“The PSA directs members who are in Caseworker roles not to attend meetings relating to Quality Assurance reviews (QAMT) unless it is one-to-one with their Manager Casework.”

Context and background:

For some time now, members in caseworker roles have raised concerns with the PSA that they are subject to unreasonable behaviour and not treated with respect in “Quality Assurance” review meetings (note – these meetings may go under other names). Caseworkers have reported that they are required to attend monthly meetings with their Manager Casework, a worker from Quality Assurance and Continuous Improvement (QACI), Manager Client Services and other participants.

It has been reported that during these “panel” meetings they are lectured and criticised about poor practice and work not completed or that is overdue, with little or no opportunity to have their voice heard or views respected. Caseworkers feel there is a serious power imbalance and inability to speak, faced with so many managers across the table. Too often caseworkers are carrying excessive caseloads and working in their own time trying to meet the non-ending cycle of casework timeframes.

Members have have reported leaving these meetings feeling disrespected, bullied, humiliated and on occasion traumatised. This practice needs to stop. The power imbalance in such meetings is not only inappropriate but is at odds with the department’s own Casework Practice guidelines on “leadership” and “supervision.”

The department has a suite of tools to monitor and report on quality and performance for Child Protection and Out of Home Care casework. These tools include the Corporate Information Warehouse (CIW); Quality Assurance Management Tool (QAMT); Resource Management Dashboards (RMT); Performance Dashboards (PD); OOHC and CP Audit Tool. These tools are not intended to be used to reprimand, humiliate or place unreasonable work demands on caseworkers.

Individual supervision is the appropriate forum for Managers Casework and Caseworkers to discuss issues relating to casework quality and performance in general. As stated in Casework Practice and in accordance with the Practice Framework principals, leadership and practice leadership is about “inspiring, “motivating” and “coaching”. As noted in Casework Practice “the ways leaders (no matter how far up the system) treat practitioners is often replicated in the ways practitioners treat families.”

The department (including central office and district executives) must take the necessary steps to stamp out the practice of caseworkers been forced into meetings where they are not treated with the dignity and respect to which both they and their clients are entitled to.

“The PSA directs members who are in Caseworker roles not to attend meetings relating to Quality Assurance reviews (QAMT) unless it is one-to-one with their Manager Casework.”