More than a hundred child protection workers are on the chopping block this financial year, according to the government’s own budget papers.
The Department of Child Protection must strip $20.6 million from its bottom line within four years – starting with 115 full-time equivalent staff being axed immediately.
59 frontline financial counsellors are already set to go, and up to 44 staff employed as part of Labor’s response to the Nyland Royal Commission will also be axed.*
Department of Child Protection staff have been told the 115 FTE positions will be shed through ‘natural attrition’ but workers are worried that means frontline workers won’t be replaced when they quit.
Quotes attributed to Shadow Minister for Child Protection Jayne Stinson
Child protection is an area that’s crying out for more skilled frontline workers.
It simply doesn’t add up to be sacking the dedicated and hard working staff we’ve invested in recruiting.
We’ve already seen 59 frontline financial counsellors chopped and the dismissal of as many as 44 workers hired by Labor in response to the Nyland Royal Commission.
Staff have been told the roles will be slashed through ‘natural attrition’ but there are fears frontline workers in high stress jobs will leave first – and not be replaced – leaving children at risk.
This is just the start of the job cuts with cuts of $20.6 million slated for the next four years. That doesn’t make sense when the Department of Child Protection blew its budget by millions of dollars this year.
The Minister needs to guarantee no frontline workers will lose their jobs due to these callous budget cuts. The Minister needs to guarantee no child will be put at risk.