Comments on: Changes to how child protection will be run in NT

By: Janet Brown

Janet Brown — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 02:01:32 +0000

My sister works in child safety Queensland. Her complaint always is the input data. She said to increase her client base to be effective it would be nice to use a dictaphone after leaving a client with all info, and drop off to the office for entry and then in recheck fix or add info left out. But she spends 85% of her time in office with data entry.
If children are important the FACS officers need to be released from this office duty to work in the area of children and families. My sister is also disturbed about the amount of officers straight out of uni who quit as they cannot deal with parents of children under FACS care. This is a subject with no real answers or solutions. Just trial and errors as the kids continue to be the losers. It really is a sad state of affairs when in our society when kids and elderly are abused and there is nothing productively done to protect them. Just blame games and new ideas. And no real solutions.

By: Phil Walcott

Phil Walcott — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 21:59:07 +0000

Impressed that the “new regime” is incorporating some of my political platform ideas into its decision-making. Health and Education (especially in the early years) are inextricably linked.
Imperative that the new “structure” is flatter and more inclusive of the three “silos” of Health, Education and Child Protection. Solid personal communication and feedback between professional staff will help to ensure this silo mentality is eradicated.
Professionals spending more that half of their time sitting in front of a computer screen loading “data” and report writing may not be the best use of their expertise or time.
And now … what about that child-care centre being established at the hospital precinct in Alice Springs?

By: Diane de Vere

Diane de Vere — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 22:09:51 +0000

Could not agree more with Ms Fyles’ concerns. The successful integration of these two departments would need to be led by expert practitioners from within their particular field. There would need to be a commitment to new ways of working that shift the locus of power to those who the programs are designed to support, and those who are employed to “deliver the goods.”
There needs to be a shift in thinking, a new way of working that rebuilds trust within communities and positions children as the focus of all endeavors.
Not more of the same but acceptance that there needs to be major systems change that requires open accountability, exchange of information and open dialogue between all stakeholders.
Clear explicit goals and targets need to be displayed in a language and a way that is accessible and understood by all – including bureaucrats and policy makers.
Authentic assessment and tracking strategies that require everyone to demonstrate their achievements and identify the next task to achieve the outcome desired. Practitioners who have evidence of how to engage and work respectfully with community, families, children and students need to be employed to build the capacity within the ailing systems.
The second last paragraph says it all. Education is the key. Not more of the same deficit thinking, the same political interference and the same modus operandi.