I. A Select Committee of the Legislative Council of South Australia has been established into Families SA and any predecessor entity in existence since proclamation of the Children’s Protection Act 1993, to examine and report on–

(a) The policies and procedures of Families SA in dealing with children, and in particular:
i. where reports of suspected substance abuse by the parents or carers of children have been made;
ii. where reports of suspected substance abuse of a child by the parents or carers of children have been made;
iii. where reports of suspected abuse and neglect of children have been made;
iv. the circumstances in which children are removed from the parents or carers of children and the criteria, assessment and follow-up of the persons designated to subsequently care for those children at risk (and the priority with which the natural parent, grandparents or other family members are considered as the primary carers of choice for those children);
v. the medical and psychological evaluations undertaken of the parents or carers of children where allegations of abuse or neglect have been made, including appropriate assessment of the levels of addiction that may exist and the support provided by the Department to rehabilitate and reunite the family;
vi. the models, methods and processes used to preserve the family unit prior to removal of children;
vii. the procedures used by the Department to prove allegations made against parents or carers through psychological evaluation of parties concerned and other investigative processes;
viii. the frequency of implementation, monitoring and evaluation of Family Preservation Plans, the effectiveness of such plans and the means and timeframe of implementation; and
ix. the obligation of the Department and any of its predecessors to abide by orders of the Court for ongoing assessment and supervised visitation and reunification.
(b) The compliance of staff with the practices, policies and procedures of Families SA and any predecessor entity.
(c) The involvement and/or interventions of Families SA as a part to any Family or Youth Court matters.
(d) The substance, content and spirit of submissions made by Families SA and any predecessor entity to any authority, court or tribunal in relation to its duty of care.
(e) The level of influence of the Department on independent professional assessors.
(f) The obligations and duty of care of the Department in making decisions affecting the welfare of children and, in particular, to provide evidence (and the standard of that evidence) to any entity, including any court.
(g) Any other related matter.

II. The Select Committee will allow evidence of a retrospective breach in policy to be presented in camera and not on the record.

III. However individual matters relating to alleged perpetrators of child sex abuse subject to a current or past investigation by the Children in State Care Inquiry, or are presently under review by SAPOL, or are before the criminal courts, are not to be considered by the Select Committee.

The Committee may hear evidence in confidence and ‘off the record’ at the request of a witness.