SA government can't commit to ending case closure practice

The South Australian government has stated that it cannot promise to end a practice that allows child protection authorities to close cases of suspected abuse or neglect due to insufficient staff. This statement comes after a state coroner recommended changes following the 2018 death of an 11-week-old baby who was living in poor conditions. Coroner David Whittle had urged the Department for Child Protection (DCP) to stop marking cases as "closed no action," which happens when there isn’t enough staff to investigate further. He suggested that this practice be phased out by December 2025, except with special approval from the DCP's chief executive. However, the government's report responding to the recommendations accepted them only "in principle." They indicated they could not commit to a timeline for ending this practice or to any interim measures requiring executive approval. Whittle's recommendations were based on a 2016 royal commission into child protection systems which highlighted the need for reform. He expressed concern that without full implementation, more children could suffer preventable deaths in cases marked as "closed no action." The government noted a significant increase in notifications of child abuse and neglect since the royal commission, with an 83% rise. They claimed progress had been made to improve their response capacity. Additionally, the government rejected another recommendation to inform those who make child notifications if their case was closed without action. They argued this could interfere with police investigations and discourage future reports, which could harm children's safety. The coroner's findings included details about the conditions in which the baby lived. The baby died surrounded by rubbish and with little food available. Whittle concluded that the DCP’s failure to address notifications regarding the baby created missed opportunities for intervention and improved family conditions.