Agency’s local role ‘stripped’

JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
A WARRNAMBOOL-based human services agency with Geelong programs has been stripped of its funding, State Government has announced.
The Government said Community Connections had breached its service agreement.
“Management of child protection out-of-home care services in the Barwon South West region will transfer from Community Connections effective from Tuesday (December 6),” the announcement said.
“The transfer follows an extensive independent review commissioned by the Department of Human Services to investigate concerns about the quality of care of children and young people in residential care services.
“The review identified a series of breaches of the service agreement and these have not subsequently been satisfactorily remediated.
“Consequently, DHS is terminating the service agreement and transferring funding for residential, kinship and foster care services to alternative providers.”
The Government said established Geelong provider Glastonbury would take over management of kinship and foster care services in the region.
McKillop Family Services and Brophy Family and Youth Services would take on management of Warrnambool programs.
A Community Connections spokesperson said the Geelong office would lose a “well-respected and highly efficient foster care program”.
The program had operated for almost 10 years with eight staff, she said.
Community Connections failed to understand why a review into its Warrnambool operations resulted in loss of the Geelong programs, she said.
The Geelong office would continue operating other services.
The Community Connections board was considering challenging the decision and exploring legal options, the spokesperson said.