6PR Mornings host Liam Bartlett has shone the light the past month on heartbreaking stories from foster families who claim there is a pattern of dysfunction and lack of respect within Department of Communities.

On Wednesday, the program revealed the Department, which has chosen to remain silent on the recent claims, has only now publicly released a report – written in 2019 – that revealed “widespread and endemic racism”.

Psychologist Dr Tracy Westerman, the author of that report, said she was disappointed it had been withheld for so long.

“From my perspective, it’s been really challenging because I have not been able to comment on the report because the IP [intellectual property] obviously belongs to the department,” she told Bartlett.

“I think when you have a report that becomes buried, the denial of racism is actually worse than racism itself.

“What happens fundamentally is people, if they’re feeling unsafe in work environments, the racism will actually prosper.

“This was a really sophisticated body of work, it involved 295 staff throughout the state, so it was pretty significant cross section, plus another 200 people through focus sessions.

“So this is something that should’ve put alarm bells through the whole organisation three years ago.”

Tap PLAY below to hear more on the report and problems.