Ms. Mettam asks about staffing levels in the Working with Children Check Screening Unit (WWCSU) from 2019-2023. The Department of Communities provides FTE numbers, noting a decrease after 2019 due to the completion of Auditor General recommendations, despite increasing application volumes.

AnsweredQoN 914Legislative Assembly
Asked
10 October 2023
Portfolio
Child Protection

QuestionView source ↗

Can the minister please advise, in relation to the working with children check screening unit: (a) How many Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) staff were employed, on average, in the unit in each of the following years: (i) 2019; (ii) 2020; (iii) 2021; (iv) 2022; and (v) 2023 to date?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered
13 February 2024
Responded by
Minister for Child Protection
Response time
16 days
The Department of Communities advises:
(a)   On average the standard FTE allocation in the Working With Children Screening Unit (WWCSU) were as follows:
(i)     2019               48.8 FTE
(ii)   2020               47.3 FTE
(iii)   2021               38.5 FTE
(iv)  2022               39.0 FTE
(v)   2023               38.3 FTE (as at 30 September 2023)
Temporary additional FTE were engaged to implement recommendations from the Office of the Auditor General in 2019. The Working with Children Check Screening Unit (WWCSU) returned to standard allocation once recommendations were implemented.
From 2019 to 2023 the number of Working with Children Check applications and completed applications have increased annually.

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