Staffing crisis in child protection system plays a shameful part in up to 70 deaths

Shocking failures in the child protection system played a role in the deaths of up to 70 vulnerable children in the last five years.

Data from the Commission for Children and Young People has found premature case closure, inadequate risk assessment and poor communication have played a role in as many as 70 deaths of children.

Eight kids whose deaths have been probed in the last year had their cases closed too early by child protection authorities, with the state’s watchdog warning the system is failing these “invisible” victims.

Data from the Commission for Children and Young People has found premature case closure, inadequate risk assessment and poor communication have played a role in as many as 70 deaths of children known to child protection authorities since 2017.

Despite these issues regularly being flagged, they continue to be the biggest contributors to child deaths investigated by the commission.

In her latest annual report, Commissioner Liana Buchanan also revealed a “blitz” within the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing in which officials tried to manage demand and staff shortages by prioritising high-risk cases but closing others if there were no new concerns.

An anonymous whistleblower warned her that the strategy was undermining children’s safety.

This prompted an investigation of 120 different closed cases, with more believe to have been affected. Of these, 85 per cent involved children who had been the subject of more than five reports.

Children's commissioner Liana Buchanan.

Two-thirds had also received family violence notifications in the six months before their cases were shut.

Ms Buchanan said the blitz exemplified ongoing issues in the system.

“It really did highlight one of the enduring problems that I have seen every single year of conducting these child-death inquiries,” she said.

“We found that (strategy) was forcing cases to be closed without any of the usual ­required safeguards. We were very concerned … The investigation really did confirm that this approach was compounding significant risk for children.”

Ms Buchanan said the department had responded to her feedback, but some issues such as understaffing were ongoing.

“For the last seven years, we’ve completed over 250 child-death inquiries,” she said.

“Every year we talk about a pressured child protection system leading to premature case closure, so closed before risks are addressed.”

Ms Bucanan said there weren’t enough services to intervene early and help these children. Existing community services needed more support to ease pressure on the system.

“There’s a big gap between child protection and all the services that are needed to make things better. Children are falling through that gap,” she said.

“We see many cases where children live their childhoods with a degree of violence, ­neglect and risk that is hard for us to imagine.

“We need to see more ­attention to these children, they are largely invisible. What is happening to these children is unacceptable, and we are going to need to see more ­attention and investment to improve their lives.”

Numerous issues with the child protection system have been flagged.

During the review of one death, child protection authorities flagged a 55 per cent ­staff vacancy rate. This led to higher workloads that meant staff were forced to prioritise new reports and were limited in following up or checking in on existing cases.

“This is not about child protection workers, they do such important work,” Ms Buchanan said.

“It’s often about them being expected to do much more than anyone can achieve.”

Opposition child protection spokesman Matt Bach said it was horrifying that so many kids known to child protection authorities were dying.

“What’s happening to Victoria’s most vulnerable children, who are supposed to be in the care of the state government is just sickening,” he said.

“It’s also dreadful that so many other children who are supposed to be in care are either missing at any point in time or are the victims.”

CPSU state secretary Karen Batt said authorities should be looking at case caps for staff, along with parenting assistance services and waiving HECS debts to encourage recruitment.

“The (commission) reports are generally seen among the department professionals as consistently overly negative about the work they contribute. And all while the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing is 25 per cent short staffed in the program, with 600 child protection vacancies across the state.”

A department spokesman said on Wednesday: “Victoria’s Child Protection workforce does an enormous amount of work to keep children and families safe – which is why we’re taking ­action to ensure they have the support, skills and resources they need to perform this vital role.

“The Victorian government has invested almost $2.9bn over the past three budgets as part of the Roadmap for Reform, which is transforming services and preventing harm by supporting families sooner and helping young people transition out of care.”