❓ Hon Nick Goiran questions the Minister for Child Protection regarding increased processing times for negative Working with Children Check notices. The Minister attributes the delay to increased volume and staffing shortages, outlining steps to address the issue.
AnsweredQoN 1340Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
WORKING WITH CHILDREN
CHECK APPLICATIONS — NEGATIVE NOTICES
1340. Hon NICK GOIRAN to the Leader of the House representing
the Minister for Child Protection:
I refer to page 16 of the Auditor
General's report ''Working with Children Check—Follow-up'',
which shows that the average time taken to process negative notices has
increased by more than 50 per cent on the previous year, from 137 days to 211
days, now taking the longest time since the process was implemented in 2013–14.
(1) Why did it take so long to
process negative notices in 2018–19?
(2) What caused this reversal of the
trend in year-on-year improvements?
(3) What steps are being taken to
address this for 2019–20?
CHECK APPLICATIONS — NEGATIVE NOTICES
1340. Hon NICK GOIRAN to the Leader of the House representing
the Minister for Child Protection:
I refer to page 16 of the Auditor
General's report ''Working with Children Check—Follow-up'',
which shows that the average time taken to process negative notices has
increased by more than 50 per cent on the previous year, from 137 days to 211
days, now taking the longest time since the process was implemented in 2013–14.
(1) Why did it take so long to
process negative notices in 2018–19?
(2) What caused this reversal of the
trend in year-on-year improvements?
(3) What steps are being taken to
address this for 2019–20?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1)–(2) The
increase in the average time taken by the Department of Communities to process
negative notices in 2018–19 was caused by a 21.6 per cent increase in
the number of negative notices issued from the previous year. In addition,
during this period, the Department of Communities undertook a recruitment
process to backfill vacant positions in the working with children screening
unit. As the process did not attract a sufficient
number of applicants, a further recruitment process was required. The increased
number of negative notices issued, along with the temporarily unfilled
positions within the working with children screening
unit, affected the length of time the Department of Communities took to process
negative notices.
(3) The vacant
positions within the working with children screening unit have now been filled
and additional staff are being recruited to minimise the length of time it
takes to issue negative notices.
some notice of the question.
(1)–(2) The
increase in the average time taken by the Department of Communities to process
negative notices in 2018–19 was caused by a 21.6 per cent increase in
the number of negative notices issued from the previous year. In addition,
during this period, the Department of Communities undertook a recruitment
process to backfill vacant positions in the working with children screening
unit. As the process did not attract a sufficient
number of applicants, a further recruitment process was required. The increased
number of negative notices issued, along with the temporarily unfilled
positions within the working with children screening
unit, affected the length of time the Department of Communities took to process
negative notices.
(3) The vacant
positions within the working with children screening unit have now been filled
and additional staff are being recruited to minimise the length of time it
takes to issue negative notices.
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