Lismore caseworkers walk out over understaffing
Community services staff at Lismore have refused to meet Minister for Community Services Pru Goward today, walking off the job in protest at understaffing and a lack of resources, according to the Public Service Association of NSW.
Assistant Secretary Steve Turner said Lismore staff could not in good faith accept a visit from Minister Goward while she allowed staff shortages and ongoing job cuts to place vulnerable children at risk of harm across the state
鈥淲hat we鈥檙e seeing across NSW is an outpouring of Community Services workers鈥 frustration at having one hand tied behind their backs when dealing with children at risk and their families,鈥 Mr Turner said.
鈥淛ob cuts and a freeze on recruitment have choked the NSW Community Services Department.
鈥淪taff find themselves overwhelmed by insufficient resources and a high administration burden that stops them from essential face-to-face work with vulnerable children and their families.
鈥淭he Minister promised vacancies would be filled by 2012, but last week she admitted the Coniston office was running at a 22% vacancy rate.
鈥淥ur members report a vacancy rate as high as 40% in some offices across the state 鈥 you can鈥檛 hope to get your job done when you鈥檙e understaffed to that extent.
鈥淭hree years after the Wood Report, which exposed the crippling red-tape and chronic under-resourcing of child protection in NSW, the situation has only become worse.
鈥淭he Minister must confront the reality that we can鈥檛 do child protection on the cheap, we need more staff and resources, not less.
鈥淐aseworkers call on Minister Goward to urgently fill all vacancies across the state and put an immediate end to job cuts,鈥 Mr Turner said.
Contact: Steve Turner 0418 675 564 / Jane Garcia 0434 489 533