Award of Specialised Youth Justice Family Support Services to WuChopperen Health Service

About

DCSSDS awarded a contract to WuChopperen Health Service Ltd for specialised services and support under the Intensive Youth and Family Worker (IYFW) program, valued at AUD 3,649,734 and procured through a limited method.

The IYFW positions, situated within the Family Wellbeing Service (FWS), respond to families where children are at risk of or already in contact with the youth justice system.

The provider supports case planning by engaging separately with adolescents where appropriate and facilitating their involvement in family planning, and fosters connections with youth justice and youth support services to improve access to support for families.

The initiative targets young people under 18 at risk of involvement in the youth justice system, including those already known to the system, siblings of involved youth, and young people engaging in high-risk or antisocial behaviour but not yet charged.

It aligns with the Queensland Youth Justice Strategy, particularly Pillars One and Two, and aims to reduce the overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the youth justice system, where they constitute 70 per cent of those on remand and 78 per cent of those sentenced to detention.

The IYFW will participate in Reference Group meetings managed by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Families Commissioning Team to share program updates and advice.