❓ Question regarding DCD officers in Midland refusing new cases due to backlog, and the Minister's response focusing on budget increases and reducing caseworker ratios, while accusing the opposition of playing politics.
AnsweredQoN 615Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
DEPARTMENT FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT - MIDLAND STAFF
I have a supplementary question. Will the minister confirm that, despite the recently announced bandaid measures, DCD officers, including those at the Midland office, are continuing to refuse to accept new cases for the equivalent of one day a week because they are trying to catch up with the existing backlog? Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN
I have a supplementary question. Will the minister confirm that, despite the recently announced bandaid measures, DCD officers, including those at the Midland office, are continuing to refuse to accept new cases for the equivalent of one day a week because they are trying to catch up with the existing backlog? Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN
AnswerView source ↗
The member has raised an interesting point. The aim of the new money is to reduce the case load to caseworker ratio. That is what it is all about. We have recognised through the record budget for the Department for Community Development of $140 million in May, and the $50 million announcement on Monday, that we need o reduce the case load to caseworker ratio so that the caseworkers and fieldworkers have manageable case loads. I assure the member that is what we will be doing in delivering these additional resources to this department. Ultimately, we are about child protection. Members opposite are about petty politics. They are about having a go at the workers and trying to blame them for things. We are about supporting the workers in DCD, and giving them more resources so that they can do their job better and improve the quality of child protection in this state.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN replied: The member has raised an interesting point. The aim of the new money is to reduce the case load to caseworker ratio. That is what it is all about. We have recognised through the record budget for the Department for Community Development of $140 million in May, and the $50 million announcement on Monday, that we need o reduce the case load to caseworker ratio so that the caseworkers and fieldworkers have manageable case loads. I assure the member that is what we will be doing in delivering these additional resources to this department. Ultimately, we are about child protection. Members opposite are about petty politics. They are about having a go at the workers and trying to blame them for things. We are about supporting the workers in DCD, and giving them more resources so that they can do their job better and improve the quality of child protection in this state.
The member has raised an interesting point. The aim of the new money is to reduce the case load to caseworker ratio. That is what it is all about. We have recognised through the record budget for the Department for Community Development of $140 million in May, and the $50 million announcement on Monday, that we need o reduce the case load to caseworker ratio so that the caseworkers and fieldworkers have manageable case loads. I assure the member that is what we will be doing in delivering these additional resources to this department. Ultimately, we are about child protection. Members opposite are about petty politics. They are about having a go at the workers and trying to blame them for things. We are about supporting the workers in DCD, and giving them more resources so that they can do their job better and improve the quality of child protection in this state.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN replied: The member has raised an interesting point. The aim of the new money is to reduce the case load to caseworker ratio. That is what it is all about. We have recognised through the record budget for the Department for Community Development of $140 million in May, and the $50 million announcement on Monday, that we need o reduce the case load to caseworker ratio so that the caseworkers and fieldworkers have manageable case loads. I assure the member that is what we will be doing in delivering these additional resources to this department. Ultimately, we are about child protection. Members opposite are about petty politics. They are about having a go at the workers and trying to blame them for things. We are about supporting the workers in DCD, and giving them more resources so that they can do their job better and improve the quality of child protection in this state.
The member has raised an interesting point. The aim of the new money is to reduce the case load to caseworker ratio. That is what it is all about. We have recognised through the record budget for the Department for Community Development of $140 million in May, and the $50 million announcement on Monday, that we need o reduce the case load to caseworker ratio so that the caseworkers and fieldworkers have manageable case loads. I assure the member that is what we will be doing in delivering these additional resources to this department. Ultimately, we are about child protection. Members opposite are about petty politics. They are about having a go at the workers and trying to blame them for things. We are about supporting the workers in DCD, and giving them more resources so that they can do their job better and improve the quality of child protection in this state.
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