UPDATE: Queensland Child Safety Minister Amanda Camm has just announced an urgent audit following a critical IT failure in the state’s child safety program. This failure could jeopardize the response to time-sensitive risks for vulnerable children, raising serious concerns for their safety.
During a media conference in Brisbane on Saturday morning, Camm revealed that the issues stem from a problematic upgrade of the IT system, known as Unify, which was implemented in April 2023. “This bungled IT program has resulted in frontline staff not being able to access timely and accurate information,” she stated, underscoring the gravity of the situation.
The impact of this IT failure extends beyond internal operations; it has compromised crucial information sharing with other agencies and hindered reporting functions critical for protecting children. Camm expressed her deep concern, stating, “My major concern, as the minister for child safety, is a system failure of this type could result in the death of a child.” This alarming statement reflects the urgent need for immediate corrective action.
On Wednesday, the department notified Camm of the ongoing issues, and she received a further briefing from Belinda Drew, the director-general, on Friday about the necessary steps to rectify the problems. In response, Camm announced that an external audit of the $183 million system, initiated by the former Labor government, would commence by Monday. The audit is expected to take up to two months to complete, a timeframe that raises critical questions about ongoing child safety in the interim.
The minister’s remarks have already drawn significant attention, particularly her attribution of the failure to the previous administration. In a statement released shortly after the conference, she referred to the IT program as the “former Labor government’s bungled IT program.” This statement is likely to ignite political tensions as the opposition has been contacted for comment regarding these serious allegations.
This urgent audit underscores the need for transparency and accountability in systems designed to protect the most vulnerable members of society. As Queensland grapples with the implications of this failure, the focus will remain on how quickly and effectively the issues can be resolved to ensure child safety is not compromised in the future.
Developments will continue to emerge as the audit unfolds, with stakeholders from various sectors closely monitoring the situation. The safety of children in Queensland hangs in the balance as officials work to address the fallout from this critical IT failure.
