Summary

SAI Canada conducted an audit of the Yukon’s Department of Health and Social Services. The audit focused on the effectiveness of measures to investigate cases of child abuse and to organize temporary placement of children. Additionally, the auditors evaluated the timeliness, effectiveness, and inclusivity of services provided to protect the safety and well-being of at-risk children and young adults. The audit found serious gaps across a range of child protection services, ranging from responding to reports of suspected harm to completing investigations and following up with children in care and young adults receiving support services. The auditors noted that: • the Department failed to assess the need for protective intervention within the mandated 24-hour window in 37% of child harm allegations, • in cases when assessments identified the need for further investigation, the Department did not complete these investigations within the required 30 days in 41% of the cases examined, • when there were concerns about a child’s safety in their home setting, the Department did not maintain the required monthly face-to-face contact with the child and their family in 55% of the cases in audited sample, • annual reviews of foster homes were not completed by the Department to verify that the homes remained safe for children in 58% of cases in the sample. SAI found a number of issues that contributed to the gaps in timely assessments, interventions, and monitoring. These included poor management of staffing, insufficient tracking of mandatory safety and cultural training, a lack of reporting on compliance with child welfare standards, and the department’s failure to use functions of its case management system; for example, actioning automated reminders and reporting on outcomes for children and families. In addition, while group homes are meant for children aged 12 and older, SAI found that about a third of children were under 6 years of age. These factors impacted the ability of staff to provide supervision tailored to the needs of the children and increased safety risks for all children. According to the auditors, the Department did minimal tracking of the human and financial resources required to deliver child protection services, resulting in poor governance oversight, and a lack of informed decision making capacity. SAI mentioned that only 62% of social worker and supervisor positions were staffed. Despite the staffing shortages, payroll costs increased, with overtime and casual staff spending rising by more than 75%. Many group home staff did not have complete or up-to-date training in Indigenous awareness, or in health and safety topics such as non-violent crisis intervention. According to SAI, the existing system for supporting children and families is not effective in protecting the most vulnerable groups. SAI recommended that the Department address the identified violations, conduct a comprehensive review of all foster families and extended care organizations, and establish collaboration with Indigenous representatives to determine the timeline for developing and regularly updating cultural programs for each Indigenous child under the Department's care.