A Special Report by the Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth, 2021 REPORT
The Office of the Children’s Advocate (now the Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth) released a status update report on the Phoenix Sinclair Inquiry recommendations titled So Much Left To Do: Status Report on the 62 Recommendations from the Phoenix Sinclair Inquiry. That update, two and a half years after the release of the report “The Legacy of Phoenix Sinclair, Achieving the Best for All Our Children (Hughes, 2014)“, found that 18 of the 62 recommendations had been completed (29%). This current report reviews compliance with the remaining 44 recommendations made by the Honourable Ted Hughes in the 2014 inquiry report. The objective of our office’s assessment here is to evaluate the degree of compliance of reported activities with the intent of recommendations made in the inquiry, in honour of Phoenix Sinclair. The following analysis was completed between December 2020 and February 2021, and is based on updates and other evidence submitted by the Manitoba government to our office in response to a formal request sent by our office in 2020.
As of February 2021, 55% of the Phoenix Sinclair Inquiry recommendations have been completed.
At this rate of completion, it will be 2028 before all recommendations are completed.
Completed recommendations to date are largely due to the enactment of The Advocate for Children and Youth Act, which addressed 11 recommendations at the same time. Progress is noted on recommendations made to increase quality assurance and some aspects of the social work profession.
Recommendations made to improve service integration, service improvements, children’s rights, and funding for early intervention and prevention have received low average compliance assessments.
Principles of Assessment.
The following principles guide assessments of recommendations:
- Fairness, consistency, and transparency
- Effective communication
- Principle of proportionality
- Independence
- Child-centred
The report also focuss on the deaths of 19 other children and youth, 11 of whom were First Nations and Métis (58%)
https://manitobaadvocate.ca/wp-content/uploads/Maltreatment_Report.pdf