1 Developing Throughcare in the ACT an innovative partnership Simon Rosenberg & Geoffrey Rutledge Chief Minister & Treasury Directorate

Community Sector View Simon Rosenberg Chief Executive Officer, Northside Community Service

Three ways to “do” policy Consultation Advocacy Partnership - Throughcare as a case study

1.Policy by Consultation  Govt identifies a policy issue  Govt develops a draft policy paper for consultation; seeks reaction through forums, submissions  Community sector organises its response  Govt accepts, adapts or ignores sector input  Govt provides feedback on the outcomes – sometimes!

2.Policy by Advocacy  Community sector identifies unmet needs  Sector does research, consults internally on the issues and solutions  Position developed to present to govt, media  Govt accepts, adapts or ignores sector views

3.Policy by Partnership – “co-design”  Community sector – or govt – identifies unmet needs  Sector approaches govt – or vice versa – to work on issues and solutions  Positions developed; may be joint, separate or both, but with common aims  Govt and sector maintain their accountabilities, but work together as far as possible; eg constraints of Cabinet process  Ideally, a final policy position emerges that has govt and sector ownership

7 Community Integration Governance Group (CIGG)  2009: Problem identified: - new ACT prison with rehab and human rights aims, but no planning or coordination of throughcare to help prevent reoffending  Seen as whole-of-govt and whole-of-community (WoG/WoC) problem  CIGG developed initial policy position on Throughcare, with explicit aim to work with govt on developing the policy, not just discussing service implementation  ACT Government responded cautiously but positively

CIGG achievements  Participation of all relevant sectors - credibility  CIGG members agreed to act strategically - not as organisational representatives  Comprehensive submission to Prison Review.  Cabinet agreement to development of Throughcare Policy collaboratively between ACT Govt and CIGG.  Opportunity to brief Cabinet  Cabinet signed off on new policy November 2011  Joint implementation now underway

9 What made it work?  Trust and openness  Role clarity  Accountability  ‘Selling’ the value of the community sector’s input  Patience  The Partnership evolved slowly and carefully; seen as genuine

10 What are the risks?  Confidentiality breaches  Co-option  Role confusion  Delay  Changes to Govt funding commitments

What are the benefits?  Better informed policy; better programs community sector input at an earlier stage means implementation issues get clearer consideration  Particularly useful for ‘wicked problems’ – where WoG/WoC joined up approach is needed  Greater understanding of each other’s positions and constraints  Enhanced trust & respect; basis for further joint work  A practical expression of the Social Compact

Throughcare for Offenders A social policy partnership Geoffrey Rutledge Director, Social Policy ACT Chief Minister’s and Treasury

Parameters & Context Policy responses to enduring challenges Co-design and co-production 2011 Hawke Report - ACT One Government Community engagement

Policy history Community Inclusion Board activities focus on prisoners and their families- inclusion agenda September 2008, Alexander Maconochie Centre opened Mid-2009 Policy Forum requested CMD map ACT Government Throughcare services (Late 2009 CIGG formed) Policy Forum considered a paper in March Sought further analysis of available data and research on co- ordination of services across the Throughcare continuum Concept meeting with Corrective Services and CIGG in August 2010, CMD invited & offer to coordinate Three fora (CIGG, ACT Govt, combined), Policy Forum- follow up saw five recommendations evolve.

Testing the policy path Commonly the 4 th step after considerable work by government Cabinet process Essentially brings the consultation forward- expand from engagement to co-design of policy options

Needs 16 Literacy VET, PD Gateways (yr 10, 12) Residential Community Child & family Advocacy Cultural Centrelink Budgeting and financial literacy AMC employment manager and programs Skills, training Job services Family Friends Case manager Mentors Expectations, biases and stereotypes Crisis Managed Transitional Tenancy advice Private Social Alcohol and drugs Primary Acute Adult Youth Secure Prevention Specialist Forensic General Mental Dental Public Private Community Effectiveness Governance Inclusion Education & training Legal Housing Health Individual Cohesion Community services Income Employment Transport

Throughcare policy Options paper- Seeing it through – options for improving offender outcomes in the community Set of principles and key elements Governance structures Reporting requirements

Outcomes Policy Forum paper yielded across Govt. buy in Cabinet agreed to an extended model of Throughcare Budget- 2 year Throughcare pilot (coordination unit and brokerage funding) Reference Group maintained and Governance Group established Lessons feeding other processes

Enablers Community sector voluntary participation and leadership Line agency desire for the change, but limited capacity to lead across government change Leaders with a tolerance for novel design, approaches to policy and uncertainty Committed teams and people Governance structures to support innovation and enable process Geography and scale

Risks and challenges Momentum over time Maintaining engagement (Government officers, decision makers and community sector) Focus (big groups, diversity of views) Deliverables- uncertainty of outcomes

Implementation Governance arrangements Throughcare Governance Group - Government and Community Sector Oversees the implementation of ExtendingThroughcare Program pilot Reports to Strategic Board twice per year Strategic Board High level oversight Whole of government approach Conflict resolution

Operation Throughcare Coordination Unit Budget initiative – two year funding Manager and Coordinator Brokerage - $1,500 per released prisoner Throughcare Advisory Group (TAG) Service providers – government and community Advice on case plans Monitor case coordination in the community

Lessons For Government Co-design of policy-across agencies and sectors Expanded thinking - no one entity has the answers Building commitment Currency of goodwill Not just $$ resources

Thank you Simon Rosenberg Geoffrey Rutledge