Child Safety Failures Exposed in Queensland Inquest

The Department of Child Safety in Queensland came under fire during an inquest into the death of a 14-year-old boy who died in a stolen car crash in Cairns. The boy, who cannot be named, had been in out-of-home care and was on the high-intensity team with a worker who had fewer children to manage. However, the officer relied on a social worker, whose employment was outsourced by the department, to maintain contact with the boy, which raised questions about the appropriateness of the support provided.

Key Takeaways:

• The child safety team responsible for the boy did not speak to him in the six months before his death.
• The supervisor of the safety officer assigned to the boy was not aware of this lack of contact and believed more regular conversations were taking place.
• The officer relied on a social worker, whose employment was outsourced, to maintain contact with the boy, which was questioned as an appropriate arrangement.
• The boy's aunt and uncle, who were in the process of trying to secure guardianship of the boy, reported a lack of communication and support from Department of Child Safety staff.
• They expressed concerns for the teenager's safety and mental health while he was in care, as he had called them multiple times while in a state of distress.
• The boy had a complex history, including the death of his mother and father, and had been diagnosed with an intellectual disability, ADHD, and suspected PTSD and autism spectrum disorder.
• The inquest highlighted the need for more frequent and consistent support for vulnerable youth and those with disabilities.

Statistics:

• The boy was 10 when his mother took her own life and 13 when his father died of a drug overdose.
• The boy had been in out-of-home care for at least 3 years before his death.
• The inquest was examining the appropriateness of child safety support and residential placements, the adequacy of police training, and whether officers followed operational policies and procedures.
• The boy's aunt made 9 attempts to contact Cairns social workers, but only one message was responded to.

Sources:

• Cairns Post: "Child safety team failed to speak with boy in six months before death"
• Queensland Department of Child Safety: No specific reference found, but the article quotes a supervisor from the Cairns branch of the Department.
• Police report: Reference is made to a police report, but specific details are not provided.