ASSAULT AND THE EMPLOYER...CHILD AND YOUTH CARE IN SOUTH AFRICA

There was a volume of comment made on social media following the link to my last blog on assault in the workplace. The comments implied that some organisational, systemic, policy and procedural conditions frequently exacerbate rather than reduce, aggressive, if not violent behaviours in children and youth in care, as well as in child and youth care workers.

The question, then, is, "What is the role and responsibilities of the employer of social service professionals, particularly of child and youth care workers, in providing and ensuring an environment that reduces assaultive behaviours?" 

This blog starts with the tangibles, the measurables :

In designing a building for teacher training, someone wrote on the blackboard in the staffroom in bold chalk letters, "First establish your philosophy, then design your building to meet it - not the other way round ! That was an "Aha !" moment for me. It's true the building can shape or even dictate philosophy. Philosophy dictates practice. In child and youth care work that was my experience. Close dormitory living, lack of privacy, lock and key facilities that enforce strict routines were a built-in formula for aggressive assaultive behaviour. When moved to more normalised buildings, aggression reduced considerably.....but not entirely

In South Africa, the State is the largest employer of child and youth care workers. So called government tendered architected buildings,some claimed to be  state of the art, some legacy buildings, provide living conditions for children and young people. Comments of child and youth care workers and from my own observations, imply that the employer has some way yet to go in making living conditions visibly, philosophically and practically as least restrictive, most empowering, as normalised and as child friendly as possible. It means that norms and standards for the optimum practice of therapeutic work by child and youth care workers have to be put in place and applied by the employer (as they must for all social service professionals). For social workers these have been researched and set out by the South Africa Council for Social Service Professions ( SACSSP) Norms and standards for the optimum practice of child and youth care workers will follow. None the less, the Department of Social Development has a number of published books of norms and standards for services to the children. There has to be congruence between working conditions norms and standards for worker environments and conditions and t minimum standards of service to the children. You cant as an employer have one without the other.  Some of these are just plain obvious.   

More tangibles and measurables:

Child to worker ratios. Recently the quoted ratio by the Department of Social Development Human Resources dept.  was 1: 5. But then follows some simple arithmetic. 1000 children,.....200 child and youth care workers, So, it was said, there is a current OVER SUPPLY !   It doesn't work like that. Two shifts of 12 hours a day and the ratio becomes 2:5. the with time off sick leave and vacation leave it's 3;5 then some ranks of child and youth care workers are not directly working on-line with children...... It's an UNDER SUPPLY..........hus the staff shortage, unfilled vacant posts and ratios sometimes closer to 1:12 +. Conditions like that increase levels of frustration by the worker, feelings of not coping, not performing as they shouisd... the is conveyed to the young persons who react... assualtive behaviour is then more likely. It is the employers responsibility to provide staff to child ratios that allow for meaningful interaction, levels of individualisation, teamwork and the reduction in the potential for acting out behaviours.

More tangibles:

Governance... governance structures have to be in place... not just as in business management, but as in a therapeutic environment. It has to be governence that embraces the principles and nature of a "healing space". There are 17 of these principles listed in the policy document for the transformation of the child and youth care system in South Africa....way back in 1997/8. Two of these are worth mention...Democratisation.and its partner, participation. It means that hierarchical systems don't work in therapeutic environments. The Manager, the employer are defined by ROLE and NOT RANK. Everyone.....children, young people and social service professionals all....have an equal voice in the decision making connected to the life of the therapeutic community.Top down systems increase the potential for frustration and assaultive behaviour. Many facilities are reluctant or slow to have community involvement in their governance such as Management Committees or Advisory Committees. They just say that policy comes from "above". The law REQUIRES Children's Forums, which then speacks of the requirement of in house child and youth care forums...... in a therapeutic community EVERYONE has an equal voice. when we can all own the system it reduces aggressive outbursts that lead to assault.

Staff wellbeing and development: Lets start with staff development. Masud Hoghughi always said "what's good for the goose, is good for the gander". Children have IDPs Staff need Individual Development Programmes too. Not just a "you need to work on this thing!", but real tangible growth courses and programmes. Which brings us to SUPERVISION and in-house STAFF TRAINING. and this doesn't mean the "Do as I say" approach that I have encountered so very often.
The employer has the responsibility to treat and respect all social service professionals as equals.This story that one profession has been around for longer than the other just doesn't hold water. As an employer just go back to your scriptures and you will surely remember references to the care of "widows and orphans" we are talking over 2000 years ago.  The profession of child and youth care must, by the employer be recognised as a full profession as any other helping profession. The trivialisation of child and youth care by any employer sets up a formula for aggression and then a spill over effect to the children and young people in care resulting in the kind of assaultive behaviours  

More tangibles..... just a list for employers. 
SALARY, SALARY, SALARY medical aid and pensions.

IOD's (Injury whilst on duty) Workman's Compensation, Well -being policy , HIV and AIDS policy, including training and access to Universal Precautionary Measures, de-briefing, trauma counselling and referral if needed ad finally, career pathways without ceiling. 

What I have set out in this blog are some of the observable tangible measurables which are but part of the responsibilities and role of the employer and which, I believe, move toward the reduction of risk in a facility.

I am PERSONALLY in favour,  of employers having to register as employers with the SACSSP and so eligible for sanctions in terms of employers codes of conduct, organisational ethics and norms and standards for their employed social service professionals. I believe that this will go some way towards reducing the risk of assaultive behavior by young people on child and youth care workers and visa versa.

Watchout for next weeks blog. It will take a look at the intangibles , the immeasurables , the not in a tick-box list of employers role and  responsibilities in reducing risk in the therapeutic mileau.