Territory Families continues to struggle under the weight of stagnant funding and high caseloads, with a series
of damning revelations highlighting the challenges faced every day by management and staff in the
Department.
Shadow Minister for Territory Families, Josh Burgoyne, used last month’s Estimates Committee hearings to
drill into issues around staffing and workload.
Key findings included that in the nine months to 31 March 2021:
- 55 case managers left the Department. During the same period, only 29 case managers commenced with the Department
- There were 72 assaults on Youth Justice officers in detention centres
- Weapons were used by detainees in 29 staff assaults, carried out by 26 young offenders
- 12 staff submitted workers compensation claims citing psychological injury.
- 24 case manager positions were vacant.
“This litany of failure points to an agency that is struggling to cope with overwhelming demand and staff that
are carrying the load without adequate support,” says Mr Burgoyne.
“The assault with weapon reports are seriously disturbing. This is partly because of the violent nature of the
assaults, but also because they challenge the myth created by the Labor Government that it is just as small
cohort of youths.
“The numbers of assaults per youth – almost one per person – do not reflect this.
“The low staff replacement rate puts extra pressures on other case managers who need to pick-up the slack
and begs the question whether potential clients are slipping through the cracks?
“There are also issues around out-of-home-care, with two residential homes in Leanyer and Moil having to
relocate because neighbours complained.
“It is a sign of the strain being faced within the agency that Labor will not even tell us how many youth justice
officers have had absences due to being the victims of assault while at work.”
Funding for the Families component of the Department of Territory Families, Housing and Communities
dropped from $277 million in 2020-21 to $274 million in 2021-22.
ENDS