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| Royal commission finds South Australian child protection system must be overhauled Royal commission finds South Australian child protection system must be overhauled | |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| South Australia’s “toxic” child protection system has failed the state’s most vulnerable children and must be overhauled, a royal commission has found. | South Australia’s “toxic” child protection system has failed the state’s most vulnerable children and must be overhauled, a royal commission has found. |
| In her final report after two years of investigations, the former supreme court justice Margaret Nyland has called for dramatic changes to what she has described as a system in crisis. | In her final report after two years of investigations, the former supreme court justice Margaret Nyland has called for dramatic changes to what she has described as a system in crisis. |
| Commercial childcare workers would be phased out, social workers would no longer be allowed to close files because of a lack of resources and all child protection workers would be subject to a public screening register. | Commercial childcare workers would be phased out, social workers would no longer be allowed to close files because of a lack of resources and all child protection workers would be subject to a public screening register. |
| Residential care homes would house no more than four children at once and children under 10 would no longer be kept in care homes unless it was to keep siblings together. | Residential care homes would house no more than four children at once and children under 10 would no longer be kept in care homes unless it was to keep siblings together. |
| Nyland has also called for complaints of abuse by carers to be investigated within 48 hours and finalised within six weeks. | Nyland has also called for complaints of abuse by carers to be investigated within 48 hours and finalised within six weeks. |
| Many of the 260 recommendations in the 850-page report relate to Families SA’s failure to prevent the horrific crimes of carer Shannon McCoole, who is serving a 35-year jail term for sexually abusing seven children under his supervision. | Many of the 260 recommendations in the 850-page report relate to Families SA’s failure to prevent the horrific crimes of carer Shannon McCoole, who is serving a 35-year jail term for sexually abusing seven children under his supervision. |
| McCoole, whose crimes were described by the premier, Jay Weatherill, as potentially the worst the nation had ever seen when they came to light in June 2014, managed to continue offending for years before his arrest despite colleagues raising concerns. | McCoole, whose crimes were described by the premier, Jay Weatherill, as potentially the worst the nation had ever seen when they came to light in June 2014, managed to continue offending for years before his arrest despite colleagues raising concerns. |
| “The evidence against McCoole was not gained from any of the victims of his abuse, nor from his work colleagues advancing their concerns to the point that they were heard, but rather from his own recordings of his crimes,” Nyland wrote in the report. | “The evidence against McCoole was not gained from any of the victims of his abuse, nor from his work colleagues advancing their concerns to the point that they were heard, but rather from his own recordings of his crimes,” Nyland wrote in the report. |
| “There was inattention to the possibility of McCoole committing or contemplating sexual offences against children, even from those responsible for scrutinising his conduct.” | “There was inattention to the possibility of McCoole committing or contemplating sexual offences against children, even from those responsible for scrutinising his conduct.” |
| The report is bound to place enormous pressure on Weatherill’s decision to combine the departments of child protection and education, which critics say has undermined oversight and accountability. | The report is bound to place enormous pressure on Weatherill’s decision to combine the departments of child protection and education, which critics say has undermined oversight and accountability. |
| Families SA has been the subject of more than half a dozen inquiries since 2002 which have revealed major failings. | Families SA has been the subject of more than half a dozen inquiries since 2002 which have revealed major failings. |
| The government has accepted an interim recommendation from the royal commission to create a standalone child protection department and recruit a new chief. | The government has accepted an interim recommendation from the royal commission to create a standalone child protection department and recruit a new chief. |
| Many of the changes proposed by Nyland are likely to require significant resources and a rethink of existing processes. | Many of the changes proposed by Nyland are likely to require significant resources and a rethink of existing processes. |
| The state opposition leader, Steven Marshall, has called for parliament to be recalled early so the recommendations can be acted upon immediately. | The state opposition leader, Steven Marshall, has called for parliament to be recalled early so the recommendations can be acted upon immediately. |
| “The government has used this royal commission as a shield for inaction,” he told ABC radio before the report’s release. “Today is the day of judgment.” | “The government has used this royal commission as a shield for inaction,” he told ABC radio before the report’s release. “Today is the day of judgment.” |