A failing lifeline.

The frontline of emergency services to protect little kids from harm in their own homes is supposed to be the caseworkers from the Department of Community Services  ( DOCS ).   Unfortunately, many households are places of tension because of alcoholism, drug use, mental illness - and in some cases actual warfare between the people who share that dwelling.    Tiny little kids are often the meat in the sandwich, going untended and unfed - and in some cases brutally bashed and sexually assaulted.

The death of a child who lived a mere two and a half years has driven Wollongong caseworkers to the edge of revolt.   This little boy had been reported to DOCS nine times by people concerned that he was showing severe bruising and human bite marks - and there had been three " most urgent " reports just prior to his death, but these calls for help went unanswered.

DOCS caseworkers face a " mission impossible " situation.   The workload heaped on each individual is simply crushing and there is no hope of making contact with all -  or even the most urgent cases.   Those at the end of the queque can not expect an even superficial examination of their problems.   This is a situation that causes worker " burnout " - and as a result western Sydney and Wollongong have a forty percent vacancy rate because of resignations.

DOCS caseworkers are skilled people.   They face physical danger in making contact with some households and the daily trauma they encounter can be mind shattering.  Sometimes it involves calling in the police and at other times seeing that the paramedics attend to take care of injuries.   All this has to be carried out within a vague legal framework and with help from other agencies which are also strapped for funds and short of personnel.

Being a DOCS caseworker is a job you would not wish on your worst enemy.  Facing daily trauma and long hours, it is easy to see why trained people despair - and quit.  This worker shortage is exacerbated by pressure to reduce payrolls in the public service, resulting in vacancies going unfulfilled for months.  As a consequence, each remaining persons workload increases beyond breaking point.

This is a situation that needs to be brought into context.  It is a " life and death " situation, comparable with the paramedics who man our ambulance fleet, the cops who respond to street assaults and the fire crews who save burning houses.   We would not tolerate those services coming to a halt for lack of staff - and yet DOCS caseworkers face this same problem year after year.

This death in Wollongong is a wakeup call.   Obviously there is a budget in place to cover that forty percent vacancy situation.   We urgently need to recruit and train people to fill those vacancies and spread the workload so that at least all the most urgent cases get attention.    Anything less is to see " burnout " cause more resignations and this valuable service grind to a halt - and that would be the ultimate tragedy !