❓ A WA parliamentary question seeks data on staffing levels and caseloads in child protection services across regional Department of Community Development offices. The department provides partial data on staff authorised to apprehend children and explains difficulties in providing caseload averages and formulas.
AnsweredQoN 2399Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
(1) How many FTEs work in management and administrative positions in child protection in each regional office of the Department of Community Development?
(2) How many FTEs work as direct service delivery staff in child protection services in each regional office of the Department of Community Development?
(3) What is the average number of foster care cases allocated to each child protection officer in each regional office of the Department of Community Development?
(4) What is the Department for Community Services’ accepted formula for calculating the number of FTE staff required to manage the number of foster care cases that constitute its workload?
(2) How many FTEs work as direct service delivery staff in child protection services in each regional office of the Department of Community Development?
(3) What is the average number of foster care cases allocated to each child protection officer in each regional office of the Department of Community Development?
(4) What is the Department for Community Services’ accepted formula for calculating the number of FTE staff required to manage the number of foster care cases that constitute its workload?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
1 June 2004
Responded by
Minister for Disability Services
Response time
91 days
(2) The number of staff in each District office authorised to apprehend children under Section 29 of the Child Welfare Act 1947 is as follows: Armadale 44 Cannington 30 Fremantle 30 Goldfields 22 Great Southern 11 Joondalup 20 Kimberley 28 Midland 20 Mirrabooka 44 Murchison 16 Peel 14 Perth 28 Pilbara 24 Rockingham 25 South West 19 Wheatbelt 16 (3) The Department for Community Development has generic field staff who can all be required to manage foster care cases. The Department also has a number of offices throughout the State with varying numbers of cases from office to office. The Department is therefore unable to answer this question in its current format. (4) There has been a continual debate nationally and internationally on this issue as foster care cases have differing degrees of complexity and intensity. Some case workers carry much fewer cases than other workers because of the complexity of the problems experienced by the children whose cases they are managing and the damage their experiences have caused them. The recent Crime and Misconduct Commission Inquiry in Queensland recommended an average of 1 worker to 15 children in care. However, the Department believes there are circumstances where lower and higher case loads may be warranted.
Armadale 44 Cannington 30 Fremantle 30 Goldfields 22 Great Southern 11 Joondalup 20 Kimberley 28 Midland 20 Mirrabooka 44 Murchison 16 Peel 14 Perth 28 Pilbara 24 Rockingham 25 South West 19 Wheatbelt 16 (3) The Department for Community Development has generic field staff who can all be required to manage foster care cases. The Department also has a number of offices throughout the State with varying numbers of cases from office to office. The Department is therefore unable to answer this question in its current format. (4) There has been a continual debate nationally and internationally on this issue as foster care cases have differing degrees of complexity and intensity. Some case workers carry much fewer cases than other workers because of the complexity of the problems experienced by the children whose cases they are managing and the damage their experiences have caused them. The recent Crime and Misconduct Commission Inquiry in Queensland recommended an average of 1 worker to 15 children in care. However, the Department believes there are circumstances where lower and higher case loads may be warranted.
(3) The Department for Community Development has generic field staff who can all be required to manage foster care cases. The Department also has a number of offices throughout the State with varying numbers of cases from office to office. The Department is therefore unable to answer this question in its current format. (4) There has been a continual debate nationally and internationally on this issue as foster care cases have differing degrees of complexity and intensity. Some case workers carry much fewer cases than other workers because of the complexity of the problems experienced by the children whose cases they are managing and the damage their experiences have caused them. The recent Crime and Misconduct Commission Inquiry in Queensland recommended an average of 1 worker to 15 children in care. However, the Department believes there are circumstances where lower and higher case loads may be warranted.
(4) There has been a continual debate nationally and internationally on this issue as foster care cases have differing degrees of complexity and intensity. Some case workers carry much fewer cases than other workers because of the complexity of the problems experienced by the children whose cases they are managing and the damage their experiences have caused them. The recent Crime and Misconduct Commission Inquiry in Queensland recommended an average of 1 worker to 15 children in care. However, the Department believes there are circumstances where lower and higher case loads may be warranted.
Armadale 44 Cannington 30 Fremantle 30 Goldfields 22 Great Southern 11 Joondalup 20 Kimberley 28 Midland 20 Mirrabooka 44 Murchison 16 Peel 14 Perth 28 Pilbara 24 Rockingham 25 South West 19 Wheatbelt 16 (3) The Department for Community Development has generic field staff who can all be required to manage foster care cases. The Department also has a number of offices throughout the State with varying numbers of cases from office to office. The Department is therefore unable to answer this question in its current format. (4) There has been a continual debate nationally and internationally on this issue as foster care cases have differing degrees of complexity and intensity. Some case workers carry much fewer cases than other workers because of the complexity of the problems experienced by the children whose cases they are managing and the damage their experiences have caused them. The recent Crime and Misconduct Commission Inquiry in Queensland recommended an average of 1 worker to 15 children in care. However, the Department believes there are circumstances where lower and higher case loads may be warranted.
(3) The Department for Community Development has generic field staff who can all be required to manage foster care cases. The Department also has a number of offices throughout the State with varying numbers of cases from office to office. The Department is therefore unable to answer this question in its current format. (4) There has been a continual debate nationally and internationally on this issue as foster care cases have differing degrees of complexity and intensity. Some case workers carry much fewer cases than other workers because of the complexity of the problems experienced by the children whose cases they are managing and the damage their experiences have caused them. The recent Crime and Misconduct Commission Inquiry in Queensland recommended an average of 1 worker to 15 children in care. However, the Department believes there are circumstances where lower and higher case loads may be warranted.
(4) There has been a continual debate nationally and internationally on this issue as foster care cases have differing degrees of complexity and intensity. Some case workers carry much fewer cases than other workers because of the complexity of the problems experienced by the children whose cases they are managing and the damage their experiences have caused them. The recent Crime and Misconduct Commission Inquiry in Queensland recommended an average of 1 worker to 15 children in care. However, the Department believes there are circumstances where lower and higher case loads may be warranted.
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