Your Union has become aware that last Thursday the Minister held a meeting with around 100 of your highest ranked management – from the A/Secretary, Executive Directors, and Directors.

This could have been an unremarkable event but for what the Minister advised your leadership in comments that have subsequently found their way to our attention.

In foreshadowing significant long-term reforms in the child protection area, the Minister identified three pillars of reform – helping more families stay safely together, providing safe and nurturing homes where this is not possible and better supporting our frontline workers – you.

The Minister both apologized for but did not shy away from her public description of a broken child protection system, and said she believed that notwithstanding this would be difficult for many of management to hear (and we submit even more so our membership who are even more responsible as the public face) it was preferable to covering up the state the system is in.

The Minister said this was not criticism of your work but the system as a whole which she described as a “mishmash of quick fixes, layered on top of each other over decades” with no strategic direction.

But of greatest interest to your Union was the Minister’s comments about the workforce and culture where she noted a problem we have been highlighting for years that;

“On some occasions I see vindictiveness and retaliation towards caseworkers….[when] the only way we can support kids is to support caseworkers as well”

There was recognition that many caseworkers were struggling because of vacancies, because of the risk you wear and an unnecessarily complex system.  The solutions were more early intervention, more referral pathways and most importantly, meaningful mobility for the workforce.

Finally in remarks that demonstrate her understanding of the cultural illnesses that have plagued your agency for too long, the Minister instructed your management they were now responsible for building a better culture, a strong and healthy work environment that encourages great practice and implementing a mandatory mentoring and leadership program for everyone.

They are only comments at this stage but the PSA takes this as pleasing evidence that you are being heard in Government and that cultural change is being enacted.  The crisis that has enveloped child protection, that many of you have made your voices heard about, in our campaign in recent months is being acknowledged.

For too long on top of the funding shortcomings and dumb policy settings, child protection caseworkers have labored under a system rife with mismanagement from its leaders.  What is undoubtably one of the most challenging jobs within the NSW public sector is being made even more difficult through bullying, harassment, and poor accountability.

These cases have been too frequent to be described as isolated and point to a cultural shift that is needed right through the organisation so that it supports you rather than persecutes you.

It is one thing the PSA has been raising relentlessly on your behalf.

Last week may be the first step in that much-needed change.