Workers at Child Safety adamant centralisation will create greater risks

Child Safety workers have demanded more information and a meeting with the Human Services Minister, Roger Jaensch, following the proposal to centralise the Child Safety Services front door in Hobart.
This proposal will see 7 Child Safety Officers in the North and 7 Child Safety Officers in the North West being lost to those regions.

HACSU Assistant Secretary Robbie Moore said that HACSU members working in Child Safety Services have raised serious concerns at plans to centralise the first point of access to Child Safety Services for the state in Hobart.

The proposal would see a return to a centralised intake service, which will see Child Safety workers co-located with Non-Government Organisations in a call centre-type arrangement that is proposed to also house Mental Health, Alcohol and Drug, Police and other workers.

HACSU will continue to work with local workers to campaign against the proposal.

The responsibility lies with the Human Services Minister and the Department to deliver a properly resourced Child Safety Services that are connected to the community in which they operate.

Quotes attributable to HACSU Assistant State Secretary Robbie Moore:

“This proposal is concerning because it removes local knowledge from the North and
North West – local knowledge that relates to families and children at risk. Most children
of at-risk families are well known to the local Child Safety Service workers allowing for a
highly accurate risk assessment in a short and effective period of time. This knowledge
means quick and effective conversations around these at-risk families can occur and
supports put in place swiftly and efficiently.”

“A centralised intake system such as this was in place before in Tasmania and it was
scrapped because it failed to protect and keep children safe. The proposal is Tasmania
returning to a model which provides multiple safety risk issues to children. It failed to
keep children safe then and will fail to keep children safe this time.”

“We know that HACSU members share deep concerns for the families and children they
work with and face real challenges when they are forced to deal with a proposal that does
nothing to alleviate their long and ongoing caseload issues.”

“The Tasmanian Government, especially the Minister, can and must do more to provide
services that are required by the community.”
HACSU Assistant Secretary Robbie Moore