ACT Greens Health spokesperson, Amanda Bresnan MLA, has today provided the Greens support to the Working with Vulnerable People Bill 2011 on the basis that the Government accept a number of amendments.
“When the Minister for Community Services wanted to pass the Working With Vulnerable People Bill 2011 in the Assembly in March this year, the Greens, while supporting the Bill in principle, were highly concerned about some of the details,” Ms Bresnan said today.
“Many community sector workers and volunteers are good at working with vulnerable adults because they have been through the same issues themselves. The Greens did not want to see a worker with lived experience and who posed no risk to a vulnerable adult, prevented from gaining registration.
“The Greens requested that the Government work with the community sector before the Bill could be debated further.
“I am pleased that the Government has amended the Bill in line with community sector concerns and is now in a form that the Greens can support.
Changes to the Bill include:
- a phased implementation across community sectors, starting with services for children in year one and moving to corrections and drug and alcohol in year six;
- the creation of 7 specialist advisors who have expertise in services to children and vulnerable adults and can judge if a worker who has a ‘lived experience’ should be given registration; and
- the ability for a worker who receives a negative notice to have their application re-examined.
“The Greens will also be proposing amendments to the Bill, which I understand the Government will be supporting, to ensure that the ACT Legislative Assembly approves any future changes in regulations relating to the scheme,” Ms Bresnan said.