Inquiry into Intensive Therapeutic Care: Call for Submissions

The NSW Ombudsman is calling on stakeholders to contribute their insights to an Inquiry into Intensive Therapeutic Care (ITC). Submissions will be open from April 10 to May 9, 2025. This inquiry seeks to evaluate ITC's effectiveness in providing therapeutic residential care for children with high and complex needs and offers an important opportunity for those involved in the care sector to contribute to the inquiry. 

ITC was introduced in 2018-19 by the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) as a new model of care for children over 12 who are unable to be supported in traditional foster care settings. This program has since grown significantly, with more providers and placements, yet there has been no formal evaluation or public data on its impact. The inquiry will focus particularly on the Intensive Therapeutic Care Homes (ITCH), which house around 60% of the children in the program. 

The purpose of the inquiry is to assess whether ITC provides stable, safe and therapeutic care to children.    

This is your chance to provide feedback and help make recommendations about future reforms. Whether you are from a government agency, a care provider, or someone with knowledge or experience of ITC, your input is invaluable. You can make a submission in any format—online, by email, or by post—and you don’t need to answer all the questions provided. If you need assistance or prefer to make a verbal submission, the Ombudsman’s office is happy to support you. 

We encourage everyone with a stake in the future of Intensive Therapeutic Care to share their thoughts. Your feedback will help shape recommendations to make ITC more effective and responsive. 

Act now: Visit the ITC Submissions page on the NSW Ombudsman website to make your submission today.