Child care providers ‘reluctant’ to report abuse claims: NSW top cop Linda Howlett says

Childcare providers are “reluctant” to report allegations of abuse to police because “they don’t want to get the sack”, NSW’s top cop on child abuse has told a parliamentary inquiry into the controversy-laden sector.

NSW Police Child Abuse Squad Commander Detective Superintendent Linda Howlett was grilled by the Inquiry into the Early Childhood Education and Care Sector on Thursday on the challenges police face.

Under questions, Superintendent Howlett told the inquiry there was a “reluctance by people within the (childcare) agencies to actually report abuse”, including because of a fear that “they don’t want to get the sack”.

“The other thing is they don’t want these centres to get a bad reputation because, whether you like it or not, there was a lot of money to be made in this sector,” she said.

“What I’ve said to them (the providers) is I really want them to report to the police.”

Superintendent Howlett said agencies were having conversations with accused people following allegations, potentially “contaminating evidence”, as well as with young children who are potentially victims of abuse.

“If there is insufficient evidence to charge someone with a criminal offence, then they can be looking at what action they can take... They shouldn’t be making the decision,” whether or not to go to police, she said.

Superintendent Howlett said while a lot of agencies had the correct processes in place, “they’re just not being adhered to”, adding people “minded to offend against children” are looking for this.

She went on to slam centres which were not properly checking or recording employees’ working with children checks.

“They should have those records on file.

“They should be checking those things because, at the end of the day, they’re looking after our most precious resource and that’s our children.

“These offences against these children have significant ramifications for their history and their future life.

“They’ve been paid enough money, they should be actually recording all that and to get information.

“I’m dumbfounded that they adopt that attitude.”

‘Problematic’

She said there was a “lack of understanding” within the sector of when matters should be reported to the police, and not the regulator, and pushed for the creation of a database that could centralise “red flags” of workers for police.

“I don’t really understand why this sector sees a criminal offence … and they choose to report it to the regulator. That’s problematic in itself in that evidence could be destroyed. You’re giving a heads up to a lot of people.

She went on to add: “A database should exist.

“Rather than the police going to the all the educators and asking for that information, I would like to see us having direct access to that database that we could go in and actually do the a little bit proactive (work)”.

For parents concerned about potential abuse, Superintendent Howlett urged them not to contact the centre directly and instead contact police because “the director, first of all, doesn’t want to lose the business”.

“They don’t want a bad reputation,” she said.

The inquiry comes amid a number of high-profile alleged child abuse cases in NSW and Victoria, which have sparked urgent reforms at the Commonwealth level and calls for the states to enact their own reforms.

Superintendent Howlett told the inquiry child-abuse offenders were “very, very smart” and would “shop around” at a number of centres, including across state lines, until they can find one where they can offend.

“They’ll look for centres that are doing the right thing … (then) move on because they realise they’re not going to get what they want,” she said.

She recommended that there should always be two people in a room during nappy changes, an area where, despite urges for more CCTV, she said little offending actually occurred because “there’s too many people walking in”.

Nonetheless, Superintendent Howlett said she was a proponent of the expansion of CCTV, which can be critical to police investigations.

“If you’re doing the right thing, then the CCTV will show that,” she said.

“Of you’ve got nothing to hide, then I can’t understand why you’ve got such an objection to it.”

Department of Education Secretary Murat Dizdar gave evidence on Wednesday.

He told the inquiry the regulator undertook almost 9000 visits last year of the state’s 6000 childcare services, including after-hours carers and long day-care.

High-risk centres were visited more often, Mr Dizdar said, with some 93 per cent of centres rated as either meeting or being above the national standard.

But, grilled on allegations concerning multiple centres, Mr Dizdar said the standard needed to be improved, as was recommended by an independent review.

He said the regulator had the power to put a centre on notice, as well as conditions that they not be allowed to further expand.

The inquiry is examining the safety, health, and wellbeing of children within the NSW childcare sector, as well as the quality and affordability of care.

It will continue on Thursday.