More than a third of prenatal reports to NSW protective services not investigated, ombudsman finds

Other families have been unlawfully compelled to be case managed without consent, watchdog finds Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast More than a third of all reports raising concerns about the future welfare of unborn children were closed due to a shortage of allocated caseworkers, while families were unlawfully compelled to take part in prenatal case work, the New South Wales ombudsman has found.

In its findings after investigating the Department of Communities and Justice’s practice of responding to prenatal reports, which were released on Friday, the watchdog raised concerns about the number of reports about particularly high-risk children that were not referred on to further support services or a dedicated case manager due to a lack of resources.

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