Dáil debates

Tuesday, 20 January 2015

Other Questions

Child and Family Agency Staff

3:40 pm

Photo of Robert TroyRobert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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113. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the action he will take to deal with the shortage of social workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2204/15]

Photo of Robert TroyRobert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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We are all aware of the current high turnover of social work staff, which staff cite as arising because of high workloads and a lack of administrative supports. What is the Minister and his Department doing to deal with this high turnover and shortage of social workers?

3:45 pm

Photo of James ReillyJames Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The Child and Family Agency, Tusla, has advised there were 1,403.46 whole-time equivalent social workers employed at the end of November 2014 and it is recruiting an additional 193 social workers to meet existing vacancies. It has also advised 155 social workers have already been recruited during 2014 while 102 social workers left employment due to retirement and for other reasons such as maternity leave.

Stability, experience and capacity of staff working in the area of child protection and child welfare are extremely important. The agency is committed to producing a workforce development strategy by end of second quarter 2015. This is to ensure strategic and operational workforce development plans and processes are established as key activities in the agency. This development presents the agency with a significant opportunity to improve resource deployment, skill and grade mix, as well as staff motivation to the benefit of the children and families. The workforce development plan will consider issues around recruitment, retention and turnover of key staff. This will also include further developing supports through structured professional and career development.

While I prefer to have a zero rate of vacancies in this specialised area of work, it is important to acknowledge staffing vacancies arise for a variety of reasons, including retirements, career breaks, paid and unpaid leave, such as maternity and other family related leave, and resignations. In that context, there will always be gaps in timing around the filling of posts.

The turnover rate of social workers at the agency for 2014 is running at 6.7% which compares favourably with experience in other countries. Every effort is being made by the agency to speed up recruitment and develop a comprehensive workforce development plan in 2015 which will assist in addressing staff turnover rates and lower them further.

Photo of Robert TroyRobert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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If the Minister compares the turnover of social workers with other health professionals such as nurses, it is quite high. One social worker recently said:

I started to feel that instead of helping these children and families I was now part of a system that was causing them further harm and stress. Every social worker I speak to has an exit strategy because it is impossible. It is not something you can stay in beyond a certain length of time.
Tomorrow, the House will debate the mother and baby homes issue and how we as a society and the State failed vulnerable people in the past. Today, we are standing over a system that was designed to help and support vulnerable families but which is failing them miserably. The Irish Association of Social Workers recently said:
It is widely acknowledged that the current numbers of social workers employed by Tusla is 30% below the recommended levels. This is causing Tusla to become a reactionary and crisis-driven service, with children at risk and their families receiving only a minimal service or no service at all, resulting in poorer outcomes for children.
That is what the new agency, Tusla, is doing today.

Photo of Finian McGrathFinian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Answer that.

Photo of James ReillyJames Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy made some statements that do not stand up to scrutiny. The first mistake the Deputy made was to compare the turnover in social workers and child care workers with nurses, two entirely different professions. Both of them would tell the Deputy that very clearly too.

No one doubts that social work and child care work are extremely stressful, not just in Ireland but in developed countries around the world. I already pointed out in my reply that our turnover rate last year was 6.7%. In the state of Victoria, Australia, an inquiry found that one in four entry level case-carrying child protection social workers leaves each year, a turnover rate of 25%. In the USA, while the turnover rate for child welfare employees varies significantly across each state, an average annual turnover of over 20% in front-line child care workers has been reported. In England, the reported turnover rate is 15%. It is not fair to compare the turnover or stress of social workers with nurses. Many social workers are younger people under 40. It is highly stressful work and across the world there is a significant turnover in this area. It is a credit to our social workers. I thank them on the floor of the House for the work they do, the commitment they have and the fact the turnover rate, despite the pressure they are under, is one of the lowest.

Photo of Robert TroyRobert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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I am sure social workers will be delighted to receive the Minister’s thanks but what they actually want is support which they are not getting. If they got support, there would not be the high level of turnover there is. Neither would there be social workers saying that instead of feeling they were helping children or their families, they were part of a system that was causing further harm and stress. Respectfully, it is the Minister who has it wrong, not me. We have a ludicrous situation where the position of a social worker who gives six months notice for maternity leave will not come before the control group to see if it will be filled until the social worker actually takes leave. Then it will take another four months to fill that position. The Minister should not take my word for it but talk to those social workers who are at the coalface and front line and who are at breaking point.

Photo of James ReillyJames Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Again, I have to point out to the Deputy that he is reiterating an inaccuracy. Turnover in social workers here is far better than in many other jurisdictions. I pointed to turnover rates of 25% in Victoria, 20% in the USA and 15% in England. I can quote many more.

Photo of Robert TroyRobert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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We are in Ireland now.

Photo of James ReillyJames Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for reminding me. We are all acutely aware of that. I am sure the Member beside the Deputy, Deputy Martin, is equally aware we are in Ireland.

The bottom line is much work has been done in this area. Social workers continue to be recruited. Turnover here is lower than in many other jurisdictions. Other initiatives are being put in place. A caseload management system, which is near completion, is being rolled out across the country. It will allow for temporary staff, where necessary, to cover vacancies until they are filled.

Photo of Robert TroyRobert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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That is not true.

Photo of James ReillyJames Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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It is true. I am sorry the truth hurts the Deputy. Monthly performance reports on unallocated cases and other service pressures are also reported to the agency’s board and the Department. In addition, the agency works with other statutory and non-statutory agencies providing family supports to ensure the agency’s social work teams can focus on the children and families in greatest need of their specific skills.