Post on 13-Dec-2015
January 2008
Judy Cashmore
To examine, report on and make recommendations in relation to:
i. The system for reporting of child abuse and neglect, including mandatory reporting, reporting thresholds and feedback to reporters;
ii. Management of reports, including the adequacy and efficiency of systems and processes for intake, assessment, prioritisation, investigation and decision-making;
iii. Management of cases requiring ongoing work, including referrals for services and monitoring and supervision of families;
iv. Recording of essential information and capacity to collate and utilise data about the child protection system to target resources efficiently;
v. Professional capacity and professional supervision of the casework and allied staff;
vi. The adequacy of the current statutory framework for child protection including roles and responsibilities of mandatory reporters, DoCS, the courts and oversight agencies;
vii. The adequacy of arrangements for inter-agency cooperation in child protection cases;
viii. The adequacy of arrangements for children in out of home care;
ix. The adequacy of resources in the child protection system..
Increasing reports / notifications – inadequate response
Concern that definitions of abuse and neglect are too broad – ‘risk of harm’ vs ‘significant harm’
Under-reporting and over-reporting Concern about forensic investigative response
rather than holistic response to child’s needs – 2002 inquiry
Poor risk assessment ? Unrealistic expectations Need for proactive preventive approach, not just
reactive response
Multi-problem families esp parental violence, drug and alcohol abuse, mental illness
Particular concern re infants and neglect esp Indigenous families
Managing reunification – longer term support needed
Increasing concern about failures of system
Shortage of appropriate foster carers esp Indigenous families
◦ Increasing expectations
◦ Increasingly difficult care-giving
Lack of specialist workers – low priority work, relationship with children?
Duty to investigate all reports? ◦ Ability to prioritise?
◦ Over-burdened services -> labeling but no service
Mandatory reporting◦ Who should report what? (s.29)
◦ Rgularising reporters – previously by law, regulation, direction etc
Inter-agency responsibility Partnership with parents and families?
Need for proper assessment re immediate safety, risk of harm, needs of child and family Focus on outcomes for children rather than actions of
parents/carers
Purpose of definition – reports vs requests for assistance (esp ‘inadequate provision’ vs poverty)
Different levels of severity for:
◦ Reporting abuse – mandatory reporting
◦ Responding to abuse
◦ Taking court action
Clearer focus on current concerns based on severity and chronicity and harm or risk of harm
Inclusion of exposure to domestic violence and homelessness but ‘serious psychological harm’
NSW DoCS cf AIHW figures
Changes over time
Children vs reports
Interpreting the figures
◦ Increased awareness and reporting ?
◦ Increased abuse and neglect?
Based on figure from Eric Scott (2006)
Very similar trends for number of reports but AIHW lower in number of reports
◦ Not include ‘child protection concerns’
◦ Both DoCS and AIHW count each child in the family - include one report per child if more than one child per family
◦ AIHW counts more than one report about the same ‘event’ as one report
◦ DoCS figures suggest that on average DoCS receives two reports per child
Very similar trends and numbers for number of children:
◦ 2005-6: no of children reported / notified
NSW DoCS: 109,568
AIHW: 85,302 [99,949 in 2006-7] *
◦ 2005-6: no of children in substantiated reports
NSW DoCS: 12,956 (3,771 at risk; 9,185 actual harm)
AIHW: 12,627 [13,769 in 2006-7] *
Quite similar numbers of reports till 2000-01 ie 30-40,000 [AIHW figures]
Victoria consistently around 36-37,000 this decade
NSW increased from 30,398 in 2000-01
to .... 55,208 in 2001-02
and .... 109,498 in 2002-03
and ... 189,928 in 2006-07
Based on AIHW figures
AIHW figures
NSW Victoria
Notification Substantiation
Notification Substantiation
1999-2000 30,398 6,477 36,805 7,359
2000-01 40,937 7,501 36,966 7,608
2001-02 55,208 8,606 37,976 7,687
2002-03 109,498 16,765 37,635 7,287
2003-04 115,541 n.a. 37,956 7,412
2004-05 133,636 15,493 37,523 7,398
2005-06 152,806 29,809 37,987 7,563
2006-7 189,928 37,094 38,675 6,828
Source of report
% of reports [DoCS] % of finalised * investigations
[AIHW]
Police 33.4 26.6
Medical/health 16.1 20.3
School /child care 13.1 14.6
NGO 7.1 7.8
Other mandatory reporters
5.8
Mandatory reporters
75.6%
Family 14.9 13.6
Friend/neighbour 3.1 3.6
Non-Mandatory reporters
24.4%
* Finalised, not substantiated
Specific reported issue No of of reports
% of reports
Domestic violence77,222
32.0
Neglect50,700
21.0
Drug and alcohol49,257
20.4
Drug issues only29,974
11.6
Alcohol issues only24,926
10.3
Broadened definitions of abuse and neglect
◦ eg physical abuse/punishment; exposure to violence
Lowered threshold – ‘risk of harm’ / “serious psychological harm”
Expansion of mandatory reporting ...
Defensive reporting - $22,000 fine ?
Frustrated reporting – renotifications – lack of services?
Increased recording – centralised call centres cf local CSCs
Gateway to early intervention services via child protection system in NSW?
Increased ‘investigations [more substantations]
Increasing societal ‘risk aversiveness’ – decreasing tolerance
Increasing incidence /awareness of parental substance abuse, family violence, mental health – Vic report; NSW DoCS data
Type of actual or risk of harm reports by Indigenous status,2005-06
4,877
3,013
10,623
6,099
1,233549
3,0732,661
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
Physical Sexual Emotional Neglect
No
. o
f re
po
rts
Non-Indigenous Indigenous
Source: KiDS Annual Statistical Extracts and Corporate Information Warehouse annual data.
Source: KiDS Annual Statistical Extracts and Corporate Information Warehouse annual data. Produced by, DoCS Information and Reporting.
Child Protection Reports by primary reported issues 2004-05 & 2005-06
58,758
32,018
31,286
19,230
16,919
16,668
16,597
5,691
4,620
3,729
3,513
3,052
938
3,367
64,916
35,116
34,755
22,487
17,631
17,355
20,864
6,865
6,161
3,657
3,776
3,472
109
3,839
Domestic Violence
Neglect
Physical abuse
Drug/alcohol use of carer
Carer: mental issues
Sexual abuse
Psychological abuse
Runaw ay child
Carer: other issues
Suicide risk for child
Child inappropriate sexual behaviour
Drug/Alcohol use by child or young person
Other
No risk of harm
2004-05 2005-06
Source: CIS & KiDS annual statistical extracts, Corporate Information Warehouse annual data. Produced by, DoCS Information and Reporting.
Child protection reports by primary reported issue, 2004-05 & 2005-06
Number of children involved in actual or risk of harm reports by age 2004-05 & 2005-06
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
<1 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
No
. o
f ch
ild
ren
2004-05 2005-06
Source: KiDS Annual Statistical Extract, Corporate Information Warehouse annual data. Produced by: Information and Reporting.
Search for evidence
What happened to whom?
Who is responsible?
Focus on substantiating
allegations
Focus on individual
incidents of reported
abuse / neglect
Focus on early intervention
Less adversarial
What is needed to ensure child’s safety, welfare and well-being?
◦ Family support
◦ Comprehensive assessment
◦ Context and cumulative harm
◦ Range of options
* 7,892 Indigenous (27.7%)
* Indigenous rate: 36.1 cf non-Indigenous: 4.4
Sustainability Dealing with increased ‘reporting’ Dealing with increased abuse, neglect,
inadequate parenting Resources for children in out-of-home care Indigenous children Coherence of legislation, policy and practice