Child Protection

Ms SANDERSON (Adelaide) (14:26): My question again is to the Minister for Education and Child Development. Is Families SA still failing to investigate all tier 2 notifications to the Child Abuse Report Line as revealed by the former minister on 23 September last year?

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Minister for Education and Child Development, Minister for the Public Sector) (14:26): It is the case that not all tier 2 notifications are investigated and there are a number of reasons why that is the case. Some are a repeat of a notification that has already been received in another form. In some cases it may be that Families SA is already undertaking work with that family and that that notification does not merit any particular investigation given the extent of the engagement that Families SA is already having with that family.

It is also the case that, if a matter is being addressed by SAPOL, for example, that will be regarded as closed from the notification CARL line, but will be being actively investigated through SAPOL and it is also the case that some are referred to NGOs for appropriate follow-up. So without wishing to be defensive about whether we can do a better job with management of notifications, and I am very aware of the considerations being undertaken by the Coroner at present and await with interest the result of that, there are multiple reasons rather than just one simplistic approach to understanding tier 2s.