1. January 2008 Judy Cashmore

2.  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..

3.  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

4.  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?

5.  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

6.  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’

7.  NSW DoCS cf AIHW figures  Changes over time  Children vs reports  Interpreting the figures ◦ Increased awareness and reporting ? ◦ Increased abuse and neglect?

8. Based on figure from Eric Scott (2006)

9.  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

10.  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] *

11.  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

12. Based on AIHW figures AIHW figures NSWVictoria NotificationSubstantiationNotification Substantiation 1999-200030,3986,47736,8057,359 2000-0140,9377,50136,9667,608 2001-0255,2088,60637,9767,687 2002-03109,49816,76537,6357,287 2003-04115,541n.a.37,9567,412 2004-05133,63615,49337,5237,398 2005-06152,80629,80937,9877,563 2006-7189,92837,09438,6756,828

13. Source of report % of reports [DoCS] % of finalised * investigations [AIHW] Police33.426.6 Medical/health16.120.3 School /child care13.114.6 NGO7.17.8 Other mandatory reporters 5.8 Mandatory reporters75.6% Family14.913.6 Friend/neighbour3.13.6 Non-Mandatory reporters 24.4% * Finalised, not substantiated

14. Specific reported issue No of of reports % of reports Domestic violence 77,222 32.0 Neglect 50,700 21.0 Drug and alcohol 49,257 20.4 Drug issues only 29,974 11.6 Alcohol issues only 24,926 10.3

15.  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

16. 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.

17. 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

18. Source: KiDS Annual Statistical Extract, Corporate Information Warehouse annual data. Produced by: Information and Reporting.

19.  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

20. * 7,892 Indigenous (27.7%)

21. * Indigenous rate: 36.1 cf non-Indigenous: 4.4

24.  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