On The Right Track program
In the Northern Territory (NT), the minimum age of criminal responsibility is 12 years old.
Children under 12 who engage in negative behaviour that would otherwise be an offence are referred to Territory Families, Housing and Communities (TFHC).
Families can receive voluntary intensive family support services to address the issues influencing their child’s negative behaviour.
The services aim to prevent the child continuing to engage in negative behaviour that could lead to involvement in the youth justice system once they turn 12.
The On The Right Track (OTRT) program delivers these intensive family support services. It can link families to community-based services and work with education to keep children engaged in school.
How the program works
TFHC receives referrals from NT Police about children under 12 engaging in negative behaviour.
TFHC will assess which intervention programs best respond to the health, education, social, care and wellbeing needs of the child and family.
Interventions can include any of the following:
- family engagement and support services such as:
- parenting programs
- family meetings
- health services for:
- mental health
- alcohol, drug and volatile substance abuse
- targeted engagement with education
- participation in youth engagement programs.
A case plan is created with families to identify goals and how they will be met. Case plans create accountability for families and services to address the root causes of the child's behaviour.
Throughout the program, TFHC will provide:
- ongoing case management
- referrals to service providers as needed.
Read more about available support services on the TFHC website.
When families don't participate
TFHC will assess alternative responses:
- where family support services are unable to be delivered to the family or
- if there is a major change in the risk of a child’s safety and wellbeing.
An alternative response must be:
- in line with the Care and Protection of Children Act 2007
- community and family-centric.
Example scenarios
| Behaviour | Immediate action | On The Right Track response |
|---|---|---|
| John has been throwing rocks at shop windows, which is reported to police by the shop owners. | Police determine that John is only 10 years old.
| TFHC determine that John’s wellbeing is not in immediate danger. However, his family has been struggling to manage his behaviour. He has been disengaged from school and has fallen in with the wrong crowd who are encouraging him to participate in risky behaviours and substance abuse. OTRT coordinates a meeting with John and his family and makes a plan to address these factors. The family and services share accountability to make this case plan work. They make a referral to school re-engagement officers from the Department of Education and to a community-based alcohol and other drugs service. They will work with John to engage in positive pro-social behaviours such as volunteering in the local community and participating in sports competitions to connect to new social groups. |
| Jane has been caught attempting to steal a car by police. | Police determine that Jane is only 11 years old. They are unable to find a responsible adult willing to care for Jane and work with TFHC to get her to a safe place. | After spending the night in the safe place, the OTRT program is able to return Jane to an aunty. OTRT engages with Jane and her family to address the issues to prevent her from re-engaging in stealing cars again. |
Evaluation
Regular reporting will be done by the Department of Attorney-General and Justice. A monitoring report review will be completed in 2025.
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