Peel Child Protection office to close for half day in protest of 'struggling system'

The Peel Child Protection and Family Support office will close its doors for half a day today as workers fight for better conditions and pay.

CPSU/CSA members are calling on the State Government to intervene in the "struggling system", claiming staff are extremely burnt out and workers are underpaid.

The Cannington office will also close their doors this morning.

It is the second action by Western Australian Child Protection workers in a week, following Armadale and Albany staff closing their offices last Wednesday.

CPSU/CSA Branch Secretary Rikki Hendon said it is up to Premier Roger Cook to ensure the needs of workers who support the most vulnerable children and families in the community are met.

“WA’s Child Protection system is in crisis. Our members are no longer tolerating platitudes, piecemeal approaches and half-measures. That's why they're stopping work today to campaign for real solutions," she said.

“Results from a recent union Work, Health and Safety Survey found 75% of staff surveyed said there are not enough resources to get the work done in a timely manner, and 70% of surveyed staff considered leaving in the past six months. This is dire.

“The number of open cases without a dedicated caseworker has climbed to record highs, with recent figures provided to the Union showing almost 1200 unallocated. 

“The Government must urgently implement measures to attract and retain staff, ensure safe workloads that enable best practice, and fully resource Child Protection to ensure all at-risk children and families with open cases are allocated to a dedicated caseworker to receive the support they require."

Members will walk out of their offices at 9am followed by a short rally.

Doors will remain locked until 12pm however protocols are in place in case of emergency situations.