The Department of Communities' District Director of the Statewide Referral and Response Service (SRRS), Deborah Gould, has retired after thirty-six years of service in child protection.
Joining the public sector in 1984 as part of the former Department for Community Development, Deborah said there is no career she would have rather pursued.
The SRRS, developed during Deborah's time as General Manager of the Child Protection Unit in the former Department for Child Protection, is a 24/7 front door to the Department, receiving, assessing and responding to child protection concerns across Western Australia. Deborah is proud of the initiative and recalled her early career as a frontline child protection worker, where she supported various families and children at risk across the Goldfields.
"It was evident to me that if I wanted to make a difference, I had to make an impact in early stage, where children were with their families. Whether that meant picking a child up from school every day because his parents couldn't or standing at the kitchen table making vegemite sandwiches for lunch, that's what we did, and what we still do. We do what it takes to get the job done and make a difference to that young person," she said.
Deborah pursued her studies while working, obtaining a degree in Social Work which she said was highly beneficial in her role.
"I found that having some understanding of family systems and theories was critical in supporting families and working with them in a systemic way. I've always encouraged and supported my staff to become qualified. I was supported by my managers while studying, and I like to pay that forward," she said.
Deborah has held frontline and leadership roles across numerous districts in her thirty-six-year career and said she has been fortunate to have experienced some heart-warming moments, including attending the annual Achiever Awards and watching former children in care be awarded for pursuing tertiary study or training. She also recalled a time she met the children of a child she had taken into care decades prior, and another moment where children she had case managed attended her farewell.
"There are individual children I've taken into care and placed with foster carers. When I left the Department of Communities Joondalup Office after eight years of being its District Director, a few of them came to my farewell as teenagers. That was very precious to me, knowing that they had got on with their lives and were normal, healthy teenagers. I felt I'd put them on a positive trajectory," she said.
Deborah said that having likeminded colleagues and mentors to support her has been vital in her child protection journey.
"It hasn't always been easy, but the beautiful thing about this job is that you're surrounded by likeminded people who feel the same as you. They all want to make a difference to the communities, children and families that we work with.
"I always tell my new staff – you need to surround yourself with people who are positive and will be there for you. Find people who are working in a way you admire to support and mentor you. I've been privileged to work with amazing staff wherever I've gone, and I've had wonderful mentors in my journey," she said.
Thirty-six years on, Deborah said a lot has changed since she began her career, but the core of the job has remained the same.
"The essence of what we do – work with children and families – has always been and always will be an integral part of everything I've done. Children and families are always at the centre of our decisions. Policies, internal systems, and technology may change, but interviewing a child or assessing a family still requires you to get in a car and knock on a door. It takes courage, resilience and skill. It takes great emotional intelligence and a lot of emotional energy.
"After thirty-six years, I can confidently say this was the right job for me. This is what I was supposed to do, and to be able to say that after all this time is a blessing," she said.
