Child Protection Department investigating more reports of abuse and neglect

Child protection authorities have slashed the number of reports of suspected child abuse or neglect being dismissed without any investigation — but two in every five cases are still being overlooked.

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Child protection authorities have slashed the number of reports of suspected child abuse or neglect being dismissed without any investigation, but two in every five cases are still being overlooked.

In recent years, more than three in five reports to the Child Abuse Report Line which were deemed to merit some investigation were closed without any action, usually because of a lack of resources.

Latest figures provided by the Child Protection Department show the statewide figure is now 39.5 per cent.

The statewide average was 61 per cent in 2014-15 but, when examined by location, the proportion was as high as 84 per cent in the northern suburbs.

Government policy forbids child protection workers from closing the most serious of cases, deemed Tier 1, without any investigation.

But Royal Commissioner Margaret Nyland found in 2016 that the practice was “widely used” for slightly less urgent Tier 2 cases.

Some offices with the highest workloads “do not even consider responding” to lesser Tier 3 cases, the royal commission found.

A response could range from sending in police or removing a child, to investigating evidence, conducting interviews or referring a family to support services.

Department deputy chief executive Fiona Ward said its priority “remains focused on the most serious and critical cases of abuse and neglect”.

However, there had been a concerted effort over the past two years to “provide the most appropriate service response at the most appropriate time”, including more early intervention.

“The majority of notifications deal with neglect … (so) we are partnering with the Education Department … with Health … with non-government organisations to provide a response to families which isn’t necessarily a formal forensic investigation but an assessment of the family’s needs and then connecting into a (support) service moving forward,” she said.

Ms Nyland’s report set the department a target to eliminate completely the practice of closing cases without action by 2021. Ms Ward said the department was “working towards” that target.

Child Protection Party secretary Nadia Bergineti said it was crucial to investigate and respond to early reports before problems escalated to become more serious.

“It’s great that the department has done something here, not just sat on its hands, but if there’s a lack of resources still then get more resources in there, get more staff,” Ms Bergineti said.

“A staff shortage is not an excuse.”

Last year, State Ombudsman Wayne Lines lashed the department for shutting down “serious and compelling” reports of suspected child abuse without investigation, saying it “had no basis” to assume the children involved were safe.

He said it was “simply staggering” that the practice was so common.

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