FEWER than one in five children at risk of harm in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven are being visited or assessed by a community services caseworker.
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The number of children from the region notified to the Department of Family and Community Services (FACS) as being at risk of significant harm hit 4504 in the June 2014 quarter – up nearly 500 from the September 2013 quarter.
The government’s community services caseworker figures reveal that just 854 – or 19 per cent – of these children received a face-to-face assessment by a caseworker.
That meant 3650 children were not assessed by a caseworker.
Opposition community services spokeswoman Linda Burney said the figures showed the Baird government had “failed” the Illawarra Shoalhaven region.
“[FACS] is getting round to less than one in five children in the Illawarra whose cases are brought to its attention. That is simply unacceptable. The crisis in the Illawarra is worse than most places in the state,” Ms Burney said.
A spokesman for the Department of Family and Community Services said an extra 86 caseworkers had been employed across NSW in the past quarter.
Despite caseworker shortages in the past, the figures showed Illawarra Shoalhaven now had 113 caseworkers – six above the quota.
However, Public Service Association regional organiser Tony Heathwood said many of those roles were temporary and there was a high turnover of staff.