Child protectors feel the pressure

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This was published 13 years ago

Child protectors feel the pressure

By Daniel Hurst

Queensland’s child safety minister has admitted many frontline officers are ‘‘under stress’’ and battling heavy workloads.

Figures tabled in State Parliament yesterday showed the number of Child Safety Services workers taking sick leave in blocks of 10 days or more rose to 97 last financial year, up from 64 two years ago.

Child Safety Services workers are under stress in Queensland.

Child Safety Services workers are under stress in Queensland.

Other data showed the number of assaults against officers that were reported to police rose to 21 last financial year, up from eight in the previous year.

Child Safety Minister Phil Reeves said while the total workforce had doubled in the last six years, he understood many offices were ‘‘under stress with heavy workloads’’.

Fending off opposition attacks about his department’s performance, Mr Reeves said 59 frontline staff would soon be appointed to the regional areas to reduce the burden on workers.

He said these new workers included 35 extra positions announced in the June budget, which were in the process of being allocated to the regions, and 24 One Chance at Childhood staff members to be transferred out of the Brisbane head office.

Mr Reeves said the figures released yesterday showed staff members still had to ‘‘deal with high levels of abuse and assaults from the public and take extended sick leave from work’’.

“These extra staff will help ease this stress and Child Safety Services constantly monitors the caseloads for staff and the flow-on effects these caseloads may have,’’ he said.

Mr Reeves said the increase in assaults referred to police reflected the department’s efforts to encourage staff members to report incidents.

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Opposition child safety spokesman Jack Dempsey accused the minister of cutting recruitment by nearly 30 per cent in the past year.

Mr Dempsey pointed to figures also released yesterday showing the number of officers recruited to Child Safety Services had decreased from 393 in 2008/09 to 286 in 2009/10.

“Instead of getting his office to punch out puff stories on staff recruitment, [Mr Reeves] should be explaining to the people of Queensland why he’s slashed recruitment to his department by nearly 30 per cent at a time when record numbers of his officers are on extended sick and stress leave,” Mr Dempsey said.

Mr Reeves hit back, accusing his opposition counterpart of making basic errors of fact in his media release.

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A foster care report by the Commission for Children and Young People, released earlier this month, said young people and carers who took part in a survey felt child safety officers were “overworked, had unmanageable caseloads and insufficient time to listen to or get to know children and young people”.

dhurst@fairfaxmedia.com.au

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