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GOOD NEWS FOR ROBINS FANS ANS
OCTOBER 24 2012 WWW.NEWCASTLEPOST.COM.AU
PROUDLY INDEPENDENT PH: 49 610 310
Time to take action Maitland child protection workers strike over poor resources
ODOUR EXAMINED The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has produced a report on Rutherford’s odour issue, which recommends sampling and analysis of odours from up to 20 industries around the area. Prepared as part of the Rutherford Clean Air Pilot Program, the study includes a review of available odour sampling data from the area and has been referred to the Rutherford Air Quality Liaison Committee for comment.
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SPIRIT SHINES Kurri Kurri Community Festival returns PAGE 3 Maitland Community Services employees during stop work action last week
TRICIA MOROSIN
L
ast month, the Post interviewed an anonymous caseworker who spoke out against inadequate staffi ng levels within Community Services and expressed the group’s frustrations with a failed computer system, keeping staff desk-bound. Last week, child protection staff from Maitland stopped work for an hour to protest the same issues. Assistant General Secretary of the Public Service Association (PSA) of NSW, Steve Turner, said around 20 people – most of the
Maitland office – from across the areas of case working, administration and psychology, had attended the stop work action. According to Mr Turner, the group had not heard anything from the Minister for Family and Community Services, Pru Goward. “Th is Minister, when she was in Opposition, attacked the Labor Government for the vacancies and lack of resourcing [across the Department],� Mr Turner said. “When she became Minister she promised she would fi ll all vacancies by 2012 and yet she then put a seven month staff freeze in place. “Now in October – near the end of 2012 – we still have on average 25 per cent vacancies.� PSA General Secretary, John Cahill, said
caseworkers at Maitland did not have the resources to follow up the vast majority of children assessed as being at risk of serious harm. “Chronic understaffi ng means only one in ten children known to be at risk are receiving face-to-face visits from caseworkers in NSW,â€? Mr Cahill said. “The Government is clearly failing some of the most vulnerable members of our community – children needing its protection.â€? A spokesperson for the Minister last month denied any freeze on recruitment and said the Department remains committed to “implementing changes to caseworker practices that will [‌] free them up to spend more time with childrenâ€?.
JETS TAKE FLIGHT Controversial win for Newcastle PAGE 24
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