Statements
North-West child protection notifications
The Hodgman Liberal Government takes child protection very seriously.
That’s why we have been working on reforming child protection since we came into Government.
I am very concerned by these allegations and I have asked the Secretary of my Department for an urgent report on the circumstances, including work practice issues in the North-West.
I am advised there are more staff and fewer cases allocated per worker in the North-West than other regions, and that the number of notifications has increased only very, very slightly in recent times – suggesting this is not a resourcing issue.
As we said we would, the Government quarantined frontline child protection staff from budget savings, and we have maintained staffing levels as per an agreement with the unions. In fact, we have increased staffing.
The Government has moved quickly to ensure the welfare of children on the North-West and West coasts remain the highest priority.
Jacquie Petrusma, Minister for Human Services