Question on Notice regarding the use of video conferencing by child protection workers in regional WA, revealing widespread adoption but limited data on cost savings and specific usage by child protection staff.

AnsweredQoN 1987Legislative Council
Asked
22 October 2014
Portfolio
Child Protection

QuestionView source ↗

I refer to video conference technology being utilised by child protection workers in regional Western Australia, and I ask: (a) in which regional centres is video conference technology being utilised by the Department for Child Protection and Family Support; (b) in which regional centres are video conference technology being utilised by caseworkers to meet with families and children; (c) what was the estimated cost saving of case workers utilising video conference technology to meet with families and children in 2013-14; (d) what is the anticipated cost saving of case workers utilising video conference technology to meet with families and children in 2014-15; and (e) what has been the increase of child protection workers utilising video conference technology for operational use in 2014-15 over each of the last three years?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered
17 February 2015
Responded by
Minister for Child Protection
Response time
118 days
(a) Albany, Broome, Bunbury, Busselton, Carnarvon, Collie, Derby, Esperance, Fitzroy Crossing, Geraldton, Halls Creek, Kalgoorlie, Karratha, Katanning, Kununurra, Laverton, Mandurah, Manjimup, Meekatharra, Merredin, Moora, Narrogin, Newman, Northam, Port Hedland, South Hedland, Tom Price, Wyndham.
(b) Video conferences can be used at all sites for caseworkers to meet with families and children.
(c-d) The use of video conferencing to meet with families and children will be recorded in individual case files and cannot be reported on an aggregated basis.
(e) Details solely related to child protection workers use of video conference technology cannot be provided. However, based on four week sample periods across 2013 and 2014, there was a 33 per cent increase in the number of video conferences by all staff across the State between 2013 and 2014. No previous data is available.

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