New child protection practitioner positions filled by Territory Families

Sixteen positions have been filled across the Northern Territory to aid in child safety. The move follows ongoing issues in the protection system.

More child protection workers will be integrated into communities from Alice Springs to Darwin.

Sixteen Territorians are the latest graduates of the Child Protection Practitioner’s course, which focuses on teaching best practice for protecting young people in communities.

The course involved learning and training across investigations and assessment, court and legal proceedings and trauma-informed practice.

The new graduates of the Child Protection Practitioners program. Picture: Supplied

They also learned how to best work with children and young people with disabilities, children facing domestic and family violence and those placed in care.

The newest intake takes the total number of child protection workers to 181.

More workers will be inducted across six courses each year.

Territory Families Minister Kate Worden said the fresh cohort of workers would be vital for the safety of future generations.

“These new practitioners will possess a range of skills that will not only help in their

work with children, but will assist in strengthening relationships with families, which

is ultimately the most important priority for young people,” she said.

“Helping our young people is the key to growing our future generations to be a

success.”

In the past three months, two children died in out-of-home care in the Territory.