Another Families SA abuse scandal, another review for South Australia’s child protection system
ELEVEN Families SA carers were allowed to return to work with children despite being “red-flagged” in a high-level review by a former police commissioner, including one man now charged with multiple counts of child abuse.
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ELEVEN Families SA carers were allowed to return to work with children despite being “red-flagged” in a high-level review by a former police commissioner, including one man now charged with multiple counts of child abuse.
Bombshell revelations in the Sunday Mail yesterday that the Barossa man had been charged sparked new calls for Premier Jay Weatherill to resign, just a week after a rebranding exercise and establishment of the stand-alone Department for Child Protection.
It has also exposed the ongoing problems with a system in crisis, months after a scathing royal commission which demanded Mr Weatherill dump a pet policy of keeping it in a super-agency with Education.
Education and Child Development Minister Susan Close yesterday faced a press conference in which the State Government confirmed that 11 of 25 residential and foster carers suspended after the 2014 Mal Hyde review had returned to work with children.
Two years on from the inquiry, only six have left the department.
The Government was unable to say if the eight others who are still suspended continue to be paid.
The Hyde review was triggered after the crimes of Families SA paedophile Shannon McCoole’s became public; he has since been jailed for 35 years.
Ms Close, who became minister in February last year, was unable to reveal how many alleged victims were involved in the new sex-crimes case or dismiss fears that flawed screening processes may have let other abusers slip through the net.
“One can never give complete reassurances about children at any time,” she said. “There are predators in our community, and so I would never rule out any concerns.”
Ms Close, who told Parliament in late September that she had not read the Hyde report, yesterday said she had now done so and pledged a further review of the new case.
That review, which follows two royal commissions, will be conducted by a private law firm.
“When I became minister I was assured by the previous chief executive that the Hyde review had been taken into account, the people had been dealt with and that there were new processes in place for recruitment,” she said.
“Having had disturbing concerns about whether all of our processes are as sound as they should be ... I have subsequently read the Hyde review.”
Opposition Leader Steven Marshall furiously demanded that Mr Weatherill, a former child protection and education minister, immediately resign as head of the Government.
“Enough is enough,” he said. “It’s time for Jay Weatherill to stand down. He was the one who designed the child protection system which has so catastrophically failed.
“These most recent, shocking, horrific revelations mean that he is not the person to fix the system.
“ We need new leadership at the head of child protection in SA.”
Mr Marshall branded Ms Close “completely unworthy” to be the minister.
“We don’t want any more reports, inquiries, representations, royal commissions, coronial inquests. We need action — and that starts with new leadership,” Mr Marshall said.
In August, a department spokesman provided an update on the status of the 102 workers identified in the Hyde review, including the 25 who were suspended.
At that time, 82 staff had returned to work, while four remained under investigation.
A further 16 had either resigned, had contracts ended or were on workers’ compensation.
In Whyalla yesterday with ministers for community meetings, Mr Weatherill would not say if he was satisfied by the reasons for the charged carer returning to work.
“Every time you see a child being the victim of a predator, especially a predator who is alleged to be in a position of trust, it is the most shocking breach of trust that one can imagine,” he said. “We see offending of this sort in every sphere of life.
“We see it in our churches, we see it in our charities, we see it in government agencies, we also see it in our families. This is a sad fact of life.”
Mr Weatherill said Ms Close and new Department for Child Protection chief executive Cathy Taylor were “working incredibly hard “to revitalise what has been a child protection system that’s been under enormous pressure”.
In a 10-minute press conference that was cut short yesterday amid ongoing questioning, Ms Close also said the charged man “was directed away from the workplace” as soon as allegations were raised and the new review triggered.
“We have employed an independent legal firm to do this because we are concerned with each case that comes before us that we ensure we learn the most lessons possible to ensure we continue to improve the way in which we undertake employment, the way in which we screen people,” she said. “I think we’ve demonstrated that we’re open to criticisms around the way in which Families SA has operated. This review is one which will identify if there are ways in which we can improve.”
Asked if she was angry about the latest charges, Ms Close said: “If these allegations are proved to be accurate in the court of law, then we will make comment at that point.”
The Advertiser had been aware of the latest sensitive investigations for several weeks but chose not to publish details to avoid the investigation being impeded in any way.
The charged Families SA residential carer was suspended in August, but not aware of the police investigation until detectives arrested him on Saturday.
