Caseworkers protest child protection crisis

Transcript

00:00 Our community, our office, our community, our office, our community.

00:05 Our members are protesting today here at Edgeworth Community Service Centre because there has

00:10 been an announcement in the last couple of weeks that this centre is to close.

00:14 This is, even by community services standards, an unprecedented action.

00:19 This centre has been here serving this community since at least 2007.

00:25 It is an operative, functional office and an important community service in this area.

00:31 We've been told that operationally, or arguably the reason for the closure, or the mooted

00:36 closure, is duress alarms.

00:39 We call that BS.

00:41 It is not duress alarms, this is clearly a cost-cutting measure by local management.

00:46 This area needs a community services centre.

00:50 These workers need to be based here, serving the community and working for families and

00:55 children at risk of serious harm.

00:58 What is happening here at Edgeworth is unprecedented, but it's a sign of a greater crisis in community

01:03 services right across the state.

01:06 The other argument for closing this office is that this office is short-staffed.

01:10 There aren't enough staff here.

01:11 And that is an issue that is occurring right across the state in every single office of

01:16 community services right now because of years and years of neglect of the agency.

01:22 We are aware of a vacancy rate in double figures.

01:26 We are aware that the average caseworker only lasts 17 months upon recruitment.

01:32 And we are aware that the turnover of caseworkers is nowhere near meeting the demand and that

01:38 they cannot recruit fast enough to fix the attrition rate.

01:43 Work protection in this state is in a massive crisis right now because of workforce issues.

01:50 We have been calling on government to address these issues.

01:53 So in terms of workloads, it is right now quite challenging to get out to see all of

01:58 our children and do meaningful work with them.

02:01 That's why we all got into the role, is to do meaningful work with them and for better

02:05 outcomes for the children, the families and the carers and the wider community.

02:09 Look it's certainly not easy.

02:12 You walk out each night and you start questioning whether you've done everything you possibly

02:18 can for all of the children across your caseload to make sure that you are making sure that

02:24 you're giving them better outcomes.

02:26 But for me personally, I go home and I feel very deflated.

02:30 I feel like I'm not able to do the job that I was actually employed to do, which is to

02:35 keep our children safe and make sure those connections are everlasting.

02:40 What this office needs and what community services needs is not closures, is not privatisations.

02:46 It needs resources returned to the agency.

02:49 We need offices like this kept open.

02:52 We need offices like this fully staffed and we need offices like this providing the vital

02:57 service that they do to the community on an ongoing basis without these sorts of issues.

03:02 Our office, our community!

03:08 [BLANK_AUDIO]