A scathing government review into NSW’s child protection services has found that Aboriginal children remain over represented in care, workers are under resourced and overstressed, and urgent reforms remain unimplemented.
In 2019 the Davis Review found the NSW child protection system is overly complex and difficult to navigate for Aboriginal children and families. It called for signifiant reform, in particular the introduction of Aboriginal Case Management Policy (ACMP) which aims to support Aboriginal people and communities to make decisions about the safety, welfare and wellbeing of their children, families, and communities.
The recent Office of the Children’s Guardian’s special report found that the Davis Review-driven reform, particularly ACMP, requires urgent action and an injection of funding and resources to support a more effective implementation approach.
“A generation of Aboriginal children are currently being lost in a system that needs proper investment and reform – but the latest report says that’s not happening,” said Troy Wright, assistant secretary of the Public Service Association.
“The Office of the Children’s Guardian’s special report is utterly disheartening reading and confirms exactly what our members are constantly telling us – there aren’t the people to meet the needs of the community.”
On 30 June 2021, 43% (6,829) of the children and young people in out-of-home care in NSW were Aboriginal, an increase from 41.4% (6,688) from the year earlier. (NSW Budget Estimates 2020-21).
“Nationally, NSW accounts for a third of all Aboriginal children in care. They are over represented in our child protection system and it is a crisis.
“Yet despite this we know caseworkers are only seeing a third (29%) of kids at risk of serious harm. We need 1,000 more case workers to meet demand.”
The union is calling for the urgent hiring of 1000 further case workers to deliver relief to the existing workforce already suffering extreme burnout, and to assist with better delivering the overdue reforms.
“The only responsible way to improve the child protection and out-of-home care system is resourced recruitment, training, and retention of and properly supported foster carers and case workers through a publicly-funded system.
“Of course it’s not just child protection that has been cut to shreds. Services we know help people rebuild their lives – like drug rehabilitation facilities and domestic violence shelters – have also been stripped of funding.
“Many child protection services have effectively been privatised – with out-of-home care foster placements undertaken through external providers. The total reliance on this sector for service delivery has led to price gouging, cherry picking of clients, and a lack of accountability.
“We want social workers and case workers working with families who need help, not negotiating contracts with unaccountable, untransparent private providers.”