Workforce Strategy for the Child Protection and Family Support Sector - Draft

Consultation has concluded. Thanks for your contributions.

Share your feedback on the draft Workforce Strategy for the Child Protection and Family Support Sector.

What's being decided?

The child protection and family support workforce is key to keeping the most vulnerable children in our society safe, nurtured and cared for. The Workforce Strategy, led by the Department for Child Protection, aims to support the sector by setting out a range of initiatives to better gain, train and retain the workforce.

We invite you to provide your feedback on the draft strategy to help ensure we continue to attract and develop staff who are motivated to make a positive difference to children and young people’s lives.

Background

Development of the strategy commenced with a Workforce Summit which brought leaders from across the sector together to discuss opportunities to address shared workforce challenges, and to hear stories of carers and young people about the support they received.

We analysed the outcomes of the Summit through discussions with a range of stakeholders including:

  • non-government organisations,
  • Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations,
  • universities,
  • skill and training organisations,
  • peak sector bodies,
  • unions and,
  • staff representatives.

We also developed the draft strategy by drawing on best practice from other jurisdictions and building on the local level initiatives already in place.

To ensure child protection and family support workers can continue to be there for children and families, we need a sustainable workforce for the future. The strategy intends to deliver sector-wide mechanisms to better gain, train and retain the workforce to provide the best possible support for children in our community.

Get involved

Find out more:

Have your say by:

What are the next steps?

We will review and consider all feedback received during the consultation period and anticipate we will release the final strategy in mid-2024.

Share your feedback on the draft Workforce Strategy for the Child Protection and Family Support Sector.

What's being decided?

The child protection and family support workforce is key to keeping the most vulnerable children in our society safe, nurtured and cared for. The Workforce Strategy, led by the Department for Child Protection, aims to support the sector by setting out a range of initiatives to better gain, train and retain the workforce.

We invite you to provide your feedback on the draft strategy to help ensure we continue to attract and develop staff who are motivated to make a positive difference to children and young people’s lives.

Background

Development of the strategy commenced with a Workforce Summit which brought leaders from across the sector together to discuss opportunities to address shared workforce challenges, and to hear stories of carers and young people about the support they received.

We analysed the outcomes of the Summit through discussions with a range of stakeholders including:

  • non-government organisations,
  • Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations,
  • universities,
  • skill and training organisations,
  • peak sector bodies,
  • unions and,
  • staff representatives.

We also developed the draft strategy by drawing on best practice from other jurisdictions and building on the local level initiatives already in place.

To ensure child protection and family support workers can continue to be there for children and families, we need a sustainable workforce for the future. The strategy intends to deliver sector-wide mechanisms to better gain, train and retain the workforce to provide the best possible support for children in our community.

Get involved

Find out more:

Have your say by:

What are the next steps?

We will review and consider all feedback received during the consultation period and anticipate we will release the final strategy in mid-2024.

Consultation has concluded. Thanks for your contributions.

  • Consultation Outcome

    Thank you for your involvement in this consultation, your feedback has informed the final Workforce Strategy which has been considered by the Minister for Child Protection.

    Clear arrangements to establish a collaborative governance approach will be developed and communicated to the sector. Ultimately, the final governance arrangements will ensure a wide range of sector voices are captured in the next stages of design and implementation.

    We look forward to your continued involvement and support for building a strong and sustainable child protection and family support sector