By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A child-protection staff’s union has accused the Department of Health and Human Services of failing to properly report a violent hostage situation in the department’s Dandenong office.
As recently reported in Star News, an ice-addicted mother held a knife to her 10-year-old daughter’s throat and threatened to kill her on 4 October.
At the time, she was seeing her daughter for a contact visit supervised by a child protection officer in a special-purpose room.
The mother tried to barricade the room’s door, and was subdued by police using capsicum foam.
Community and Public Sector Union state secretary Karen Batt accused the department of showing “more interest in suppressing the details than improving health and safety for staff”.
“I’m extremely angry and extremely annoyed.
“DHHS failed to even notify the critical incident to WorkSafe and have even left their own head office in the dark.”
Ms Batt called for better screening for child protection staff dealing with fragile family situations.
“As a result of their focus solely on client privacy, there has been no noticeable changes to protocols leaving staff still vulnerable to these violent incidents.
“It’s not good enough to just ask the staff member if they are all right and then move on.”
According to the department, the incident was not required to be reported to WorkSafe. It was reported to police and the department.
A DHHS spokeswoman said such incidents were “very rare”.
“Nonetheless, one incident is too many in our eyes.
“Everyone involved has received counselling, and steps are being taken to strengthen security arrangements and procedures at the Dandenong office.”
The mother, 38, was charged over the incident and jailed for 12 months, with a two-year community corrections order.
