The Minister for Child Protection has failed to act on information that rejected child protection workers are now employed in aged and disability care roles.
People applying to work with children in residential care facilities must pass a mandatory psychological assessment, under laws passed by the former Labor government.
Adelaide-based company PsychCheck completed 1884 assessments from March 2019 to April 2020 for the Department for Child Protection and non-government organisations that operate residential care homes. Hundreds more tests were completed prior.
PsychCheck forensic psychologist Luke Broomhall told Adelaide radio:
“I do know that there are people who have been found to be unsuitable to work with children in residential care who are still currently working in the disability and/or aged care sector.”
ABC Radio Adelaide, 18/6/20
In Question Time, the Minister for Child Protection shrugged off questions about whether she had informed other departments about the failed workers, but claimed it wasn’t her responsibility or she didn’t know the answer.
Quotes attributed to the Shadow Minister for Child Protection Jayne Stinson
The Ann-Marie Smith case has highlighted the vital importance of government-held information being passed on to the right people in a timely way.
If the psychologist who is conducting these important assessments has raised concerns with the Department for Child Protection that failed applicants are now working with other vulnerable people that should be acted upon immediately.
It is appalling to think that one government agency could hold information about the risk a person poses to vulnerable people, but fail to pass that on to another agency.
It is both incompetent and neglectful.
The Minister for Child Protection should immediately tell her colleagues in Human Services, Health and Education of any workers who could pose a risk to the safety of vulnerable people.
It’s her job to protect the most vulnerable in our community.