A Queensland child safety inquiry has revealed hundreds of children are being placed in unlicensed residential care homes with limited regulatory oversight, raising concerns about potential gaps in monitoring and accountability.
Inquiry Commissioner Paul Anastassiou KC said oversight of unlicensed providers could not provide reliable assurance about service quality, describing the system as “random and… unreliable as the basis for reasonable confidence in the service delivery by unlicensed providers.”
The inquiry heard Queensland’s Child Safety Department is responsible for more than 100 unlicensed providers caring for children statewide, with internal documents citing “considerable workload demands” affecting the consistency of visits and inspections.
The proportion of unlicensed providers has grown sharply, rising from 59 per cent in 2023 to 71 per cent currently. Most operate under Individualised Placement Services (IPS) contracts, which do not require licensing or formal inspections.
Department official Natalie Wilson told the inquiry that child safety officers regularly visit children in IPS placements, though she said licensed providers undergo more formal compliance inspections.
However, Commissioner Mr Anastassiou said such visits were focused on the child rather than facility conditions, meaning serious issues could go unnoticed unless directly observed and reported.
Ms Wilson acknowledged risks but said providers are still expected to comply with child safety standards and legislation.
The inquiry also heard reforms are underway to transition providers onto Outsourced Service Delivery (OSD) contracts, though licensing can take up to 21 months, and up to three years for IPS providers seeking accreditation.
Source: Courier Mail.
