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NSW caseworker numbers to be made public

AAP via Sydney Morning Herald 11th March 2013
Caseworker numbers for the entire child protection system in NSW will be made public as the state government attempts to boost transparency in the wake of a toddler’s death.
Announcing the move in parliament on Tuesday, Family and Community Services Minister Pru Goward said it would also improve accountability.
It follows the death of a Wollongong toddler in August last year, who was reported to the Department of Community Services three times in the five weeks before his death suffering extensive bruising and human bite marks.
Details of his case led to a strike by child protection workers in Wollongong over staffing levels.
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Ms Goward on Tuesday said she had instructed her director general to begin regular publication of caseworker numbers across the sector by the end of the year.
It will cover “the whole child protection system” and include government and non-government organisations.
“I have further asked for external validation of the department’s data collection and publication process, and we will be seeking the advice of the NSW Ombudsman and Auditor-General in this regard,” Ms Goward told question time.
Last week in parliament Labor MP Linda Burney said staff shortages at the Wollongong Community Service Centre had reached “chronic levels”.
Ms Goward said on Tuesday that caseworker numbers “go up and down all the time”.
“But it is important that we all have clarity on what they are so that it no longer is a source of continual unrest and lies from the opposition and the Public Service Association.
“And caseworker numbers will change as we work better and more closely with our non-government partners to improve services and lives.”

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Parramatta child protection works stop work

On Tuesday Parramatta CSC, Metro West Regional Office and Parramatta JIRT joined other offices across the state who’ve stopped work in protest at chronic under-staffing, job and program cuts, and ever-increasing red tape.

The 60 strong members rallied outside the Community Services Macquarie Street office – sporting placards and cardboard cutouts to represent the number of unfilled vacancies – before marching on the office of local Parramatta MP, Geoff Lee.

Click here to view media release

    

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Outsourcing out-of-home care won’t fix child protection system

Outsoucing out-of-home care won’t fix the child protection system in NSW.

The NSW Government has announced plans to transfer an additional $123 million from the Community Services budget to fund to a private sector take over of out-of-home care (foster care) services.

Community Services currently provides 85% of out-of-home care services to children and young people in NSW.

This decision will mean that the private sector will attract around 55% of all public funding for out-of-home care in NSW, but provide services to up to only 1/3 of all children in out-of-home care.

“The impact of this decision will be crippling for child protection in NSW and won’t improve services to vulnerable children and young people in out-of-home care”, said Steve Turner, PSA Assistant General Secretary.

“Much of the money will go towards building infrastructure and capacity which already exists within Community Services.”

The 2008 Wood Report into child protection in NSW has been relied upon by government to make the case for outsourcing out-of-home care. Wood argued that the community as a whole has a responsibility to care for vulnerable children, and bringing private providers into the overwhelmed public system would strengthen it.

But simply outsourcing out-of-home care to private providers does not build capacity across the system, rather it transfers existing problems to less regulated, less accountable, less experienced providers.

“The Wood report’s overarching message is one of building capacity for child protection, of improving and adding to what we have, not merely shifting responsibility from government to the private sector.”

“Rather than reinventing the wheel, we should be looking at the sector holistically – both government and non-government – investing in our strengths and improving on our weaknesses.”

“Experience shows the private sector simply doesn’t have the expertise, infrastructure, capacity or oversight to deliver out-of-home care.”

“Ripping money out of the Community Services budget to pay for privatisation will mean fewer child protection caseworkers in NSW, and place vulnerable children and young people at greater risk of harm.” Mr Turner said.

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