Published Thursday, 08 March, 2007 at 11:45 AM
Minister for Child Safety
The Honourable Desley Boyle
Local training for regional Child Safety Officers
New Child Safety Officers are able to train closer to home from this year with the roll-out of regional training teams, Child Safety Minister Desley Boyle says.
The Department of Child Safety has already set up new training teams based in Rockhampton and Townsville and recruitment will start within weeks for the Cairns team.
“Since the new Department of Child Safety was created in 2004 we’ve been building our workforce and we now have about 830 Child Safety Officers,” Ms Boyle said. (Figures as at October 2006)
“These are our frontline staff who work directly with children who have been abused and neglected.
“All our Child Safety Officers have university degrees in human services or related fields and, when they start work for the Department, they do more training.”
Ms Boyle said training had been Brisbane-based but, after a successful trial in Rockhampton last year, this year training would also be run from Rockhampton, Townsville and Cairns.
“Starting any new job can be stressful, so I’m sure regional officers will be pleased they can train closer to home,” Ms Boyle said.
The training program for Child Safety Officers has also been revamped to run for six months and includes:
• one week orientation at their new Child Safety Service Centre;
• three weeks intensive training (in Brisbane or a regional centre) using scenarios to show what the job actually involves and where to find information to guide problem-solving, such as legislation, the intranet or practice manual;
• five months of on-the-job supervised training and completing a workbook and;
• one week in Brisbane with presentations from community partners such as Foster Care Queensland and CREATE (advocates for children in care) and an introduction into further training available online.
“This training is mandatory for all our new Child Safety Officers – including temporary staff,” Ms Boyle said.
“Working with children who have been abused, they are faced with so many scenarios and so many complications. This training shows them how to go about actually investigating suspected abuse, assessing a child and ensuring their long-term safety.
“It also makes sure they know what resources they can tap into, such as specialist practice papers on the intranet and the Child Safety Practice Manual.”
Ms Boyle said 23 Child Safety Officers took part in the trial at Rockhampton from March to September last year and altogether 112 people have started the new training program in Rockhampton, Townsville and Brisbane.
Previously, Child Safety Officer training ran for nine weeks with staff alternating between on-the-job training and time in Brisbane.
Ends
Media contact: 3224 7477
9 March 2007
The Department of Child Safety has already set up new training teams based in Rockhampton and Townsville and recruitment will start within weeks for the Cairns team.
“Since the new Department of Child Safety was created in 2004 we’ve been building our workforce and we now have about 830 Child Safety Officers,” Ms Boyle said. (Figures as at October 2006)
“These are our frontline staff who work directly with children who have been abused and neglected.
“All our Child Safety Officers have university degrees in human services or related fields and, when they start work for the Department, they do more training.”
Ms Boyle said training had been Brisbane-based but, after a successful trial in Rockhampton last year, this year training would also be run from Rockhampton, Townsville and Cairns.
“Starting any new job can be stressful, so I’m sure regional officers will be pleased they can train closer to home,” Ms Boyle said.
The training program for Child Safety Officers has also been revamped to run for six months and includes:
• one week orientation at their new Child Safety Service Centre;
• three weeks intensive training (in Brisbane or a regional centre) using scenarios to show what the job actually involves and where to find information to guide problem-solving, such as legislation, the intranet or practice manual;
• five months of on-the-job supervised training and completing a workbook and;
• one week in Brisbane with presentations from community partners such as Foster Care Queensland and CREATE (advocates for children in care) and an introduction into further training available online.
“This training is mandatory for all our new Child Safety Officers – including temporary staff,” Ms Boyle said.
“Working with children who have been abused, they are faced with so many scenarios and so many complications. This training shows them how to go about actually investigating suspected abuse, assessing a child and ensuring their long-term safety.
“It also makes sure they know what resources they can tap into, such as specialist practice papers on the intranet and the Child Safety Practice Manual.”
Ms Boyle said 23 Child Safety Officers took part in the trial at Rockhampton from March to September last year and altogether 112 people have started the new training program in Rockhampton, Townsville and Brisbane.
Previously, Child Safety Officer training ran for nine weeks with staff alternating between on-the-job training and time in Brisbane.
Ends
Media contact: 3224 7477
9 March 2007