why things are cracking within the child protection sector
The situation is “dramatic”, affirms Stéphane Borras to The Independent Opinion, spokesperson for the SUD union and elected from the staff to the Departmental Council. On Monday January 15, 2021, a press conference was held around 3 p.m. near the Patte d’Oie metro station in Toulouse. On this occasion, a inter-union SUD, CGT, FO, CFDT and UNSA interview warned of a deterioration in the missions of social services, and in particular those of child protection.
Among them, two are singled out: the services ofworrying information, and those ofChild welfare (ASE). “These missions are compulsory on the part of the Departmental Council. They are defined by law. But in these two services, the situation is deteriorated because of a lack of human and financial resources», Denounces the elected staff.
Sickness leave and recruitment difficulties
On site, ESA services includes in total 30 teams spread over the department. They are in charge of children placed by the children’s judge, but also of educational actions to help families and children. Pour the worrying information, the services are composed of five teams. They are responsible for carrying out investigations for suspected mistreatment in a family.
“But these missions are no longer fulfilled,” says Stéphane Borras. In question: burn-out, sick leave and recruitment difficulties.
Contract workers come and then leave and are not replaced. Our last major concerns are the MDS teams of Blagnac, Colomiers and Cazères. Before the holidays, the agents of the MDS of Cazères were all absent because the workload is no longer sustainable “, he laments.
Children not placed or not followed up and delayed from worrying information services
Above all, this crisis has lasted too long, according to him. “There is a strong demographic growth in Haute-Garonne. With more population, there are more people in difficulty. And the service does not follow behind,” he laments.
According to him, this situation leads to the non placement of children, children not followed by professionals and overdue inquiries of concern. “Several dozen cases are pending in at least two territorial departments of Toulouse and Colomiers”, denounces the elected staff.
For example, a judgment ordering the placement of a child is not implemented. Suddenly, the child stays at home. Or, someone receives a letter saying that there is information of concern. The teams must contact him for an appointment. But it takes several weeks or even a month before it is organized, “he explains.
Management alerted several times
For several weeks, many Solidarity Houses (MDS) like Villefranche-de-Lauragais, Borderouge, Colomiers, Tournefeuille or even Blagnac then put themselves striking to denounce this situation.
The union spokesperson even claims to have permanently alerted the Departmental Council. “The last time was yesterday. We were received by the administration. It does not deny the dire situation, but we are asked to work in degraded mode», He specifies. According to him, this means “prioritizing” the missions.
But that means leaving children aside in an area where cases are very sensitive and where situations have already deteriorated. We fear that tragedies will occur, ”he worries.
For its part, the Departmental Council defends itself in a press release, disseminated during the strikes, that “the Directorate of Human Resources and the Directorate of Social Affairs of the Departmental Council are in permanent dialogue with staff of Solidarity Houses, in order to offer support solutions as close as possible to needs “.
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The defender of the rights seized
Faced with what they lack as “serious in its main missions”, the intersyndicale announces seize the Defender of Rights.
Despite our calls, the resources deployed are not sufficient. So we met the subject in the public square, but without cheerfulness. We just want to move the lines, “defends the spokesperson.
He hopes that the Defender of Rights is attached to their employer, to notify him of an “infringement of rights”. In addition, to “build a more global mobilization”, a strike notice was filed for this Tuesday January 11.
A General Assembly also took place this morning, before joining the manifestation of the medico-social sector at 2 p.m. in Saint-Cyprien. For the moment, the strike is not renewable, and ends this evening. “But it is possible that there will be another mobilization of the sector on February 1,” admits Stéphane Borras. “The discontent is there, no one can deny it”, he concludes.
>> READ ALSO : Haute-Garonne: why it’s cracking within several “Solidarity Houses”