Child Protection Workers

1032 Ms STINSON (Badcoe) (3 July 2019). What qualifications have been recognised in the application and recruitment of child protection workers since 1 May 2018? Please list these qualifications.

The Hon. R. SANDERSON (Adelaide—Minister for Child Protection): I have been advised:

Child protection workers refer to social workers (including senior practitioners, high-risk infant workers, and AHP supervisors), case managers, psychologists, Aboriginal family practitioners, and other related AHP/PO classified roles. The following qualifications have been recognised in the application and recruitment of Child Protection Workers since 1 May 2018:

For the AHP classified roles, allied health professionals have at a minimum an undergraduate degree qualified and perform roles to enable them to either:

Obtain state or territory registration; or

Licence or accreditation to practice; or

Be eligible to join the relevant professional association.

For the PO classified roles, Professional Officers require a degree in a professional discipline, so as to be eligible for employment as a Professional Officer, as outlined in the South Australian Modern Public Sector Enterprise Agreement—Salaried 2017, in a discipline outlined in the Commissioner's Determination 5.

Persons of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent, who have the appropriate background and skills but do not have the essential qualification, may apply for and be engaged/assigned to the role of social worker and will be entitled to apply for any allied health professional roles requiring a qualification in social work within the Department for Child Protection.