Shortage of staff in youth welfare more and more dramatic
social
The massive lack of staff in child and youth welfare endangers the operation of the crisis centers in Salzburg. Currently, services can only be filled several times at the expense of existing employees and employees. The country now wants to take countermeasures with a package of measures.
At KOKO – the company runs three centers in Salzburg for children and young people between the ages of six and 18 – the situation has recently gotten worse. “We have not yet had to turn away any children or young people. But we are at the limit,” said managing director Eva Goetz to the Austria Press Agency (APA). In many cases one saves oneself over time by means of substitute services. “But that can’t be permanent.” Right now, the need for appropriate care is high. “The pandemic has left its mark on children and young people,” says Goetz.
Outpatient care: 50 families on the waiting list
In the outpatient area, there are 30 families on the waiting list in the city of Salzburg alone, and there are probably up to 50 families in the entire state, estimates Markus Manzinger, Managing Director of “Rettet Das Kind Salzburg” and board member of the umbrella organization of Austrian child and youth welfare institutions. “We cannot process this waiting list at the moment. We could easily hire 20 to 30 new employees here,” he says.
Even in the inpatient area – for example in the assisted living communities – you can no longer fill the Rundum. “We’re still solving the problem there with alternative services and overtime solutions – we can’t just shut down”. In extreme cases, however, facilities will have to be closed or merged. “But that’s not the case yet.” However, even one employee too little leads to an overload for his or her colleagues.
Low plays big role
The institutions are not only suffering from a lack of new skilled workers. “We are seeing a high rate of emigration to other mental health services. Very well trained people with academic qualifications and a lot of experience are leaving us. That hurts the most,” Manzinger explained. Salary would play a big part in that. “With the state as an employer, you earn around 700 euros gross more than with private providers – and often without night or weekend shifts.”
Fast help through land possible?
In the office of Social Affairs Minister Heinrich Schellhorn (Greens), it was said on Monday that he would work to ensure that social workers in child and youth welfare were selected one job group higher (from 7 to 8) in the collective agreement. At the same time, the first stage of a package is to be implemented today that will bring improvements for carriers and staff.
This includes, for example, more attractive regulations for night shifts, more time for supervision and team meetings or an allowance for facility managers. To this end, the agencies responsible for the crisis centers should be able to more easily deploy staff who have not yet completed their qualifications or who do not have the necessary formal qualifications. The regulations are to come into force retrospectively from the middle of the year.