Jeremy Rockliff,Premier
An important step has been taken in the Child Safe Governance Review into the Launceston General Hospital (LGH) and Human Resources, which will focus on resetting the organisational structure of the LGH and Human Resources, with a priority focus on the handling of serious misconduct such as institutional child sexual abuse.
While we look forward to the recommendations next year from the Commission of Inquiry, we will not be waiting to take action where it is clear it is needed now. This Review is starting immediately and is about making important and necessary change, through the lens of safeguarding children.
Professor Debora Picone AO and Adjunct Professor Karen Crawshaw PSM have been appointed as independent Co-Chairs of the Governance Advisory Panel which will conduct the Review.
Professor Picone is the CEO of the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, a position she has held since 2012. She is a highly respected leader in public administration, with extensive operating and leadership experience in the provision of healthcare services, governance, and hospital administration. In her current role, Professor Picone has led the development and implementation of a series of national system-wide safety and quality programs. Professor Picone was formerly the NSW Health Director-General from 2007-2011.
Adjunct Professor Crawshaw has held several senior executive positions within the NSW Public Service, including as NSW Health’s Director Legal and General Counsel for 17 years. She also worked as Deputy Secretary Governance, Workforce and Corporate until 2017, with responsibility for a broad range of policy areas including health system governance, regulation, legal services, workplace relations and human resources.
Adjunct Professor Crawshaw had key responsibilities for implementing NSW Health’s response to the Garling Inquiry into Acute Care Services and the Wood Royal Commission reference which resulted in major reforms of the NSW child protection system. She continues to provide strategic policy and legal advice to governments and health organisations, including state health departments and the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care and has just completed her third term as a member of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulatory Agency’s Governance body (AHPRA).
Both will bring a wealth of important experience to their position as Co-Chairs of the Governance Advisory Panel and will play a key role in the selection of remaining independent experts, with Panel expertise to include child safety, governance, hospital administration and human resources. Unions and staff representatives will complete the membership of the Governance Advisory Panel.
It is incredibly important that the experiences of victim-survivors are a key part of this Review, to ensure their voice is heard and to ensure they are given the opportunity to provide their valuable input. We are committed to listening closely to and working with victim-survivors and that’s why we have created an Expert Reference Group that victim-survivors will be invited to participate in and provide advice to the Review.
An Expression of Interest process for staff to join the panel has been advertised with interested staff able to nominate via a short form email together with their CV and/or experience. All levels of staff participation are encouraged and represents a positive opportunity to work together to reset the structure and child safeguarding approach of the LGH and Human Resources.
