Tasmania's first point of contact for child safety and wellbeing concerns is continuing to face significant workforce issues, but the Auditor-General has found it is operating effectively.
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The number of Advice and Referral Line workers within the Department of Communities dropped from 45 at the start of 2021 to 35 in 2022, while call volume continued to increase.
Various social workers and practitioners voiced concerns during the Commission of Inquiry regarding the ARL, including claims there was a lack of trust in the way the system handled abuse notifications which could be placing children at risk.
The Tasmanian Audit Office has been auditing the service, looking into its effectiveness since it was brought in three years ago as part of the broader Strong Families, Safe Kids reforms.
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The audit report released on Tuesday showed the service had been "implemented effectively" - albeit with an initial delay - and had improved connections between families and appropriate interventions.
Some issues included a "lack of broader understanding" about the service's purpose and function which could be due to a shortage of resources provided to liaison officers.
The report made seven recommendations, including greater resourcing across various areas, improved ability to share information between agencies and raising awareness of the service.
Auditor-General Rod Whitehead said staff turnover had been increasing, and it was clear greater resources would need to be provided to the ARL to meet growing community demand.
"One of the things that we found around staff turnover is that some people who are leaving the Advice and Referral Line are actually going to other areas within the Department of Communities," he said.
"Some of those people may have come from the child safety services area, and in some cases they're returning back to that area.
"In terms of the number of referrals that are being made through the Advice and Referral Line, if they continue to increase then it will need more resources to manage those referrals."
The department was also seen to be mainly focusing on the throughout data for the service, rather than its actual effectiveness. There was nothing in place to measure the level of satisfaction with the ARL.
The Audit Office is likely to further look into the pathways out of the ARL in the future, including family support and intervention services. This was not in the scope of the last audit.
Education, Child and Youth Minister Roger Jaensch said the recommendations would be considered in the next stage reforms, which includes establishing the Department of Education, Children and Young People as part of the carve up of Communities Tasmania.
"It is testament to the staff and ongoing reforms that fewer Tasmanian families are now being referred for statutory Child Safety intervention and fewer children are entering out of home care. These are significant achievements," he said.
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