Child protection advocates slam decision to scrap SA social worker registration scheme

Chloe Valentine's grandmother Belinda said scrapping the scheme was "disturbing". (ABC News: Che Chorley) The SA government will not proceed with a social worker registration scheme, a key recommendation following the death of four-year-old Chloe Valentine. Her grandmother Belinda has hit out at the decision, which the state government says was made due to cost-of-living pressures being faced by social workers. Link copiedShareShare articleChild protection advocates say the South Australian government has let down the state's most vulnerable people by axing a mandatory registration scheme for social workers, but those in the DV sector say the move could help alleviate workforce shortages. The nation-leading reform was a key recommendation from a coronial inquest into the death of four-year-old Chloe Valentine, who was failed by SA's child protection agency. More than 20 notifications were made to Families SA before Chloe's death from family and friends who were concerned for the little girl's welfare. Chloe died from injuries sustained when she repeatedly crashed a motorbike she was forced to ride by her mother and her mother's partner over several days in 2012. Her grandmother Belinda Valentine said the decision to scrap the registration scheme was "more than disappointing". "But the biggest betrayal is to the kids in our state who suffer in silence and who are the ones who ultimately face the consequences of … decisions like these," she said. Chloe Valentine died in 2012 when she was four years old. (AAP: South Australian Supreme Court) The Malinauskas government had committed $4.7 million to establish the scheme, which was to be run by the Social Workers Registration Board. If you need help immediately call emergency services on triple-0 The reform, which was touted by the state government as the first of its kind in Australia, was due to begin in July 2025, but its introduction had been delayed. Late last week, the SA government issued a media release stating it had decided not to proceed with the social worker registration scheme. "With communities continuing to face cost-of-living challenges, including recent fuel price increases, the state government is not prepared to impose an additional financial burden by way of a new registration fee upon more than 4,000 hard working professionals and their families," the government statement read. Child Protection Minister Alice Rolls said the government was not opposed to a registration scheme "as a general proposition" but did not think a "state-based scheme" was the right move. "I'm less concerned with what this cost the government and more focused on reducing and removing an additional cost for social workers here in South Australia," Ms Rolls said. "The precise amount of the fees and charges was not yet finalised, but I understand it was in the many hundreds of dollars." Ms Valentine said the government had not notified her of the decision. Belinda Valentine with granddaughter Chloe before the four-year-old died in 2012. (Supplied) "To cancel this reform, which was accepted by government and based on the need for independent oversight of social workers after the death of a precious, vulnerable, child — our child — due to the supposed cost-of-living crisis for social workers and their families," Ms Valentine said. The Public Service Association of SA (PSA), which represents hundreds of government-employed social workers, was also sceptical of the government's reasoning. It said it had been working closely with government departments for the rollout of the registration, but not consulted about the decision to stop it. "A lot of them were really shocked, this had been something they had been preparing for many years so, it came as quite a surprise to them and specifically the reason given to not proceed was particularly surprising to our members," PSA assistant general secretary Celia Brougham said. "While we acknowledge the additional pressures that professional registration can have on cohorts, for us the positives would significantly outweigh that. "We're concerned that potentially … when you professionalise an industry and recognise specialist skills, this leads to professional pay … we really hope that that hasn't been an element in this decision." Celia Brougham said PSA members were surprised to learn the scheme would not be implemented. (ABC News: Che Chorley) Health Minister Blair Boyer denied pay was a factor, and that it "was more around having a scheme that nobody else had, that there would be cost to social workers for registering for the scheme and keeping that registration current". Ms Rolls said the government had consulted "extensively" with all stakeholders including unions over the past five years. She said the government would be able to build on the Social Worker Registration Board's work "to increase professional standards" across the sector. The Australian Association of Social Workers and the Health Servic

Child protection advocates slam decision to scrap SA social worker registration scheme

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