Santa Clara County Grand Jury • 2014-2015

2014-2015 Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury Report Child Abuse and Neglect Call Center, Can Every Call Be Answered?

21 pages
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Findings and Recommendations 6 findings

F1
Since 2013, the Child Abuse and Neglect Center has increased its staff, answered more calls, and decreased the number of abandoned calls; however, some calls still go unanswered.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
The Department of Family and Children Services should continue to improve operations to ensure that all Child Abuse and Neglect Center calls are answered.
F2
The Child Abuse and Neglect Center personnel do not staff the Child Abuse and Neglect Center 24 hours a day; instead, calls are transferred to the After Hours Program social work supervisors between 10 pm and 8 am, seven days a week.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2
The Department of Family and Children Services should ensure the Child Abuse and Neglect Center staff is available to answer calls 24 hours per day, seven days a week.
F3
Unanswered and abandoned calls in the Department of Family and Children’s Services automated voice response phone system may put the children in the County at risk and allow abuse and neglect cases to go unreported.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3
The Department of Family and Children’s Services should directly answer both mandated and non-mandated reporters’ calls.
F4
The Department of Family and Children’s Services has no policy to make more than one attempt to respond to Child Abuse and Neglect Center voice mails.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4
The Department of Family and Children’s Services should establish a policy to make three or four attempts to contact voicemail callers in their counties.
F5
The Department of Family and Children’s Services has no policy to attempt to respond to Child Abuse and Neglect Center abandoned calls.
Related Recommendations (1)
R5
The Department of Family and Children’s Services should establish a policy to follow-up on abandoned calls.
F6
The Child Abuse and Neglect Center & Referrals Monthly Statistical Summaries do not include data on After Hour Program calls nor average number of calls and dispositions per social worker, to provide adequate information to manage staffing.
Related Recommendations (1)
R6
The Department of Family and Children Services should ensure that the “DFCS Child Abuse and Neglect Center & Referrals Monthly Statistical Summary” be revised to include After Hour Program calls and average number of calls and dispositions per social worker, to provide adequate information to manage staffing.

Conclusions 12