Published Wednesday, 28 March, 2007 at 09:03 AM
Minister for Child Safety
The Honourable Desley Boyle
Child Safety survey shows improvements but more needed
Child safety staff have been surveyed for the second time since the new department was created and the results show staff members believe there have been big improvements.
Child Safety Minister Desley Boyle said: “The survey results are encouraging and show our workers believe we’re heading in the right direction and things are improving for children.
“But the survey also highlighted areas where we definitely need to lift our game and we have been working on addressing those concerns,” Ms Boyle said.
The survey was done between June and July 2006 and 440 staff responded. It follows the first survey of staff done in May 2005 when 212 staff responded.
Staff answered “agree”, “disagree” or “neutral” to a series of questions.
Some of the key positives include:
• 80% of staff agreed the Child Safety Department strives to provide the best possible service for children (only 30% agreed in 2005)
• 81% of staff agreed the Child Safety Department has made significant progress in improving its focus on the interests of children (63% agreed in the 2005 survey)
• 83% of staff agreed the Child Safety Practice Manual provides adequate guidance on policies and procedures (not asked in 2005 survey)
• 61% of staff agreed there had been significant progress in improving children’s opportunity for involvement in decisions about their case plan (not asked in 2005 survey)
Areas that are better but need more improvement include:
• 44% of staff agreed child safety officers have the knowledge and skills they need to provide effective responses to children (33% agreed in 2005)
• 36% of staff agreed that appropriate training is accessible to service delivery staff (30% agreed in 2005)
• 24% of staff agreed recruitment strategies have been effective in attracting high quality staff (18% agreed in 2005)
“Since the survey was done the training program for Child Safety Officers has been improved. It now runs for six months and includes a one week orientation at their new Child Safety Service Centre, three weeks intensive training in Brisbane or a regional centre, and five months of on-the-job supervised training.
“We also have the new I.T. system up and running which gives instant access to state-wide records and we’ve announced an extra $5 million funding to improve record keeping and tackle the backlog of cases not yet completed.
“Attracting high quality staff is a challenge for all employers, not just this department. We have introduced bridging courses to enable professionals from other fields to make the change to child safety. Seven Queensland universities now offer specialised child protection courses. Our managers throughout the state are also being more targeted about who they approach as potential officers.
“One troubling statistic in the survey is that only 14% of staff agree the public understands the role, responsibilities and services offered by the Department of Child Safety.
“We need to do a better job in telling people that child safety workers, along with foster carers, really are community heroes who do their best to protect vulnerable children often in very difficult circumstances,” Ms Boyle said.
Foster carers and non government organisations that work in child protection were also surveyed.
The highlights of the carer survey were:
• 94% of carers were satisfied with their knowledge and skills in meeting the needs of children in their care (98% satisfied in 2005)
• 71% of carers were satisfied with the help they receive from their support worker (65% satisfied in 2005)
• 74% of carers were satisfied with the services available to meet children’s needs (52% satisfied in 2005)
Areas that are better but need more improvement include:
• 43% of carers feel respected and valued by the Child Safety Department (30% satisfied in 2005)
• 49% of carers feel respected and valued by the community (32% in 2005)
“I want 100% of carers to feel they are respected by both the Department and the community. We certainly do value them. They are the backbone of our system and we are working on getting that message across,” Ms Boyle said.
Key points from the survey of non government organisations (NGOs) include:
• 62% of staff in NGOs believe services in their area are of a high standard (51% in 2005)
• 59% of staff in NGOs agreed the department supports NGOs to deliver services to their child protection clients (40% in 2005)
“These annual surveys will continue. Seeking the views of staff, foster carers and our non government partners is an important way of checking how we are going and gaining feedback on how we can improve,” Ms Boyle said.
Ends
Media contact: 3224 7477
28 March 2007
Child Safety Minister Desley Boyle said: “The survey results are encouraging and show our workers believe we’re heading in the right direction and things are improving for children.
“But the survey also highlighted areas where we definitely need to lift our game and we have been working on addressing those concerns,” Ms Boyle said.
The survey was done between June and July 2006 and 440 staff responded. It follows the first survey of staff done in May 2005 when 212 staff responded.
Staff answered “agree”, “disagree” or “neutral” to a series of questions.
Some of the key positives include:
• 80% of staff agreed the Child Safety Department strives to provide the best possible service for children (only 30% agreed in 2005)
• 81% of staff agreed the Child Safety Department has made significant progress in improving its focus on the interests of children (63% agreed in the 2005 survey)
• 83% of staff agreed the Child Safety Practice Manual provides adequate guidance on policies and procedures (not asked in 2005 survey)
• 61% of staff agreed there had been significant progress in improving children’s opportunity for involvement in decisions about their case plan (not asked in 2005 survey)
Areas that are better but need more improvement include:
• 44% of staff agreed child safety officers have the knowledge and skills they need to provide effective responses to children (33% agreed in 2005)
• 36% of staff agreed that appropriate training is accessible to service delivery staff (30% agreed in 2005)
• 24% of staff agreed recruitment strategies have been effective in attracting high quality staff (18% agreed in 2005)
“Since the survey was done the training program for Child Safety Officers has been improved. It now runs for six months and includes a one week orientation at their new Child Safety Service Centre, three weeks intensive training in Brisbane or a regional centre, and five months of on-the-job supervised training.
“We also have the new I.T. system up and running which gives instant access to state-wide records and we’ve announced an extra $5 million funding to improve record keeping and tackle the backlog of cases not yet completed.
“Attracting high quality staff is a challenge for all employers, not just this department. We have introduced bridging courses to enable professionals from other fields to make the change to child safety. Seven Queensland universities now offer specialised child protection courses. Our managers throughout the state are also being more targeted about who they approach as potential officers.
“One troubling statistic in the survey is that only 14% of staff agree the public understands the role, responsibilities and services offered by the Department of Child Safety.
“We need to do a better job in telling people that child safety workers, along with foster carers, really are community heroes who do their best to protect vulnerable children often in very difficult circumstances,” Ms Boyle said.
Foster carers and non government organisations that work in child protection were also surveyed.
The highlights of the carer survey were:
• 94% of carers were satisfied with their knowledge and skills in meeting the needs of children in their care (98% satisfied in 2005)
• 71% of carers were satisfied with the help they receive from their support worker (65% satisfied in 2005)
• 74% of carers were satisfied with the services available to meet children’s needs (52% satisfied in 2005)
Areas that are better but need more improvement include:
• 43% of carers feel respected and valued by the Child Safety Department (30% satisfied in 2005)
• 49% of carers feel respected and valued by the community (32% in 2005)
“I want 100% of carers to feel they are respected by both the Department and the community. We certainly do value them. They are the backbone of our system and we are working on getting that message across,” Ms Boyle said.
Key points from the survey of non government organisations (NGOs) include:
• 62% of staff in NGOs believe services in their area are of a high standard (51% in 2005)
• 59% of staff in NGOs agreed the department supports NGOs to deliver services to their child protection clients (40% in 2005)
“These annual surveys will continue. Seeking the views of staff, foster carers and our non government partners is an important way of checking how we are going and gaining feedback on how we can improve,” Ms Boyle said.
Ends
Media contact: 3224 7477
28 March 2007