Child and Family Support Sector Workforce Environmental

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Summary Report prepared for the Queensland Family and Child Commission
Child and Family Support Sector Workforce Environmental Scan Summary Report
July 2020
© 2020 KPMG, an Australian partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved. KPMG and the KPMG logo are registered trademarks of KPMG International. Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.
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Sector Insights Project Purpose 3
Defining the Sector 5
The Reform Journey 9
CONTENTS
This report has been prepared as outlined with Queensland Family and Child Commission (QFCC) in the Scope Section of the contract dated 2 April 2020. The services provided in connection with this engagement comprise an advisory engagement, which is not subject to assurance or other standards issued by the Australian Auditing and Assurance Standards Board and, consequently no opinions or conclusions intended to convey assurance have been expressed. No warranty of completeness, accuracy or reliability is given in relation to the statements and representations made by, and the information and documentation provided by, QFCC and stakeholders consulted as part of the process. KPMG have indicated within this report the sources of the information provided. We have not sought to independently verify those sources unless otherwise noted within the report. KPMG is under no obligation in any circumstance to update this report, in either oral or written form, for events occurring after the report has been issued in final form.
3 SECTOR INSIGHTS SUMMARY REPORT
The Sector Insights Project has been developed with the primary objective of strengthening the sector’s understanding of the workforce to inform emerging strategic workforce priorities.
WHAT DOES THE SECTOR INSIGHTS PROJECT SEEK TO ACHIEVE?
The scope and focus of the project has been determined by key Lines of Inquiry which were developed by the sector, and focused on better understanding of workforce demand, investment and supply.
This project has been limited to a current state of play, and publicly available information. Forecasts are included based on historical trends out to 2030.
4SECTOR INSIGHTS SUMMARY REPORT
KEY OBJECTIVES
Creating a shared and agreed definition for the sector and its workforce, including understanding the boundaries of the workforce
included within the scope of this analysis
Identification of the key drivers of workforce demand, including key changes that are occurring which may change the service demand
profile of the sector into the future
A greater understanding of the relationship between investment in the sector, demand for services and workforce supply
A shared understanding of workforce priorities across the sector based on qualitative and quantitative evidence.
An evidence-based workforce profile of the current workforce, including regional profiles, key occupations and differences between
the public and private sector
PART 1: DEFINING THE CHILD AND FAMILY SUPPORT SECTOR
The child and family support sector is made up of interdependent service systems working across the continuum of care that promote and enable the rights of children, young people and families in Queensland, with a focus on those experiencing vulnerability.
The workforce is committed to supporting the child’s right to education, health and wellbeing, safety and security, culture and language and the right of individuals, families and communities to be active in decision making that effects their lives.
The workforce also support other rights consistent with a human rights approach in relation to Queensland children and families
Key challenges in workforce planning for the child and family support sector include the absence of a universally agreed definition of the sector, and a lack of community awareness and understanding of its vital role in supporting Queensland’s children, youth and families, in particular those experiencing vulnerability.
After engagement with the sector, the workforce has been defined by:
1. What drives the sector’s workforce?;
2. Who are the child and family and support sector workforce?; and
3. What are the services the workforce provide across the continuum of care?
1. WHAT DRIVES THE SECTOR’S WORKFORCE?
Health and Welfare Managers (including Welfare Centre Manager, Health and Welfare Services Managers not elsewhere classified)
Indigenous Health Workers (including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker)
Psychologists (including Clinical Psychologist, Educational Psychologist, Organisational Psychologist, Psychotherapist, Psychologists not elsewhere classified)
Special Care Workers (including Child or Youth Residential Care Assistant, Hostel Parent, Refuge Worker)
Special Education Teachers (including Special Needs Teacher, Teacher of the Hearing Impaired, Teacher of the Sight Impaired, Special Education Teachers not elsewhere classified)
Social Workers (Social Worker)
Welfare Support Workers (including Community Worker, Disabilities Services Officer, Family Support Worker, Residential Care Officer, Youth Worker)
Other (including Counsellors not further defined, Health and Welfare Services Managers not further defined, Welfare Support Workers not further defined, Psychologists not further defined).
While not included above, it is important to note the further role of the volunteer workforce for this sector, including the role of foster and kinship carers.
The workforce has been defined based on 6 digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification Occupation (ANZSCO) codes relevant to the sector.
2. WHO ARE THE CHILD AND FAMILY SUPPORT SECTOR WORKFORCE?
3. WHAT ARE THE SERVICES THE CHILD AND FAMILY SUPPORT SECTOR’S WORKFORCE PROVIDE ACROSS THE CONTINUUM OF CARE?
There is no question that our workforce are committed and passionate about what they do
Stakeholder in consultation
8QFCC SUMMARY BROCHURE
Considerable work has already been undertaken to develop, enable and sustain Queensland’s child and family support sector workforce in response to significant reforms that have shaped the sector since 2012.
Any future workforce initiatives must build on this strong foundation and acknowledge the impact that key reforms have had on the child and family support sector workforce.
PART 2: THE REFORM JOURNEY
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2012 - 2013 – Child Protection Commission of Inquiry Queensland Government committed $421 million in funding to implement broad system reforms to Queensland’s child protection system.
2014 – Queensland Family and Child Commission established QFCC established in legislation and the Principal Commissioner appointed. QFCC charged with providing oversight of the child protection system, to promote the safety, wellbeing and best interests of children and young people and improving the child protection system.
2017 – Our Way: Generational strategy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families (2017 – 2037) This strategy embodies an approach to working differently to improve opportunities for Queensland’s vulnerable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families. It seeks to achieve a fundamental shift in how child protection, family support and other services work with, and for, Queensland’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families.
2014 – Child Protective Legislative Amendments Three legislative amendments were published and implemented to improve efficiency and drive a fundamental shift in the way government agencies, child safety professionals and community organisations work with vulnerable families and with each other.
2015 – Domestic and Family Violence Reform Program The report contained 140 recommendations for change, one of which was the recommendation to create a strategy, to set the direction for ending domestic and family violence in Queensland. This strategy was developed in 2015, Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Strategy 2015-2025.
2016 – Supporting Families Changing Futures: Advancing Queensland's Child Protection and Family Support Reforms The report stated the need to continue the focus on prevention as well as early intervention, tackling domestic and family violence and further integrating and leveraging off initiatives in education, training, health, housing, policing, justice and information technology.
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2019 - Human Rights Act 2019 This Act seeks to protect and promote the individual rights of Queenslanders. With acknowledgement of the specific rights of families and children. One of the key intents of the Act is to help build a culture in the Queensland public sector that respects and promotes human rights.
2016 – Strengthening our Sector (2016 – 2019) QFCC published a sector workforce strategy which focused on increased collaboration to build capacity across the sector by strengthening the workforce, organisations and professional cultures and harnessing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives.
2016 – Further Legislative Amendments The Child Protection Reform Amendment Act 2017 amended a number of areas from the Child Protection Act 1999, across Permanency, Safe Care and Connection, Information Sharing and Transition to Adulthood.
2016 – National Disability Insurance Scheme The NDIS was rolled out nationally to reform the disability service system through a shift in in service provision to NGO providers and the private sector. This was completed in 2019.
2017 – Review into the Blue Card and Foster Care System As requested by the Premier in 2017 following a tragic incident within the system, a review recommending a combined 123 recommendations across the Blue Card and Foster Care System was launched. As part of the review, a 6-point action plan, Strengthening capacity across Queensland’s Child Protection System report, was developed which focused on funding, staffing, court reforms, non-governments services, collaboration and change management.
2017 – Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse From 2013 to 2018, an inquiry into report upon responses by institutions to instances and allegations of child sexual abuse was established. Upon publication of the final report, 84 recommendations dealt with redress, through the creation of the National Redress Scheme for people who had experienced institutional child sexual abuse. The remaining recommendations were directed at the Australian Government, worked closely with all governments and institutions, to promote children’s safety and wellbeing.
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2019 – Supporting Families Changing Future 2019-2023 A progression report of the Child Protection Reform Program was released, addressing the remaining recommendations required to be met, as well as detailing Governments continues support to the QFCC workforce, to help them meet the future needs of parents, families, children and young people experiencing vulnerability.
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2018 – Atkinson Report on Youth Justice This Report advised on the progress of the Queensland Government’s youth justice reforms and recommended four key pillars for to underpin youth justice policy in Queensland..
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2017 - Changing Tracks: An action plan for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families 2017-2019 Established an action plan to improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people in Queensland, supporting the Our Way Strategy
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2019 - Working Together: Changing the Story Strategy 2019-2023 This set out the Queensland Government strategy for youth justice in response to the Atkinson Report. This is supported through an action plan set out over a three year time horizon.
2020 – Changing Tracks: Action Plan 2020-2022 This action plan focuses on the changes needed to deliver the systems and policy settings required to eliminate the disproportionate representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the child protection system by 2037 and close the gap in life outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families.
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The demand for child and family support services across Queensland is what drives workforce needs, including the requirements for skills and occupations, the location of services, and the type of services that are required across the continuum of care.
However ,the complexity of defining the sector, including its complex interplay with adjacent and overlapping sectors has meant there has not previously been any detailed service and workforce demand modelling undertaken.
Demand data and information sources are available in the Sector Insights Project Final Report (the full report).
PART 3: SECTOR DEMAND - BUILDING THE EVIDENCE
Current qualitative and quantitative measures of demand indicate:
The child and youth (under 18 years) population in Queensland is growing by approximately
1.3% annually. This is the same growth rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
children and youth.
Population growth of children and youth is unevenly distributed across Queensland, with
Ipswich the fastest growing region, and Queensland-Outback and Darling Downs –
Maranoa experiencing declines in their children and youth populations.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and youth population comprises around 6% of all Queensland children and youth, with Cairns and Queensland Outback regions having
the largest population share (approximately 13% each).
Admissions to supervised youth justice orders shows 3.1% annual growth over the last five years, and 4.2% annual growth for Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander youth.
There has been a 5% annual increase in the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people admitted to youth detention, and
a 3.8% decrease for all other youth in Queensland.
School expulsions are increasing at approximately 3% annual growth, while short
suspensions and long suspensions are increasing much more rapidly (6.4% and 7.5%
respectively).
The number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out of home care in 2019
was 4,119, comprising 45.8% of all children in out of home care. This compared to 41.6% of
all children in 2015.
The total number of children in out of home care in 2019 was 9,647. While foster care is the most common form of out of home care (and has been for the last five years), kinship
care and residential care services are growing at a faster rate.
Risk factors including drug and alcohol abuse, mental illness, criminal history, domestic and family violence and children in families where the parent was abused as a child are all more
likely to be present in households where a child is at risk of harm or has been harmed and their
prevalence has been growing since 2013-14.
The average annual growth of child protection intakes is 2.5%, with 2.6% average annual
growth for notifications. This compares with notifications for Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander children and young people which grew at 6.1% per annum.
The proportion of child protection notifications related to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people grew to 35% of all
notifications in 2019 up from around 30% of all notifications in 2015.
The regions with the greatest levels of disadvantage (with the lowest SEIFA ranking) in both 2011 and 2016 across Queensland were Wide Bay, Queensland Outback, and Darling
Downs-Maranoa.
In both 2011 and 2016, the Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) shows the regions with of most advantage were Brisbane, Gold
Coast, and the Sunshine Coast. Over the five years Sunshine Coast region experience the highest increase in ranking, while Mackay-Isaac- Whitsunday had the
greatest fall in ranking.
Into the future workforce demand in the child and family support sector is expected to grow in line with service demands.
Based on current trends, this suggests that across the continuum of care, community and early intervention services will grow approximately in line with population growth.
However secondary and tertiary services (including children and families with multiple and complex needs, child protection and youth justice and out of home care services) will experience demand growth at a more rapid rate.
PART 3: WORKFORCE DEMAND - IMPLICATIONS AND INSIGHTS
What the data tells us:
Workforce demand for those in universal and early intervention services is likely to be aligned to population growth (around 1.3%).
Demand for secondary and tertiary services across the continuum of care is expected to grow more rapidly: — The workforce assisting children, young people and
families with complex needs will grow between 3-6.5%; — The child protection workforce is expected to grow at
around 2.5%; — The workforce involved in youth justice services is
expected to grow at between 3-5%; and
— Workforce growth for those working in out of home care is estimated at around 2.8%;
What we heard from stakeholders on future demand directions: While some of these changes are starting to emerge, there will be a further shift towards:
— Specialist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander services, and a focus on self-determination;
— Early intervention and family support; — Local alliances of secondary services linked with primary
services to improve coordination and joined up services; — Improved support for children at high risk of
intergenerational disadvantage; — Increased focus on men’s support services; — Increased access to and funding support for families
experiencing vulnerability; — Recognition of the growing complexity of and need for
integrated service models; — Improved partnerships between the sector, shifting away
from competition between providers; and — Increased focus on community based programs for
children under the age of 5. The impacts of COVID-19 are unknown for the sector over the medium and long term, but stakeholders believe are likely to increase the future demand for services.
The level of complexity of disadvantage suffered by families, children and young people is increasing, this means the sector is more than ever in need of highly skilled and experienced workers.
A high level of analysis of sector investment has been undertaken because of the relationship it has on the provision of services for the sector (impacting demand), and providing funding to support labour costs (impacting supply).
While it is recognised that labour costs also require investment in learning and development, including qualification attainment and continuing professional development, no investment data on this is available.
PART 4: INVESTMENT IMPACTS
There are a number of recent funding commitments which focus on the needs of children and families, in particular those experiencing vulnerability.
This includes investments in youth justice, mental health, alcohol and other drugs (with a focus on ice), housing, domestic and family violence, early childhood development, employment initiatives aimed at youth, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander family wellbeing and children and families specific initiatives.
However, Queensland continues to spend less per child on child protection services than the national average. Based on the latest Report on Government Services data, Queensland spent $1,016 compared to the national average of $1,160.
What we heard from stakeholders?
It was recommended that investment more strongly focus on:
— early intervention services;
— Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander specific family and support services;
— holistic care that promote a partnership approach; and
— innovative models including place-based and flexible funding models.
It is also recommended that evaluations of investment consider:
— If any perverse outcomes are occurring as a result of mandatory qualification requirements in funding arrangements;
— Whether sufficient consideration is given to workforce professional development and skilling needs in funding arrangements; and
— Whether increasing client complexity is considered in funding allocations, including for early intervention services.
What the data tells us: Expenditure on child and family services in Queensland has been increasing by an average of 9.5% per annum since 2013-14 ( higher than child and youth population growth rates of 1.3%). Expenditure grew more rapidly in the two years from 2016- 17 to 2018-19 increasing by $267 million or more than 26%. In 2018-19, the Queensland Government invested a total of $1.3 billion on child and family services.
Understanding how the investment profile of the sector has changed over time is complex given the range of different government agencies and non- government service providers involved in service delivery.
A current workforce profile has been developed for the child and family support sector, based on information publicly available at June 2020.
This draws on data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Queensland Government data provided to KPMG, and the Australian Non-For –Profit Survey. All detailed sources are provided in the Sector Insights Project Final Report.
It is important to note that the entire headcount for those in the occupation have been included, noting that the will overestimate supply in the sector for occupations that work across multiple sectors.
PART 5: WORKFORCE SUPPLY - A CURRENT PROFILE
55,530 current headcount
68,960 projected headcount
The current child and family support workforce is estimated at 55,530 headcount in Queensland
By 2030 this is projected to grow to 68,960 headcount,
This is based on 2.2% average annual growth
81%
81% of the child and family support workforce are employed in the non- government sector.
are more likely in the government sector (64% of the total workforce), compared with the non-government sector (41%)
FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES
GOLD COAST REGIONS
Brisbane Inner City and the Gold Coast regions employ the largest share of the workforce (10.6% and 8.8% respectively).
The regions with the lowest proportion of the workforce are • Moreton Bay
South region; • Darling Downs –
Maranoa region; • Mackay, Isaac,
Whitsunday region; and the
• Queensland Outback region.
The ten most prevalent occupations in the child and family support sector (by headcount and based on ANZSCO 6 digit occupations as at February 2020):
For the public sector, the majority of the child and family support sector occupations are employed across the following agencies (see data to the left)
Department of Education
Department of Health
Youth &Women
Total headcount
Across the public sector Integration Aide and Special Needs Teacher were the most common occupations, at 25.6% and 20.6% of the total headcount.
1,506
1,721
3,035
3,485
4,088
4,700
5,878
6,346
6,407
6,721
1.2
Despite average annual growth of 2.2% in the workforce, it is difficult to determine whether there will be adequate supply of the workforce into the future.
Recruitment, retention and skilling remain issues across the sector.
For the non-government sector turnover is estimated at 3-5% and while workforce burnout, workload and outcomes pressure may contribute, most stakeholders reported pay as the key issue in retaining staff.
PART 5: WORKFORCE SUPPLY - IMPLICATIONS AND INSIGHTS
— There is a blurring of scope of practice across occupations which creates flexibility in skill-mix and composition of teams, but does not assist in determining how many of each occupation type are required;
— The workforce pipeline of these occupations through education and training is not captured sufficiently to determine whether there are enough graduates expected into the future;
— Detailed demographics is needed for each of these occupations to determine part-time rates, ageing profile, extent of long-term leave (such as maternity leave), and career pathways. This will all assist in determining the full-time equivalent supply and account for turnover and retirements. This can then be used to determine if there is sufficient supply to meet workforce demand.
What stakeholders told us: — There remain issues in the distribution of the
workforce, with rural and regional areas, and areas experiencing high levels of socio-economic disadvantage experiencing difficulties with recruitment;
— Reasons for turnover were varied, with stakeholders reporting that comparative wages in both other sectors and the public service workforce make it difficult to retain staff in non-government organisations and that overtime and burnout remain a concern, particularly for those involved in child protection, out-of-home care and youth justice services across the continuum of care;
— There is a need to grow the number of men employed in the sector, and the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the child and family workforce to provide culturally appropriate services; and
— There is a need to increase workforce capability and skills in relation to trauma care, domestic and family violence, working with men, addictive counselling, and sexual abuse. Greater skills in partnerships and collaboration are also needed.
Why is future workforce supply currently difficult to determine? — Many of the occupations operate across
adjacent labour markets (such as Psychologists, Social Workers and Enrolled Nurses). Being able to identify and quantify the workforce will better determine the sustainability of the workforce now and into the future.
I do wonder if a workforce focus for all sectors should be on strengthening capabilities in the touchpoints between services, and profession crossovers.
2. Improve community understanding of the key occupations in the sector, including their associated education
and training pathways
PART 6: FUTURE DIRECTIONS
Improving outcomes for vulnerable children and families can not be achieved without a workforce that is enabled, sustainable, and capable in delivering services where they are needed most.
The Sector Insights Project has identified that there is still a way to go to better recognise and support the workforce and the important role they play in supporting children and families.
The Sector Insights Project has identified 16 key recommendations for future exploration. Each of these is described in more details in the Final Report.
3. Embed recognition by the child and family support sector of occupations
that help to identify early signs of need
4. Ensure ongoing evaluation of the reform agenda for workforce impacts
and priorities, as well as ensuring intended workforce benefits are
realised.
5. Identify and align the workforce to the service continuum, so that a
workforce demand profile can be developed.
6. Better align service delivery and workforce to regional need (based on
evidence)
1. Promote awareness of who the child and family support workforce are,
and the critical role they play in enabling Queensland children and
families to thrive.
and vicarious trauma
8. Improved collection of workforce demand, investment and supply
information to address key gaps in available quantitative evidence.
14. Investigate long-term vacancies and explore flexibility in qualifications
15. Better utilise lead and lag indicators to help proactively plan for, and monitor the sustainability of the
workforce.
16. Develop a child and family support workforce strategy for the sector in
Queensland
7. Investigate demand wait lists for unmet service demand
9. Gather workforce data on the prevalence of the part-time and casual
workforce
10. Improve workforce data in relation to the age profile, workforce
demographics, turnover, and short and long term leave arrangements in the
sector
12. Strengthen workforce capabilities in emerging areas of need and to
address increasing client complexity
development
CONTACT US Tina Davey Executive Director Health, Ageing and Human Services
Tel: +61 7 3225 6865 Mob: +61 411 381 417
Michelle Baulderstone Associate Director Health, Ageing and Human Services
Tel: +61 7 3225 6876 Mob: +61 407 375 823
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KEY OBJECTIVES
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3. WHAT ARE THE SERVICES THE CHILD AND FAMILY SUPPORT SECTOR’S WORKFORCE PROVIDE ACROSS THE CONTINUUM OF CARE?
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Documents

Child and Family Support Sector Workforce Environmental