Social workers urge national reform to child protection after damning NSW report
Giovanni Torre – July 18, 2024
A report by the NSW Attorney General revealed a crisis in the child protection system. Image: Public Service Association.
The Australian Association of Social Workers have urged Australian state and territory governments to prioritise the national registration of social workers following the release of the NSW Auditor General report: Oversight of the child protection system.
The Association noted on Thursday that the Auditor General’s report described the NSW child protection system as “inefficient, ineffective, and unsustainable”.
In particular, it was reported that the NSW Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) “is not meeting its legislated responsibility to ensure that families have access to services and to prevent children from being removed”.
The social workers’ professional association noted that the AG report identifies a range of concerns relating to practice and system processes: Lack of a home-based safety and risk assessment for three-quarters of the 112 592 children presumed to be at risk of significant harm; Closure of cases where children were presumed to be at risk of significant harm without any follow-up services, and their outcomes unknown; Failure to monitor and assess the mental health and well-being of children in out-of-home care; Lack of data about the therapeutic service needs of children and families; One quarter of children in emergency care are not directly cared for by social workers, and data are not collected on the qualifications of shift workers providing care to these children; and high re-report rates of children who receive caseworker support.
In the past ten years, 12 major reviews and reports into the child protection system in NSW have been published, with over 200 recommendations. The Association noted that despite these earlier independent reviews, the DCJ has not adopted a recommended early intervention model that supports families at the earliest point in the process.
The AG also released the findings of another concurrent audit: Safeguarding the rights of Aboriginal children in the child protection system, found DCJ had insufficient governance and accountability arrangements, which contributed to its failure to comply with statutory safeguards for Aboriginal children and their families.
The social workers association said these failures to protect children and young people “underscore critical gaps” in the current support and intervention systems, and the situation demonstrates the importance of well-resourced government agencies with qualified, registered professionals working to nationally consistent standards and best practice.
The group noted that social workers are “integral to the child protective services workforce and decision-making”, and “also work in other areas of high risk, including mental health and family violence systems”.
“As governments focus on addressing these social and systemic issues, we must ensure the workforce is qualified and adheres to national standards of practice,” the Association said in a statement.
While the South Australian government has legislated Australia’s first Social Worker Registration Scheme to commence on 1 July 2025, there is a need for a move towards national registration for consistency across the country.
Australian Association of Social Workers chief executive Cindy Smith highlighted the pressing need for enhanced regulatory measures to protect vulnerable children.
“The damning findings of the Audit General’s report Oversight of the child protection system is another impactful reminder of the critical need for more robust and proactive interventions,” she said.
“This is a stark reminder of the imperative to uphold the highest standards of care for every child in our society. The time for national registration for social workers is now.
“We are at a critical juncture. Implementing a national regulatory framework for social workers will better empower us to protect vulnerable individuals and families nationwide. Governments must progress national registration of social workers.”