Question Time

FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES DEPARTMENT

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:02): I seek leave to make an explanation before asking the minister representing the Minister for Families and Communities a question about employment practices.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Over recent weeks the opposition has been contacted by a whistleblower from within the Department for Families and Communities in relation to concerns regarding employment practices and appointment practices of consultants as well as general performance within the section known as the Workforce Health and Safety Unit. In particular, concerns have been expressed about inappropriate practices relating to various appointments, and examples given have included the position of the Injury Manager-Team Leader, with allegations relating to members of that panel being friends of the successful applicant without advising that to other members of the panel. Concern has also been expressed about the appointment of the Staff Claims Manager, again relating to friends of the applicant who won the position being placed on the appointment panel without advice to other members of the panel.

There was also an allegation that a relative of a panel member was the successful applicant, and another example related to the appointment of the Staff Vocational Placement Officer and allegations of inappropriate appointment practices, where the close personal friend of one of the managers was appointed to the position without the appropriate panel process having been followed. Concerns have also been raised about the processes relating to the appointment of consultants to that particular unit, but question time does not allow me to go into all the detail of that.

The opposition has also been provided with a copy of a staff survey conducted within the Department for Families and Communities in 2007 that compares staff feelings in the Workforce Health and Safety Unit with the whole of the department, and I refer briefly to two points. One related to whether or not staff believed they were treated equally and fairly when making decisions that affected them; 63 per cent of staff in the unit (which, I acknowledge, is a small unit) disagreed with that statement compared to only 34 per cent of all Department for Families and Communities staff.

The second point related to the question of whether or not staff believed their unit or team was free from bullying; worryingly, only 6 per cent of staff in that unit (and, as I said, it is a small unit) agreed with that statement, whereas 61 per cent of staff department-wide agreed that they were free from bullying in their normal workplace. Obviously, there were many other details in that staff survey conducted within the Department for Families and Communities.

My question is: has the minister or the chief executive officer been advised of significant staff concerns in the Workforce Health and Safety Unit within the department relating to inappropriate employment practices, inappropriate appointment of consultant practices and general performance of the particular unit? If so, what action has either the CEO or the minister taken in relation to those staff concerns?

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister Assisting the Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (15:04): I thank the honourable member for his question in relation to alleged employment practices in the Workforce Health and Safety Unit. I will refer his question to the Minister for Families and Communities in the other place and ensure that he has a response.