Response 777598219

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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?

Please select one item
Yes
No
What issues would need to be considered in defining these terms?
inclusion of background check on the family court reporter to ensure no bias

(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?

Please select one item
Yes
No

(c) Should a legal definition of family report writer specify which social science professionals may prepare a family report?

Please select one item
Yes
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?

Please select one item
Yes
No

(e) Is it appropriate to exclude specialised reports on specific issues by single expert witnesses?

Please select one item
Yes
No

Scope and requirements of a family report

(a) What minimum content should a family report require?

background
relationship between child and parents
COSP responses both from parents and child

(b) Should minimum content requirements be legislated or otherwise made mandatory?

Please select one item
Yes
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?

2

(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?

2

(c) How could data on the number of single expert witnesses who prepare family reports be sourced?

Soepena

Competency of family report writers

(a) What skills and competencies should family report writers have? Please provide specific details about the skill/competency.

Degrees in both child psychology, behavioural psychology,
a background in Domestic violence for both males and females
20 years experience

(b) Which should be considered essential or core competencies?

Degrees in both child psychology, behavioural psychology,
a background in Domestic violence for both males and females
20 years experience

(c) Which should be considered desirable or specialised (not essential) competencies?

Degrees in both child psychology, behavioural psychology,
a background in Domestic violence for both males and females
20 years experience

Training in skills and competencies relevant to family report writing

(b) Are there any gaps in available skills/competency training?

Please select one item
Yes
No

Qualifications, professional registration and continuing professional development

What registration or memberships should be required for family report writers?

Enter your response
Membership of psychology association australia

Qualifications, professional registration and continuing professional development

(a) Should the attainment of identified core competencies be mandated?

Please select one item
Yes
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?

No it should be ongoing development to ensure a nonpartisan approach

Screening for suitability

Should family report writers be subject to suitability screening?

Please select one item
Yes
No
If so, what type of screening is relevant?
Background checks.

I lost my daughter because the family court reporters wife was Redacted textlike my ex and he was not inpartial and non bias in his remarks.

I will be taking this further.

Quality assurance mechanisms

Should all family report writers be subject to quality assurance mechanisms as part of their appointment/employment?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Your comments
if their background in any way conflicts or is similar to the clients, they should be excluded from being involved.

this included same religion, family partners religion or background.

Transparency

(a) Is there sufficient information available to families about the skills and qualifications of family report writers?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Where is this information available?
i wasnt told a single thing about the family court reporter, his background or any of the skills or degree's he holds

(b) What information should be available to the public and parties about family report writers that is not currently available?

everything,. if a family court reporter wishes to pass judgement, their entire life, background and history should be available for scrutiny.

Transparency....

Implementing options for enhancing competency and quality assurance mechanisms

(a) What approaches would best assure family report writer competency and report quality?

how about a better system...where its inpartial, non bias and without self interests being served against fathers and children.

(b) To what extent can existing approaches be utilised or enhanced, or do new ones need to be established?

none, they all need to be abandoned and restructered for equality

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)?

public register with full transparency about history and background of F.C.R

Establishment and oversight

Which entity or combination of entities is well placed to:

Your comments
im not sure there is one currently,
i think there needs to be a non partial committee overseeing every decision the courts make.

Complaints and Accountability

(a) Are improved avenues for complaints about family report writers required?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Your comments
i dont even know how to complain about the one who did the family court report currently....

(b) Which entity or combination of entities is best placed to investigate complaints about family report writers? Why?

No idea

(d) What could be an appropriate complaints mechanism for social workers undertaking family reports?

there doesnt seem to be one, DOCS can do whatever they want, say whatever they want and claim whatever they want and judges and police wont do a single thing against them.

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?

Im honestly not sure, there doesnt seem to be one currently so i dont see that changing any time soon.

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?

Please select one item
Yes
No

(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?

Please select one item
Yes
No

Conclusion

Is there anything else that Government should consider to improve the competency, accountability and transparency of family report writers in Australia?

a full overhaul of the system to include the rights of fathers,
how about doing your jobs instead of being money hungry grubs
the amount fathers spend on trying to get any rights to their children in family court is appauling, and then you expect us to go and pay child support to someone who doesnt want us in our childrens lives, because thats right right?

most of you have children, some of you might know people who lost their children to their ex spouse....wheres your compassion for fathers just simply trying their hardest to be fathers and not dead beat dads?

more fathers die every year to suicide, and you say we dont love our children, you just love your blood money more.

Your submission

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