ESTIMATES COMMITTEE PROCEEDINGS – 17 JUNE 2010
The Northern Territory government has a relatively small statutory child protection work force, and an
intake screening and priority tool, which will include a focus on risk for children under two years of
age, will be implemented from 1 July. In addition, we are engaging the same organisation to
implement the family strengths and needs assessment tool for later this year. In addition, we are
going to employ some practice advisors to ensure staff improve in their consistency of decision
making and judgments.
As of 1 July, all notifications made by health professionals will be processed as child protection
reports, and screened using the structured decision making screening tools. In addition we have
developed a new policy for use by hospital staff for reporting child protection reports.
Ms CARNEY: Thank you.
Mr VATSKALIS: Member for Araluen, to put it bluntly yes, there are problems with the department.
We have problems because of suitably qualified people to work for us, many vacancies, and people
coming in and out - it is a very stressful department. I know very well, and I have visited all areas and
I was amazed by the strength of people working there. I have to admit, I would not want to be a child
protection officer it is so stressful.
However, we would have taken steps, member for Araluen, and I understand you are like me, you
were elected in 2001 - -before 2001, if you think this is bad, you should see what was happening
when Aboriginal kids were not even considered for protection, but this is not …
Ms CARNEY: I do not think the system was described as in crisis. There was not an inquiry, and we
did not get national and international attention for the appalling state of the child protection system in
the Northern Territory. Let us not have a contest about back then; let us talk about now, and what you
are doing.
Mr VATSKALIS: True, and we are the first government in the Territory not only - I am answering the
question because it is very important. I know you are passionate about child protection …
Ms CARNEY: Do not patronise me, minister. What is your answer to the question?
Mr CHAIRMAN: The minister has the call.
Mr VATSKALIS: We share a compassion for children services. I do not care if you say I patronise you
or not. I know you are very concerned about it and we have to fix. That is the reason why this
government has called the broadest inquiry ever that no other government in the Territory had ever
done, and we put money into the bank to fix it. We know it is broken, it has to be fixed, and we are
determined to fix it.
Ms CARNEY: Sorry, what was your surname?
Ms GARDINER-BARNES: Gardiner-Barnes.
Ms CARNEY: Gardiner-Barnes, first name, Clare?
Ms GARDINER-BARNES: Clare.
Ms CARNEY: We have adopted a very informal approach over the last few days, with departmental
officers and we have been referring to them by their Christian names. Do you mind if I …
Ms GARDINER-BARNES: That is perfectly all right.
ESTIMATES COMMITTEE PROCEEDINGS – 17 JUNE 2010
Ms CARNEY: Thank you, it is also shorter than your surname.
Ms GARDINER-BARNES: Yes, it is.
Ms CARNEY: I thank you for your response. I have some more questions and I would like to go
through them before too long. However, there was a second question. In fact, I asked three questions
last Thursday, but the second one was not answered satisfactorily. I asked why, minister, based on
an e-mail from the Director of Allied Services at Royal Darwin Hospital, social workers were asked to
delay reporting suspected child abuse, notwithstanding that the law says it is to be reported as soon
as possible.
The e-mail which I know you have a copy of - I do - said if notification is the endorsed action then this
should occur verbally. In other words, there seems to be a policy at Royal Darwin Hospital for social
workers to talk to their superiors first before reporting suspected child abuse. Why is that the case?
Mr VATSKALIS: I was explaining to you at the time, when people have a legal obligation, they have a
legal obligation and they have to comply with it. If they speak to their supervisor about it, it is fair to
speak to their supervisor but, at the same time, there is no way any supervisor, or any person, can
ask that person to either delay the notification or not make a notification. They are obliged by law to
do so, and they will do so.
I do not have a copy of the e-mail. I appreciate it if you can table the e-mail because I would like to
follow it. If I find out anybody has instructed a person not to notify, or even to delay the notification,
appropriate action will be taken. I ask Clare to respond to that as well.
Ms CARNEY: No, thank you, you have and that is fine. The fact that a structure seems to be put in
place at RDH so that trained people report up the line, as opposed to members of the general public
reporting as they are required to do as soon as possible, either to the police or the CEO, is troubling
because it must surely result in further delays. Can you assure us that this structure, informal or
formal, will not result in delays in the reporting and, if so, how can that be so?
Ms GARDINER-BARNES: We have recently approved a new policy for hospital staff for reporting so
the procedures are very clear for all staff. The policy requires that hospital staff are aware of their
mandatory reporting, that they have access to relevant resources and training, make notifications on
reasonable grounds, make a verbal report to NTFC intake team, and follow this up with a confirmation
of a report of child harm exploitation using a formal form that has been developed, document in the
medical record that a report has been forwarded to NTFC, advise their supervisor that a report to
NTFC has been made and, then, maintain patient records to ensure all correspondence and
communication is reflected.
Ms CARNEY: Are social workers at NTFC offices obliged or required, informally or otherwise, to
consult with their superiors before making reports?
Ms GARDINER-BARNES: It would depend on the status of the person who was wanting to make the
report.
Ms CARNEY: Social worker, child protection worker?
Ms GARDINER-BARNES: No.
Ms CARNEY: No, they are not required?
Ms GARDINER-BARNES: No, a social worker would just make a report.
Dostları ilə paylaş: |