Child Protection Department chief executive Cathy Taylor widens psychological testing to carers in non-government agencies
THE state’s child protection boss wants carers from non-government agencies who look after children in state care to undergo stricter psychological testing.
THE state’s child protection boss wants carers from non-government agencies who look after children in state care to undergo stricter psychological testing.
However, she cannot say when they will be made to meet the same standards as State Government staff.
Child Protection Department chief executive Cathy Taylor has ordered 350 existing government carers to submit to a tougher testing regimen by April, as revealed by The Advertiser yesterday.
She was now negotiating with non-government agencies which supply contract carers for them to meet the same standards but conceded it would “take time”.
The new system — involving a psychological test and a one-hour face-to-face interview with a forensic psychologist — was put in place for all government staff hired from mid-last year. Since then 46 carers have been hired.
Contract staff could be brought in from agencies such as Anglicare SA, Hendacare or Nanny SA to fill shifts caring for children living in state-run homes or emergency accommodation, such as rented apartments, when there were not enough Government carers available.
Ms Taylor yesterday said there should be “one standard right across the board”.
“We should have one standard for residential care workers, whether they work for Government or work for the NGOs,” she said.
“A number of them (NGOs) off their own bat have already signalled that they would impose exactly the same standard as Government.”
Child Protection Minister Susan Close said contracts with NGOs would be renegotiated as they came up for renewal to include the testing requirements.
The shift comes after the conviction of former government carer Shannon McCoole, who was found to have committed horrific sexual abuse against young children in state-run homes.
McCoole worked as a contract carer for Nanny SA before he was hired as a government residential care worker. His arrest sparked the Nyland Royal Commission into the state’s child protection system and an internal review of about 500 staff by former police commissioner Mal Hyde. The Hyde review recommended 25 carers be suspended and flagged a further 77 as of “high concern”.
Dr Close yesterday rejected calls by the Opposition to make the Hyde review findings public, saying they would remain confidential because they were prepared for Cabinet.