Families SA staff barred from working with kids
Twenty-five Families SA workers have been barred from working with children and 77 are “of high concern” following a state government audit.
The audit was commissioned by Education and Child Development Minister Jennifer Rankine after revelations that a Families SA carer charged with sexually abusing seven preschoolers had slipped through the net of departmental oversight.
In that case, the alleged abuser had been investigated a year prior for alleged inappropriate behaviour involving a pre-school aged child in his care, before being cleared.
Rankine instructed former Police Commissioner Mal Hyde in July to audit nearly 500 residential care staff amid concerns screening systems were not adequate.
Rankine released the results of the audit this afternoon with around 20 per cent either moved to other duties or nominated for further assessment.
“The Department either already has or will today be directing them away from their workplace, while an immediate assessment is undertaken into their suitability for ongoing employment,” the Minister said.
“An assessment panel is being established to assess their suitability for ongoing employment within residential care.
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“In the interim, the department will be instituting heightened levels of supervision, and increasing random audits on the relevant workplaces.”
Rankine said the audit has been provided to Royal Commissioner Margaret Nyland, as part of her Royal Commission into South Australia’s Child Protection system.
“Former Commissioner Hyde has proposed improvements to the system,” Rankine said.
“We have sought advice from Commissioner Nyland regarding these proposed improvements, and sought her approval to proceed with their implementation.”
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