Child Protection

Child Abuse and Neglect Summit

I wish to thank Families Australia for the opportunity to address this Summit today. Sharan Burrow, ACTU President is unavailable, and I convey to you her apologies.

My union, the Community and Public Sector Union, has coverage of child protection workers employed by State and Territory governments. We have high membership levels in all areas of work associated with child protection.

Incidentally, we also cover other key vocational groups in the chain of despair that leads from child abuse and neglect - community corrections/probation and parole, prison officers and associated employees. It is a unique and disturbing perspective.

From 2002 our federal office coordinated six State and two Territory Branches in a campaign directed to secure significantly increased resources for child protection work.

There are few more sensitive or critical areas of State intervention in the lives of individuals than child protection. There is an abundance of evidence that child abuse and neglect not only ruins lives, but also leads to long-term costs, at many levels, to the community.

In working with child protection delegates on this campaign I came to the view that these workers are one of the hardest-working and most committed vocational groups that I have encountered.

You will be familiar with the expression the squeaky wheel gets the oil. By the beginning of 2002 the child protection systems (some years after the introduction of mandatory reporting) were squeaking very audibly. Our Branch officials were being inundated with requests from child protection delegates to assist them in dealing with severe staff shortages, significant case backlogs and overwhelming and sustained work related stress.

We held a national conference of child protection delegates in Sydney in June 2002 to share information and develop a framework for a national response to the growing crisis. The union's governing body subsequently endorsed the resolution that was carried at the end of the two-day meeting. It is worth quoting in part:

as a matter of urgency the Union and its members demand the following:
Consistent bi-partisan policies together with adequate funding at state and federal levels of government to support child protection systems and statutory organizations.
Safe caseload limits for child protection workers across Australia to protect workers and children, and to meet professional standards.
Sufficient child protection workers and support workers so that all children have the quality protection and attention they need, and that all Governments meet their statutory responsibilities to protect and care for children.
Measures to address the systemic crisis in workloads leading to excessive, unsafe and unreasonable hours worked in child protection.
Workplaces free from violence, stress, psychological injury, bullying and intimidation.
Job security for existing employees.
Commitment from Governments to develop and implement strategies with the Union to combat staff turnover to retain skilled and experienced workers.
Measures to address the unique and challenging circumstances of staff working in rural and remote communities including staff retention, after hours crisis work, access to resources, communication difficulties, lack of support services and the problems associated with working in isolated communities.
Appropriate and accessible training and professional development.
Provision of alternative accommodation for children at risk

We also commissioned and published a chapter on the state of child protection in a book titled The State of the States. It disclosed major differences in practices and policies as well as the problems in comparisons of performance. This in itself is disturbing. Even accurate staffing data is hard to come by, partly because in the broad industry we have at least 3 types of agencies: state agencies, community based organizations and charitable institutions.

The author posits a pattern, and I paraphrase:

increasingly vociferous complaints...unmanageable workloads.. Ministerial denials.. delay and leaks...eventual media interest... government panic ...reforms ..that may not be enough.

Where are we now? Each State/Territory system grappled with the similar issues in different ways.

The first breakthrough came in New South Wales where consultations (the Kibble Report formed following industrial action in April 2002) led to a $1.1 billion package of measures to be introduced over a five-year period -- this included a major staff increase of 875 caseworkers, 125 administrative staff and 350 specialist positions. I know the Branch was happy with the decision.

In South Australia 73 caseworker positions were created on an interim basis. The Layton Report's 206 recommendations are still being considered by government, but the most recent Budget provides for an additional 184 positions of social worker/caseworkers, psychologists and other support jobs. Joint working parties are addressing particular issues such as remote areas, particular socio-demographic issues and classification levels. In summary steady improvement.

In Western Australia the Gordon inquiry was conducted. Our Branch eventually negotiated an agreement with the government on a "workload measurement tool" that led to the creation of 120 new caseworker positions. This mechanism is currently being "rolled out" and it is expected that over time it will lead to additional child protection staff. The issue of particular concern to our members continues to be the isolation of aboriginal communities and the absence of child protection support.

Queensland is now investing very significant sums into its child protection system following the Crime and Misconduct Commission's Report into abuse of children in foster care. There are plans to recruit 300 caseworkers in the next year. Agreement has been reached between the Branch and the government that will limit the number of cases that each individual is responsible for. Unacceptable workloads continue to be a problem but the workers see the light at the end of the tunnel. There are continuing concerns with the plight of indigenous communities.

In Victoria, the Kirby Review is underway and is expected to make significant recommendations. Our Branch did not achieve an agreement with the government on a workload measurement tool. Two Budgets ago there was an increase of 60 staff where the Branch estimated that 160 were required to have a real impact on work overload. Occupational health and safety laws have been used in several instances of unacceptable workloads carried by caseworkers.

The Branch notes the government's intention to commit significant resources to early intervention programs but is adamant that the tertiary end must be adequately resourced.
There have been some, but insufficient, improvements in staffing and funding in the other jurisdictions: Tasmania, the ACT and Northern Territory.

No doubt we are in a better position than we were in 2002. Our Branches generally welcome the many reform recommendations from the various enquiries and reports.

However, there will be real problems with recruitment of qualified staff in the numbers required. We know that there are real issues concerning the appropriate rates of pay that arguably are depressed in comparison to other professional work. There are ongoing concerns with the out-sourcing of child protection work, with a perception that the hard cases stay with the State agencies with the advent of entrepreneurial agents. There are also issues of accountability and problems perceived with adequate oversight of all parts of the child protection systems.

We live with a federal system of government. We accept that. But it is notable that the crisis that struck child protection in Australia hit in all States/Territories, (even in WA where mandatory reporting was not introduced), and each government struggled to come to acceptable solutions.

I conclude by drawing your attention to the very first demand made by our delegates at their first national meeting in 2002 - they called for consistent bi-partisan policies together with adequate funding at state and federal levels of government to support child protection systems and statutory organization.

It's a demand that is not yet met.

© 2001 Community & Public Sector Union - State Public Services Federation (CPSU-SPSF) - National Office

http://www.cpsu-spsf.asn.au/campaigns/child_protection/20040804_193.html
Last Modified: 15 Nov 2005