DHS leave nine-year-old boy alone at Melbourne's Coburg Lake late at night

Victorian Community Services Minister Mary Wooldridge says she only learnt from the media - rather than via her own department - that a boy minded by temporary agency staff was abandoned in a park at night.

She also expressed concerns whether the temporary agency staff has the appropriate expertise for the import job of caring for vulnerable children.

Child Safety Commissioner Bernie Geary, who has made similar comments, says he'll look into the case if requested by the minister, concluding it seems to be an appalling case of negligence.

Social workers abandoned the nine-year-old boy in a Melbourne park at night because it was unsafe for them to stay with him.

The boy was left wandering around Coburg Lake in the dark until a passer-by noticed him and called police, 3AW's Neil Mitchell reported this morning, reported the Herald Sun.

The Victorian Premier, Ted Baillieu, said he had ordered an investigation. 

Details leaked to the radio station piece together the night of February 25, when a group of children under the care of Department of Human Services were taken to Coburg Lake on an outing.

The nine-year-old apparently didn’t want to leave the lake when it was time to leave, Mitchell said, and DHS workers were instructed by their supervisor to leave him there.

Police called the DHS unit involved but a worker told officers they were knocking off and police should take him home.

Police quizzed staff at the boy’s home as to why they had left the boy at the lake and not bothered to pick him up.

The staff reportedly said it was too dangerous for a worker to stay at the lake at that time of night, Mitchell said.

Responding to the shocking case on Radio 3AW today, Mr Baillieu said he had ordered an investigation into the case as soon as he was alerted to it.

“(It) is absolutely unacceptable. We will be conducting an investigation into this and dealing with the consequences,” he said this morning.

“Anyone in control or guardian, parent or otherwise of a nine-year-old should not leave a nine-year-old in the dark.”

Mr Baillieu said workers who left children unattended at night shouldn’t be in positions of trust and authority.