SUBMISSION
Improving the competency and accountability of family report writers
This submission applies both ANROWS and external research to the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department’s consultation paper on improving the competency and accountability of family report writers.
This submission draws on ANROWS research to highlight the minimum content that should be included in a family report as well as the core competencies and skills a family report writer should have.
The submission stresses the importance of centring children’s needs in a family report to ensure the best outcome for them, by consulting with the children and assessing their wellbeing. The submission emphasises that, in order to better service children, there is a need for family report writers to have a sound understanding of domestic and family violence (DFV) and the impacts of trauma on parents and children. A lack of these core competencies has a direct impact on the safety of women and children and is a disadvantage for diverse groups of women and children.
This submission made recommendations in the following areas:
- the minimum content that should be included in a family report
- the need for consistent requirements across all cohorts of family report writers in the production of family reports
- necessary skills for family report writers
- additional competencies that would benefit family report writers.
Suggested citation
Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety. (2021). Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department: Improving the competency and accountability of family report writers [Submission]. ANROWS.