Union Welcomes OV Own Motion Investigation Review Findings

 

“I believe the current failures of the system should not be seen to reflect on the many dedicated staff working under difficult circumstances.”

OV has reported that the “system is struggling to meet its operational responsibilities” and that:

 

“It was clear that the vast majority of staff ….wanted to follow best practice principles and conduct a thorough, well thought our investigation, but they found this impossible because of resource constraints.”

 

Throughout the report OV refers to the workload and resourcing issue and highlights OV s view that the department s figures on unallocated cases and workforce issues cannot be relied upon.

 

OV demonstrates the onerous effect on members of the adversarial court approach which is demanding 50% of available CPW time!

 

CPSU welcomes the forty two recommendations but there needed to be forty five!

 

What is lacking is a clear recommendation on caseloads, staff number and pay and conditions.

 

OV has used our submission in many of its comments to highlight comments on staffing matters and chronic workload stresses and retention/recruitment difficulties but implies solutions without specific recommendation on caseload ceilings that would equate to staffing numbers.

OV does this in reporting on risk assessment problems, response times, unallocated cases, investigation plans and case planning, and the lack of compliance with supervision standards.

 

It clearly points out that the supervision model which DHS relies upon has failed.

 

Key findings include:

 

- 22.3% of cases are unallocated. (OV believes the figure is probably worse).

- Child Protection accounts for only 4% of DHS s budget!

- The vast bulk of the workforce has less than 2 years of experience.

- Retention is a systemic problem.

- The combination of inexperience and vacancies leads to practice issues.

- $95 million dollars has been spent on a computer case system which does not work and absorbs too much worker time.

- Adoption of family model against the one equals one commitment.

 

While these are things raised by you and the union over the years OV has succeeded in putting all of this into one package which does provide a platform for the future.

 

OV has also provided the facts the department has denied for years to the public and the government for action.

 

CPSU maintains the long term solution is premised on a system of work controlled in the interests of all by a caseload ceiling.

 

Thank you for your submissions which have affected the themes of the OV report and the expression of the issues.

 

Please contact CPSU to arrange a meeting now!

 

JIM WALTON
CPSU Assistant State Secretary

30 November 2009