In the lead up to the release of the State budget, the Queensland government has announced the largest funding injection in a decade to bolster the number of ‘front-line’ staff in the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services – an extra 236 new child safety workers this coming financial year increasing to 292 in 2018-19.
When announcing the new funding on Saturday, 10th June, the Honourable Shannon Fentiman MP, Minister for Communities, Women and Youth, Minister for Child Safety and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence said that the additional $200 million investment would fund extra staff, bring down caseloads, and improve practice and support to children, parents and carers.
Minister Fentiman made specific reference to escalated reporting of domestic and family violence and the growing prevalence of ice use among families as reasons for families needing additional support to grapple with complex issues around violence and ice addiction.
“That’s why we are investing $7.4 million over three years to help families struggling with an addiction to ice,” she said.
What the new investment will fund
- $62.9 million for 68 child safety officers and 50 new senior child safety officers, with the newly established senior child safety officer position intended to create an enhanced career pathway for experienced workers to stay working directly with children and families.Of these positions, 90 will be created in 2017-18 with a further 28 in 2018-19.
- $16.2 million for 40 new child safety support officer positions to work in teams with child safety officers and provide more dedicated support to children living in out of home of care. 30 of these positions will be created in 2017-18 with a further 10 in 2018-19.
- $10.6 million for 40 new administration officers positions in Child Safety Service Centres to support front line workers. 25 of these positions will be created in 2017-18 with a further 15 in 2018-19.
- $10.3 million for 20 new Child Safety Senior Team Leaders positions to improve supervision and ensure experienced workers are on hand to work with staff on complex cases. 14 of these positions will be created in 2017-18, with a further 6 in 2018-19.
- $7.8 million for an additional 20 child safety staff to form a relief pool to backfill for staff on leave.
- $3.7 million for an additional seven child safety staff to form mobile, specialist practice teams to provide additional professional development and support for new staff.
- $2.2 million for additional mobile devices to support child safety staff working in the community with families and carers.
Additionally, $5.5 million has been allocated to increase Intensive family support services delivered by the recently established network of Family and Child Connect services.
New investment is ‘on top of’ other already announced measures
- $17.4 million for 33 new child and family service staff to implement a new service centre improvement program
- $5.4 million for 12 new Child Safety Officers to work with Hospitals and Health Services
- $8.9 million for 20 nurses to work in Family and Child Connect Services
- $18.3 million to support the recruitment of 1,000 more foster carers and provide a new child care cost gap payment to help carers access child care and kindergarten
- $9.2 million for 13 new child safety staff to boost the new Morayfield Child Safety Service Centre, and
- $6.9 million for new foster and kinship carer support through independent and specialised support services
PeakCare welcomes the announcement of the new funding made by Minister Fentiman as a worthy investment in both instilling increased public confidence in the child protection system and most importantly, in improving the timeliness and quality of services being provided to Queensland children and families. In particular, PeakCare applauds the enhanced career pathways being made available to experienced child protection practitioners.In keeping with the State government’s commitment to Our Way, a twenty year strategy to improve the safety and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, PeakCare would like to see a concerted effort by the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services in ensuring that the staff recruitment incorporate strategies to enhance career opportunities and advancement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff.
In addition to the additional number of child safety staff, PeakCare welcomes the allocation of an additional $5.5 million to bolster services being delivered by the recently established network of Family and Child Connect services.
PeakCare is looking forward to more good news for the non-government sector when the State budget is announced. In particular, it is hoped that the budget will assist non-government organisations that are dealing with wage rise pressures and take some steps towards addressing the historical disparity that has existed between government and non-government sector salaries.