Former staff expose Department of Child Safety failures as commissioner visits Townsville

Two former employees have blown the whistle on failures within the child safety department, where families were torn apart by a ‘remove first, find evidence later’ approach.

Former Child Safety worker Ester Lee is blowing the whistle on failures within the Department of Child Safety. Picture: Supplied.

• Child safety probe begins

Two former Department of Child Safety employees have blown the whistle on systemic failures, like the “remove first, find evidence later” approach, and the persecution staff reporting poor practices, after the Commission of Inquiry into Queensland’s child safety system was launched.

Led by former Federal Court judge The Honourable Paul Anastassiou KC, the inquiry formally commenced on July 1, with the Commissioner beginning the first in a series of statewide public engagement visits in Townsville on Monday and Tuesday.

A former paralegal who worked in the Investigations and Assessment Office until her contract wasn’t renewed, Townsville resident Rebecca Smith intended to give evidence during the inquiry.

The first hearing will be later this month in Brisbane.

Formerly a senior team leader and Child Safety Officer (CSO), Ester Lee, has also spoken out about the Child Safety’s problems after resigning this earlier year “due to the office leadership and way of working no longer aligning with my values”, before relocating to Hong Kong.

Ms Smith has made allegations about child safety’s systemic bias, procedural unfairness in decision-making, discrimination against Indigenous women, mother-blaming in domestic violence cases, inadequate staffing and qualifications, and a lack of support services.

Former Child Safety paralegal Rebecca Smith has turned whistleblower after being disturbed by systemic problems and disturbing behaviour within the Department of Child Safety after a Commission of Inquiry was launched. Picture: Supplied.

She’s also made accusations highlighting removal tactics and timing, staff culture problems, management lies and cover-ups, and the tragic consequences of the department’s failures – involving psychological harm to families and suicide.

“It is my contention that most child safety officers, practice managers and managers lack (procedural) fairness, impartiality, objectivity and transparency,” Ms Smith said.

“The staff did not employ standard investigation principles – they seemed to have an outcome they were after – take the kids on two year ‘short term’ orders.

“They did not seek all information from a variety of sources, instead getting criminal histories … (and) refused to table pertinent information in the families’ favour, and at no time clarified information.”

Given that most CSOs did not have children, Ms Smith contended that they were predisposed to a lack of empathy and a readiness to take kids off families unnecessarily.

“One (CSO) told me that they now see all parents as filth. To this CSO, all the parents were guilty,” she said.

“Others cheered and laughed when they successfully removed babies, and mocked the parent’s distress.”

Employed by child safety since 2008, Ms Lee also alleged systemic failures, including a “remove first, try find evidence later” philosophy, fabricated evidence, an inadequate response to reform, failure of professional standards, staffing shortages, lack of leadership and incompetencies in decision making, and retaliation against whistleblowers.

Former Child Safety senior team leader and Child Safety Officer Ester Lee has blown the whistle on the actions and culture within the Department of Child Safety after a Commission of Inquiry was launched. Picture: Supplied.

“Sadly this has led to children being harmed and in some terrible instances being killed,” Ms Lee said.

“My team was chosen as the team to implement … the new practice of “standard response”, essentially being less intrusive, more responsive and supportive to families to ensure better outcomes and keep family units together … (and) prevent children coming into care.

“When I left, my team was the only team implementing this practice in its entirety with the rest of the office continuing to remove children and place them into care.
“We looked for alternatives and family support. This is unfortunately not the way the office is being run as the manager would praise the team leaders with the most removals each month.”

She believed there was a four-year-old currently in residential care as a result of their carers being inundated with children in care.

“My report to professional standards was … around the manager and team leaders and their complete disrespect for their teams and their directions to remove kids even without evidence,” she said.

Paul Anastassiou KC will lead the Queensland Government Commission of Inquiry into Child Safety. Picture Supplied

“(The report) is apparently being ‘investigated’ however I highly doubt this to be the case as the people I reported are still in positions of power and continue to make decisions based on their own bias and on their emotions rather than any real tangible evidence.

“I describe it as a ‘remove first, try find evidence later’ philosophy – oftentimes the evidence is not there so staff make it up.”

An example of this was when a CSO allegedly lied in an affidavit stating the parents were “intoxicated, slurring their speech and staggering around”.

“I was present for that removal (which I did not agree with) and when I told the team leader and the CSO the parents were not as described, I was told to mind my business and that the case was ‘stronger’ with those descriptions as the ‘parents are known drug users anyway’,” she said.

“I reported this to the manager and of course this went no further.”

The state government has launched a Commission of Inquiry into the Child Safety System after uncovering critical failures.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Child Safety said the safety and wellbeing of children and young people was their highest priority.

“When parents are not able or willing to meet the safety needs of their child, child safety officers step in to ensure a safe place can be found for the child. The role of a child safety officer is complex,” she said.

“We expect a high level of ethical conduct from all staff and ensure any allegation of wrongdoing is referred, assessed and, where warranted, investigated by the department’s Professional Standards Unit.

“We welcome any recommendations from the Commission of Inquiry that can help bring safety, security and stability to the lives of vulnerable children and young people.”

Originally published as Former staff expose Department of Child Safety failures as commissioner visits Townsville