Immediate action needed to fix child protection system, expert says

Child protection services need immediate action to prevent staff turnover and stop the tragic numbers of deaths in the system, an expert has warned.

Child protection services need immediate action to prevent staff turnover and stop the tragic numbers of deaths in the system, an expert has warned.

On Wednesday, the Herald Sun revealed figures from the Commission of Children and Young People which showed an alarming number of deaths among kids known to authorities.

Many of these were linked to systemic issues made worse by ongoing pressure and staff shortages on the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing.

Commissioner Liana Buchanan also revealed an alarming “blitz” in which the department tried to manage demand by prioritising certain high risk cases and closing others where there were no new concerns.

A review found that this strategy had led to increased risks for children, with many of those closed cases involving kids who were the subject of five or more reports.

Commissioner for Children and Young People Liana Buchanan. Picture: Mark Stewart

Professor Daryl Higgins, director of the Australian Catholic University’s Institute of Child Protection Studies, said the latest data showed immediate action was needed.

“These are not figures, these are children – and all children deserve better,” he said.

“Our most recent report into the trends and needs of the Australian child welfare workforce shows that high levels of staff turnover, casualisation of the workforce, and a lack of opportunities for staff to develop crucial skills is causing vulnerable children to slip through the cracks.

Prof Higgins said blaming workers was not the answer, but authorities should invest in family and parenting support, particularly when contact is first made with child protection staff.

“This should be a red flag for prioritisation of services to meet the needs of families who may be struggling and ensure risks to children’s safety are lowered through provision of evidence-based parenting supports and strategies to address the vulnerability that has been identified,” he said.

“We also need to attract more students to the fields of psychology and social work as numbers are too low to meet the high needs of the child welfare sector.”

The Herald Sun revealed figures from the Commission of Children and Young People showed an alarming number of deaths among kids known to authorities.

Speaking for the government on Wednesday, Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said every child’s death was tragic.

“We continue to support our child protection workers to do what is often a very, very difficult job,” she said.

“We know of course, that we can always invest more and that is why we are investing to improve the outcomes for our most vulnerable children.”

Opposition child protection spokesman Matt Bach said Victoria needed to reform the entire system.

“At the moment what the government does is to invest, sometimes heavily to be fair, right at the crisis end,” he said.

“Instead, what we need to do is really radically shift our focus to early care and to prevention. “That’s what key leaders in the Indigenous community like Aunty Muriel Bamblett have been saying for years,

“What key leaders in our fantastic charities and community organisations have been saying for years as well.

“I’ll continue to advocate for those evidence based changes.”