Child abuse reports rise sharply in SA, swamping hotline
A South Australian parliamentary committee has heard notifications of child abuse and neglect in the state have risen sharply, and sometimes people wait more than an hour on the phone to make a report.
With the recent spotlight on child abuse issues, the phones at government agency Families SA have been busy.
The committee heard there were almost 40,000 notifications to the Child Abuse Report Line last year.
Senior Government bureaucrat Tony Harrison said average phone call waiting times had risen.
"We have moved from about 14 minutes' waiting time in the last 12 months to 17 minutes," he said.
The introduction of an internet reporting option was expected to free up phone lines.
But in the wake of a high-profile royal commission on school-related child abuse and another royal commission now in the planning, Mr Harrison admitted resources were stretched.
He said an extra 10 full-time staff would be hired to help cope with demand.
Harrison fought planned appointment
Meanwhile, the parliamentary committee heard two government employees criticised during the Debelle royal commission had been among 20 people later hired as senior education directors.
Mr Harrison said he had no issue with one, but opposed the other appointment.
"The position I took was then challenged, it was referred for an independent review in terms of the outcome," he said.
Based on advice from the acting commissioner for public employment, Mr Harrison then accepted the second appointee.
Education and Child Development Minister Jennifer Rankine was aware of the issue.
"I know that he had concerns and he did everything he could do to have those concerns addressed, and I know those people he did have concerns about generally will be monitored in terms of their performance," she said.
Opposition frontbencher Rob Lucas again has questioned the departmental structure.
"The totality of the evidence we received today is just further confirmation you just can't have an agency as big as this that's trying to handle all the complicated issues of schools as well as child protection," he said.
The Opposition also questioned the value of several staff employed late last year to audit and review schools, as they will not start visiting any schools until next year.
