Makara
Former Member
- Joined
- Sep 10, 2010
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Thank you Gecko100. Your post is enlightening and so very sad. A suicidal seven year old? I have never heard of anything so heartbreaking!
Are you able to tell me in your experience if the case workers have a close relationship with the children they are assessing? Do they see them on a daily basis, a weekly basis etc? Do the case workers look into the eyes of these children (and their parents) and see their pain? I'm not directing this question at you on a personal level but if I saw those needy kids, my heart would break. Is there a level of detachment needed to deal with all of the children that come through the system? Is each child assessed as an individual, with all of their pertinent problems addressed or are they more treated like cattle, in and out in 15 minutes?
Is it a case that the hierarchy within the working environment drains the enthusiasm and ultimate care factor of case managers? Is the basic concern within their working environment more to do with what goes on behind office doors as opposed to what is going on with the families in need? I take from your post that untrained staff are placed in a supervisory role to the detriment of staff that are more experienced and this is ultimately what is hindering these experienced case workers in doing their job. If that is the case, it is truly sad. The mindset would then be more about the case worker's ego than that of the child or family in need.
I can truly understand that a dedicated case worker would burn out in a very short time and it must be absolutely horrendous for them. I'm sorry to hear that you suffered PTSD and I hope that you have had a chance to recover and are now leading a more stress free life.
Are you able to tell me in your experience if the case workers have a close relationship with the children they are assessing? Do they see them on a daily basis, a weekly basis etc? Do the case workers look into the eyes of these children (and their parents) and see their pain? I'm not directing this question at you on a personal level but if I saw those needy kids, my heart would break. Is there a level of detachment needed to deal with all of the children that come through the system? Is each child assessed as an individual, with all of their pertinent problems addressed or are they more treated like cattle, in and out in 15 minutes?
Is it a case that the hierarchy within the working environment drains the enthusiasm and ultimate care factor of case managers? Is the basic concern within their working environment more to do with what goes on behind office doors as opposed to what is going on with the families in need? I take from your post that untrained staff are placed in a supervisory role to the detriment of staff that are more experienced and this is ultimately what is hindering these experienced case workers in doing their job. If that is the case, it is truly sad. The mindset would then be more about the case worker's ego than that of the child or family in need.
I can truly understand that a dedicated case worker would burn out in a very short time and it must be absolutely horrendous for them. I'm sorry to hear that you suffered PTSD and I hope that you have had a chance to recover and are now leading a more stress free life.
I have worked there for 20 years retired now. It's always been the same under resourced under funded and known as a difficult portfolio for ministers. In the old days only social workers were employed, and their caseload was made up of child protection, fostering, and juvenile justice. Since then they have specialised teams for child protection etc. We also used to be responsible for assessing foster parents and training them. This has now been outsourced to many different groups. Then in it's wisdom the department decided that anyone with a degree could apply to be child safety officers. In my opinion things started to get worse (I had a guy with a degree in photography as my team leader). Absolutely hopeless. Since the Carmody report recommendations have been made that only social workers and psychology majors or other equivalent welfare degrees can work as child safety officers.
There is always a chronic lack of staff, and often staff are inappropriately acting in a senior position. I knew a Team Leader who had 5 baby deaths. I never lost a child thankfully.
At one time I was being supervised by a person who had just graduated!!! When you act in a position you still have to carry your quota of around 25 children, as well as doing the acting job. How could that possibly be effective work? How could she possibly supervise me (a rare event anyway) when I had been much higher positions than her) I ended up with PTSD and my career was over. I sued the government and won. I have not been able to work since, but my daughter works there thankfully not at Browns Plains. Doesn't have a brilliant reputation...
When it is time for Tiahleigh's Coroners Report, you will be able to read the findings and recommendations. Coroners sometimes name and shame the workers.
To answer your question about therapy etc. no the workers are case managers and they contract outside workers for whatever needs to be met for the child. Regular meetings are assumed to take place regarding the child, so everyone is on the same page. We have no time for therapy, but work in therapeutic ways. The child's needs etc. are assessed by the child protection worker in the first instance, and we are well trained in that aspect. If there is concern regarding immediate harm, the worker must first explain it to the TLeader, for permission to remove the child, and the magistrate for a Temporary Order until full assessments can be made. In terms of placements, they are thin on the ground especially for pre-teens and teens. Recently a facility for very vulnerable teens was closed down with nowhere for the kids to go. 3 of those kids have since committed suicide. Some kids can't bear living in families, others like a 7 year old requiring 24 hour care because she is actively suicidal needs to be somewhere safe.
Unfortunately the resources are just not there.