Child protection workers strike in Albany, joining Armadale staff in demanding better industry conditions

Protectors of society’s most vulnerable members walked off the job in Albany on Wednesday, frustrated over the lack of Government support with calls to address the “crisis” in the child protection system. Child Protection Service workers stood in front of the locked Great Southern District Albany office draped in hazard tape to theatrically indicate the danger of the overworked, understaffed and unappreciated sector. Joining forces with the Armadale branch for the strike, Albany delegate Vanessa Boreham rallied her colleagues with the union cry: “Child protection is in dire straits, children at risk shouldn’t have to wait.” The workers are demanding a transparent funding model to allow for immediate capital when case numbers surge, increased support and subsidies for foster carers, and increased wages for child protection workers. Organising co-ordinator of the Community and Public Sector Union and Civil Service Association Craig Parr said the current industry conditions put children, families and workers in danger. Mr Parr said Wednesday’s action was a “last resort” for workers who had only received “talk and no action” from the State Government. “There’s currently over 1200 children in Western Australia that are on the NLO list, and that means they don’t have an allocated dedicated caseworker,” he said. “They’re basically waiting on that list for the Government to care, and that’s enough. “(Workers have) stood in front of the (Minister for Child Protection Sabine Winton) and they’ve told their stories, heart-wrenching stories, about the things they deal with day-in, day-out. “They’ve said, ‘hey, we’re struggling. We need more support. We can’t find foster carers. We’re taking kids home. We’re leaving kids in situations that we don’t feel comfortable to leave them in’. “The Government doesn’t listen to their stories, but hopefully today, they’ll listen to the action.” A recent survey by CPSU/CSA of its members indicated that 70 per cent of the respondents said they were considering leaving the industry in the next six months. Speaking anonymously, a CPS delegate said the situation is desperate. “The building is burning down, and the department wants to consult on a fire safety plan.” Mr Parr said the conditions faced by CPS workers were more pronounced in the regions, with increased pressure on staff to do more work with less support. He said today is only the beginning with more CPS workers across the State set to strike in coming weeks. “We’re going to keep going until someone listens, until Roger Cook actually wakes up and puts his money where his mouth is,” he said. “These people have had enough and they’re not going to take it lying down anymore.” Emergency protocols are in place at locked offices to ensure access can be provided to service users in emergency situations.