Child protection caseworkers say there is a crisis in child protection.

Only one in four children reported to child protection services as at risk of serious harm (ROSH) are being seen by a child protection caseworker.

Right now if cases are allocated they are the most serious and will likely lead to removals, as there simply isn鈥檛 enough staff to intervene early so as to keep children with their families.

The Department鈥檚 own data shows last year, 113,668 Children and Young People were reported as at ROSH in NSW with only 25,899 of them seen – that is 23 per cent of all ROSH reports.

In some parts of the state only 15 per cent of children are seen.

Child protection caseworkers report chronic understaffing and staff burnout.

One in ten child protection caseworker positions are unfilled in NSW. But the vacancy rate on any given day is as high as one in five, often more.

The child protection caseworkers that are left are coping with the extra workload of colleagues who have left.

One in two child protection caseworkers leave in their first two years of employment with the department.

Child protection caseworkers are demanding Minister Kate Washington and the Minns Government immediately:

– Recruit another 500 caseworkers

– Give caseworkers an immediate and substantial pay rise

– De-privatise foster care

Premier Chris Minns needs to intervene, said 色狼社区General Secretary Stewart Little.

鈥淭he most vulnerable kids in this state are at risk of serious harm, or worse, because child protection caseworkers are chronically understaffed and exhausted,鈥� said Mr Little.

鈥淐hild protection workers are now concerned that by exposing vulnerable children to a broken system they may suffer even more harm.

鈥淐hris Minns needs to immediately onboard another 500 child protection caseworkers, and give them a pay bump while he鈥檚 at it, to address the attraction and retention crisis in child protection, otherwise the system will collapse.

鈥淭o be fair the current NSW government didn鈥檛 create this mess but it鈥檚 up to them to fix it.

鈥淐hild protection caseworkers are passionate about their work, and they want the people of Redfern to know no urgent child protection responses will be impacted during their protest, and that skeleton staffing will be maintained at all times during this protest.

鈥淏ut they feel they have to do something as management just aren鈥檛 listening to their concerns,鈥� said Mr Little.

Event Details

What: Child Protection in Crisis 鈥� Campaign Event

When: Wednesday 3 July 2024
12.30pm

Where: 219-241 Cleveland Street, Strawberry Hills NSW 2016

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Yet while the Premier acknowledged the system was not adequately protecting children, he said improving the working conditions of child protection workers was part of the solution, pointing to the removal of the public sector wage cap.

鈥淲e鈥檙e hopeful that the changes we鈥檝e made for the public service across the board will encourage people into this profession as we know many people regard it as a calling,鈥� he said on Monday.

鈥淚 acknowledge the statistics that have been reported are not good enough but we believe investing in our workforce will make a change.鈥�

Yet, despite the wages cap ending in September last year multiple current and former caseworkers told The Telegraph conditions have only got worse.

Of the 113,425 children and young people reported as at risk聽of significant harm from October 1, 2022, until September 30 last year, only 27,138 were seen by Department of Communities and Justice caseworkers, while 86,287 received no visit at all, according to exclusive new data.

If a child is not seen within 28 days, the case is closed.

Yet by June 2023 nearly 33 per cent of children were 颅re-reported within 12 months of their case being closed.

The shocking new statistics come as the Minns government struggles to stop a mass exodus of child protection workers from the industry, many of whom say they are forced to work long hours with no extra pay.

NSW鈥檚 caseworker vacancy rate spiked by five percentage points to 12 per cent between July and September last year, with large numbers of child protection workers claiming workers鈥� compensation due to stress and burnout.

At the end of December, 145 case workers had open workers鈥� compensation claims.

The vacancy rate has increased rapidly since June 2022, when it was at just 2聽per聽cent.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/tens-of-thousands-of-children-at-risk-of-abuse-not-seen-in-person-by-nsw-government-case-workers/news-story/dcca2ed3b934a06310d9ac3cc8165e29

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It comes off the back of 12 years of neglect, and the outsourcing of child protection to for-profit providers, Assistant General Secretary of the Public Service Association Troy Wright said on Sunday.

“Our members have borne the brunt of the previous government’s heartless regime in child protection,
we can see what with the unprecedented burnout, and turnover rates in the sector,”Mr Wright said.

“And what we know now is that these for-profit companies have actually cost the taxpayer more.

“We are seeing terrible outcomes for the state’s most vulnerable kids, a sector so run down and demoralised no-one wants to work in it, and an extraordinary cost to taxpayers.”

Mr Wright said alternative care arrangements, where children are cared for in high-cost emergency accommodation, were introduced as a stop-gap measure, had become a part of day-to-day operational practice.

Non-government organisations haven’t recruited enough or haven’t done enough, and there was a “perverse incentive” for them to use these alternative arrangements.

“They have lost control of this expenditure and they are terrible, terrible placements for the kids, and our members are just screaming from the rafters,” Mr Wright said.

“They are having to consider, even when faced with the most abusive environments, they still have
to weigh up whether they’re better off at home.

The Minister for Family and Communities, Port Stephens MP Kate Washington, agreed the situation
was dire.

Half a billion dollars has gone into paying for “the worst outcomes” over the past two years, creating an “unthinkable” situation where for-profits are “making a penny off the back of vulnerable kids”, Ms
Washington said.

There are more than 480 children in emergency arrangements because there aren’t enough foster
carers, and roughly 140 children in Alternative Care Arrangements, like hotels and motels, with 24/7 shift workers instead of foster carers, she said.

Meanwhile, a departmental review has found that in the financial year 2022-2023, 43 per cent of the children in alternative care arrangements were reported as being at risk of significant harm during that time.

“We need to be moving to a system where we are supporting families prior to children being removed, and if they are removed we need to look at restoring them as quickly as possible,” Ms Washington said.

“But while we have half a billion being spent in two years at the crisis end we need to focus on containing that end while we are looking at the broader reform piece as well.”

Measures to address the situation included a department foster carer recruitment drive, and more supports and training in place for caseworkers to try to address the very high turnover rate, she said.

source:

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Public Service Association general secretary Stewart Little said the Minns
government only needed to look to Canberra for an example of how promises on
wages growth could fall short once in power, saying he was 鈥渂ewildered鈥� by federal
Labor鈥檚 failure to deliver.

鈥淥ne of the great disappointments for me is what I鈥檝e seen in the federal system,鈥�
he said.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think anyone has seen wages get going despite the promises before the
别濒别肠迟颈辞苍.鈥�

Representing tens of thousands of members, the 色狼社区is one of a number of unions,
including the Health Services Union and Nurses and Midwives Association, with
enterprise agreements set to expire on July 1.

Award-growth data in May revealed public sector wages declined by 10 basis points
in the December 2022 quarter, falling to 2.3 per cent. The consumer price index hit
a dizzying 7.8 per cent last year, while the cash rate has jumped from a record low
of 0.1 per cent to 3.85 per cent.

Workers on the minimum wage received a 5.2 per cent lift from the Fair Work
Commission in June last year, after Anthony Albanese advocated for wages to keep
pace with inflation.

Mr Little said he would like to see a clear framework for how the NSW government
would deliver on its vows to increase wages. He said initial negotiations had been
positive but there was nothing concrete to take to members.

鈥淲e need a really clear process, and the really critical thing is that the vast bulk of
the public sector will be waiting for a pay increase from July 1,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey (the
government) need to be minded that there鈥檚 been 11 interest rate rises and the cost
of everything is causing serious pain.鈥�

Neither Mr Minns nor Treasurer Daniel Mookhey have committed to a figure for
public sector pay rises, with ministers negotiating with their respective unions on a
case-by-case basis.

An industrial relations framework to replace the dismantled public sector wages cap
is understood to be in the works, but the legislation is not expected to be
introduced to parliament during the first sitting week beginning on May 9.

After successive years of high inflation, the pace of negotiations has frustrated some
union leaders, including HSU secretary Gerard Hayes. A member of Labor鈥檚
powerful administrative committee, Mr Hayes accused the government of 鈥渄ragging
its feet鈥� on pay bargaining, saying the delays were unacceptable in light of rocketing
interest rates and real wages in reverse.

Health workers on the NSW north coast walked off on the job on Tuesday as part
of the first industrial action against the Minns government, with Mr Hayes warning
it would be the first of a series of strikes if union demands were not met.

By MAX MADDISON
NSW POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT

The Australian
MAY 5, 2023

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/union-boss-warns-minns-against-albo-great-disappointment/news-story/9cb457f1799cd31a5da0fdbe340f35c5

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Employees from the ministries of health, education, justice, transport and customer service decided to proceed with industrial action after their union rejected the state government’s offer of a 3聽per cent wage increase, which was announced by Premier Dominic Perrottet earlier this week.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-08/nsw-public-sector-employees-strike-and-march-for-pay-rise/101134386

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A statement from the union asserts 10 jobs are set to go at the Grains Agronomy and Pathology Partnership (GAPP) at the end of this financial year. The union said a further 20 GAPP jobs will go at Tamworth.

The Daily Advertiser approached the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) and the Minister for Agriculture Dugald Saunders, but neither would confirm or deny the union’s claims.

The $130 million partnership between the聽NSW聽and federal governments was announced five years ago and has been successful in developing drought-resistant crops.

The GAPP is a partnership between the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GDRC) and the DPI.

The partnership has three major investment areas, namely winter crop agronomy research, winter crop pathology research and an infrastructure, capacity building and skills development program.

It is understood the GAPP employs a number of other staff in towns and cities across聽NSW聽and QLD.

A statement from the聽PSA聽said as climate change takes hold winter crops like chickpeas, canola and wheat will need to be developed for聽NSW’s northern and southern cropping districts which can cope with high heat and low water.

Despite this, the union claims field scientists and technicians at the GAPP program have been told to clear out their desks by June 30 after the state government pulled funds.

Assistant聽PSA聽secretary聽Troy Wright聽said the apparent decision by the state government beggars belief.

“We live in a sunburnt country which we know is getting more and more parched and this mob in Macquarie Street are pinching pennies,” Mr Wright said.

“Researchers shouldn’t have to beg for funds. Imagine if nurses asked sick people for 50 dollars or police let victims of crime buy them lunch,” he said.

“Surely our farming industry isn’t going to suffer due to a power struggle between state and federal LNP governments and farmers over who will pay for inventing global warming-proof chickpeas, canola or rye?

“Our farmers and rural communities have suffered through droughts, fires, floods, and a global pandemic and Premier Perrottet thinks this is the time to start playing chicken with the state’s agricultural future.”

A spokesperson for the DPI said their five-year partnership contract with the GRDC is due end on June 30 with negotiations for a future partnership currently underway.

https://www.dailyadvertiser.com.au/story/7728024/union-claims-10-wagga-research-jobs-under-threat/

ABC NEWS Story https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-09/nsw-climate-change-research-project-could-be-cut/101049002

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Officers at Mid North Coast jail near Kempsey, where the 2020 incident occurred, started the action after voting to go on a 24 hour strike on Wednesday morning.

It is understood officers at other prisons across NSW are also striking in solidarity.

The snap strike was sparked by a letter Attorney General Mark Speakman sent to an officer taken hostage by an inmate in 2020.

It is understood that prison officers were angered that Mr Speakman鈥檚 letter, received on Tuesday, failed to address concerns about the sentences handed to the inmate over two offences.

The strike comes on a day when the state is facing a major flooding disaster across much of the coast, and a week after Sydney鈥檚 train network was shut down last week amid industrial action from rail workers.

Corrections Minister Geoff Lee said he was 鈥渆xtremely disappointed鈥� at the strike decision.

鈥淚 am extremely disappointed in the conduct of the Public Service Association today, on a day when the rest of the state is focused on the natural disaster unfolding along our coastline,鈥� he said.

鈥淭he last thing our state needs right now is unions walking off the job when our communities are experiencing one of the worst flooding disasters in our state鈥檚 history. I urge the 色狼社区to reverse this decision, stop this action immediately and work with government to ensure our staff and our community are kept safe.鈥�

However, Dr Lee said he had sympathy for prison officers鈥� concerns with current sentencing guidelines but said his hands were tied in fixing the issue.

鈥淧ersonally I understand why they鈥檙e doing it but we have a process that we have to go through,鈥� he said.

鈥淧rison officers should be treated just like any other first responders鈥�

It鈥檚 understood Dr Lee wants recommendations from the sentencing council enacted which would allow tougher sentences to be handed out to inmates who assault officers.

by James O’Doherty, The Daily Telegraph’s State Political Editor. He joined The Telegraph in 2020 from Sky News.

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Prison officers have walked off the job, demanding support from the government after a prisoner 鈥済ot a slap on the wrist鈥� after he held a shiv at the neck of a prison officer in 2020.

Minister Lee said, in a statement, 鈥�I am extremely disappointed in the reckless and illegal conduct of the 色狼社区today, on a day when the rest of the state is focused on the natural disaster unfolding along our coastline鈥�.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I can call a Minister of the Crown a dickhead,鈥� Ray said, 鈥渂ut by gee, I鈥檓 close to calling you a complete dickhead.鈥�

鈥淭hink about supporting those men and women who protect us from these lunatics in jails!鈥�

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Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, it is clear NSW has failed to deliver on that promise.

NSW used to provide 40 per cent of the state’s disability services, but since the arrival of NDIS the state government has executed a carefully coordinated retreat from all front-line disability services.

There is now no government-run safety net for people with disability in NSW.

The COVID-19 crisis unfolding in NSW’s disability group homes is on par with the other privatised sector responsible for looking after vulnerable people: aged care.

But while the response to the crisis in aged care has seen the army sent in, as well as ongoing access to a surge workforce and the national PPE stockpiles, and retention pay for staff, again the disability sector has been left wanting.

More than two months after Premier Dominic Perrottet let Omicron rip throughout the state, rapid antigen tests (RATs) will finally be provided to these workers.

But, in reality, this is too little too late, as the sector reported roster vacancies of up to 30 per cent amid the peak of the Omicron wave.

As of early February, federal Department of Health figures revealed 650 NSW NDIS participants have COVID-19, 1259 had recovered, and 22 had died.

Among NDIS support workers in NSW, 1060 currently have the virus, and 2101 had recovered.

On the ground, CPSU NSW members are telling the union of starting shifts at group homes only to belatedly find out there are COVID-19 cases at the home, and an ongoing lack of access to PPE or RATs.

In one instance, a psychologist refused to see a resident because they couldn’t be tested for COVID-19.

This resulted in that resident not receiving an updated behaviour plan and new medication – and then that resident assaulted a worker.

These workers are looking after people who can’t necessarily protect themselves from COVID-19 and who are also the most likely to become seriously unwell and need hospital if they contract COVID-19.

But throughout the pandemic every opportunity to give them early and extra protection, from vaccinations to rapid tests, has been squandered.

This would not have happened if they were publicly run.

We know that because we just need to look at the state’s actions where it retains its responsibility for people.

In NSW’s prisons there has been access to RATs since September 2021.

Outbreaks have been quickly contained and staff have been trained and consistently asked to use PPE.

Hospitals have been stretched, but the state’s health care workers have been able to rely on employer-provided tests and PPE.

Even as we packed our kids’ lunchboxes, parents had free tests handy.

But because NSW’s disability sector is now completely privately run there has been no meaningful, consistent support to stay safe.

The private operators, mostly run by charities, are reluctant to speak out – they risk losing lucrative contracts.

They’re torn between advocating for their people, or trying to get on with an already tough job.

They don’t have the market power or scale to buy up tests or PPE, they’ve been left to compete on the free market.

Treating people with a disability as if they’re customers bargain hunting for services fundamentally undermines the spirit of the NDIS.

The intention was to empower people to have more control over their care, not to create a market for operators to cash in on the services people need to live their lives.

The NSW Government likes to say that the NDIS provides people with choice, and the freedom to manage their own clinical needs.

In practice, however, the idea of “choice” is meaningless. And it’s particularly meaningless if you live in regional NSW, where there are fewer services.

What choice is there when you live in an area where there are no services?

What choice do you have if your local provider turns you away because your needs are too complex?

Deciding between protecting yourself from the virus or accepting needed support from a worker who doesn’t have access to tests is no choice at all.

But because NSW’s disability sector is now completely privately run there has been no meaningful, consistent support to stay safe.”

Stewart Little is branch secretary of the Community and Public Sector Union NSW

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SOME Central West TAFE campuses lost up to half of their full time staff between 2012 and 2019, according to figures obtained by the聽NSW聽opposition.

The papers provided by TAFE聽NSW聽to聽NSW聽Parliament under a Standing Order 52 show Orange lost almost one-in-three full time staff – or 83 jobs.

At Bathurst, almost onein-five full-time TAFE jobs disappeared during the same seven year period.

At Forbes and Parkes TAF-Es, the number of full-time employees halved.

Shadow Minister for Skills and TAFE Tim Crakanthorp said statewide, TAFE had lost 4500 TAFE teachers and support staff since 2012, representing one third of the workforce.

In 2012 there were 15,080 full time staff. In 2019, that number had fallen to 10,537.

He said it was “ludicrous” to think TAFE could provide the same opportunities for young people, and for retraining, as it once did, given the job losses.

“There is a massive skills shortage at the momentwe’re talking 80 to 90,000 skilled positions that need to be filled and this government has cut a third of the workforce…they’re ramping TAFE down instead of ramping it up and now they can’t train those people”

“We need TAFE performing at its best and it can’t do it without teachers and it can’t do it without resources.”

But the government says Labor is wrong, labelling the figures as “inaccurate” and “misleading.

Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education Geoff Lee said the campus level data could not be used to draw these conclusions because many staff work at multiple campuses but are only counted once in data.

“Many positions also have their default location set at Ultimo campus regardless of where they are working from.

“This means some TAFE聽NSW聽Bathurst, Dubbo and Orange employees may be counted as Ultimo staff. As well as this, the data Labor refer to was collated from obsolete systems using different calculation methods.

“Labor has already been told the campus level data they are using is not accurate.”

Mr Lee said over the last year, the total number of employees at Bathurst, Dubbo and Orange had increased by 17.

He said since 2019, the聽NSW聽Government had invested around $4 million to fund scholarships to encourage industry professionals to become TAFE Teachers.

There were 10,599 full time equivalent employees at TAFE聽NSW聽across the state as of June 30 2021 and in the last 12 months, TAFE聽NSW聽has recruited 976 new teachers, he said.

Meanwhile, the Community and Public Sector Union has confirmed that 52 TAFE jobs it warned would be lost in the Central West this year, including 15 positions in Orange, 15 from Bathurst, and 12 in Dubbo – have been cut. Roles that were in in Lithgow, Parkes, Forbes, Mudgee, Coonabarabran, Coonamble and Lake Cargelligo had also gone, the union said.

CPSU NSW Branch Secretary Stewart Little said the cuts came without community consultation.

“They have just been lumped with job cuts with no say about how that will impact on the students.”

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