Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
II. Accountability
1. Conduct a thorough review of the accountability
framework
According to the Auditor General’s report, the current accountability framework leaves the director with little control over the day-to-day operations for which he is ultimately responsible under the act. While the director authorizes child protection workers to exercise many of his duties and make decisions on his behalf, these workers are employed by the regional authorities and report to managers who are not accountable either to the department or the director for child and family services delivered in their region. This is a serious impediment to accountability.
During the public review, departmental officials tended to blame problems with accountability on a broken system. Departmental officials must not be allowed to deflect or redirect blame, but rather must demonstrate a greater degree of leadership.
To date, the department has not made full use of a statutory provision allowing the director to appoint assistant directors in the regional authorities. An assistant director has been appointed in one of the regional authorities. During the audit, the department was unable to explain why this provision had not been more widely used.
With respect to accountability and oversight, two promising signs emerged during the public review. First, departmental witnesses stated their intention to appoint CEOs in the regional authorities as assistant directors of child and family services.
Second, they stated that progressive discipline will be introduced for the first time. Members learned that child protection workers and supervisors have been informed that, as the most extreme form of discipline, their statutory appointments may be revoked if the required eyes-on contact is not made
with children in care of the director or other serious breaches of policy or procedure occur.
Recommendation 9
The Standing Committee on Government Operations concurs with the Auditor General and recommends that the Department of Health and Social Services conduct a thorough review of its accountability framework for child and family services to identify existing deficiencies and implement mechanisms to enhance accountability.
2. Incorporate a performance component in contribution
agreements
The current conditions of contribution agreements only require regional authorities to submit audited financial statements and incident reports. However, these documents do not provide the department with information it needs to evaluate compliance with the Child and Family Services Act. By incorporating a performance component in contribution agreements, the accountability framework would be strengthened significantly.
Recommendation 10
The Standing Committee on Government Operations recommends that contribution agreements with the health and social services authorities include a performance component clearly indicating that funding is contingent on compliance with the Child and Family Services Act. This action should be taken immediately.
3. Complete required compliance audits
Under the Child and Family Services Standards and Procedures Manual, the department is required to conduct annual compliance audits across all regions. However, these audits are not being completed. During the three-year audit period, a total of 21 audits should have been completed across the regional authorities. In fact, only three audits were completed, along with one follow-up action plan to address deficiencies.
Failure to complete these audits is significant. Compliance audits provide the department with crucial information for monitoring compliance with the act and, more fundamentally, ensuring that children are being protected from harm, abuse and neglect.
Recommendation 11
The Standing Committee on Government Operations concurs with the Auditor General of Canada and recommends that the Department of Health and Social Services conduct compliance audits of child and family services files annually in all health and social services authorities, as required by the Child and Family Services Standards and Procedures Manual. It should also require health and social services
authorities to submit action plans to address deficiencies and monitor their implementation.
As an additional accountability mechanism, the committee recommends that all internal compliance audits and associated action plans be forwarded to the Standing Committee on Social Programs.
Recommendation 12
The Standing Committee on Government Operations recommends that internal compliance audits and action plans designed to address deficiencies prepared by regional authorities be forwarded to the Standing Committee on Social Programs.
4. Table compliance audits in the Legislative Assembly
The committee recommends that compliance audit reports be tabled as a matter of course and further that these audit reports include updates on indicators associated with Exhibits 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the Auditor General’s report.
Recommendation 13
The Standing Committee on Government Operations recommends that internal compliance audits, and action plans designed to address deficiencies prepared by regional authorities be modified for privacy considerations and tabled in the Legislative Assembly. The committee further recommends that internal audits include updates on indicators associated with Exhibits 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the Auditor General’s report.
5. Report annually to the Minister as required
under the act
The act requires the director to report annually to the Minister of Health and Social Services. The Auditor General found that reporting had not taken place since 2002. In the absence of such reporting, the Minister has limited assurance that the system is meeting the needs of children, youth and families. This finding is significant.
Recommendation 14
The Standing Committee on Government Operations concurs with the Auditor General of Canada and recommends that the director of child and family services report annually to the Minister of Health and Social Services, as required under the Child and Family Services Act.
6. Table the director’s annual report in the
Legislative Assembly
The department should commit to tabling the director’s annual report to the Minister in the Legislative Assembly each year. The report should include updates for each of the regional authorities on indicators associated with Exhibits 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the Auditor General’s report.
Recommendation 15
The Standing Committee on Government Operations recommends that the Minister of Health and Social Services table the director’s annual report each year in the Legislative Assembly. The Standing Committee further recommends that the Minister of Health and Social Services arrange for the director’s annual report to include updates for each regional authority on indicators associated with Exhibits 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the Auditor General’s report.
7. Adopt indicators associated with Exhibits 3, 4, 5
and 6 of the Auditor General’s report as performance measures in all future departmental business plans
Finally, the annual departmental business plan should incorporate updated data on indicators associated with Exhibits 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the Auditor General’s report.
Recommendation 16
The Standing Committee on Government Operations recommends that all future departmental business plans adopt as performance measures the indicators associated with Exhibits 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the Auditor General’s report.
I’d like to turn this over to my colleague Mr. Moses.