❓ Hon. Robyn McSweeney questions the discrepancy in caseworker numbers cited by the Community and Public Sector Union (330) versus the Department for Community Development (556). The Minister clarifies the department's broader definition of 'caseworker'.
AnsweredQoN 851Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
DEPARTMENT FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT - CASEWORKERS
I refer to question without notice 834 asked on 26 September 2006. Whenever the Community and Public Sector Union-Civil Service Association of WA speaks about frontline child protection workers or caseworkers, it always states that there are 330 caseworkers in Western Australia. (1) Given that the answer to my question about how many caseworkers are employed by the Department for Community Development was 556, will the minister explain the discrepancy between the two figures that have been used; that is, 330 and 556? (2) Has the department employed an additional 226 child protection workers in the past few weeks? Hon KATE DOUST
I refer to question without notice 834 asked on 26 September 2006. Whenever the Community and Public Sector Union-Civil Service Association of WA speaks about frontline child protection workers or caseworkers, it always states that there are 330 caseworkers in Western Australia. (1) Given that the answer to my question about how many caseworkers are employed by the Department for Community Development was 556, will the minister explain the discrepancy between the two figures that have been used; that is, 330 and 556? (2) Has the department employed an additional 226 child protection workers in the past few weeks? Hon KATE DOUST
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of this question. The Minister for Community Development has provided the following response - (1) I do not know why the union has quoted the figure referred to in the question. The department currently employs 556 people who are defined by the department as caseworkers. These include fieldworkers, senior fieldworkers, team leaders and district managers. At any time these categories of staff can carry cases. The department’s definition of a “caseworker” includes all employees who had card-carrying status under the Child Welfare Act 1994. (2) No. The department employed 556 caseworkers with card-carrying status when a response was provided to question without notice 834.
(1) Given that the answer to my question about how many caseworkers are employed by the Department for Community Development was 556, will the minister explain the discrepancy between the two figures that have been used; that is, 330 and 556? (2) Has the department employed an additional 226 child protection workers in the past few weeks? Hon KATE DOUST replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The Minister for Community Development has provided the following response - (1) I do not know why the union has quoted the figure referred to in the question. The department currently employs 556 people who are defined by the department as caseworkers. These include fieldworkers, senior fieldworkers, team leaders and district managers. At any time these categories of staff can carry cases. The department’s definition of a “caseworker” includes all employees who had card-carrying status under the Child Welfare Act 1994. (2) No. The department employed 556 caseworkers with card-carrying status when a response was provided to question without notice 834.
(2) Has the department employed an additional 226 child protection workers in the past few weeks? Hon KATE DOUST replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The Minister for Community Development has provided the following response - (1) I do not know why the union has quoted the figure referred to in the question. The department currently employs 556 people who are defined by the department as caseworkers. These include fieldworkers, senior fieldworkers, team leaders and district managers. At any time these categories of staff can carry cases. The department’s definition of a “caseworker” includes all employees who had card-carrying status under the Child Welfare Act 1994. (2) No. The department employed 556 caseworkers with card-carrying status when a response was provided to question without notice 834.
Hon KATE DOUST replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The Minister for Community Development has provided the following response - (1) I do not know why the union has quoted the figure referred to in the question. The department currently employs 556 people who are defined by the department as caseworkers. These include fieldworkers, senior fieldworkers, team leaders and district managers. At any time these categories of staff can carry cases. The department’s definition of a “caseworker” includes all employees who had card-carrying status under the Child Welfare Act 1994. (2) No. The department employed 556 caseworkers with card-carrying status when a response was provided to question without notice 834.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. The Minister for Community Development has provided the following response - (1) I do not know why the union has quoted the figure referred to in the question. The department currently employs 556 people who are defined by the department as caseworkers. These include fieldworkers, senior fieldworkers, team leaders and district managers. At any time these categories of staff can carry cases. The department’s definition of a “caseworker” includes all employees who had card-carrying status under the Child Welfare Act 1994. (2) No. The department employed 556 caseworkers with card-carrying status when a response was provided to question without notice 834.
(1) I do not know why the union has quoted the figure referred to in the question. The department currently employs 556 people who are defined by the department as caseworkers. These include fieldworkers, senior fieldworkers, team leaders and district managers. At any time these categories of staff can carry cases. The department’s definition of a “caseworker” includes all employees who had card-carrying status under the Child Welfare Act 1994. (2) No. The department employed 556 caseworkers with card-carrying status when a response was provided to question without notice 834.
(2) No. The department employed 556 caseworkers with card-carrying status when a response was provided to question without notice 834.
(1) Given that the answer to my question about how many caseworkers are employed by the Department for Community Development was 556, will the minister explain the discrepancy between the two figures that have been used; that is, 330 and 556? (2) Has the department employed an additional 226 child protection workers in the past few weeks? Hon KATE DOUST replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The Minister for Community Development has provided the following response - (1) I do not know why the union has quoted the figure referred to in the question. The department currently employs 556 people who are defined by the department as caseworkers. These include fieldworkers, senior fieldworkers, team leaders and district managers. At any time these categories of staff can carry cases. The department’s definition of a “caseworker” includes all employees who had card-carrying status under the Child Welfare Act 1994. (2) No. The department employed 556 caseworkers with card-carrying status when a response was provided to question without notice 834.
(2) Has the department employed an additional 226 child protection workers in the past few weeks? Hon KATE DOUST replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The Minister for Community Development has provided the following response - (1) I do not know why the union has quoted the figure referred to in the question. The department currently employs 556 people who are defined by the department as caseworkers. These include fieldworkers, senior fieldworkers, team leaders and district managers. At any time these categories of staff can carry cases. The department’s definition of a “caseworker” includes all employees who had card-carrying status under the Child Welfare Act 1994. (2) No. The department employed 556 caseworkers with card-carrying status when a response was provided to question without notice 834.
Hon KATE DOUST replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The Minister for Community Development has provided the following response - (1) I do not know why the union has quoted the figure referred to in the question. The department currently employs 556 people who are defined by the department as caseworkers. These include fieldworkers, senior fieldworkers, team leaders and district managers. At any time these categories of staff can carry cases. The department’s definition of a “caseworker” includes all employees who had card-carrying status under the Child Welfare Act 1994. (2) No. The department employed 556 caseworkers with card-carrying status when a response was provided to question without notice 834.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. The Minister for Community Development has provided the following response - (1) I do not know why the union has quoted the figure referred to in the question. The department currently employs 556 people who are defined by the department as caseworkers. These include fieldworkers, senior fieldworkers, team leaders and district managers. At any time these categories of staff can carry cases. The department’s definition of a “caseworker” includes all employees who had card-carrying status under the Child Welfare Act 1994. (2) No. The department employed 556 caseworkers with card-carrying status when a response was provided to question without notice 834.
(1) I do not know why the union has quoted the figure referred to in the question. The department currently employs 556 people who are defined by the department as caseworkers. These include fieldworkers, senior fieldworkers, team leaders and district managers. At any time these categories of staff can carry cases. The department’s definition of a “caseworker” includes all employees who had card-carrying status under the Child Welfare Act 1994. (2) No. The department employed 556 caseworkers with card-carrying status when a response was provided to question without notice 834.
(2) No. The department employed 556 caseworkers with card-carrying status when a response was provided to question without notice 834.
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