Frustrated Child Commissioner says residential care needs to be ‘turned on its head’

Queensland’s Family and Child Commissioner’s evidence at the inquest into the death of Bradley Smith said there were many ‘missed opportunities’ through the cracks of a disjointed care system.

Queensland Family and Child Commission Principal Commissioner Luke Twyford outside the Queensland Coroner's Court during a break in proceedings in the coronial inquest into the death of Bradley Smith. Picture: Brendan Radke

Queensland’s Family and Child Commissioner has given evidence at the inquest into the death of 14-year-old Bradley Smith, expressing concerns the boy’s outcomes were “predictable and preventable” as he fell through the cracks of a disjointed care system.

Bradley, who was in the care of the Department of Child Safety, died in a stolen car crash in February 2022.

Principal Commissioner Luke Twyford, whose organisation manages the Child Death Review Board and provides advocacy and advice for children, said Bradley’s care was managed through “multiple government systems” and that these systems and the workers within them were “unable to meet his needs”.

Mr Twyford said residential care in Queensland was wracked with problems and the road map he created to improve systems for the more than 12,000 children in care had been abandoned by the Queensland Government.

He said his investigations showed case workers were generally spending less than 20 per cent of their time on children and the rest of the time on paperwork, risk management, red tape, contracts and commissioning.

Memorials were laid at the base of a tree in February 2022 where the stolen car came to a rest on Pease Street, killing 14-year-old Bradley Smith.

It was also revealed that children were entering residential care too young, were moved often, stayed there for too long and were cared for by shift workers who came and went.

He said many children in residential care had no responsible adult who was their “go-to point” and Bradley’s case had been very concerning.

“The board and myself were particularly concerned … that the outcomes for Bradley had been predictable and preventable and that we continued to see multiple cases of children in care whose needs were not being met by the system,” he said.

“There is a culture of fear and defensiveness and, collectively, I believe the system perpetuates itself.

“The use of residential care in Queensland has lost its nuance and purpose.”

The inquest has heard from Bradley’s family members, police officers, inspectors, youth workers and child safety officers during more than a week of evidence.

The Child Safety senior team leader who oversaw some of Bradley’s care gave evidence that a review of the care from service provider ITEC found “inadequacies” in meeting Bradley’s complex needs.

She told the court Bradley’s care was co-ordinated by a large number of organisations due to his complex needs and recent escalations in his relationship with youth justice and his placements.

A Child Safety supervisor gave evidence that Bradley’s complex care was coordinated by a large number of organisations. Picture: Facebook

She said a review found that his needs were not being met and there was difficulty engaging with Bradley.

The review called for ITEC to meet a number of inadequacies in order to meet Bradley’s needs and to improve standards of care.

She also said staff were advocating for a single tenancy which would mean that Bradley would live in a two-bedroom apartment staffed around the clock by youth workers.

“A single tenancy may have been beneficial for Bradley as it would take out the factor of relationships with other children in care as well as provide him more one-on-one support,” she said.

She said Bradley would have benefited from a therapeutic residential care placement which was designed for children in care with higher needs and complex disability and psychological factors.

She said there was, and still were, no therapeutic care placements in the Cairns region.

A man who was employed by ITEC at the time, who cannot be named for legal purposes, told the court he had made inquiries into becoming Bradley’s foster carer.

The court heard the man worked extensively with Bradley and had created a close bond through ITEC until he was ultimately terminated from his position.

He said the relationship between ITEC and Child Safety “lacked stability and was largely transactional”.

Bradley Smith, 14, pictured with his sister, had experienced a number of “chaotic” residential placements before his death.

He said Bradley feared returning to his placements at times after he was beaten by an older female co-tenant.

He said other placements were “chaotic”, with three other young people with complex needs staying at the same property.

“Finding a suitable placement was the number one priority,” he said.

The court heard a number of complex care meetings were attended by his team as his behaviours became more high risk.

The man said Bradley had repeatedly expressed his desire to live with him and he raised the possibility of becoming his foster carer with the ITEC managing director, who discouraged it due to possible conflicts of interest.

The man told the court he submitted an application to become an approved foster carer which was ultimately denied after Bradley’s death.

When asked why they had such a strong bond, the man responded, “I was there through some of his most vulnerable times and I never left”.

Originally published as Frustrated Child Commissioner says residential care needs to be ‘turned on its head’