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Childcare warning: ‘Staff are not told anything because of privacy considerations, leaving abusers to work for as much as two years’

A Victorian childcare worker accused of grooming children was free to work for more than a year while under investigation. An industry expert says similar cases will keep happening due to a “massive flaw” placing children at serious risk.

The privacy of predators is placed ahead of children’s safety, with educators facing serious allegations free to continue working for years, a veteran childcare specialist has warned.

Belle Spillman, who has been advising the childcare industry for more than 20 years, said the lack of co-ordination between regulatory agencies was a “massive flaw” placing children at serious risk.

Her experience underscores the need for state and national reform foreshadowed by Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan.

“There needs to be national register so a serious report to the Commissioner for Children and Young People (CCYP) puts a red flag or halt on the Working with Children’s Check straight away,” Ms Spillman said.

Jacinta Allan has foreshadowed the need for state and national reform. Picture: David Crosling
Jacinta Allan has foreshadowed the need for state and national reform. Picture: David Crosling

“This is not happening. Staff are not told anything because of privacy considerations, leaving abusers to work for as much as two years,” she said.

“At the moment, you can’t ring the CCYP and see if they are investigating the person you want to recruit because of the need to protect their privacy.

“Everything is kept so confidential; if a centre makes a claim, you don’t even get a copy and you won’t know the outcome of the investigation.

Childcare specialist Belle Spillman says the privacy of predators is placed ahead of children’s safety. Picture: Mark Stewart
Childcare specialist Belle Spillman says the privacy of predators is placed ahead of children’s safety. Picture: Mark Stewart

“There are multiple agencies and departments involved and none are properly communicating with the other,” Ms Spillman said.

One Victorian childcare worker accused of grooming children in a range of outer northern centres was finally banned for five years when his Working with Children Check was cancelled, but he was free to work for more than a year while under investigation in 2023.

One staff member said she “went to every centre in the area to tell them to watch out for that guy” but he was still employed at five more centres before being banned.

There are fears children are being put at risk over a lack of co-ordination between regulatory agencies.
There are fears children are being put at risk over a lack of co-ordination between regulatory agencies.

“I was breaching industry confidentiality in order to keep kids safe. It’s not just male workers, but females too.”

A mother-of-two from Craigieburn whose child was cared for by the man said he would “put my daughter on his lap on the swings and hug her and hold her hands”.

Ms Spillman said industry insiders are calling for a national vulnerable person’s check to cover aged care, childcare and disability, with notifications of abuse automatically putting a hold on a worker’s registration. This would form a national register.

Ms Spillman said the issues were compounded by a staff shortage which led to graduate diploma students from overseas were hired by childcare centres with backgrounds in IT or business and no experience working with children.

“Services are so desperate that they are being hired – desperate times, desperate measures.”

Out of the hundreds of childcare workers who are banned from working with children, only those who are registered teachers are named publicly when they are suspended.

Originally published as Childcare warning: ‘Staff are not told anything because of privacy considerations, leaving abusers to work for as much as two years’

Original URL: https://www.themercury.com.au/news/victoria/childcare-warning-staff-are-not-told-anything-because-of-privacy-considerations-leaving-abusers-to-work-for-as-much-as-two-years/news-story/f0fe59060fa3539e2ab2bc4fc27ec96c