❓ Question regarding child protection staffing levels in Fitzroy Crossing, highlighting a perceived decrease in staff despite reported issues of alcohol, violence, and child protection. The Minister acknowledges errors in previous data, clarifies current staffing, and addresses workload pressures.
AnsweredQoN 971Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
CHILD PROTECTION STAFF - FITZROY CROSSING
I refer to child protection staffing levels in Fitzroy Crossing. (1) In 2005 the number of full-time employees was five, in 2006 it was five, and now, according to an answer I received this week, it has decreased in 2007 to two full-time employees. There are no part-time employees. With the alcohol, violence and child protection issues that have been reported on in the media for the past year, how can the minister justify this decrease? (2) Does the minister realise that these two staff are under immense pressure and are reported to be at breaking point? (3) Given that a caseworker should have only the recommended 15 cases, how many cases do these workers have each? (4) What is the total case load in Fitzroy Crossing? (5) What has been the increase in cases since January 2007 to the present time? Hon SUE ELLERY
I refer to child protection staffing levels in Fitzroy Crossing. (1) In 2005 the number of full-time employees was five, in 2006 it was five, and now, according to an answer I received this week, it has decreased in 2007 to two full-time employees. There are no part-time employees. With the alcohol, violence and child protection issues that have been reported on in the media for the past year, how can the minister justify this decrease? (2) Does the minister realise that these two staff are under immense pressure and are reported to be at breaking point? (3) Given that a caseworker should have only the recommended 15 cases, how many cases do these workers have each? (4) What is the total case load in Fitzroy Crossing? (5) What has been the increase in cases since January 2007 to the present time? Hon SUE ELLERY
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) The response given yesterday to a related question - question on notice 5455 - was incorrect. The answer to part (9) of that earlier question about full-time employees used the number of employees at 30 June 2007. Due to a system error, an administrative staff person in place in Fitzroy Crossing was not counted and the number of employees on that day was actually three. Further, the reply did not give the current number of employees - that is, as of yesterday, 23 October 2007 - which is five. There is an additional funded child protection worker position that is vacant, but work is progressing on filling it. During the recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing, two senior staff were flown in from Perth with police, and local staff were supported by the Senior Adviser Aboriginal Services and other senior staff from Broome. (2) I preface my remarks on the next answer by saying that every day child protection workers in Western Australia make decisions about things that most Western Australians do not want to think about, never mind actually make decisions on. Every day child protection workers in Western Australia are working under intense pressure. All child protection staff in the Kimberley are working to full capacity and are experiencing pressure as a result of a workload generated by recent child abuse investigations. The department recognises the stress that field staff are under. It is an important part of the role of senior staff to supervise and support field workers. (3) The two caseworkers are managing a total of 18 cases and the remaining 12 cases are the responsibility of the team leader. (4) Thirty. (5) An increase in cases occurred when police and specialist interviewing staff investigated recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing. About 24 matters concerning possible child abuse were recently the subject of investigation by Department for Child Protection staff in Fitzroy Crossing. Not all these matters required an ongoing increase in the Department for Child Protection’s case load. It is not possible with short notice to be more precise as staff in this office are rightly focused on service provision. I am not prepared to divert resources to provide a more detailed response. In summary, the number of actual staff on the ground on the selected dates for the past few years has been stable, but there has been an increase in funded staffing levels in Fitzroy Crossing. Recently the government committed to an attraction and retention benefit package for front-line child protection staff, providing them with an allowance of an extra $108 to $149 per week. This allowance will help with the recruitment efforts in communities such as Fitzroy Crossing. Over and above the staffing complement, additional staff have been deployed to Fitzroy Crossing to address demands for child protection as they have arisen. Unlike the previous Liberal government, which funded no additional child protection workers during its period in office, from 2001-02 to 2007-08 this government has increased the number of permanent full-time staff in the department by 496 and in the Kimberley since 2006 by 13.2.
(1) In 2005 the number of full-time employees was five, in 2006 it was five, and now, according to an answer I received this week, it has decreased in 2007 to two full-time employees. There are no part-time employees. With the alcohol, violence and child protection issues that have been reported on in the media for the past year, how can the minister justify this decrease? (2) Does the minister realise that these two staff are under immense pressure and are reported to be at breaking point? (3) Given that a caseworker should have only the recommended 15 cases, how many cases do these workers have each? (4) What is the total case load in Fitzroy Crossing? (5) What has been the increase in cases since January 2007 to the present time? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) The response given yesterday to a related question - question on notice 5455 - was incorrect. The answer to part (9) of that earlier question about full-time employees used the number of employees at 30 June 2007. Due to a system error, an administrative staff person in place in Fitzroy Crossing was not counted and the number of employees on that day was actually three. Further, the reply did not give the current number of employees - that is, as of yesterday, 23 October 2007 - which is five. There is an additional funded child protection worker position that is vacant, but work is progressing on filling it. During the recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing, two senior staff were flown in from Perth with police, and local staff were supported by the Senior Adviser Aboriginal Services and other senior staff from Broome. (2) I preface my remarks on the next answer by saying that every day child protection workers in Western Australia make decisions about things that most Western Australians do not want to think about, never mind actually make decisions on. Every day child protection workers in Western Australia are working under intense pressure. All child protection staff in the Kimberley are working to full capacity and are experiencing pressure as a result of a workload generated by recent child abuse investigations. The department recognises the stress that field staff are under. It is an important part of the role of senior staff to supervise and support field workers. (3) The two caseworkers are managing a total of 18 cases and the remaining 12 cases are the responsibility of the team leader. (4) Thirty. (5) An increase in cases occurred when police and specialist interviewing staff investigated recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing. About 24 matters concerning possible child abuse were recently the subject of investigation by Department for Child Protection staff in Fitzroy Crossing. Not all these matters required an ongoing increase in the Department for Child Protection’s case load. It is not possible with short notice to be more precise as staff in this office are rightly focused on service provision. I am not prepared to divert resources to provide a more detailed response. In summary, the number of actual staff on the ground on the selected dates for the past few years has been stable, but there has been an increase in funded staffing levels in Fitzroy Crossing. Recently the government committed to an attraction and retention benefit package for front-line child protection staff, providing them with an allowance of an extra $108 to $149 per week. This allowance will help with the recruitment efforts in communities such as Fitzroy Crossing. Over and above the staffing complement, additional staff have been deployed to Fitzroy Crossing to address demands for child protection as they have arisen. Unlike the previous Liberal government, which funded no additional child protection workers during its period in office, from 2001-02 to 2007-08 this government has increased the number of permanent full-time staff in the department by 496 and in the Kimberley since 2006 by 13.2.
(2) Does the minister realise that these two staff are under immense pressure and are reported to be at breaking point? (3) Given that a caseworker should have only the recommended 15 cases, how many cases do these workers have each? (4) What is the total case load in Fitzroy Crossing? (5) What has been the increase in cases since January 2007 to the present time? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) The response given yesterday to a related question - question on notice 5455 - was incorrect. The answer to part (9) of that earlier question about full-time employees used the number of employees at 30 June 2007. Due to a system error, an administrative staff person in place in Fitzroy Crossing was not counted and the number of employees on that day was actually three. Further, the reply did not give the current number of employees - that is, as of yesterday, 23 October 2007 - which is five. There is an additional funded child protection worker position that is vacant, but work is progressing on filling it. During the recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing, two senior staff were flown in from Perth with police, and local staff were supported by the Senior Adviser Aboriginal Services and other senior staff from Broome. (2) I preface my remarks on the next answer by saying that every day child protection workers in Western Australia make decisions about things that most Western Australians do not want to think about, never mind actually make decisions on. Every day child protection workers in Western Australia are working under intense pressure. All child protection staff in the Kimberley are working to full capacity and are experiencing pressure as a result of a workload generated by recent child abuse investigations. The department recognises the stress that field staff are under. It is an important part of the role of senior staff to supervise and support field workers. (3) The two caseworkers are managing a total of 18 cases and the remaining 12 cases are the responsibility of the team leader. (4) Thirty. (5) An increase in cases occurred when police and specialist interviewing staff investigated recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing. About 24 matters concerning possible child abuse were recently the subject of investigation by Department for Child Protection staff in Fitzroy Crossing. Not all these matters required an ongoing increase in the Department for Child Protection’s case load. It is not possible with short notice to be more precise as staff in this office are rightly focused on service provision. I am not prepared to divert resources to provide a more detailed response. In summary, the number of actual staff on the ground on the selected dates for the past few years has been stable, but there has been an increase in funded staffing levels in Fitzroy Crossing. Recently the government committed to an attraction and retention benefit package for front-line child protection staff, providing them with an allowance of an extra $108 to $149 per week. This allowance will help with the recruitment efforts in communities such as Fitzroy Crossing. Over and above the staffing complement, additional staff have been deployed to Fitzroy Crossing to address demands for child protection as they have arisen. Unlike the previous Liberal government, which funded no additional child protection workers during its period in office, from 2001-02 to 2007-08 this government has increased the number of permanent full-time staff in the department by 496 and in the Kimberley since 2006 by 13.2.
(3) Given that a caseworker should have only the recommended 15 cases, how many cases do these workers have each? (4) What is the total case load in Fitzroy Crossing? (5) What has been the increase in cases since January 2007 to the present time? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) The response given yesterday to a related question - question on notice 5455 - was incorrect. The answer to part (9) of that earlier question about full-time employees used the number of employees at 30 June 2007. Due to a system error, an administrative staff person in place in Fitzroy Crossing was not counted and the number of employees on that day was actually three. Further, the reply did not give the current number of employees - that is, as of yesterday, 23 October 2007 - which is five. There is an additional funded child protection worker position that is vacant, but work is progressing on filling it. During the recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing, two senior staff were flown in from Perth with police, and local staff were supported by the Senior Adviser Aboriginal Services and other senior staff from Broome. (2) I preface my remarks on the next answer by saying that every day child protection workers in Western Australia make decisions about things that most Western Australians do not want to think about, never mind actually make decisions on. Every day child protection workers in Western Australia are working under intense pressure. All child protection staff in the Kimberley are working to full capacity and are experiencing pressure as a result of a workload generated by recent child abuse investigations. The department recognises the stress that field staff are under. It is an important part of the role of senior staff to supervise and support field workers. (3) The two caseworkers are managing a total of 18 cases and the remaining 12 cases are the responsibility of the team leader. (4) Thirty. (5) An increase in cases occurred when police and specialist interviewing staff investigated recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing. About 24 matters concerning possible child abuse were recently the subject of investigation by Department for Child Protection staff in Fitzroy Crossing. Not all these matters required an ongoing increase in the Department for Child Protection’s case load. It is not possible with short notice to be more precise as staff in this office are rightly focused on service provision. I am not prepared to divert resources to provide a more detailed response. In summary, the number of actual staff on the ground on the selected dates for the past few years has been stable, but there has been an increase in funded staffing levels in Fitzroy Crossing. Recently the government committed to an attraction and retention benefit package for front-line child protection staff, providing them with an allowance of an extra $108 to $149 per week. This allowance will help with the recruitment efforts in communities such as Fitzroy Crossing. Over and above the staffing complement, additional staff have been deployed to Fitzroy Crossing to address demands for child protection as they have arisen. Unlike the previous Liberal government, which funded no additional child protection workers during its period in office, from 2001-02 to 2007-08 this government has increased the number of permanent full-time staff in the department by 496 and in the Kimberley since 2006 by 13.2.
(4) What is the total case load in Fitzroy Crossing? (5) What has been the increase in cases since January 2007 to the present time? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) The response given yesterday to a related question - question on notice 5455 - was incorrect. The answer to part (9) of that earlier question about full-time employees used the number of employees at 30 June 2007. Due to a system error, an administrative staff person in place in Fitzroy Crossing was not counted and the number of employees on that day was actually three. Further, the reply did not give the current number of employees - that is, as of yesterday, 23 October 2007 - which is five. There is an additional funded child protection worker position that is vacant, but work is progressing on filling it. During the recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing, two senior staff were flown in from Perth with police, and local staff were supported by the Senior Adviser Aboriginal Services and other senior staff from Broome. (2) I preface my remarks on the next answer by saying that every day child protection workers in Western Australia make decisions about things that most Western Australians do not want to think about, never mind actually make decisions on. Every day child protection workers in Western Australia are working under intense pressure. All child protection staff in the Kimberley are working to full capacity and are experiencing pressure as a result of a workload generated by recent child abuse investigations. The department recognises the stress that field staff are under. It is an important part of the role of senior staff to supervise and support field workers. (3) The two caseworkers are managing a total of 18 cases and the remaining 12 cases are the responsibility of the team leader. (4) Thirty. (5) An increase in cases occurred when police and specialist interviewing staff investigated recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing. About 24 matters concerning possible child abuse were recently the subject of investigation by Department for Child Protection staff in Fitzroy Crossing. Not all these matters required an ongoing increase in the Department for Child Protection’s case load. It is not possible with short notice to be more precise as staff in this office are rightly focused on service provision. I am not prepared to divert resources to provide a more detailed response. In summary, the number of actual staff on the ground on the selected dates for the past few years has been stable, but there has been an increase in funded staffing levels in Fitzroy Crossing. Recently the government committed to an attraction and retention benefit package for front-line child protection staff, providing them with an allowance of an extra $108 to $149 per week. This allowance will help with the recruitment efforts in communities such as Fitzroy Crossing. Over and above the staffing complement, additional staff have been deployed to Fitzroy Crossing to address demands for child protection as they have arisen. Unlike the previous Liberal government, which funded no additional child protection workers during its period in office, from 2001-02 to 2007-08 this government has increased the number of permanent full-time staff in the department by 496 and in the Kimberley since 2006 by 13.2.
(5) What has been the increase in cases since January 2007 to the present time? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) The response given yesterday to a related question - question on notice 5455 - was incorrect. The answer to part (9) of that earlier question about full-time employees used the number of employees at 30 June 2007. Due to a system error, an administrative staff person in place in Fitzroy Crossing was not counted and the number of employees on that day was actually three. Further, the reply did not give the current number of employees - that is, as of yesterday, 23 October 2007 - which is five. There is an additional funded child protection worker position that is vacant, but work is progressing on filling it. During the recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing, two senior staff were flown in from Perth with police, and local staff were supported by the Senior Adviser Aboriginal Services and other senior staff from Broome. (2) I preface my remarks on the next answer by saying that every day child protection workers in Western Australia make decisions about things that most Western Australians do not want to think about, never mind actually make decisions on. Every day child protection workers in Western Australia are working under intense pressure. All child protection staff in the Kimberley are working to full capacity and are experiencing pressure as a result of a workload generated by recent child abuse investigations. The department recognises the stress that field staff are under. It is an important part of the role of senior staff to supervise and support field workers. (3) The two caseworkers are managing a total of 18 cases and the remaining 12 cases are the responsibility of the team leader. (4) Thirty. (5) An increase in cases occurred when police and specialist interviewing staff investigated recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing. About 24 matters concerning possible child abuse were recently the subject of investigation by Department for Child Protection staff in Fitzroy Crossing. Not all these matters required an ongoing increase in the Department for Child Protection’s case load. It is not possible with short notice to be more precise as staff in this office are rightly focused on service provision. I am not prepared to divert resources to provide a more detailed response. In summary, the number of actual staff on the ground on the selected dates for the past few years has been stable, but there has been an increase in funded staffing levels in Fitzroy Crossing. Recently the government committed to an attraction and retention benefit package for front-line child protection staff, providing them with an allowance of an extra $108 to $149 per week. This allowance will help with the recruitment efforts in communities such as Fitzroy Crossing. Over and above the staffing complement, additional staff have been deployed to Fitzroy Crossing to address demands for child protection as they have arisen. Unlike the previous Liberal government, which funded no additional child protection workers during its period in office, from 2001-02 to 2007-08 this government has increased the number of permanent full-time staff in the department by 496 and in the Kimberley since 2006 by 13.2.
Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) The response given yesterday to a related question - question on notice 5455 - was incorrect. The answer to part (9) of that earlier question about full-time employees used the number of employees at 30 June 2007. Due to a system error, an administrative staff person in place in Fitzroy Crossing was not counted and the number of employees on that day was actually three. Further, the reply did not give the current number of employees - that is, as of yesterday, 23 October 2007 - which is five. There is an additional funded child protection worker position that is vacant, but work is progressing on filling it. During the recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing, two senior staff were flown in from Perth with police, and local staff were supported by the Senior Adviser Aboriginal Services and other senior staff from Broome. (2) I preface my remarks on the next answer by saying that every day child protection workers in Western Australia make decisions about things that most Western Australians do not want to think about, never mind actually make decisions on. Every day child protection workers in Western Australia are working under intense pressure. All child protection staff in the Kimberley are working to full capacity and are experiencing pressure as a result of a workload generated by recent child abuse investigations. The department recognises the stress that field staff are under. It is an important part of the role of senior staff to supervise and support field workers. (3) The two caseworkers are managing a total of 18 cases and the remaining 12 cases are the responsibility of the team leader. (4) Thirty. (5) An increase in cases occurred when police and specialist interviewing staff investigated recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing. About 24 matters concerning possible child abuse were recently the subject of investigation by Department for Child Protection staff in Fitzroy Crossing. Not all these matters required an ongoing increase in the Department for Child Protection’s case load. It is not possible with short notice to be more precise as staff in this office are rightly focused on service provision. I am not prepared to divert resources to provide a more detailed response. In summary, the number of actual staff on the ground on the selected dates for the past few years has been stable, but there has been an increase in funded staffing levels in Fitzroy Crossing. Recently the government committed to an attraction and retention benefit package for front-line child protection staff, providing them with an allowance of an extra $108 to $149 per week. This allowance will help with the recruitment efforts in communities such as Fitzroy Crossing. Over and above the staffing complement, additional staff have been deployed to Fitzroy Crossing to address demands for child protection as they have arisen. Unlike the previous Liberal government, which funded no additional child protection workers during its period in office, from 2001-02 to 2007-08 this government has increased the number of permanent full-time staff in the department by 496 and in the Kimberley since 2006 by 13.2.
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) The response given yesterday to a related question - question on notice 5455 - was incorrect. The answer to part (9) of that earlier question about full-time employees used the number of employees at 30 June 2007. Due to a system error, an administrative staff person in place in Fitzroy Crossing was not counted and the number of employees on that day was actually three. Further, the reply did not give the current number of employees - that is, as of yesterday, 23 October 2007 - which is five. There is an additional funded child protection worker position that is vacant, but work is progressing on filling it. During the recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing, two senior staff were flown in from Perth with police, and local staff were supported by the Senior Adviser Aboriginal Services and other senior staff from Broome. (2) I preface my remarks on the next answer by saying that every day child protection workers in Western Australia make decisions about things that most Western Australians do not want to think about, never mind actually make decisions on. Every day child protection workers in Western Australia are working under intense pressure. All child protection staff in the Kimberley are working to full capacity and are experiencing pressure as a result of a workload generated by recent child abuse investigations. The department recognises the stress that field staff are under. It is an important part of the role of senior staff to supervise and support field workers. (3) The two caseworkers are managing a total of 18 cases and the remaining 12 cases are the responsibility of the team leader. (4) Thirty. (5) An increase in cases occurred when police and specialist interviewing staff investigated recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing. About 24 matters concerning possible child abuse were recently the subject of investigation by Department for Child Protection staff in Fitzroy Crossing. Not all these matters required an ongoing increase in the Department for Child Protection’s case load. It is not possible with short notice to be more precise as staff in this office are rightly focused on service provision. I am not prepared to divert resources to provide a more detailed response. In summary, the number of actual staff on the ground on the selected dates for the past few years has been stable, but there has been an increase in funded staffing levels in Fitzroy Crossing. Recently the government committed to an attraction and retention benefit package for front-line child protection staff, providing them with an allowance of an extra $108 to $149 per week. This allowance will help with the recruitment efforts in communities such as Fitzroy Crossing. Over and above the staffing complement, additional staff have been deployed to Fitzroy Crossing to address demands for child protection as they have arisen. Unlike the previous Liberal government, which funded no additional child protection workers during its period in office, from 2001-02 to 2007-08 this government has increased the number of permanent full-time staff in the department by 496 and in the Kimberley since 2006 by 13.2.
(1) The response given yesterday to a related question - question on notice 5455 - was incorrect. The answer to part (9) of that earlier question about full-time employees used the number of employees at 30 June 2007. Due to a system error, an administrative staff person in place in Fitzroy Crossing was not counted and the number of employees on that day was actually three. Further, the reply did not give the current number of employees - that is, as of yesterday, 23 October 2007 - which is five. There is an additional funded child protection worker position that is vacant, but work is progressing on filling it. During the recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing, two senior staff were flown in from Perth with police, and local staff were supported by the Senior Adviser Aboriginal Services and other senior staff from Broome. (2) I preface my remarks on the next answer by saying that every day child protection workers in Western Australia make decisions about things that most Western Australians do not want to think about, never mind actually make decisions on. Every day child protection workers in Western Australia are working under intense pressure. All child protection staff in the Kimberley are working to full capacity and are experiencing pressure as a result of a workload generated by recent child abuse investigations. The department recognises the stress that field staff are under. It is an important part of the role of senior staff to supervise and support field workers. (3) The two caseworkers are managing a total of 18 cases and the remaining 12 cases are the responsibility of the team leader. (4) Thirty. (5) An increase in cases occurred when police and specialist interviewing staff investigated recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing. About 24 matters concerning possible child abuse were recently the subject of investigation by Department for Child Protection staff in Fitzroy Crossing. Not all these matters required an ongoing increase in the Department for Child Protection’s case load. It is not possible with short notice to be more precise as staff in this office are rightly focused on service provision. I am not prepared to divert resources to provide a more detailed response. In summary, the number of actual staff on the ground on the selected dates for the past few years has been stable, but there has been an increase in funded staffing levels in Fitzroy Crossing. Recently the government committed to an attraction and retention benefit package for front-line child protection staff, providing them with an allowance of an extra $108 to $149 per week. This allowance will help with the recruitment efforts in communities such as Fitzroy Crossing. Over and above the staffing complement, additional staff have been deployed to Fitzroy Crossing to address demands for child protection as they have arisen. Unlike the previous Liberal government, which funded no additional child protection workers during its period in office, from 2001-02 to 2007-08 this government has increased the number of permanent full-time staff in the department by 496 and in the Kimberley since 2006 by 13.2.
(2) I preface my remarks on the next answer by saying that every day child protection workers in Western Australia make decisions about things that most Western Australians do not want to think about, never mind actually make decisions on. Every day child protection workers in Western Australia are working under intense pressure. All child protection staff in the Kimberley are working to full capacity and are experiencing pressure as a result of a workload generated by recent child abuse investigations. The department recognises the stress that field staff are under. It is an important part of the role of senior staff to supervise and support field workers. (3) The two caseworkers are managing a total of 18 cases and the remaining 12 cases are the responsibility of the team leader. (4) Thirty. (5) An increase in cases occurred when police and specialist interviewing staff investigated recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing. About 24 matters concerning possible child abuse were recently the subject of investigation by Department for Child Protection staff in Fitzroy Crossing. Not all these matters required an ongoing increase in the Department for Child Protection’s case load. It is not possible with short notice to be more precise as staff in this office are rightly focused on service provision. I am not prepared to divert resources to provide a more detailed response. In summary, the number of actual staff on the ground on the selected dates for the past few years has been stable, but there has been an increase in funded staffing levels in Fitzroy Crossing. Recently the government committed to an attraction and retention benefit package for front-line child protection staff, providing them with an allowance of an extra $108 to $149 per week. This allowance will help with the recruitment efforts in communities such as Fitzroy Crossing. Over and above the staffing complement, additional staff have been deployed to Fitzroy Crossing to address demands for child protection as they have arisen. Unlike the previous Liberal government, which funded no additional child protection workers during its period in office, from 2001-02 to 2007-08 this government has increased the number of permanent full-time staff in the department by 496 and in the Kimberley since 2006 by 13.2.
(3) The two caseworkers are managing a total of 18 cases and the remaining 12 cases are the responsibility of the team leader. (4) Thirty. (5) An increase in cases occurred when police and specialist interviewing staff investigated recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing. About 24 matters concerning possible child abuse were recently the subject of investigation by Department for Child Protection staff in Fitzroy Crossing. Not all these matters required an ongoing increase in the Department for Child Protection’s case load. It is not possible with short notice to be more precise as staff in this office are rightly focused on service provision. I am not prepared to divert resources to provide a more detailed response. In summary, the number of actual staff on the ground on the selected dates for the past few years has been stable, but there has been an increase in funded staffing levels in Fitzroy Crossing. Recently the government committed to an attraction and retention benefit package for front-line child protection staff, providing them with an allowance of an extra $108 to $149 per week. This allowance will help with the recruitment efforts in communities such as Fitzroy Crossing. Over and above the staffing complement, additional staff have been deployed to Fitzroy Crossing to address demands for child protection as they have arisen. Unlike the previous Liberal government, which funded no additional child protection workers during its period in office, from 2001-02 to 2007-08 this government has increased the number of permanent full-time staff in the department by 496 and in the Kimberley since 2006 by 13.2.
(4) Thirty. (5) An increase in cases occurred when police and specialist interviewing staff investigated recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing. About 24 matters concerning possible child abuse were recently the subject of investigation by Department for Child Protection staff in Fitzroy Crossing. Not all these matters required an ongoing increase in the Department for Child Protection’s case load. It is not possible with short notice to be more precise as staff in this office are rightly focused on service provision. I am not prepared to divert resources to provide a more detailed response. In summary, the number of actual staff on the ground on the selected dates for the past few years has been stable, but there has been an increase in funded staffing levels in Fitzroy Crossing. Recently the government committed to an attraction and retention benefit package for front-line child protection staff, providing them with an allowance of an extra $108 to $149 per week. This allowance will help with the recruitment efforts in communities such as Fitzroy Crossing. Over and above the staffing complement, additional staff have been deployed to Fitzroy Crossing to address demands for child protection as they have arisen. Unlike the previous Liberal government, which funded no additional child protection workers during its period in office, from 2001-02 to 2007-08 this government has increased the number of permanent full-time staff in the department by 496 and in the Kimberley since 2006 by 13.2.
(5) An increase in cases occurred when police and specialist interviewing staff investigated recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing. About 24 matters concerning possible child abuse were recently the subject of investigation by Department for Child Protection staff in Fitzroy Crossing. Not all these matters required an ongoing increase in the Department for Child Protection’s case load. It is not possible with short notice to be more precise as staff in this office are rightly focused on service provision. I am not prepared to divert resources to provide a more detailed response. In summary, the number of actual staff on the ground on the selected dates for the past few years has been stable, but there has been an increase in funded staffing levels in Fitzroy Crossing. Recently the government committed to an attraction and retention benefit package for front-line child protection staff, providing them with an allowance of an extra $108 to $149 per week. This allowance will help with the recruitment efforts in communities such as Fitzroy Crossing. Over and above the staffing complement, additional staff have been deployed to Fitzroy Crossing to address demands for child protection as they have arisen. Unlike the previous Liberal government, which funded no additional child protection workers during its period in office, from 2001-02 to 2007-08 this government has increased the number of permanent full-time staff in the department by 496 and in the Kimberley since 2006 by 13.2.
(1) In 2005 the number of full-time employees was five, in 2006 it was five, and now, according to an answer I received this week, it has decreased in 2007 to two full-time employees. There are no part-time employees. With the alcohol, violence and child protection issues that have been reported on in the media for the past year, how can the minister justify this decrease? (2) Does the minister realise that these two staff are under immense pressure and are reported to be at breaking point? (3) Given that a caseworker should have only the recommended 15 cases, how many cases do these workers have each? (4) What is the total case load in Fitzroy Crossing? (5) What has been the increase in cases since January 2007 to the present time? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) The response given yesterday to a related question - question on notice 5455 - was incorrect. The answer to part (9) of that earlier question about full-time employees used the number of employees at 30 June 2007. Due to a system error, an administrative staff person in place in Fitzroy Crossing was not counted and the number of employees on that day was actually three. Further, the reply did not give the current number of employees - that is, as of yesterday, 23 October 2007 - which is five. There is an additional funded child protection worker position that is vacant, but work is progressing on filling it. During the recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing, two senior staff were flown in from Perth with police, and local staff were supported by the Senior Adviser Aboriginal Services and other senior staff from Broome. (2) I preface my remarks on the next answer by saying that every day child protection workers in Western Australia make decisions about things that most Western Australians do not want to think about, never mind actually make decisions on. Every day child protection workers in Western Australia are working under intense pressure. All child protection staff in the Kimberley are working to full capacity and are experiencing pressure as a result of a workload generated by recent child abuse investigations. The department recognises the stress that field staff are under. It is an important part of the role of senior staff to supervise and support field workers. (3) The two caseworkers are managing a total of 18 cases and the remaining 12 cases are the responsibility of the team leader. (4) Thirty. (5) An increase in cases occurred when police and specialist interviewing staff investigated recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing. About 24 matters concerning possible child abuse were recently the subject of investigation by Department for Child Protection staff in Fitzroy Crossing. Not all these matters required an ongoing increase in the Department for Child Protection’s case load. It is not possible with short notice to be more precise as staff in this office are rightly focused on service provision. I am not prepared to divert resources to provide a more detailed response. In summary, the number of actual staff on the ground on the selected dates for the past few years has been stable, but there has been an increase in funded staffing levels in Fitzroy Crossing. Recently the government committed to an attraction and retention benefit package for front-line child protection staff, providing them with an allowance of an extra $108 to $149 per week. This allowance will help with the recruitment efforts in communities such as Fitzroy Crossing. Over and above the staffing complement, additional staff have been deployed to Fitzroy Crossing to address demands for child protection as they have arisen. Unlike the previous Liberal government, which funded no additional child protection workers during its period in office, from 2001-02 to 2007-08 this government has increased the number of permanent full-time staff in the department by 496 and in the Kimberley since 2006 by 13.2.
(2) Does the minister realise that these two staff are under immense pressure and are reported to be at breaking point? (3) Given that a caseworker should have only the recommended 15 cases, how many cases do these workers have each? (4) What is the total case load in Fitzroy Crossing? (5) What has been the increase in cases since January 2007 to the present time? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) The response given yesterday to a related question - question on notice 5455 - was incorrect. The answer to part (9) of that earlier question about full-time employees used the number of employees at 30 June 2007. Due to a system error, an administrative staff person in place in Fitzroy Crossing was not counted and the number of employees on that day was actually three. Further, the reply did not give the current number of employees - that is, as of yesterday, 23 October 2007 - which is five. There is an additional funded child protection worker position that is vacant, but work is progressing on filling it. During the recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing, two senior staff were flown in from Perth with police, and local staff were supported by the Senior Adviser Aboriginal Services and other senior staff from Broome. (2) I preface my remarks on the next answer by saying that every day child protection workers in Western Australia make decisions about things that most Western Australians do not want to think about, never mind actually make decisions on. Every day child protection workers in Western Australia are working under intense pressure. All child protection staff in the Kimberley are working to full capacity and are experiencing pressure as a result of a workload generated by recent child abuse investigations. The department recognises the stress that field staff are under. It is an important part of the role of senior staff to supervise and support field workers. (3) The two caseworkers are managing a total of 18 cases and the remaining 12 cases are the responsibility of the team leader. (4) Thirty. (5) An increase in cases occurred when police and specialist interviewing staff investigated recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing. About 24 matters concerning possible child abuse were recently the subject of investigation by Department for Child Protection staff in Fitzroy Crossing. Not all these matters required an ongoing increase in the Department for Child Protection’s case load. It is not possible with short notice to be more precise as staff in this office are rightly focused on service provision. I am not prepared to divert resources to provide a more detailed response. In summary, the number of actual staff on the ground on the selected dates for the past few years has been stable, but there has been an increase in funded staffing levels in Fitzroy Crossing. Recently the government committed to an attraction and retention benefit package for front-line child protection staff, providing them with an allowance of an extra $108 to $149 per week. This allowance will help with the recruitment efforts in communities such as Fitzroy Crossing. Over and above the staffing complement, additional staff have been deployed to Fitzroy Crossing to address demands for child protection as they have arisen. Unlike the previous Liberal government, which funded no additional child protection workers during its period in office, from 2001-02 to 2007-08 this government has increased the number of permanent full-time staff in the department by 496 and in the Kimberley since 2006 by 13.2.
(3) Given that a caseworker should have only the recommended 15 cases, how many cases do these workers have each? (4) What is the total case load in Fitzroy Crossing? (5) What has been the increase in cases since January 2007 to the present time? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) The response given yesterday to a related question - question on notice 5455 - was incorrect. The answer to part (9) of that earlier question about full-time employees used the number of employees at 30 June 2007. Due to a system error, an administrative staff person in place in Fitzroy Crossing was not counted and the number of employees on that day was actually three. Further, the reply did not give the current number of employees - that is, as of yesterday, 23 October 2007 - which is five. There is an additional funded child protection worker position that is vacant, but work is progressing on filling it. During the recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing, two senior staff were flown in from Perth with police, and local staff were supported by the Senior Adviser Aboriginal Services and other senior staff from Broome. (2) I preface my remarks on the next answer by saying that every day child protection workers in Western Australia make decisions about things that most Western Australians do not want to think about, never mind actually make decisions on. Every day child protection workers in Western Australia are working under intense pressure. All child protection staff in the Kimberley are working to full capacity and are experiencing pressure as a result of a workload generated by recent child abuse investigations. The department recognises the stress that field staff are under. It is an important part of the role of senior staff to supervise and support field workers. (3) The two caseworkers are managing a total of 18 cases and the remaining 12 cases are the responsibility of the team leader. (4) Thirty. (5) An increase in cases occurred when police and specialist interviewing staff investigated recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing. About 24 matters concerning possible child abuse were recently the subject of investigation by Department for Child Protection staff in Fitzroy Crossing. Not all these matters required an ongoing increase in the Department for Child Protection’s case load. It is not possible with short notice to be more precise as staff in this office are rightly focused on service provision. I am not prepared to divert resources to provide a more detailed response. In summary, the number of actual staff on the ground on the selected dates for the past few years has been stable, but there has been an increase in funded staffing levels in Fitzroy Crossing. Recently the government committed to an attraction and retention benefit package for front-line child protection staff, providing them with an allowance of an extra $108 to $149 per week. This allowance will help with the recruitment efforts in communities such as Fitzroy Crossing. Over and above the staffing complement, additional staff have been deployed to Fitzroy Crossing to address demands for child protection as they have arisen. Unlike the previous Liberal government, which funded no additional child protection workers during its period in office, from 2001-02 to 2007-08 this government has increased the number of permanent full-time staff in the department by 496 and in the Kimberley since 2006 by 13.2.
(4) What is the total case load in Fitzroy Crossing? (5) What has been the increase in cases since January 2007 to the present time? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) The response given yesterday to a related question - question on notice 5455 - was incorrect. The answer to part (9) of that earlier question about full-time employees used the number of employees at 30 June 2007. Due to a system error, an administrative staff person in place in Fitzroy Crossing was not counted and the number of employees on that day was actually three. Further, the reply did not give the current number of employees - that is, as of yesterday, 23 October 2007 - which is five. There is an additional funded child protection worker position that is vacant, but work is progressing on filling it. During the recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing, two senior staff were flown in from Perth with police, and local staff were supported by the Senior Adviser Aboriginal Services and other senior staff from Broome. (2) I preface my remarks on the next answer by saying that every day child protection workers in Western Australia make decisions about things that most Western Australians do not want to think about, never mind actually make decisions on. Every day child protection workers in Western Australia are working under intense pressure. All child protection staff in the Kimberley are working to full capacity and are experiencing pressure as a result of a workload generated by recent child abuse investigations. The department recognises the stress that field staff are under. It is an important part of the role of senior staff to supervise and support field workers. (3) The two caseworkers are managing a total of 18 cases and the remaining 12 cases are the responsibility of the team leader. (4) Thirty. (5) An increase in cases occurred when police and specialist interviewing staff investigated recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing. About 24 matters concerning possible child abuse were recently the subject of investigation by Department for Child Protection staff in Fitzroy Crossing. Not all these matters required an ongoing increase in the Department for Child Protection’s case load. It is not possible with short notice to be more precise as staff in this office are rightly focused on service provision. I am not prepared to divert resources to provide a more detailed response. In summary, the number of actual staff on the ground on the selected dates for the past few years has been stable, but there has been an increase in funded staffing levels in Fitzroy Crossing. Recently the government committed to an attraction and retention benefit package for front-line child protection staff, providing them with an allowance of an extra $108 to $149 per week. This allowance will help with the recruitment efforts in communities such as Fitzroy Crossing. Over and above the staffing complement, additional staff have been deployed to Fitzroy Crossing to address demands for child protection as they have arisen. Unlike the previous Liberal government, which funded no additional child protection workers during its period in office, from 2001-02 to 2007-08 this government has increased the number of permanent full-time staff in the department by 496 and in the Kimberley since 2006 by 13.2.
(5) What has been the increase in cases since January 2007 to the present time? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) The response given yesterday to a related question - question on notice 5455 - was incorrect. The answer to part (9) of that earlier question about full-time employees used the number of employees at 30 June 2007. Due to a system error, an administrative staff person in place in Fitzroy Crossing was not counted and the number of employees on that day was actually three. Further, the reply did not give the current number of employees - that is, as of yesterday, 23 October 2007 - which is five. There is an additional funded child protection worker position that is vacant, but work is progressing on filling it. During the recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing, two senior staff were flown in from Perth with police, and local staff were supported by the Senior Adviser Aboriginal Services and other senior staff from Broome. (2) I preface my remarks on the next answer by saying that every day child protection workers in Western Australia make decisions about things that most Western Australians do not want to think about, never mind actually make decisions on. Every day child protection workers in Western Australia are working under intense pressure. All child protection staff in the Kimberley are working to full capacity and are experiencing pressure as a result of a workload generated by recent child abuse investigations. The department recognises the stress that field staff are under. It is an important part of the role of senior staff to supervise and support field workers. (3) The two caseworkers are managing a total of 18 cases and the remaining 12 cases are the responsibility of the team leader. (4) Thirty. (5) An increase in cases occurred when police and specialist interviewing staff investigated recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing. About 24 matters concerning possible child abuse were recently the subject of investigation by Department for Child Protection staff in Fitzroy Crossing. Not all these matters required an ongoing increase in the Department for Child Protection’s case load. It is not possible with short notice to be more precise as staff in this office are rightly focused on service provision. I am not prepared to divert resources to provide a more detailed response. In summary, the number of actual staff on the ground on the selected dates for the past few years has been stable, but there has been an increase in funded staffing levels in Fitzroy Crossing. Recently the government committed to an attraction and retention benefit package for front-line child protection staff, providing them with an allowance of an extra $108 to $149 per week. This allowance will help with the recruitment efforts in communities such as Fitzroy Crossing. Over and above the staffing complement, additional staff have been deployed to Fitzroy Crossing to address demands for child protection as they have arisen. Unlike the previous Liberal government, which funded no additional child protection workers during its period in office, from 2001-02 to 2007-08 this government has increased the number of permanent full-time staff in the department by 496 and in the Kimberley since 2006 by 13.2.
Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) The response given yesterday to a related question - question on notice 5455 - was incorrect. The answer to part (9) of that earlier question about full-time employees used the number of employees at 30 June 2007. Due to a system error, an administrative staff person in place in Fitzroy Crossing was not counted and the number of employees on that day was actually three. Further, the reply did not give the current number of employees - that is, as of yesterday, 23 October 2007 - which is five. There is an additional funded child protection worker position that is vacant, but work is progressing on filling it. During the recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing, two senior staff were flown in from Perth with police, and local staff were supported by the Senior Adviser Aboriginal Services and other senior staff from Broome. (2) I preface my remarks on the next answer by saying that every day child protection workers in Western Australia make decisions about things that most Western Australians do not want to think about, never mind actually make decisions on. Every day child protection workers in Western Australia are working under intense pressure. All child protection staff in the Kimberley are working to full capacity and are experiencing pressure as a result of a workload generated by recent child abuse investigations. The department recognises the stress that field staff are under. It is an important part of the role of senior staff to supervise and support field workers. (3) The two caseworkers are managing a total of 18 cases and the remaining 12 cases are the responsibility of the team leader. (4) Thirty. (5) An increase in cases occurred when police and specialist interviewing staff investigated recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing. About 24 matters concerning possible child abuse were recently the subject of investigation by Department for Child Protection staff in Fitzroy Crossing. Not all these matters required an ongoing increase in the Department for Child Protection’s case load. It is not possible with short notice to be more precise as staff in this office are rightly focused on service provision. I am not prepared to divert resources to provide a more detailed response. In summary, the number of actual staff on the ground on the selected dates for the past few years has been stable, but there has been an increase in funded staffing levels in Fitzroy Crossing. Recently the government committed to an attraction and retention benefit package for front-line child protection staff, providing them with an allowance of an extra $108 to $149 per week. This allowance will help with the recruitment efforts in communities such as Fitzroy Crossing. Over and above the staffing complement, additional staff have been deployed to Fitzroy Crossing to address demands for child protection as they have arisen. Unlike the previous Liberal government, which funded no additional child protection workers during its period in office, from 2001-02 to 2007-08 this government has increased the number of permanent full-time staff in the department by 496 and in the Kimberley since 2006 by 13.2.
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) The response given yesterday to a related question - question on notice 5455 - was incorrect. The answer to part (9) of that earlier question about full-time employees used the number of employees at 30 June 2007. Due to a system error, an administrative staff person in place in Fitzroy Crossing was not counted and the number of employees on that day was actually three. Further, the reply did not give the current number of employees - that is, as of yesterday, 23 October 2007 - which is five. There is an additional funded child protection worker position that is vacant, but work is progressing on filling it. During the recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing, two senior staff were flown in from Perth with police, and local staff were supported by the Senior Adviser Aboriginal Services and other senior staff from Broome. (2) I preface my remarks on the next answer by saying that every day child protection workers in Western Australia make decisions about things that most Western Australians do not want to think about, never mind actually make decisions on. Every day child protection workers in Western Australia are working under intense pressure. All child protection staff in the Kimberley are working to full capacity and are experiencing pressure as a result of a workload generated by recent child abuse investigations. The department recognises the stress that field staff are under. It is an important part of the role of senior staff to supervise and support field workers. (3) The two caseworkers are managing a total of 18 cases and the remaining 12 cases are the responsibility of the team leader. (4) Thirty. (5) An increase in cases occurred when police and specialist interviewing staff investigated recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing. About 24 matters concerning possible child abuse were recently the subject of investigation by Department for Child Protection staff in Fitzroy Crossing. Not all these matters required an ongoing increase in the Department for Child Protection’s case load. It is not possible with short notice to be more precise as staff in this office are rightly focused on service provision. I am not prepared to divert resources to provide a more detailed response. In summary, the number of actual staff on the ground on the selected dates for the past few years has been stable, but there has been an increase in funded staffing levels in Fitzroy Crossing. Recently the government committed to an attraction and retention benefit package for front-line child protection staff, providing them with an allowance of an extra $108 to $149 per week. This allowance will help with the recruitment efforts in communities such as Fitzroy Crossing. Over and above the staffing complement, additional staff have been deployed to Fitzroy Crossing to address demands for child protection as they have arisen. Unlike the previous Liberal government, which funded no additional child protection workers during its period in office, from 2001-02 to 2007-08 this government has increased the number of permanent full-time staff in the department by 496 and in the Kimberley since 2006 by 13.2.
(1) The response given yesterday to a related question - question on notice 5455 - was incorrect. The answer to part (9) of that earlier question about full-time employees used the number of employees at 30 June 2007. Due to a system error, an administrative staff person in place in Fitzroy Crossing was not counted and the number of employees on that day was actually three. Further, the reply did not give the current number of employees - that is, as of yesterday, 23 October 2007 - which is five. There is an additional funded child protection worker position that is vacant, but work is progressing on filling it. During the recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing, two senior staff were flown in from Perth with police, and local staff were supported by the Senior Adviser Aboriginal Services and other senior staff from Broome. (2) I preface my remarks on the next answer by saying that every day child protection workers in Western Australia make decisions about things that most Western Australians do not want to think about, never mind actually make decisions on. Every day child protection workers in Western Australia are working under intense pressure. All child protection staff in the Kimberley are working to full capacity and are experiencing pressure as a result of a workload generated by recent child abuse investigations. The department recognises the stress that field staff are under. It is an important part of the role of senior staff to supervise and support field workers. (3) The two caseworkers are managing a total of 18 cases and the remaining 12 cases are the responsibility of the team leader. (4) Thirty. (5) An increase in cases occurred when police and specialist interviewing staff investigated recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing. About 24 matters concerning possible child abuse were recently the subject of investigation by Department for Child Protection staff in Fitzroy Crossing. Not all these matters required an ongoing increase in the Department for Child Protection’s case load. It is not possible with short notice to be more precise as staff in this office are rightly focused on service provision. I am not prepared to divert resources to provide a more detailed response. In summary, the number of actual staff on the ground on the selected dates for the past few years has been stable, but there has been an increase in funded staffing levels in Fitzroy Crossing. Recently the government committed to an attraction and retention benefit package for front-line child protection staff, providing them with an allowance of an extra $108 to $149 per week. This allowance will help with the recruitment efforts in communities such as Fitzroy Crossing. Over and above the staffing complement, additional staff have been deployed to Fitzroy Crossing to address demands for child protection as they have arisen. Unlike the previous Liberal government, which funded no additional child protection workers during its period in office, from 2001-02 to 2007-08 this government has increased the number of permanent full-time staff in the department by 496 and in the Kimberley since 2006 by 13.2.
(2) I preface my remarks on the next answer by saying that every day child protection workers in Western Australia make decisions about things that most Western Australians do not want to think about, never mind actually make decisions on. Every day child protection workers in Western Australia are working under intense pressure. All child protection staff in the Kimberley are working to full capacity and are experiencing pressure as a result of a workload generated by recent child abuse investigations. The department recognises the stress that field staff are under. It is an important part of the role of senior staff to supervise and support field workers. (3) The two caseworkers are managing a total of 18 cases and the remaining 12 cases are the responsibility of the team leader. (4) Thirty. (5) An increase in cases occurred when police and specialist interviewing staff investigated recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing. About 24 matters concerning possible child abuse were recently the subject of investigation by Department for Child Protection staff in Fitzroy Crossing. Not all these matters required an ongoing increase in the Department for Child Protection’s case load. It is not possible with short notice to be more precise as staff in this office are rightly focused on service provision. I am not prepared to divert resources to provide a more detailed response. In summary, the number of actual staff on the ground on the selected dates for the past few years has been stable, but there has been an increase in funded staffing levels in Fitzroy Crossing. Recently the government committed to an attraction and retention benefit package for front-line child protection staff, providing them with an allowance of an extra $108 to $149 per week. This allowance will help with the recruitment efforts in communities such as Fitzroy Crossing. Over and above the staffing complement, additional staff have been deployed to Fitzroy Crossing to address demands for child protection as they have arisen. Unlike the previous Liberal government, which funded no additional child protection workers during its period in office, from 2001-02 to 2007-08 this government has increased the number of permanent full-time staff in the department by 496 and in the Kimberley since 2006 by 13.2.
(3) The two caseworkers are managing a total of 18 cases and the remaining 12 cases are the responsibility of the team leader. (4) Thirty. (5) An increase in cases occurred when police and specialist interviewing staff investigated recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing. About 24 matters concerning possible child abuse were recently the subject of investigation by Department for Child Protection staff in Fitzroy Crossing. Not all these matters required an ongoing increase in the Department for Child Protection’s case load. It is not possible with short notice to be more precise as staff in this office are rightly focused on service provision. I am not prepared to divert resources to provide a more detailed response. In summary, the number of actual staff on the ground on the selected dates for the past few years has been stable, but there has been an increase in funded staffing levels in Fitzroy Crossing. Recently the government committed to an attraction and retention benefit package for front-line child protection staff, providing them with an allowance of an extra $108 to $149 per week. This allowance will help with the recruitment efforts in communities such as Fitzroy Crossing. Over and above the staffing complement, additional staff have been deployed to Fitzroy Crossing to address demands for child protection as they have arisen. Unlike the previous Liberal government, which funded no additional child protection workers during its period in office, from 2001-02 to 2007-08 this government has increased the number of permanent full-time staff in the department by 496 and in the Kimberley since 2006 by 13.2.
(4) Thirty. (5) An increase in cases occurred when police and specialist interviewing staff investigated recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing. About 24 matters concerning possible child abuse were recently the subject of investigation by Department for Child Protection staff in Fitzroy Crossing. Not all these matters required an ongoing increase in the Department for Child Protection’s case load. It is not possible with short notice to be more precise as staff in this office are rightly focused on service provision. I am not prepared to divert resources to provide a more detailed response. In summary, the number of actual staff on the ground on the selected dates for the past few years has been stable, but there has been an increase in funded staffing levels in Fitzroy Crossing. Recently the government committed to an attraction and retention benefit package for front-line child protection staff, providing them with an allowance of an extra $108 to $149 per week. This allowance will help with the recruitment efforts in communities such as Fitzroy Crossing. Over and above the staffing complement, additional staff have been deployed to Fitzroy Crossing to address demands for child protection as they have arisen. Unlike the previous Liberal government, which funded no additional child protection workers during its period in office, from 2001-02 to 2007-08 this government has increased the number of permanent full-time staff in the department by 496 and in the Kimberley since 2006 by 13.2.
(5) An increase in cases occurred when police and specialist interviewing staff investigated recent allegations of abuse in Fitzroy Crossing. About 24 matters concerning possible child abuse were recently the subject of investigation by Department for Child Protection staff in Fitzroy Crossing. Not all these matters required an ongoing increase in the Department for Child Protection’s case load. It is not possible with short notice to be more precise as staff in this office are rightly focused on service provision. I am not prepared to divert resources to provide a more detailed response. In summary, the number of actual staff on the ground on the selected dates for the past few years has been stable, but there has been an increase in funded staffing levels in Fitzroy Crossing. Recently the government committed to an attraction and retention benefit package for front-line child protection staff, providing them with an allowance of an extra $108 to $149 per week. This allowance will help with the recruitment efforts in communities such as Fitzroy Crossing. Over and above the staffing complement, additional staff have been deployed to Fitzroy Crossing to address demands for child protection as they have arisen. Unlike the previous Liberal government, which funded no additional child protection workers during its period in office, from 2001-02 to 2007-08 this government has increased the number of permanent full-time staff in the department by 496 and in the Kimberley since 2006 by 13.2.
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