Bradford knew of shortage

By Jim Mynard
CASEY deputy mayor Kevin Bradford was fully advised about changes to the Casey maternal and child health service (MCH).
This revelation flies in the face of claims that council officers had not advised the council of nurse shortages.
The council’s MCH department was thrown into consternation after Cr Bradford’s employer, Narre Warren North MP Luke Donnellan, claimed in a press release that the council was shortchanging mothers and babies.
He said also that mothers were being turned away from the service and that this put the health of babies at risk.
Officers said Mr Donnellan had not contacted the council, except Cr Bradford, prior to making the public statement.
Berwick News journalist Callan Date first reported Mr Donnellan’s claim on Thursday 24 January and Casey director of community services Jennie Lee immediately refuted the claims in a message to councillors.
She assured councillors that when mothers arrived home from hospital appointments were made for a first home visit, then for two, four, eight week, and four month developmental checks.
“A fully qualified MCH nurse visits the home to ensure that mum and baby are settling into being at home. At this visit the nurse will also discuss concerns that a mother may have,” she said.
Ms Lee told councillors that the service to babies up to one year old had not been changed, but mothers of toddlers over one year old were given a questionnaire to help overcome the severe shortage of MCH nurses.
She said the questionnaires were then the basis for assessment and discussion with mothers.
Mothers still had the option of seeing a nurse without the questionnaire.
Cr Bradford then launched an attack on Ms Lee with a series of questions, two being: “Why hadn’t the shortage been brought to the notice of council previously? Why is it that only when a Member of Parliament (issues a press release) do you compile an extensive email on the issue informing councillors of the facts?”
She said in response that councillors had been aware of the nurse shortage issue for some time and listed previous discussions on the matter.
However, unbeknown to Ms Lee, the acting director of community services Sophia Petrov, on Wednesday 10 January, while Ms Lee was on leave, explained the situation to Cr Bradford in detail.
Two weeks later Mr Donnellan issued his release attacking the council.
Ms Petrov responded to a request from Cr Bradford the previous day and had no reason to copy other councillors with her answer.
He had asked to be informed of any or all changes introduced in MCH and the reasons.
Ms Petrov replied in part: “A MCH workforce officer starts with Casey on Monday 15 January to develop a strategic approach to workforce issues and focus recruitment activities for the MCH service. A particular aim is to develop and implement an aggressive recruitment strategy for MCH nurses, leading ultimately to a fully staffed service.
“As an interim measure pending results of the recruitment strategy, Casey has decided to focus its existing MCH nurses workforce to conduct the first home visit after discharge from hospital, deliver the initial seven key age and stage developmental assessments and provide support relevant and appropriate to the needs of a family.”
She said also that the council had introduced an interim service model, the Toddlers Development Screening Service to meet the needs of children over one year old.
Cr Bradford did not advise the council of any concerns.
He said in response to questions that perhaps he should have, but said the officers should have told councillors about the change and the questionnaire being given to parents.
“They didn’t tell councillors that they went over to the forms,” he said. “The whole problem is a lack of communication with councillors.”