Social workers wondering when crisis will be over

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – BC’s social workers are wondering when the Ministry of Children and Families will no longer be operating in crisis mode.

That’s their reaction, after the ministry announced it will be hiring more child welfare workers.

There’s a lot of work to do to catch up, says Paul Houle of the BCGEU, which represents the ministry’s social workers.

The ministry intends to hire 150 new workers, but Houle says the ministry would need one hundred new workers a year to make up for cuts that began six years ago.

A report put out by the union says social workers are buried under massive caseloads and a complete lack of resources.

Staff shortages in some places  in BC are critical, says Houle.

“I hear the horror stories of one person in an office, when there should be four or five. The ministry has never addressed staff retention in the Interior.”

He points out the ongoing problems with an internal computer system are also taking resources away from the front lines.

“What we do know is that 70 front line staff that would normally be doing child protection, have been seconded to work out the kinks and train colleagues on the system since the summer and will be there until February.”

He says with the government suggesting that some offices become more administrative, while others retain their traditional face-to-face role, it might be a signal that the ministry is prepared to contract some work out to the private sector.

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