Gaps in Child Protection Data Undermining Safeguarding Children

Media release – Jack Davenport, 30 October 2023

Tasmanian Child Safety Service gaps in child protection data undermining safeguarding children

The Tasmanian Child Safety Service needs to address serious gaps in data collection or risk undermining efforts to keep children safe. That’s the call from child protection campaigner Jack Davenport, who says the lack of data undermines child protection services and culturally safe work with children and families.

Recent responses from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, in answer to Senate questions about child protection data from Tasmania, have revealed significant gaps in data collection.

The questions have identified that, despite attempted remediation, the Tasmanian Child Safety Service is still failing to collect data on the indigenous status of children receiving child protection services. As of the 2021-22 reporting period, there were 195 Tasmanian children whose indigenous status was unknown during assessment of their safety.

In addition, there are a “high number of carers whose Indigenous status is unknown”, but there is no apparent explanation as to why this data hasn’t been collected.

Other data gaps suggest discrepancies in the way co-occurring abuse was being recorded.

Comments from Jack Davenport:

“This isn’t about statistics. It’s about how child protection services interact with families in a respectful and supportive way.

This isn’t the first time the Child Safety Service has been warned about this problem. Identifying indigenous status is vital to working in a culturally appropriate manner.

This needs to be instinctive on the part of child safety officers, and this is where significant training is needed. It’s also about leadership and how the wider agency is encouraging culturally respectful ways.

We know from the Australian Child Maltreatment Survey that one in four children experience three to five types of abuse. By limiting the data recording of abuse types, there’s a risk that the Child Safety Service is missing critical information.

A lack of information increases risk. Inconsistency in recording data is a major problem because it can undermine effective and safe decision-making.

If used properly, accurate data recording can help drive positive working with families and increase productivity.

The Child Safety Service needs to urgently review its data recording, and ensure staff are fully resourced and supported to maintain accurate records.”

Further Information

• The data referred to comes from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. They produced a report (released 6 June 2023) providing an overview of children in the child protection system in 2021–22, including children subject to notifications, investigations, and substantiations of maltreatment, and the ways children were supported.
• Questions on notice were submitted by Senator David Shoebridge, Australian Greens spokesperson for justice.
• The Australian Child Maltreatment Survey was completed earlier this year. It surveyed 8503 randomly selected Australians (aged 16-65+) about their experiences of abuse.
• Jack used to work for the Child Safety Service as a Clinical Practice Consultant and Educator from 2017 until 2021.
• Jack gave evidence to the Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government’s Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings. Amongst his evidence, he described a lack of proper case documentation, and poor standards for working with Aboriginal families.