NSW Ombudsman highlights need for reform

Minister for Family and Community Services Pru Goward has welcomed the NSW Ombudsman's Keep Them Safe report.

Together with his office's report on Reviewable Child Deaths in 2008 and 2009 the Ombudsman has again strongly put the case for real reform to improve support, care and protection for vulnerable children and young people in NSW.

"The legacy of 16 years of Labor is a child protection system seriously lacking in capacity to adequately protect children from harm and a department left financially unsustainable with a budget gap of $1.9 billion over four years, Ms Goward said.

"The NSW Government shares the Ombudsman's concern at lack of capacity in the child protection system. From 24 January to 31 December 2010, only 21.4 per cent (12,743) of children and young people with 'risk of significant harm' reports were allocated to a caseworker and received a home visit and comprehensive assessment.

"As at 30 March, 2011, Labor left NSW with 17,931 children and young people in out-of-home care, a ratio of 11 in 1000 or well over 1 in 100, the highest number and proportion in Australia.

"That is why the Liberals & Nationals Government stands for real reform. Only real reform can improve services by building upon the great work of Government and non-government front line and other staff to improve capacity and improve services."

The NSW Government's reform agenda, promised before the election, includes:

• Transferring out-of-home care to the non-government sector, and reducing the number of children and young people in out-of-home care
• Pursuing permanency in care arrangements through adoption, restoration to families, or transferring parental responsibility to family members or the Minister
• Boosting accountability and transparency through measures such as completing the transfer of the Child Death Review Team to the NSW Ombudsman
• Integrating services for the most vulnerable in the community by harnessing the best from government and non-government sectors alike through working better and smarter.

"The Government will build on the Department of Family and Community Services' Action Plan to Improve Capacity in Child Protection, so that more children can be seen more often.

"I welcome the Ombudsman's suggestions to increase the capacity of the statutory child protection system, including boosting transparency though stronger public reporting of Family and Community Services' performance," Ms Goward said.

MEDIA CONTACT

Simon Fontana - 0467 738 139.

To view the PDF version of this media release you can access it here.