Children in care sleeping in hotels, caravan parks CPSU says

CPSU general secretary Thirza White has said while additional roles had been created and extra funding has been allocated, there was a recruitment and retention crisis within the workforce that had been ignored for too long.

"While public sector workers in these critical child safety roles do their best, they are hindered by a lack of staff on the ground and feel unsupported."

She said this had resulted in dozens of vacancies and unfilled positions that were were putting kids at risk

According to CPSU, 75 per cent of roles in case management were vacant in the North West.

Ms White said there were 1100 Tasmanian children in out of home care, many of whom relied on the Child Safety Service.

"The constant churn of staff is a barrier to providing kids a voice on the decisions that impact them, which is one of the ten child safety standards the Rockliff government committed to as a result of concerns raised by the Commissioner for Children and Young People," she said.

Independent candidate Jack Davenport said the child protection system in Tasmania had "reached a point of no return".

"This isn't just about one region or issues of accommodation in isolation," Mr Davenport said.

"Issues like this are emblematic of a wider malaise in the child protection system, where multiple pressures are overwhelming the ability of child safety officers to respond."

A spokesperson for The Department of Education, Children and Young People (DECYP) said in line with the privacy obligations under the Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act 1997, the department did not discuss individual matters.

"DECYP has been working closely with Homes Tasmania on solutions for accommodation for young people across Tasmania," they said.

"DECYP and Homes Tasmania have agreed to a Service Level Agreement (SLA) to improve supply of housing for young people in out-of-home care."

They said the agreement would provide priority access to accommodation and supports for young people in care or transitioning out of care and detention.

The agreement would also "create an escalation pathway to address unmet needs" for young people.

"DECYP is currently working with Homes Tasmania on the practical changes for our services and supports to implement the SLA," the spokesperson said.