Family Responsibilities Commission

Report to the Family Responsibilities Board and
The Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships

Quarterly Report
No. 39

January 2018 to March 2018

Report prepared by the Family Responsibilities Commission under the leadership of Commissioner David Glasgow

Executive Summary
Quantified in the table below are the activities undertaken by the Commission during quarter 39 with comparisons shown to the previous quarter.
Table 1: Activity from 1 October 2017 to 31 March 2018.
Activity	Qtr 38	Qtr 39	Movement	
Within jurisdiction agency notices received	1761	1256	Decreased	
Conferences held	623	645	Increased	
Family Responsibility Agreements entered into	1	0	Decreased	
Orders made to attend community support services	32	17	Decreased	
Conditional Income Management Orders made	67	56	Decreased	
Voluntary Income Management Agreements entered into	2	7	Increased	
Clients case managed	139	123	Decreased	
Referrals made	33	17	Decreased	
Applications to Amend or End received	17	25	Increased	
Show Cause conferences held	0	1	Increased	

Quarter 39 commenced with our annual Local Coordinator Conference conducted in the week commencing 15 January. The Local Coordinators were asked to present to the conference reports on: their communities together with school attendance statistics; a report from their local Principal detailing issues affecting their school along with school priorities for the 2018 school year; and how the FRC could work with the schools to improve attendance. Strategies were set for the 2018 school year to assist in improving school attendance and assisting in the transition of students to boarding schools which included, amongst other strategies, assisting with inductions in community, educating service providers and the community on the role of the FRC, maintaining visibility at schools and nurturing relationships with teachers, principals and the community.

The extension in June 2017 of income management for Cape York to 30 June 2019 included an agreement between the Honourable Alan Tudge MP and the opposition to undertake a review of income management in Cape York. The Department of Social Services (DSS) was tasked with this undertaking and the Commission has been liaising with DSS during the quarter to provide FRC statistics to inform the review, and to capture Local Commissioner views on the use of income management. Arrangements have been made for DSS to consult with the Local Commissioners at their next Local Commissioner Development week to be conducted in May 2018. In light of this review, our Senior Advisor (Statistics and Research) has undertaken some quantitative and qualitative data research which we hope will provide analytical value on the use of income management in the Cape York communities and in Doomadgee from 2008 to February 2018.

Practical and logistical planning for the Local Commissioner Development Week 2018 began this quarter. During the week commencing 7 May, Local Commissioners will travel to Cairns to participate in consultations with Government departments, leadership training sessions, listen to Indigenous CEOs from various organisations addressing employment and economic development, summarise generally events that have occurred within their communities and formulate future strategies. A brief report on the week will be provided in Quarterly Report No. 40, and a full report will be provided in the Commission’s next Annual Report.

Our focus this year has been in two particular areas: increasing client attendance at conference; and supporting Local Commissioners to conduct conferences without the assistance of Commissioner Glasgow and Deputy Commissioner Curtin. Statistics for the period 1 July 2017 to the end of this quarter are provided under the Future Direction and Challenges section.

As requested by the Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships (DATSIP), the Local Commissioners of Coen, Hope Vale and Mossman Gorge have been advised by Commissioner Glasgow that whilst they have been appointed to the end of the year, the outcomes of Government and community engagement/consultations may affect the future of the FRC, and any proposed transition from Welfare Reform could mean that their services as Local Commissioners may not be required in the second half of 2018.

Work commenced this quarter to initiate the community consultations which will inform State and Australian Government decisions on the future of Welfare Reform and the Commission. On 21 March the community of Mossman Gorge was visited and talks were held between the consultation team (comprising of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC), DATSIP and the Cape York Institute), the community of Mossman Gorge and the Mossman Gorge Local Commissioners.

Significant HR policy work continued this quarter with the drafting of a new Public Interest Disclosure Policy and Procedure. The Commission is committed to fostering an ethical and transparent culture. In pursuit of this, the Commission values the disclosure of information about suspected wrongdoing in the public sector so that it can be properly assessed and, if necessary, appropriately investigated. This new policy and procedure document demonstrates this commitment, and ensures that practical and effective procedures are implemented which comply with the requirements of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2010.

Subsequent to the appointments in December 2017 of the FRC Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner and Local Commissioners, Keri Tamwoy commenced as an Aurukun Commissioner on 2 January 2018. Commissioner Tamwoy is a qualified mediator and is currently running the mediation program in Aurukun. This program has been a huge success in bringing families together to resolve issues without resorting to violence. Her current role as mediator is where her passion lies as she is extremely committed to supporting the Wik people of Aurukun and empowering them to grow and improve their community into the future. We look forward to the additional contribution Keri Tamwoy will make as a Commissioner in Aurukun.

Commissioners continued to prioritise education matters in each community, developing specific strategies alongside schools and Student Attendance Officers. Official school attendance statistics are not yet available for this quarter (term 1 2018). Further details are provided under the Future Direction and Challenges section.

Following a Queensland general election held on 25 November 2017, and the swearing in of the Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk as the Premier of Queensland on 12 December 2017, the Honourable Jacki Trad was appointed the Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships. Due to this ministerial change, the Commission’s oversight Parliamentary committee transitioned from the Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources Parliamentary Committee to the Economics and Governance Committee on 15 February 2018.

The Commission has been advised that, in a letter received in March by DATSIP from DPMC, Australian Government funding for Commission operations has been approved for the period 1 July to 31 December 2018. A formal variation to the existing memorandum of understanding will be prepared and executed in Quarter 40.
•	

Table of contents

1.  Activities and Trends		5
2.  Future Direction and Challenges	13
3.  Financial Operations		17

Abbreviations
CIM		Conditional Income Management
DATSIP		Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships
DoE		Former Department of Education
DJAG		Department of Justice and Attorney-General
DV		Domestic Violence
DVB		Domestic Violence Breach
DVO		Domestic Violence Order
FRA		Family Responsibilities Agreement
FRC		Family Responsibilities Commission
QPS		Queensland Police Service
VIM		Voluntary Income Management
Also:		
Family Responsibilities Commission (the Commission)
Family Responsibilities Commission Act 2008 (the Act)
Family Responsibilities Commission Registry (the Registry)
Family Responsibilities Board (the Board)

Family Responsibilities Commission
Welfare Reforms

Report to 31 March 2018.
1.  Activities and Trends

Notices
In quarter 39 the Commission received 1,836 agency notices. Some individuals may have been the subject of more than one agency notice. Of that figure 1,256 notices (68 percent) were within the Commission’s jurisdiction and 580 notices (32 percent) were outside the Commission’s jurisdiction.

Table 2: In jurisdiction notices by type and community 1 January 2018 to 31 March 2018.
Type of Notice	AU	CO	DM	HV	MG	Total	
District Court notices	26	0	0	1	0	27	
Magistrates Court notices	224	24	0	47	17	312	
Domestic Violence Breach notices	10	2	0	0	2	14	
Domestic Violence Order notices	27	9	0	14	4	54	
School Attendance notices	296	6	366	122	10	800	
School Enrolment notice	0	0	4	2	4	10	
Child Safety and Welfare notices	15	8	4	7	0	34	
Housing Tenancy notices	2	0	0	2	1	5	
Total	600	49	374	195	38	1256	

Further details of notices within jurisdiction for each community are set out below:
•	Aurukun’s 600 notices constitute 47.8 percent of the total notices in jurisdiction across the welfare reform communities.
•	Coen’s 49 notices constitute 3.9 percent of the total notices in jurisdiction.
•	Doomadgee’s 374 notices constitute 29.8 percent of the total notices in jurisdiction.
•	Hope Vale’s 195 notices constitute 15.5 percent of the total notices in jurisdiction.
•	Mossman Gorge’s 38 notices constitute 3.0 percent of the total notices in jurisdiction.

Table 3: Not within jurisdiction notices by type and community 1 January 2018 to 31 March 2018.
Type of Notice	AU	CO	DM	HV	MG	Total	
Supreme Court notices	0	0	0	0	0	0	
District Court notices	0	0	0	2	0	2	
Magistrates Court notices	194	19	0	62	110	385	
Domestic Violence Breach notices	13	2	0	3	0	18	
Domestic Violence Order notices	3	3	0	21	11	38	
School Attendance notices	30	3	88	9	2	132	
School Enrolment notice	0	0	0	0	0	0	
Child Safety and Welfare notices	0	2	3	0	0	5	
Housing Tenancy notices	0	0	0	0	0	0	
Total	240	29	91	97	123	580	

Table 4: Magistrate Court locations for in jurisdiction DVB and DVO notices 1 January 2018 to 31 March 2018.
Court Location	Number of DVB notices	Number of DVO notices	Total	
Aurukun	8	24	32	
Cairns	2	0	2	
Coen	2	8	10	
Cooktown	0	12	12	
Mareeba	0	2	2	
Mossman	2	5	7	
Weipa	0	3	3	
Total	14	54	68	

Since its commencement the Commission has received 37,369 agency notices within its jurisdiction. Total notices decreased from 2,624 in quarter 38 to 1,836 in quarter 39. Of those notices in jurisdiction Magistrates Court, Domestic Violence Breach, Domestic Violence Order, School Attendance, Child Safety and Welfare and Housing Tenancy notices decreased, whilst District Court and School Enrolment notices increased.

District Court notices increased this quarter to 27 from 23 received in the previous quarter. Aurukun increased by 21 notices, whilst Hope Vale decreased by 17 notices for the quarter. Coen and Mossman Gorge remained unchanged with zero notices received. The Commission does not receive District Court notices for Doomadgee.

Magistrates Court notices decreased this quarter to 312 from 345 received in the previous quarter. Even though there was a decrease in the number of Magistrates Court notices received, three out of the four communities which have the Magistrates Court trigger experienced an increase in notices. Aurukun, Coen and Mossman Gorge increased by 18, 9 and 2 notices respectively, however, Hope Vale decreased by 62 notices. The Commission does not receive Magistrates Court notices for Doomadgee. The Commission sought clarification from the Queensland Police Service (QPS) in Hope Vale regarding the decreased number of Magistrate Court notices received for the quarter. The Commission was advised by QPS that the reduction was due to a number of factors including: a reduction in staffing levels; community members staying at Elim Beach during the wet season; and a number of known offenders either out of community or in prison over the holiday period.

Domestic Violence Breach notices decreased from 19 in quarter 38 to 14 in quarter 39. Aurukun and Coen increased by 4 notices and 1 notice respectively whilst Hope Vale and Mossman Gorge decreased by 9 notices and 1 notice respectively. The Commission does not receive Domestic Violence Breach notices for Doomadgee.

Domestic Violence Order notices decreased from 76 in quarter 38 to 54 in quarter 39. Aurukun decreased by 20 notices, Coen increased by 3 notices, Hope Vale decreased by 5 notices and Mossman Gorge remained unchanged with 4 notices received for the quarter. The Commission does not receive Domestic Violence Order notices for Doomadgee.

School Attendance notices decreased from 1241 in quarter 38 to 800 in quarter 39. All five communities which have the School Attendance trigger experienced a decrease in notices this quarter. Aurukun, Coen, Doomadgee, Hope Vale and Mossman Gorge decreased by 36, 66, 140, 189 and 10 notices respectively.

School Enrolment notices increased from 0 in quarter 38 to 10 in quarter 39 with Doomadgee, Hope Vale and Mossman Gorge increasing by 4 notices, 2 notices and 4 notices respectively. Aurukun and Coen remained unchanged with zero notice received for the quarter.

Child Safety and Welfare notices decreased from 51 in quarter 38 to 34 in quarter 39. Aurukun increased by 7, Coen increased by 6, Doomadgee decreased by 27 and Hope Vale decreased by 3 notices. Mossman Gorge remained unchanged with no notices received for the quarter.

Housing Tenancy notices decreased to 5 from 6 received in the previous quarter. Aurukun increased by 1 notice, whilst Hope Vale and Mossman Gorge decreased by 1 notice each. Coen remained unchanged with no notices received for the quarter. The Commission does not receive Housing Tenancy notices for Doomadgee.

The Commission receives school attendance data from the Department of Education. This data is published on the Commission’s web page at http://www.frcq.org.au when available.

Table 5: In jurisdiction notices by type and quarter 1 January 2017 to 31 March 2018.
Notices by Agency Processed	Qtr 35	Qtr 36	Qtr 37	Qtr 38	Qtr 39	
District Court	8	3	21	23	27	
Magistrates Court	269	271	364	345	312	
Domestic Violence Breach	9	16	30	19	14	
Domestic Violence Order	42	36	56	76	54	
School Attendance	3319	1257	593	1241	800	
School Enrolment	0	1	3	0	10	
Child Safety	33	74	39	51	34	
Housing Tenancy	13	9	3	6	5	
TOTAL	3693	1667	1109	1761	1256	

Table 6: In jurisdiction notices by community and quarter 1 January 2017 to 31 March 2018.
Community	Qtr 35	Qtr 36	Qtr 37	Qtr 38	Qtr 39	
Aurukun	1420	681	512	605	600	
Coen	54	54	31	96	49	
Doomadgee	1685	567	259	537	374	
Hope Vale	479	331	249	479	195	
Mossman Gorge	55	34	58	44	38	
TOTAL	3693	1667	1109	1761	1256	

Since commencement in July 2008, 87.8 percent of clients have received more than one notice with 63.6 percent of clients receiving more than five notices. Frequently this illustrates multiple child school absences for the one family, or multiple Magistrates Court notices relating to one incident. Conversely, 12.2 percent of clients have received only one notice.

Table 7: FRC clients by number of notices 1 July 2008 to 31 March 2018.
Number of Notices Received	Number of Clients	
1	277	
2	202	
3	146	
4	108	
5	91	
>5	1440	
TOTAL	2264	

(Note:  Counting rules stipulate that where multiple charges are received each charge is counted as an individual notice or each child’s absence is counted as one notice – i.e. if three children from the one family were absent, that was counted as three notices).

Conferences
A total of 645 conferences pertaining to all matters were held across the five communities in quarter 39, resulting in 17 orders made to attend community support services and 56 CIM orders issued. Note no FRA’s were entered into during the quarter. When compared to last quarter, this represents a decrease of 1 FRA, 15 orders to attend community support services and 11 CIM orders. Other outcomes as a result of conferencing during the quarter were decisions for no further action, rescheduling and scheduling to return for review with compliance. Thirty new clients were added to the Commission’s database during the quarter. Conferences increased from 623 in quarter 38 to 645 in quarter 39.

Table 8: Conferences by community and quarter 1 January 2017 to 31 March 2018.
Community	Qtr 35	Qtr 36	Qtr 37	Qtr 38	Qtr 39	
Aurukun	260	186	225	248	302	
Coen	30	33	34	21	12	
Doomadgee	176	241	204	223	199	
Hope Vale	81	147	101	92	105	
Mossman Gorge	57	35	36	39	27	
TOTAL	604	642	600	623	645	

Conferences for Domestic Violence related matters
As a subset of the total number of conferences conducted for the quarter, 76 domestic violence conferences were conducted in Aurukun, Coen, Hope Vale and Mossman Gorge in quarter 39, representing an increase of 5 from the previous quarter. Domestic violence conferences in the communities during the quarter were as follows: Aurukun increased by 4, Coen decreased by 5, Hope Vale increased by 9 and Mossman Gorge decreased by 3 domestic violence conferences.

Table 9: Number of conferences held in relation to domestic violence notices (breaches and orders) per community 
1 January 2018 to 31 March 2018.
Number of Domestic Violence Conferences	AU	CO	HV	MG	Total	
Relating to both a DVB and a DVO notice	7	2	0	0	9	
Relating to a DVB notice	4	1	3	2	10	
Relating to a DVO notice	38	0	16	3	57	
Total	49	3	19	5	76	

Table 10: DV conferences by community and quarter 1 January 2017 to 31 March 2018.
Community	Qtr 35	Qtr 36	Qtr 37	Qtr 38	Qtr 39	
Aurukun	25	21	34	45	49	
Coen	5	9	6	8	3	
Hope Vale	17	16	16	10	19	
Mossman Gorge	12	4	4	8	5	
TOTAL	59	50	60	71	76	

Table 11: Number of conferences held in relation to domestic violence notices (breaches and orders) per quarter 
1 January 2017 to 31 March 2018.
Number of Domestic Violence Conferences	Qtr 35	Qtr 36	Qtr 37	Qtr 38	Qtr 39	
Relating to both a DVB and a DVO notice	1	2	5	3	9	
Relating to a DVB notice	7	11	13	11	10	
Relating to a DVO notice	51	37	42	57	57	
Total	59	50	60	71	76	

Referrals
The total number of referrals to service providers decreased from 33 in quarter 38 to 17 in quarter 39, relating to 17 clients. Since commencement the Commission has referred 1,010 clients to service providers resulting in approximately 44.2 percent of clients on 12 month service referral plans. Referrals in the communities during the quarter were as follows: Aurukun decreased by 13; Coen decreased by 4; Doomadgee and Hope Vale both increased by 1; and Mossman Gorge decreased by 1 referral.

Table 12: Referral pathways by referral type and quarter 1 January 2017 to 31 March 2018.
Referral Type	Qtr 35	Qtr 36	Qtr 37	Qtr 38	Qtr 39	
MPower	3	2	3	2	0	
WBC	21	26	32	21	6	
WBC – NWRH	5	9	0	3	1	
SCM	2	0	0	3	4	
Strong Families - Parenting Program	9	7	5	2	4	
QLD Health	4	1	0	1	0	
Save the Children	0	0	1	1	2	
TOTAL	44	45	41	33	17	

Referrals for Domestic Violence related matters
As a subset of the total number of referrals in the quarter, 5 referrals were made in relation to domestic violence conferences in quarter 39, representing a decrease of 13 from the previous quarter.

Table 13: Number of referrals in relation to domestic violence notices (breaches and orders) per community 
1 January 2018 to 31 March 2018.
Notice Type	Community	Referral	Provider Total	
DVB	Aurukun	Wellbeing Centre	1	
	DVB Total		1	
DVO	Hope Vale	Wellbeing Centre	4	
	DVO Total		4	
GRAND TOTAL			5	

Table 14: Referral pathways in relation to domestic violence notices (breaches and orders) by referral type and quarter 1 January 2017 to 31 March 2018.
Referral Type	Qtr 35	Qtr 36	Qtr 37	Qtr 38	Qtr 39	
MPower	0	1	0	1	0	
WBC	15	16	17	15	5	
Strong Families - Parenting Program	3	2	0	1	0	
QLD Health	2	0	0	1	0	
TOTAL	20	19	17	18	5	

Conditional Income Management
A total of 56 CIM orders were made in quarter 39, a decrease of 11 from quarter 38. Since the commencement of the Commission 2,302 CIM orders inclusive of original orders, extensions and amendments have been made relating to 844 clients. Further activity during the quarter is as follows: Aurukun and Mossman Gorge decreased by 15 and 3 CIM orders respectively; Doomadgee and Hope Vale increased by 3 and 4 CIM orders respectively; and Coen remained unchanged with 1 CIM order for the quarter.

As at 31 March 2018, 37.0 percent of the Commission’s clients have been subject to a CIM order over the past nine and three-quarter years. As at 31 March 2018 there were 151 clients subject to a CIM order which equates to 6.61 percent of clients on a CIM order at a point in time. Commissioners continue to negotiate with clients to achieve desirable outcomes, or to demonstrate motivation and commitment to make appropriate life choices. Demonstrated positive steps toward taking responsibility provide the Commissioners with sufficient reason to consider revoking CIM orders when requested by the client.

Table 15: Number of times a client has been placed on a conditional income management order per community 
1 July 2008 to 31 March 2018.
Number of CIMs	CIM’d only once	CIM’d 
2-5 times	CIM’d
6-10 times	CIM’d
11+ times	Total	
Aurukun	146	209	56	8	419	
Coen	32	26	0	0	58	
Doomadgee	35	46	0	0	81	
Hope Vale	84	105	14	0	203	
Mossman Gorge	30	33	19	1	83	
Total	327	419	89	9	844	

Table 16: Conditional Income Management orders by community and quarter 1 January 2017 to 31 March 2018.
Community	Qtr 35	Qtr 36	Qtr 37	Qtr 38	Qtr 39	
Aurukun	40	23	28	48	33	
Coen	4	2	0	1	1	
Doomadgee	14	26	19	11	14	
Hope Vale	11	4	5	2	6	
Mossman Gorge	10	3	5	5	2	
TOTAL	79	58	57	67	56	

Conditional Income Management for Domestic Violence related matters
As a subset of the total number of CIM’s in the quarter, 6 CIM orders inclusive of alterations were made in relation to domestic violence conferences in quarter 39, representing a decrease of 5 from the previous quarter.

Table 17: Conditional Income Management orders in relation to domestic violence notices (breaches and orders) by community and quarter 1 January 2017 to 31 March 2018.
Community	Qtr 35	Qtr 36	Qtr 37	Qtr 38	Qtr 39	
Aurukun	3	3	3	10	4	
Coen	0	1	0	0	0	
Hope Vale	3	2	4	0	1	
Mossman Gorge	1	1	2	1	1	
TOTAL	7	7	9	11	6	

Voluntary Income Management
The Commission processed 7 VIM agreements this quarter and since the commencement of the Commission in 2008, 132 clients have had an active VIM agreement. Those clients that request a VIM agreement use income management as a savings and budget tool, often for a specified period and to deter family members from accessing their income.

Case Management
As at 31 March 2018, 123 clients were being case-managed, a decrease from 139 in quarter 38. Aurukun, Coen and Mossman Gorge decreased by 12, 3 and 5 respectively, Hope Vale increased by 4, and Doomadgee remained unchanged for the quarter.

Show Cause Notices
During quarter 39 one Show Cause hearing was held.

Table 18: Show Cause Notices by community and quarter 1 January 2017 to 31 March 2018.
Community	Qtr 35	Qtr 36	Qtr 37	Qtr 38	Qtr 39	
Aurukun	0	0	0	0	0	
Coen	0	0	0	0	0	
Doomadgee	0	0	0	0	0	
Hope Vale	0	0	0	0	1	
Mossman Gorge	0	0	0	0	0	
TOTAL	0	0	0	0	1	

Applications to Amend or End Agreements or Orders
Twenty-five Applications to Amend or End a Family Responsibilities Agreement or Order were received in quarter 39, an increase of 8 from quarter 38. Outcomes of the 25 applications received are as follows:

	15 Applications granted and Income Management agreements and orders revoked
	1 CIM order at 75 percent revoked and client placed on a new order at 60 percent for 12 months
	1 CIM order at 90 percent revoked and client placed on a new order at 75 percent for 12 months
	4 Applications dismissed
	2 Applications rescheduled until the next quarter
	2 Applications received at the end of the quarter decision pending.

The Commission continues to encourage clients to participate in the Amend or End process. Commissioners report increasing client confidence to question decisions and the reasons behind decisions, both for decisions delivered by the Commission and decisions delivered by external agencies and bodies.

Table 19: Applications to Amend or End FRA or Order by community and quarter 1 January 2017 to 31 March 2018.
Community	Qtr 35	Qtr 36	Qtr 37	Qtr 38	Qtr 39	
Aurukun	7	1	3	10	10	
Coen	0	6	0	0	5	
Doomadgee	3	2	1	5	9	
Hope Vale	5	2	1	0	1	
Mossman Gorge	1	2	1	2	0	
TOTAL	16	13	6	17	25	

2.  Future Direction and Challenges

School attendance
Official published school data is not yet available for Term 1 2018 (Quarter 39). The Commission has therefore had to rely on unsubstantiated data obtained by the Local Coordinators from their local schools in community. Official term statistics are not received by the Commission until at least seven weeks after the finish of the term. Further, no official attendance statistics are provided to the Commission during term (which lasts 10 to 11 weeks). The Commission is therefore reluctant to quote percentages which are not published data, and from its own information has ascertained the following:

Aurukun:
Term 1 2018 attendance would appear to have decreased from Term 1 2017 by approximately 4 per cent. Despite this, the school is reported to have a very positive feel to it in 2018, and the large number of parents in the school grounds is a direct indicator of the improved relationship between the school and the community. School attendance is being addressed by all services across Aurukun. The Local Coordinator attributes the success that is being achieved to the regular interagency meetings the FRC is attending which have strengthened relationships between service providers, making it clear that school attendance is a community wide issue. The most successful initiatives in school attendance are community led, and the Aurukun Commissioners have stated that the local School Attendance Officer (SAO) team are the main voices leading the push to increase school attendance. The Commission can report that it has worked hard to strengthen its relationship with the Aurukun State School in 2018, and this has resulted in an enhanced sharing of information. The school has recognised and thanked the FRC for focusing 100 percent on school notices for the beginning of the term, and they report that this was instrumental in assisting them with their strong start to the school year. The Commissioners are keen to continue prioritising education notices for future conferences.

Coen:
It would appear from the statistics available to the Commission that attendance for Term 1 2018 is slightly higher than for Term 1 2017, and remains above 90 percent. This was a great result given the fact that weather conditions (including road closures) affected attendance for several weeks. Behavioural matters have reduced during the first term of 2018 from those reported in 2017. In response to a peak in behavioural matters last year:
•	a Child Youth Mental Health Social Worker now visits the school on a fortnightly basis
•	the Queensland Education funded program “Be Well Learn Well” allied health team currently visit on a three weekly basis
•	Queensland Police engage with the school and students on difficult behavioural matters
•	Apunipima Wellbeing Centre Men’s Group in collaboration with the Cape York Partnership Parenting Program support parents of students engaging in behavioural concerns.

Doomadgee:
Unofficial school attendance statistics provided to the Commission for the Doomadgee State School (including the combined primary and secondary sectors) indicate that attendance was above 60 percent at the end of term 1 2018, which is an increase of approximately 4 percent compared to the same time last year. Doomadgee Commissioners have held a total of 189 conferences for school related matters which represents 95 percent of all conferences conducted in Doomadgee for term 1 2018. The School Attendance Officers at the Doomadgee school have acknowledged the valuable role the FRC plays in referring and encouraging parents and carers of school aged children to participate in classroom activities with their children. The Doomadgee State School staff appreciated the presence of the FRC on the school grounds and in the community in the first week of Term 1 and feel this assisted the school to achieve an attendance result of 70% in the first week of Term.

The FRC has continued meeting with the School Attendance Officer’s every Monday morning to identify cohorts of students who are not regularly attending school, and discuss tailored strategies to engage these absent students. The school reports they have experienced an increase in parental participation rates. It is hoped these participation rates will continue to increase. Local Commissioner Eleanor Logan conducts regular staff and community discussion groups as the Centre Manager for the Doomadgee Child Care Centre, focusing on educating young parents and carers on the importance of continuing education beyond primary and secondary school.

Hope Vale:
Unofficial weekly school attendance rates provided to the Commission for term 1 2018 varied from the high 70 precent to the mid 80 percent range, which is an increase from attendance recorded for term 1 2017. The Commission dedicated the first week of sittings in Hope Vale to conference parents and carers of truant children from term 4 2017 in an effort to ensure term 1 2018 had a good beginning. Children with poor attendance and behaviour problems were placed on individual plans by a specialist teacher whose mandate is to reintegrate these children back into their classrooms. Reports are that this strategy has achieved some success to date. It is reported that behavioural incidents thus far are below average to those experienced in the past.

Mossman Gorge:
Unfortunately no information has been made available to the Commission in regard to the primary school attendance for Mossman Gorge. There still remains a high number of disengaged youth in the Mossman Gorge area. Four out of the six high school students who started the year from Mossman Gorge remain in school, whilst the other two students are currently disengaged. The unofficial term 1 2018 attendance rate for students from Mossman Gorge attending Mossman State High School is approximately 28 percent at the end of week 9. 

The Mossman Gorge Commissioners have held a total of 17 conferences for school related matters this quarter, which represents 63 percent of all conferences conducted. Mossman State Primary School has secured funding to employ a School Engagement Officer to follow up on students who do not present at school, encourage parent participation in student learning and identify any gaps in communication between the school and the home. The Mossman Gorge Wellbeing Centre Girls Group and the Mossman Youth Centre, in collaboration with the Girl Academy at Wangetti, are offering support for disengaged young females.

Local Commissioner conferences
The exercise of Indigenous authority satisfies one of the Commission’s ‘Main Objects’ (Div 2, s4, Family Responsibilities Commission Act 2008), “…to help people in welfare reform community areas to resume primary responsibility for the wellbeing of their community and the individuals and families of the community”. Local Commissioners from Aurukun, Coen and Hope Vale have been sitting alone in conferences on the majority of occasions since 1 July 2017. The Commission has continued this focus for 2018, encouraging the Local Commissioners to sit in conference independently of Commissioner Glasgow and Deputy Commissioner Curtin. In meeting this objective, the 2018 sittings calendar was amended at the direction of Commissioner Glasgow to reduce the occasions on which he and the Deputy Commissioner attend conferences in each community.

Unfortunately Mossman Gorge has seen a reduction in the number of conferences conducted independently. The Mossman Gorge community only has three Commissioners, one of whom has obtained a significant position in Cairns. Attendance of the Commissioner has been required from time to time to obtain a quorum at the Mossman Gorge conferences. It should be noted that the percentage of conferences conducted by the Mossman Gorge Local Commissioners in 2016-2017 was 81.22 percent.

Although the Doomadgee Commissioners have only been exercising their independent authority in conference since 23 January 2018, they have embraced their independent role with confidence, common sense and firmness. Local Coordinators in each of the communities have likewise stepped up to the challenge of coordinating client attendance and further supporting the Local Commissioners’ independence. Below is a table detailing the percentage of conferences conducted independently by the Local Commissioners for the period 1 July 2017 to 31 March 2018.

Table 20: Percentage of conferences conducted independently by the Local Commissioners for the period 1 July 2017 to 31 March 2018.
2017-2018	Conferences with Local Commissioners Sitting Alone	Total Number of Conferences Held	Percentage of Conferences with Local Commissioners Sitting Alone	
Aurukun	756	775	97.55%	
Coen	56	67	83.58%	
Doomadgee	73	626	11.66%	
Hope Vale	294	298	98.66%	
Mossman Gorge	34	102	33.33%	
Total	1213	1868	64.94%	

ICT Planning and activity
The Registry has had to work on a number of mandatory ICT projects this quarter which have consumed substantial resource and time allocations. The Commission is only a small organisation, and therefore projects as detailed below affect not only those directly involved, but also at some point in time every staff member in the Registry in one capacity or another.

The Commission’s Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Server is the centralised server used to deliver its operations. The Commission was advised by the Corporate Administration Agency (CAA) that effective from 31 June 2018, after seven years of service, this server will have reached the end of its life. Options and solutions to support the Commission’s continued operations were sought throughout the second and third quarters of the 2017-2018 financial year. Solutions were sought in partnership with CAA, who host the current VDI server and Telstra, the Commission’s telecommunication provider. After deliberating all possible solutions, and bearing in mind the Commission’s uncertain future, the option to extend the server’s life and move its home to a different location was the most viable and economical solution to implement. The VDI server’s life was extended by Dell for an additional year at a cost, and the VDI was relocated from the State Library of Queensland’s (SLQ) Datacentre to CITEC’s Datacentre. A further review of the Commission’s VDI will be required should the Commission be extended beyond July 2019.

During the second half of 2017 all businesses with 20 or more employees were instructed that by 1 July 2018 they would be required to use Single Touch Payroll (STP) enabled software for reporting to the Australia Taxation Office (ATO). It was identified that to comply with ATO reporting, the Commission’s accounting and payroll software would need to be upgraded. The project was commenced this quarter and is due for completion by the end of the financial year.

Community visit
On 10 January 2018, at the invitation of the Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire Council, Commissioner Glasgow, Local Commissioner Hart, and Acting Client Manager Anne Crampton travelled to Yarrabah to meet Council representatives. The council were eager to obtain information on the FRC and its work in the Welfare Reform communities. The Commission delegation met with Deputy Mayor Michael Sands, Councillor Colin Cedric and CEO Janelle Menzies. An overview of the FRC and how it works was provided. The Council spoke about their local challenges and the need to seek alternative solutions to those presently being used. The meeting was a positive and frank exchange of views, and the Council sought to meet with the FRC again in the future along with community members. Commissioner Glasgow expressed the need for the Council to seek Government assistance should they wish to introduce an FRC/FRC type model in their community.

Mr Wayne Butcher, Mayor of the Lockhart River Aboriginal Shire Council, has also requested and met with Commissioner Glasgow and Registrar McLeod seeking solutions to the challenge of improving school attendance in the Lockhart River community. An information pack was provided to the Mayor including how the Commission works, profiles of the Local Commissioners, the Commission’s strategic overview and its School Attendance Guidelines. Mayor Butcher was encouraged again to seek Government assistance should the Council and community wish to introduce an FRC/FRC type model in their community.

3.  Financial Operations

Governance

Part 12 of the Act provides for the establishment of the Family Responsibilities Board (the Board).

The Board has a mandate to give advice and make recommendations to the Minister about the operation of the Commission and similarly to give advice and make recommendations to the Commissioner about the performance of the Commission’s functions.

The Board must meet at least every six months. The meeting may be held by using any technology available which will allow for efficient and effective communication, however, the Board members must meet in person at least once a year. A quorum for the Board is comprised of two members. The Board’s membership consists of the following members:

•	Ms Tammy Williams	Acting Director-General, Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships (Chair)
•	Mr Troy Sloan	First Assistant Secretary, Policy, Analysis and Evaluation Division, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
•	Mr Noel Pearson		Founder, Cape York Institute.

Operational

In meeting obligations under Part 3 of the Act, the Family Responsibilities Commission Registry (the Registry) commenced operations on 1 July 2008 with a central Registry office established in Cairns and local Registry offices operating in each of the five welfare reform communities.

The Registry, managed by the Registrar, provides corporate and operational support to the Commissioner, the Local Commissioners and the Local Coordinators.

Financial

Income:
•	Income received by the Commission for the period 1 January 2018 to 31 March 2018 totalled $1,041,913. This income consisted of:
•	$421,750 Queensland Government funding
•	$156,500 Queensland Government funding – Doomadgee
•	$450,000 Australian Government funding
•	$12,167 interest received
•	$1,496 received in sundry income.
The balance of available funds in the bank as at 31 March 2018 is $2,864,404.

Expenditure:
•	Expenditure for the period 1 January 2018 to 31 March 2018 was $866,161. This total represents 20 percent of the projected annual expenditure of $4,238,964.

Table 21: Expenditure in quarter 39.
1 January 2018 to	Expenditure	1 January 2018 to	Expenditure	
31 March 2018	Qtr 39	31 March 2018	Qtr 39	
				
Employee salaries – FRC staff	$426,186	Internet & IT	$42,366	
Employee salaries – Local Commissioners	$96,900	Motor vehicle	$11,440	
Employee on costs – FRC staff	$88,318	Property	$53,044	
Employee on costs – Local Commissioners	$14,695	Travel	$39,396	
Other employment costs	$15,179	General operating	$43,055	
Communications	$4,301	Other expenses	$31,281	
		Total	$866,161	

Quarter 39 disbursement of expenditure by category and percentage of total expenditure.

Table 22: FRC operating costs 1 January 2018 to 31 March 2018.
Expenditure Category	Percentage of Total Expenditure	
Employee salaries – FRC staff	49.20%	
Employee salaries – Local Commissioners	11.19%	
Employee on costs – FRC staff	10.20%	
Employee on costs – Local Commissioners	1.70%	
Other employment costs	1.75%	
Communications	0.50%	
Internet & IT	4.89%	
Motor vehicle	1.32%	
Property	6.12%	
Travel	4.55%	
General operating	4.97%	
Other expenses	3.61%	
Total	100.0%	

Regional operational expenditure by location and quarter.

Table 23: Operating costs by remote location 1 January 2017 to 31 March 2018.
Community	Qtr 35	Qtr 36	Qtr 37	Qtr 38	Qtr 39	
Aurukun	$119K	$118K	$167K	$144K	$116K	
Coen	$29K	$52K	$33K	$34K	$32K	
Doomadgee	$145K	$215K	$137K	$149K	$124K	
Hope Vale	$65K	$98K	$74K	$72K	$69K	
Mossman Gorge	$36K	$47K	$30K	$37K	$35K	
TOTAL	$394K	$530K	$441K	$436K	$376K	

Cairns Registry expenditure for quarter 39 compared to the previous four quarters.

Table 24: Quarterly operating costs Cairns 1 January 2017 to 31 March 2018.
Community	Qtr 35	Qtr 36	Qtr 37	Qtr 38	Qtr 39	
Corporate Services	$226K	$263K	$253K	$248K	$219K	
Operations	$257K	$263K	$234K	$213K	$235K	
Gov/Board Reporting	$36K	$36K	$56K	$49K	$36K	
Abnormal Expenditure	$6K	$7K	$0K	$0K	$0K	
TOTAL	$525K	$569K	$543K	$510K	$490K	

APPENDIX
A			

	SITTING CALENDAR 2018
FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES COMMISSION
1 January 2018 to 30 June 2018		
Week Beginning	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Other	
1 January	Public Holiday					1 New Year’s Day	
8 January						Cooktown Circuit	
15 January						Local Coordinator Conference Monday 15 to Tuesday 16
Aurukun Cape B & Coen Cape A Circuit
Doomadgee - Gulf Circuit	
22 January		23	24	25	Public Holiday	26 Australia Day	
		23					
29 January		30	31	1		Cooktown Circuit
2 ASC Meeting	
5 February *		6	7	8			
		6					
12 February *		13	14	15		Aurukun Cape B Circuit
Doomadgee - Gulf Circuit	
19 February		20	21	22		20 ASC Meeting	
		20					
26 February		27	28	1		Cooktown Circuit	
5 March *		6	7	8			
12 March *		13	14	15		Aurukun Cape B & Coen Cape A Circuit
Doomadgee – Gulf Circuit	
19 March		20	21	22		20 ASC Meeting	
		20					
26 March		27	28	29	Public Holiday	30 Good Friday	
2 April	Public Holiday					2 Easter Monday
Cooktown Circuit	
9 April						Doomadgee - Gulf Circuit	
16 April				19		17 ASC Meeting
Aurukun Cape B Circuit	
23 April *		24	Public Holiday	26		23 FR Board Meeting
25 Anzac Day	
30 April *		1	2	3		Cooktown Circuit	
		1		3			

	SITTING CALENDAR 2018
FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES COMMISSION
1 January 2018 to 30 June 2018		
Week Beginning	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Other	
7 May	Public Holiday					7 Labour Day
Commissioner Development Week
Doomadgee - Gulf Circuit	
14 May *		15 ½ day	16	17
Public Holiday		15 ASC Meeting
Aurukun Cape B & Coen Cape A Circuit
17 Commemoration of Evacuation to Woorabinda - HV	
21 May *		22	23	24			
28 May		29	30	31	Public Holiday	1 Mabo Day - Doomadgee	
4 June		5	6	7		Cooktown Circuit
Doomadgee - Gulf Circuit	
		5					
11 June *		12	13	14		Aurukun Cape B Circuit	
		12					
18 June *		19	20	21		19 ASC Meeting
22 Mount Isa Show	
		19					
25 June		26	27	28			

LEGEND

	Office Days	
	Public Holidays	
	Aurukun Sitting	
	Coen Sitting	
	Doomadgee Sittings	
	Hope Vale Sitting	
	Mossman Gorge Sitting	
ASC	Aurukun Shire Council Meeting	
0	Cancelled Conference	

OFFICE	CONTACT NAME	Phone	Mobile	Facsimile	
Cairns – Commissioner	Mr David Glasgow	4081 8413	0439 776 798	4041 0974	
Cairns – Registrar	Ms Maxine McLeod	4081 8412	0409 461 624	4041 0974	
Cairns – Client Manager (Tue, Wed)	Ms Camille Banks	4081 8410	0438 195 342	4041 0974	
Cairns – Acting Client Manager
	 (Mon, Thurs, Fri)	Mrs Anne Crampton	4081 8410	0419 647 948	4041 0974	
Cairns – Finance Manager	Ms Tracey Patterson	4081 8411	0429 495 353	4041 0974	
Aurukun Local Coordinator	Mr Bryce Coxall	4060 6185	0428 985 106	4060 6094	
Coen Local Coordinator	Ms Sandi Rye		0417 798 392	4041 0974	
Doomadgee Local Coordinator	Mr Robbie Hazeldine	4745 8111	0418 666 204	4745 8366	
Hope Vale Local Coordinator	Mr Matt Thompson	4060 9153	0408 482 026	4060 9137	
Mossman Gorge Local Coordinator	Ms Sandi Rye		0417 798 392	4041 0974