Media release – Josh Willie, Shadow Minister for Education, 6 June 2022
Crucial move to protect kids actually has no funding
The Rockliff-Ferguson Government’s important announcement to install Safeguarding Officers in every school to provide protection to students has been revealed as yet another matter of spin over substance.
Estimates Hearings today have confirmed that although Jeremy Rockliff made a significant announcement around the officers, there is no additional money in his government’s budget to fund them.
All Tasmanians agree that protecting our children has to be the highest priority but the fact is this government has made an art out of making announcements, only to think about the details later.
These officers are very important and are a key response to recommendations of the Inquiry into the Education Department’s Responses to Child Sexual Abuse that every school principal be required to appoint a Student Safeguarding Officer.
But when you look at the budget, it’s clear there is no new money.
The funding comes out of the existing Education Department budget – out of schools and out of classrooms.
It means the government is effectively asking teachers to do more with the same funding at a time when they are under increasing pressure.
It’s unacceptable that this government continues to chase headlines instead of results.
Despite this being the hallmark of a major announcement Premier Rockliff made less than two weeks ago and saying it is a big part of what he wants to achieve, there’s not a single cent to achieve it.
Sarah Lovell MLC, Shadow Minister for Child Safety, 8 June 2022
Children remain at risk as child safety worker numbers fall short
Vulnerable children remain at risk as the Rockliff-Ferguson Government continues to under-resource child safety services across Tasmania.
Shockingly, in budget estimates this morning, the Minister for Children Roger Jaensch did not know how many child safety workers are currently working around the state.
Mr Jaensch was only able to say 20.4 full-time equivalent frontline positions are vacant.
The latest official data from the government showed Tasmanian children in “active transition” – those reported a being at risk but not allocated to the care of a child safety officer – had climbed above 60, an indication of significant under-resourcing and staff shortages.
Additionally, both the Minister today and the Premier yesterday, refused to delay their plan to move current child safety responsibilities into the Department of Education, despite the disastrous experience in South Australia after similar changes – resulting in a Royal Commission specifically recommending the establishment of a department with child safety as its primary focus.
With the Premier and Minister stating repeatedly their commitment to implementing the recommendations of the current Commission of Inquiry, Tasmanians can only assume that if recommended, this change will be wound back – yet another costly distraction taking staff away from their core business of keeping children safe.
With so many questions needing answers, I again urge the Rockliff-Ferguson government to abandon or at least delay plans to abolish the Department of Communities at least until the findings of the Tasmanian Commission are known.
With our child safety services under-resourced and at breaking point, it is vital that the right changes are made to protect Tasmania’s at-risk children.
Media release – Roger Jaensch, Minister for Education, Children and Youth, 6 June 2022
Willie wrong on Safeguarding Children funding
If Josh Willie understood education funding, he would know the Tasmanian Liberal Government is providing additional resourcing to schools to support important safeguarding actions.
It’s entirely wrong of Mr Willie to claim existing resources are being redirected to fund the Tasmanian Government’s new safeguarding children initiative.
Our Government is providing this important and additional resource to schools after it was recommended by the Department of Education Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.
This initiative isn’t taking funding away from schools, as Mr Willie falsely claims, instead it is being supported by our Government’s continued growth in funding for Tasmanian education.
It is concerning that Mr Willie does not understand that recurrent education funding is locked in through Commonwealth legislation, the National School Reform Agreement and Tasmania’s Bilateral Agreement.
Importantly, Tasmania’s Bilateral Agreement clearly shows that state funding for Government schools continues to increase to 75 per cent of the Schooling Resource Standard by 2027.
Tasmanians should be very worried Mr Willie is not yet up to speed on a critical national agreement signed in 2018.
These instruments are the foundation of school funding in Australia, and it is a shame that Mr Willie has chosen to make such a highly political, inaccurate and lazy accusation on funding that will improve the safety of Tasmanian children.
The reality is the Government is investing a record amount of funding in education and training in the 2022-23 State Budget – $8.5 billion over the Forward Estimates.
Overall funding provided to schools continues to increase year on year, with the Tasmanian Government continuing to meet the commitment of an additional $340 million to State Schools over 10 years (2018 to 2027) through the National School Reform Agreement with the Australian Government.
The Agreement will see an additional $490 million of State and Australian Government funding pass to Tasmanian Government Schools over 10 years (2018 to 2027).
We have recognised that schools need to be supported to take on increased accountabilities and have allocated this additional funding to ensure they have the resources needed to continue this important work.
The initiative includes:
- $26.1 million over four years from 2022-23 and $9.7 million ongoing to appoint School Safeguarding Officers in every government school as part of a Support and Wellbeing Team Lead role that would plan and implement school strategies to support the wellbeing of all students.
- $2.6 million over four years from 2022-23 and $600,000 ongoing for mandatory professional development for all departmental staff in understanding, preventing and responding to child sexual abuse in schools, thereby building a culture of putting the child and their safety at the centre of all decisions and actions that affect them.
- $1.27 million over two years from 2022-23 to provide more support for children and young people affected by harmful sexual behaviours, including 4.0 full-time equivalent Senior Support Staff with specialist expertise.
- $3.8 million over four years from 2022-23 and $1.68 million ongoing to employ additional psychologists and social workers to directly support schools
- $2.6 million over three years from 2022-23 to fully staff the Office of Safeguarding Children and Young People to meet the demands of the work required to support all safeguarding-related activity across the Department.
We are committed to providing our students with the tools they need to support their education and development, giving them the best possible start in life.
The 2022-23 State Budget is delivering for all Tasmanians.
Media release – Roger Jaensch, Minister for Education, Children and Youth, 6 June 2022
Delivering positive reforms in child safety
The Tasmanian Liberal Government continues to make positive reforms to the Child Safety system through the Strong Families Safe Kids Next Steps Action Plan 2021-23.
Strong Families Safe Kids is built on the principle that the safety and wellbeing of children, young people and families are improved through cross-sector collaboration with a focus on providing better support to families earlier.
The Next Steps Action Plan included 34 actions against five key priority areas focused on consolidating changes our Government has already made to the Children Safety system.
Today, I am releasing the Strong Families Safe Kids: Next Steps Progress Report, which outlines our Government’s key achievements during the first year of the plan.
Some of these highlights include:
- Launching ‘It Takes a Tasmanian Village’, Tasmania’s first ever whole-of-government Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy for 0–25-year-olds in August 2021, with funding of over $100 million to support initiatives;
- Establishing the Strong Families Safe Kids Advice and Referral Line as the single contact point for unaccompanied under 16s who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness;
- Release of the Under 16 Youth Homelessness Policy Framework;
- Commencing an informal kinship care liaison and support service, delivered by Mission Australia in the north-west. This provides a key contact point for informal carers to help them navigate the service system and access the supports they need;
- Becoming a participant in the National Connect for Safety data sharing initiative ensuring increased safety for children and young people by more efficient information sharing between States and Territories authorities;
- Recruiting an additional Child Advocate for children in care for the north and north-west to enhance both individual and systemic advocacy for children in care across the state.
We have achieved a lot in the first year of implementing Strong Families Safe Kids: Next Steps and our Government will continue to work to deliver the remaining actions going forward.
I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to the implementation of Strong Families Safe Kids.
Tasmanians’ priorities are our priorities and we look forward to continuing our work to deliver better outcomes and improved safety and wellbeing for Tasmanian children, young people and their families.
Our Government is strengthening the future for all Tasmanians.
The report can be found at: www.communities.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/225401/Strong-Families-Safe-Kids-Next-Steps-2021-2022-Progress-Report-June-2022.pdf
Media release – Cassy O’Connor MP, Greens Leader and Education spokesperson, 8 June 2022
Jaensch’s Shameful Secrecy
Premier Rockliff’s promised new era of transparent government has apparently lasted less than two days, with Minister for Education and Children Roger Jaensch refusing to answer critical questions in Budget Estimates about staff who are stood down for child sexual abuse matters.
Asked by the Greens how many staff from Ashley Youth Detention Centre, Child Safety Services, and the Department of Education had been stood down due to allegations of child sexual abuse, Minister Jaensch repeatedly refused to provide this information – which is clearly in the public interest – without justification.
Minister Jaensch could have chosen to be up front and provided the answers being sought by parents and social sector organisations, but instead we saw a textbook display of old-fashioned Liberal secrecy. It was a truly disgraceful performance.
The Tasmanian community is rightly distressed by the revelations of child sexual abuse across the State Service, and they deserve answers. The government should be open and honest with Tasmanians wherever possible. Instead we’re seeing a shameful continuation of the culture of secrecy and cover up that has compounded the risks and harm to children and young people, historically and to this day.
If Jeremy Rockliff is serious about his commitment for a more transparent government, he should pull his Minister into line and direct this critical information to be publicly released today.
