Ombudsman’s second report on preventing harm to children with disability in Queensland released

Ombudsman's second report on preventing harm to children with disability in Queensland released

The Queensland Ombudsman’s report, Preventing harm to children with disability in Queensland – Report 2: Department of Housing and Public Works, was tabled on Wednesday 26 November by the Honourable Pat Weir MP, Speaker of the Queensland Parliament.

Responding to recommendations from the Royal Commission

In 2023, Public Hearing 33 of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability considered a case study of two children living with disability. They were referred to as Kaleb and Jonathon.

In response to recommendations from the public hearing, the Ombudsman has been investigating some of the public sector agencies that had interactions with Kaleb and Jonathon. The Ombudsman has been considering whether the current practices and procedures of these agencies would prevent other children with disability from experiencing the nature and extent of the harm Kaleb and Jonathon suffered.

In April 2025, the Ombudsman published the first report, Preventing harm to children with disability in Queensland – Report 1: Department of Education.

This is the Ombudsman’s second report from the investigation.

Report 2: Department of Housing and Public Works

From 2004, Kaleb and Jonathon lived with their father, Paul Barrett, in a home managed by the Department of Housing and Public Works (Housing).

During the tenancy of the boys and their father, Housing frequently attended the property for maintenance and repair work. It also occasionally contacted Paul Barrett about the unhygienic state of the property.

The Royal Commission identified that Housing did not share information about the condition of the property within its own agency when it could have. The Royal Commission also found that Housing did not share the information with the Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services and Child Safety when it could and should have.

The Ombudsman examined Housing’s current practices and procedures regarding its role in identifying and responding to child protection concerns.

“We found that Housing provides some guidance to help its officers identify and respond to harm, but we also identified opportunities for improvement,” Anthony Reilly, Queensland Ombudsman said.

The Ombudsman made 11 recommendations for improvements to Housing’s practices and procedures.

“Housing needs to amend some of its current practices and procedures to ensure that its officers identify and respond to child protection concerns, including those that may initially come to their attention as property or tenancy issues.”

In particular, Housing needs to provide consistent guidance for officers about when to consult supervisors or managers about a child protection concern. Housing also needs to provide:

• child protection training for its officers
• guidance for officers on how to identify child protection concerns in information received from contractors
• quality assurance processes for monitoring child protection reporting
• clearer guidance about recording and reviewing child protection information. 

Read the full report.