Jorge Barrera
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Nov 17/00) - Hiring three new social workers in Yellowknife is just a stop-gap measure, say workers with the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Board.
The board is hiring new staff to plug holes in a system that social workers warn is about to break down.
"We're hiring them as fast as we can," said board chief executive officer Al Woods.
Woods could not say when the new workers would be hired or begin their jobs.
Workers and union representatives met with MLAs last Friday to voice their concerns. The MLAs said they would make the worker's needs a priority when the new budget is drafted.
Midge Bayer, service officer with the Union of Northern Workers (UNW), is happy with the MLA's support but said there is still a long way to go before workers have manageable work loads.
"We said that three new staff is just not enough," said Bayer.
Child protection workers in Yellowknife have three times the national case load average. Some workers feel they're about to hit the wall if the work doesn't subside.
"A lot of workers are quite stressed because they can't do what is required of them," said child protection worker Sheila Nelson.
"There aren't enough resources to do the job," said Nelson.
Woods said he'd like to see more workers but because of limited funds the board will have to wait until the February budget for extensive hiring.
Woods said the new staff will be hired from resumes that were submitted a couple months ago. He said the hiring will give his board more time to look closely at what's needed to improve the situation.
"The three (new staff) will help us review a recommended number (for new staff), but we're not sure what the number is," said Woods.
Minister of Health Jane Groenewegen gave the go-ahead to hire three temporary staff last week after the UNW went public on behalf of child protection workers saying they faced a crisis situation.
The union accused the GNWT of turning a blind eye to a deteriorating situation they've known about since May.
Six months ago Child Welfare Services in the NWT tabled a report before the Legislature which indicated a breakdown in child welfare services.
"Social workers expressed their feeling of being overwhelmed with huge caseloads," read the report.
"There was a general feeling that they were alone against uninformed and disinterested HSS Boards of Trustees, and a disenfranchised Department which has yet to reassert its role," it continued.
The report concluded that 22 new workers were needed across the territory. It also pointed to Yellowknife, Deh-Cho region and Inuvik as trouble spots.
The UNW had requested the hiring of 10 new workers for Yellowknife, but for now they'll have to settle for three.
