Child Protection workers across the country have been trying to engage with their respective Departments about their workload for years.  Our message has been simple.  The system is stretched, workloads are unsustainable, we cannot provide adequate care to children in need, and we must adopt a national approach to staff shortages instead of stealing qualified practitioners from each other.

The Child Protection workforce is under immense stress and strain, with a severe shortfall in recruitment and an ongoing struggle to retain current practitioners.

Our Child Protection members provide essential support to the most vulnerable members of our community – the children of Australia have had enough.

It's time that we come together as a group, and tell the Government what action needs to happen to fix this broken system and remind them that Every Child Counts.

CPSU has met with relevant State and Federal Ministers promoting a range of ideas including the need for ; incentives like offering HECS free social work courses that will assist people to enter the profession – targeted at entry level, rural placement package which includes a moving bonus, a rural retention bonus for current staff assistance in locating housing/accommodation, and particularly for overseas recruits, support to integrate into the local community, sign on bonuses for all new Child Protection staff payable over 2 years, a retention bonus for current staff payable over 2 years, additional leave – all Child Protection staff be given an additional 10 days paid Mental Health leave to provide time to recover from their regular exposure to vicarious trauma, agreement between the Department and the Union on caseload caps and management of unallocated cases, and a review of the administrative work Child Protection Practitioners perform with the goal of reducing and simplifying case management systems.

Join our campaign for a better Child Protection System today!