Child protection workers to undergo stricter psychological testing to ensure suitability to look after vulnerable children in state care
HUNDREDS of child protection workers will undergo stricter psychological testing to ensure they are suitable to look after vulnerable children in state care. What do you think — VOTE NOW
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HUNDREDS of child protection workers will be ordered to undergo stricter psychological testing to ensure they are suitable to look after vulnerable children in state care.
Carers hired by the State Government since last year have been put through a rigorous new testing regimen but hundreds of staff already working with at-risk children have not met the same standard.
New Child Protection Department chief executive Cathy Taylor has told The Advertiser she wants to retrospectively assess about 350 workers caring for some of the state’s most vulnerable children, who live in state-run homes.
Staff found to be “unsuitable” will be required to undertake training or treatment, be redeployed to other roles away from children or, in the most serious cases, lose their job.
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.
The new testing regimen involves a more rigorous psychological test than that relied on in the past, as well as a face-to-face interview with a forensic psychologist.
Ms Taylor said it set a “high bar” on traits such as empathy, maintaining appropriate boundaries with children, managing anger and stress and a proper understanding of the impact of abuse and neglect.
The process also screens for indications of inappropriate sexual proclivities.
“We’re setting a new bar, there’s no higher priority for us than the safety of children,” Ms Taylor told The Advertiser.
“Some of these workers may have been around for a long time. Why wouldn’t we want all of our residential care workers to be at the same level — all psychologically fit and suitable to work with children?”
Ms Taylor advised affected staff and the union which represents them of her plans yesterday.
She conceded that the policy “may be difficult for some staff” but emphasised that the safety of children was “paramount”.
“I’ve sought legal advice on this because I want to make sure it’s a fair process,” she said.
“I need to make sure we’re doing everything in our power to hire the right people for the right roles. That’s what I’m prepared to be accountable for.”
However, the Public Service Association advised Ms Taylor late yesterday that it would refer the issue to the Industrial Relations Commission.
PSA general secretary Nev Kitchin said he had “reservations” about the plan and wanted “ongoing” discussions with the department.
Mr Kitchin said it was “appalling” that letters had already been sent to affected staff.
“This is a process that still has to be worked through. We need more information,” he said.
The announcement follows the arrest in late November of another former government carer on multiple sex offences.
The man, who cannot be named, had been “red-flagged” in an internal review of about 500 staff conducted by former police commissioner Mal Hyde in late 2014.
He was cleared to return to work with children in 2015. The allegations relate to his conduct after that time.
The Hyde review recommended 25 carers be suspended from their roles and flagged a further 77 as the subject of “high concerns”. Of those, four workers remain suspended from their roles.
The new testing regimen was put in place last year.
Testing of existing employees will begin this month and be completed by April.
The Child Protection Department has contracted forensic psychology practice PsychCheck to carry out the assessments.
They will include research-based psychometric tests and one-on-one interviews to “rigorously assess employee suitability” for working with vulnerable children, Ms Taylor said.
Anyone found to be “unsuitable” would undergo a review by a senior forensic psychologist.
Some workers may be found temporarily unsuitable but could return to work following treatment, such as for a previously undiagnosed mental illness like anxiety.
Red-flagged staff will initially be suspended with pay.
The Nyland Royal Commission into the state’s child protection system recommended that recruitment of child and youth support workers also include an individual psychological assessment.
The State Government has accepted the vast majority of former Supreme Court Justice Margaret Nyland’s 260 recommendations.
Ms Taylor said Ms Nyland’s report made it clear that the new testing model, “while not able to remove all risk in the selection of people suitable for caring for children in residential care, is an improvement on previous recruitment processes”.
Child Development Minister Susan Close said she supported Ms Taylor’s “approach to increasing standards for testing the suitability of staff to work with children in residential care”.
“We must hold our staff to the highest standards in that care,” Dr Close said.