Jane* worked as a child protection practitioner in Victoria for nine years.
Early in her career, Jane thought she could make "real changes" in the lives of vulnerable families.
She left the department late last year, burnt out and completely disheartened.
"Whilst I did some good work and I know myself and my colleagues worked … incredibly hard every day, it just felt like some days you just weren't getting anywhere," she told ABC Radio Melbourne.
Industry sources have told the ABC that high staff turnover and unfilled positions are putting considerable pressure on the already overstretched child protection system.
Jane has decided to speak out after a story published by News Corp earlier this week revealed an increasing number of children in child protection did not have an individual case worker.
Even if a child did have an individual case worker, Jane said it did not mean there was much face-to-face time.
"The workers in [case management] had the most unreasonable workloads," she said.
"There was a high volume of admin work: there was court reports, there was redacting files, there was tight timelines, there was high, high volumes of cases.
System not 'fit for purpose'
Victoria's Principal Commissioner for Children and Young People Liana Buchanan says despite significant investment from the state government the child protection system still "isn't fit for purpose".
"I still see every week, reports of children, for example, who are in residential care, sometimes very young children who are absent or missing from care, who have been victimised and caught up in sexual exploitation, who have very significant issues, very complex care needs and yet we as a system are not able to wrap around the supports that they need."
During her six years as commissioner, Ms Buchanan said she had seen considerable investment in the Victorian child protection system. However, it came on the back of "probably decades of underfunding".
"Whilst the government has worked really hard, and really has invested … they've got a lot of ground to recover, to really rebuild or build, indeed, a system that works," she said.
"Unfortunately, we're a long way off that."
Ms Buchanan said high staff turnover and shortages could increase risk, and had been a complaint for "hundreds of children" in out-of-home care.
"It's one of their big issues, that they feel that they don't often have a consistent person," she said.
"Even if they do have an allocated worker, they turn over a lot. That can make a massive difference to a child [as] you can imagine."
More recruitment needed
Victorian Child Protection Minister Anthony Carbines said every child known to child protection is either in the care of an individual case manager or a team of child protection practitioners.
"We've funded 1,100 additional child protection workers since we came to office," he said.
"That $2.8 billion investment these past four years continues a focus around early intervention for children that are vulnerable and to support families."
The ABC has put questions to the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing to ask how many of those funded positions have been filled. They are yet to respond.
Mr Carbines said there are more children getting support from child protection than ever before, in part due to the expansion of mandatory reporting requirements following the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
"That's a good thing," he said.
"But you need to match that with recruitment of child protection staff, and investment in the system."
*Name changed to protect identity
