisms
(a) What approaches would best assure family report writer competency and report quality?
Enter your response
all that listed previously
(b) To what extent can existing approaches be utilised or enhanced, or do new ones need to be established?
Enter your response
unqulified people need to be dismissed and cases reopended. this would show how they have failed badly.
(c) How would the approach(es) apply consistently and fairly for all report writers and manage the risk of deterring qualified professionals from undertaking the family report writer role? Do different mechanisms need to apply based on appointment type or profession?
Enter your response
They are too well paid for very little training and experience currently. There is a huge demand for proper qulified and experience people but the bad ones give a bad spin on the occupation so hence the bad ones need to be removed.
Implementing options for enhancing competency and quality assurance mechanisms
What approaches would best ensure that information about family report writer qualifications/skills/competencies is made available for family law system users (for example, a public register, a declaration)?
Enter your response
Parties should be able to choose who they have. Maybe its one party choses and has a diffent one to the other party and then there is two reports done.
Establishment and oversight
Which entity or combination of entities is well placed to:
Your comments
I know none currently. Perhaps the Pschology board of Australia
Complaints and Accountability
(a) Are improved avenues for complaints about family report writers required?
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Yes
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No
Your comments
I believe they are protected currently and you can't complain
(b) Which entity or combination of entities is best placed to investigate complaints about family report writers? Why?
Enter your response
psychology board.
(c) Could existing regulatory complaints mechanisms (Ahpra and state complaints bodies) for psychologists and psychiatrists who are family report writers be more effectively utilised? What enhanced role could they play?
Enter your response
I haven't had anything to do with them so don't know
(d) What could be an appropriate complaints mechanism for social workers undertaking family reports?
Enter your response
social workers should not be writting family reports. They don't have the education or training required.
(e) How would any proposed mechanism(s) best manage the issues and risks that have been identified, such as efficiently identifying and responding to vexatious complaints?
Enter your response
unknown
Limitations on receiving evidence from family law matters
Which entities should be able to receive and investigate family reports for the purpose of investigating complaints?
Enter your response
police. As often the facts are not recorded and a party painted in a poor light.
Publishing the identity of a family report writer
(a) Should section 121 be amended to enable the names of family report writers to be published?
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Yes
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No
Your comments
definitly. They should be held accountable and that way good ones will become well recognised.
(b) Should this be limited to situations where a report writer has been convicted of an offence and/or subject to an adverse finding by a regulator?
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Yes
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No
Your comments
Good ones need to be acknowledged too
Conclusion
Is there anything else that Government should consider to improve the competency, accountability and transparency of family report writers in Australia?
Enter your response
The courts shouldn't rely upon 1 report based on one very short interview.
Your submission
Making your submission public
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I agree to my submission being made public under my name or the name of my organisation
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I agree to my submission being made public anonymously
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I do not want my submission to be made public