About us

Vision

That all children and young people are heard, are healthy and safe, reach their potential and are welcomed as valued members of the community and in doing so we build a brighter future for the whole community.

Values

Respect, honesty, inclusivity, creativity, positivity, determination, independence and integrity.

Commissioner's role

The Commissioner’s work is underpinned by the Commissioner for Children and Young People Act 2006 (the Act). The Act outlines the guiding principles, powers and functions of the office. In accordance with statutory obligations, the Commissioner:

advocates for children and young people
promotes the participation of children and young people in decision making that affects their lives
promotes and monitors the wellbeing of children and young people in the community
monitors the way in which government agencies investigate or otherwise deal with complaints from children and young people
monitors trends in complaints made by children and young people to government agencies
initiates and conducts inquiries into any matter affecting the wellbeing of children and young people
monitors, reviews and makes recommendations on laws, policies, programs and services affecting the wellbeing of children and young people
promotes public awareness and understanding of matters relating to the wellbeing of children and young people
conducts, coordinates and sponsors research into matters relating to the wellbeing of children and young people
consults with children and young people from a broad range of socio-economic backgrounds and age groups throughout Western Australia each year.

The Act requires the Commissioner to give priority to, and have a special regard for, the interests and needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people, and children and young people who are vulnerable or disadvantaged for any reason.

Under the Act, the Commissioner is not able to deal with complaints made by, or on behalf of, individuals; however, she may respond to issues that identify possible systemic matters that affect the wellbeing of children and young people more broadly.

The Commissioner is able to provide a young person or their advocate(s) with information about services and avenues for support.

Guiding principles

As outlined in the Act:

children and young people are entitled to live in a caring and nurturing environment, protected from harm and exploitation
the contributions made by children and young people to the community should be recognised for their value and merit
the views of children and young people on all matters affecting them should be given serious consideration and taken into account
parents, guardians, families and communities have the primary role in safeguarding and promoting the wellbeing of their children and young people and should be supported in
carrying out this role.

Approach

Our work has regard to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and is informed by the views and opinions of children and young people and the best available knowledge and evidence of what works well.

Independence

The Commissioner, Jacqueline McGowan-Jones, is an independent statutory officer who provides reports directly to the Parliament of Western Australia. The Commissioner can table reports in Parliament, conduct inquiries and require agencies to provide information on matters relating to the wellbeing of children young people.

The Parliament has a Joint Standing Committee on the Commissioner for Children and Young People which regularly consults with the Commissioner, and monitors, reviews and reports to Parliament on the Commissioner’s exercise of her functions under the Act.

The Commissioner formally met with the Committee twice during 2022-23, and also engaged with members of the Committee individually during her Listening Tour program and at other events. In addition, some Committee members met with the Commissioner’s staff and young people at Parliament House as part of the Young Aboriginal Researchers in Community project.

More information about the Joint Standing Committee is available on the Parliament of Western Australia website.

The Office

The office of the Commissioner for Children and Young People provides support for the Commissioner to advocate for all Western Australian children and young people though three key platforms.

Promoting the rights, voices and contributions of children and young people.
Monitoring and advocacy to strengthen the wellbeing of all WA children and young people.
Prioritising the needs of disadvantaged and vulnerable children and young people.

In providing these functions and services the organisation is divided into three main functions: Policy; Research and Evaluation; Media, Engagement and Communication; and Executive Support.

Staff development

Staff training and development is a high priority for the Commissioner. In 2022-23, the Commissioner engaged a consultant to deliver Project Management training to the leadership team, including designing of project templates. All staff were also provided with Aboriginal Cultural Safety and Gender and Sexuality Diversity training.

Many staff attended development and training programs relevant to their roles and career aspirations including developing writing skills; developing reports and business cases; and Introduction to Monitoring and Evaluation. Staff also attended conferences and forums on issues such as early childhood development, youth justice and education.

Personal and professional development continue to be a priority for the office and is a key component of staff performance and development plans.

The Commissioner for Children and Young People team were one of the first public sector organisations to achieve 100% completion of the Public Sector Commission’s 2023 Public Sector Census and will use available information to guide staff and cultural development.

Policy

This team monitors and reviews legislation, policies, programs and services affecting children and young people.

The Policy team also reviews outcomes of the work undertaken by the Research and Evaluation team to inform discussion papers, advocacy platforms and priorities for action by the Commissioner.

Research and Evaluation

The Research and Evaluation team undertake research and consultation as well as developing evidence-based resources to inform the continual development and evolution of legislation, policy and services.

They are responsible for leading surveys and undertaking comprehensive analysis of the data to prepare quality reports which highlight the voices of children and young people.

Media, Communications and Engagement

The Media, Engagement and Communication team supports children and young people’s participation in the work of the Commissioner by promoting the ways in which children and young people positively contribute to their communities.

Working across the agency they also assist in the development of information and resources to promote community awareness and understanding about the wellbeing of children and young people.

They manage the engagement of media including working with the Commissioner to develop opinion pieces and respond to media requests. A key component is managing the events and sponsorships that highlight achievements of children and young people in WA.

Executive Support

Supporting organisational performance and ongoing business operations, the Executive Support team ensure good governance, reporting and accountability.

Ambassadors for Children and Young People

The Commissioner’s Ambassador initiative recognises eminent people living in Western Australia who have a significant role in the community and a commitment to supporting children and young people and their families.

The Ambassadors work with the Commissioner to increase community awareness and understanding of factors that affect the wellbeing of children and young people and, where appropriate, provide input and guidance in the projects undertaken by the Commissioner and her staff.

Western Australia’s Ambassadors for Children and Young People are:

Performance Management Framework

The Commissioner for Children and Young People’s Performance Management Framework is consistent with the State Government goal of Strong Communities: Safe communities and supported families.

Desired outcome for the Commissioner for Children and Young People

The views and issues of children and young people are heard and acted upon.

Key effectiveness indicators:

extent to which children and young people in various regions of the state are consulted
extent to which issues affecting children and young people are researched, advocated for and promoted.

Service undertaken by the Commissioner for Children and Young People

Consultation, research and promotion of the wellbeing of children and young people.

Key efficiency indicators:

unit cost per child
unit cost per representation.

Planning

The Commissioner’s Strategic Directions 2023-24 outlines the broad focus areas of the Commissioner for Children and Young People and aims to inform and engage the community in the work of the Commissioner. The Commissioner’s annual work plan supports the strategic directions.

The work of the office for this reporting period is outlined under the strategic plan’s three key platforms:

Promoting the rights, voices and contributions of children and young people.
Monitoring and advocacy to strengthen the wellbeing of all WA children and young people.
Prioritising the needs of disadvantaged and vulnerable children and young people.