Child protection workers are struggling to cope with large caseloads which are affecting the quality of support being offered to vulnerable children and families, a conference on social work heard yesterday. Carl O'Brien, Social Affairs Correspondent, reports.
New research shows that individual social workers are dealing with up to 76 children at risk at any one time, an exceptionally high figure by international standards, according to University College Cork social work lecturer Kenneth Burns.
He was speaking at a conference on the state of child protection and the role of the social worker held at UCC yesterday.
Mr Burns said that at a time when families were under strain and society was more aware than ever of the adversities facing children, it was vitally important for social workers and other professionals to be available to provide support and protection for children.
In interviews with 44 front-line social workers in five child protection and welfare teams in the Health Service Executive (HSE) South, he found significant levels of frustration about a lack of resources and heavy work loads. However, there were also high levels of dedication and commitment among social workers to the clients they worked with.
While there has been significant staff turnover in the sector, it appears to have stabilised in recent years, possibly due to a recruitment embargo which may have constrained some from leaving as they were worried they may not get back into the HSE.
However, he said the lack of progress in improving working conditions was still leading some to look for what they see as easier jobs. "Many of the social workers who expressed an interest in leaving should be considered 'reluctant' leavers, in that most expressed an interest in wanting to stay but a tipping point had been reached for some due to organisational conditions."
Yesterday's conference was a joint partnership between the UCC's social work development unit, the Irish Association of Social Workers and the Health Service Executive South.
Latest figures show there are just over 2,300 social workers practising in the State, the majority of whom are employed by the HSE.
Eamonn Collier, principal social worker with the HSE South, said there was often a negative portrayal of social workers as wielding significant powers to remove children from families. However, he said families themselves were increasingly seeking support and intervention.
"Social workers are now actively engaged in preventative and welfare work, work that anticipates and avoids crisis and seeks to promote better outcomes for children," he said.
"Unfortunately, the vast majority of this work escapes media attention and little emphasis is placed on the significant level of preventative work that is undertaken by social work departments."
Speaking at the conference, Sylda Langford of the Office of the Minister for Children said the office was attempting to lead a "change management" agenda which would place the child at the centre of services.