NSW Ombudsman report into reviewable deaths: what are we doing to help kids at risk?

The report found that the proportion of children known to child protection services whose deaths were abuse or neglect-related has more than doubled over the ten-year period from 2010 (44 per cent) to 2019 (89 per cent).

"Although children with a child protection history are over-represented in deaths from all causes (21 per cent), the extent of over-representation in abuse and neglect-related deaths is much higher," the report says.

Among the 19 children who died as a result of abuse of neglect in 2018 and 2019, almost all (16) were from families with a child protection history. Most (13) of those families were the subject of a report screened as "risk of significant harm' (ROSH) within the three years prior to death.

The other three families were the subject of a report screened as 'non-ROSH' or made to a child wellbeing unit.

Well-recognised child protection issues, such as family violence and relationship breakdown, parental mental illness, and parental alcohol and drug abuse, were often present in families where children died in circumstances of abuse or neglect.

Children under 5 years are the most vulnerable to fatal abuse and neglect, the report says, accounting for more than half of all abuse and neglect-related deaths in the 10-year period to 2019.

"More still needs o be done by agencies to address practice and systems issues to ensure better protection of children and improved support of vulnerable families.

It says that a key issue is the premature closure of 'risk of significant harm' (ROSH) reports due to competing priorities. It also highlights the fact that, statewide, only 29 per cent of children at risk are seen by caseworkers.

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In the Hunter New England Region, more than 50 at-risk kids are reported every day, an increase of more than 42 per cent since 2014. More than 13,000 of those are left to fend for themselves as caseworkers grapple with the sheer volume of cases - 55 at-risk kids per full-time funded position.

The report says it is 'apparent that demand exceeds available resources' and asks the Department of Communities and Justice to detail what it is doing to address "the premature closure of ROSH reports due to competing priorities".

That needs to include cases closed without "comprehensive or face-to-face" contact, and/or where referrals are made in place of an assessment.

In some cases, detailed in the report, the department has referred cases to non-government organisations due to "competing priorities", only for the case to circle back to the department because the organisation does not have the resources or the capacity to manage it.

When multiple agencies became involved, they often made assumptions about the nature, effectiveness and protective impact of work by other agencies, the report says.

Port Stephens MP and Opposition spokeswoman for Family and Community Services, Kate Washington, said all of the solutions started with more case workers.

"Year after year, we see the same tragic outcomes," she said. "Serious cases of child abuse and neglect are closed without ever being seen because the government refuses to employ enough caseworkers. Vulnerable children are dying as a result. It's shocking and uncomfortable, but that is the reality in NSW according to this report. You can't protect these kids if you don't see them. Unless something changes, they'll remain invisible, they'll remain at risk, and tragically, some will lose their lives."

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