South Australian Premier apologises as royal commission into child protection recommends complete overhaul

South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill has urged voters to trust in his ability to fix the child protection system, accepting full responsibility on behalf of the “fiercely committed” state government.

“I am sorry for failing in this most fundamental duty,” he said.

“Our child protection agency’s reputation is in tatters and requires a fundamental re-write. It describes a South Australia that many of us would not agree with”.

The system needs a dramatic overhaul of additional resources and changes to legislation, royal commissioner Margaret Nyland warned.

READ MORE: Grandmother of Chloe Valentine calls for urgent action on SA welfare overhaul

The final report makes 260 recommendations into the child welfare system, suggesting an overhaul of structures designed to protect the state’s most vulnerable children. 

Key recommendations include establishing a children’s commissioner, improving the child abuse report line (CARL), and better staff training and supervision, and abolishing single-person carer shifts across commercial care.

“Families SA not only placed children’s needs on hold, but actively fostered disadvantage,” commissioner Nyland said of the findings.

The premier has promised an initial spend of $200 million over four years to implement changes, some of which will be made immediately.

"Some of them are very expensive and they're going to require a lot of resources," he told reporters.

"Ultimately where that lands, we'll have a better idea towards the end of the year.

"There are substantial criticisms of my government in this report and if we can't demonstrate that we are making progress then we will be judged harshly, as we should be."

The two-year inquiry was prompted by the deaths of abused children Chloe Valentine and Ebony Napier, which a coronial inquest found occurred after severe failure by Families SA.

Chloe’s grandmother, Belinda Valentine, said she hoped the state would act quickly.

“Chloe deserved much better than she got, so it’s an emotional time right now,” Ms Valentine said.

“A considered [period of time for the changes] is fine, but a lengthy period of time, I don’t think that’s fine.”

They call for a royal commission came to a head with the abuse of vulnerable children in state care by former Families SA carer and convicted pedophile, Shannon McCoole.

He is now serving a 35-year jail term for child sex offences.

McCoole's crimes were described by Mr Weatherill in 2014 as potentially the worst the nation had ever seen.

Opposition Leader Steven Marshall says the government has no excuse not to act on the report's findings immediately.

"We've had multiple warnings to this government regarding their performance in child protection, really going back for a decade," Mr Marshall said.

"What we haven't had is a lot of action.

"The government has used this royal commission as a shield for inaction. Today is the day of judgment."

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS OF SA'S CHILD PROTECTION ROYAL COMMISSION

* Commercial childcare workers to be phased out

* Social workers no longer allowed to close case files due to a lack of resources

* All child protection workers subject to a public screening register

* Residential care homes to house no more than four children unless siblings

* Children under 10 will no longer be kept in care homes unless being kept with siblings

* Complaints of abuse by carers to be investigated within 48 hours and finalised within six weeks in most cases