Published Thursday, 08 March, 2007 at 10:37 AM
Minister for Child Safety
The Honourable Desley Boyle
New practice branch to strengthen frontline child protection
Queensland’s frontline child safety workers will soon be able to call in the experts for specialist practice advice on the most complicated cases, Child Safety Minister Desley Boyle says.
Ms Boyle has approved $600,000 for a new Practice Development and Support Branch for the Department of Child Safety, which will bring together a high-level team of experts in child protection to support Child Safety Officers right across the State.
“Child Safety officers make very difficult decisions every day of their work lives. These decisions are not happy ones. They work with vulnerable, damaged, crisis-ridden, unhappy and angry families,” Ms Boyle said.
“The children they work to protect are frequently confused, have health problems or disabilities, behaviour problems and may themselves be sad, angry or rebellious.
“Particularly with older children and adolescents with a long history of family dysfunction, the casework can be particularly difficult.
“Child Safety Officers are routinely criticised, by members of the families involved, by foster carers, by media and by members of the public who mean well but have little factual basis for the conclusions they reach.
“As the number of child protection notifications increases, as the number of children in care continues to climb, at a time when human services professionals are in short supply, the Department of Child Safety is - especially in rural and remote areas - short-staffed.
“In this climate it is important that our Child Safety Officers are supported with the latest and best information on practice from around the world; that they have access to expert advice; that they are supported with supervision and professional development - for their own careers but, more importantly, to ensure they provide our vulnerable children with the best service we can offer.
“This new branch will support Child Safety Officers all over Queensland – in the urban and regional centres, right through to rural and remote areas.
“Child Safety Officers will be able to call on a highly-experienced team that can pull together the latest research and what is working for children with similar problems in other parts of Queensland or Australia.
“These experts will use that information and work with frontline staff in their offices to create the best plan possible for the child.
“While our Child Safety Officers have university degrees, on-the-job training and team leaders and senior practitioners to go to for advice, some cases need extra expertise.”
Ms Boyle said the branch would provide practical mentoring for senior practitioners and team leaders and complement their role by offering a phone helpline for Child Safety Officers to call for advice.
“The branch will also review case plans to identify and showcase best practice and to see where things could be done better or where staff may need more training.
“This branch will play a key role in building a world-class child protection system,” Ms Boyle said.
“They will research the world’s best practices in child protection, assess how they fit with Queensland’s policies and how they could be used here.
“They will create fact sheets on the best and latest techniques and visit offices to talk staff through them.”
The new branch will have 12 staff, with recruitment to start within weeks. It is expected to be up and running by mid-year.
Ms Boyle said there had been many improvements to child protection in Queensland since the new Department of Child Safety was created in 2004.
“We have implemented 108 of the Crime and Misconduct Commission’s 110 recommendations and the final two are on track.
“This new branch is not a CMC recommendation – it’s a recommendation from our staff who want to do the right thing by Queensland children.
“It is terrific to see that staff, despite already adapting to multiple changes over a short period, are continuing to look for better ways to do things.”
Ends
Media contact: 3224 7477
8 March 2007
Ms Boyle has approved $600,000 for a new Practice Development and Support Branch for the Department of Child Safety, which will bring together a high-level team of experts in child protection to support Child Safety Officers right across the State.
“Child Safety officers make very difficult decisions every day of their work lives. These decisions are not happy ones. They work with vulnerable, damaged, crisis-ridden, unhappy and angry families,” Ms Boyle said.
“The children they work to protect are frequently confused, have health problems or disabilities, behaviour problems and may themselves be sad, angry or rebellious.
“Particularly with older children and adolescents with a long history of family dysfunction, the casework can be particularly difficult.
“Child Safety Officers are routinely criticised, by members of the families involved, by foster carers, by media and by members of the public who mean well but have little factual basis for the conclusions they reach.
“As the number of child protection notifications increases, as the number of children in care continues to climb, at a time when human services professionals are in short supply, the Department of Child Safety is - especially in rural and remote areas - short-staffed.
“In this climate it is important that our Child Safety Officers are supported with the latest and best information on practice from around the world; that they have access to expert advice; that they are supported with supervision and professional development - for their own careers but, more importantly, to ensure they provide our vulnerable children with the best service we can offer.
“This new branch will support Child Safety Officers all over Queensland – in the urban and regional centres, right through to rural and remote areas.
“Child Safety Officers will be able to call on a highly-experienced team that can pull together the latest research and what is working for children with similar problems in other parts of Queensland or Australia.
“These experts will use that information and work with frontline staff in their offices to create the best plan possible for the child.
“While our Child Safety Officers have university degrees, on-the-job training and team leaders and senior practitioners to go to for advice, some cases need extra expertise.”
Ms Boyle said the branch would provide practical mentoring for senior practitioners and team leaders and complement their role by offering a phone helpline for Child Safety Officers to call for advice.
“The branch will also review case plans to identify and showcase best practice and to see where things could be done better or where staff may need more training.
“This branch will play a key role in building a world-class child protection system,” Ms Boyle said.
“They will research the world’s best practices in child protection, assess how they fit with Queensland’s policies and how they could be used here.
“They will create fact sheets on the best and latest techniques and visit offices to talk staff through them.”
The new branch will have 12 staff, with recruitment to start within weeks. It is expected to be up and running by mid-year.
Ms Boyle said there had been many improvements to child protection in Queensland since the new Department of Child Safety was created in 2004.
“We have implemented 108 of the Crime and Misconduct Commission’s 110 recommendations and the final two are on track.
“This new branch is not a CMC recommendation – it’s a recommendation from our staff who want to do the right thing by Queensland children.
“It is terrific to see that staff, despite already adapting to multiple changes over a short period, are continuing to look for better ways to do things.”
Ends
Media contact: 3224 7477
8 March 2007