Review raps Aboriginal youth help

Aboriginal youths at risk of entering the cycle of crime and State care have been falling through the cracks of ineffective, uncoordinated Government programs, according to an internal review.

A review in 2013 of State-funded programs found almost half the funding was spent on Aboriginal youths already in crisis instead of being targeted at prevention.

The report found that less than 15 per cent of the programs costing a total of $115 million each year could be demonstrated as effective.

There was underinvestment in services to divert at-risk youth from getting entrenched in the justice and child protection systems, with more than $50 million spent on those already in crisis.

Programs that were designed for youths not yet entrenched in the system were fragmented and poorly co-ordinated.

The report identified a consistent complaint by indigenous leaders, that Aboriginal people themselves were not involved enough in policies that affect them, as a major barrier to effectiveness.

“Services across a range of Government agencies were frequently marked by inadequate consultation with Aboriginal people in service design,” the report said.

“There is also a propensity for services to focus on keeping at-risk young people engaged for a short period of time but not to address underlying issues or make lasting changes to their behaviours or social outcomes.”

Aboriginal Affairs Minister Peter Collier said the review would underpin major reforms in the way programs were funded.

Mr Collier said that while no existing service would be shut down, new contracts would have to be approved by a central co-ordinator.

He said the Government would no longer provide small, short-term grants, focusing on programs that were worth a minimum of $300,000 a per year.

“This is a result of lack of planning and accountability, with funding arrangements too short to allow for long-term strategic approaches to be developed,” he said.

The new policy will begin on July 1 but be introduced over two years to give service organisations time to adjust.

“No current program will have their funding cut,” Mr Collier said.

“There are many dedicated people working with our young Aboriginal people. If we can harness their passion and work together, we’ll be far more effective.”