On Saturday mornings, staff collected their weekly rations from the kitchen. They would take a tray, containers and a jug. There was a shouting - two female voices.. I went out of the office to see two female child and youth care workers standing on the steps to the houses. One on one side, the other on the other. Young people were watching. Suddenly, the one picked up her jug of milk and poured it over the other's head. The boys stared.
Me, "Go to your houses NOW. I'll come and we'll talk in private.
The story was that the one accused the other of having more supplies than she.
Me, "But you both modelled a way which we are supporting young people to do differently. You help them to find other ways of sorting out disagreements.
End result. I filed an official complaint. Disciplinary hearing. One resigned.... still .. REPORTABLE INCIDENT
Reportable incident 2
Staff meeting. First hour child and youth care workers only. Second hour all, general staff meeting. We were coming to the end of the first hour.. A child and youth care worker was sharing very personal issues with the other child and youth care workers which affected her response to an incident. It had become a group support moment... which is fine.
A general support staff member walked in.
ME. "Please wait outside for about 5 minutes, we are involved here. Give us 5 minutes".
She, walking out "STUPID ! RUDE ! LITTLE MAN ! "
End result. I filed an official internal complaint. Internal disciplinary hearing. REPORTABLE INCIDENT.
Reportable incident 3
On Saturday mornings weekly, Woolworths gave us foodstuff which had reached its sell by date. The child and youth care couple (Then known as houseparents) collected the it in the facilities allocated mini-bus. A young child and youth care worker allocate to the group home as a relief worker reported that when the loaded minibus arrived at the hose a pick-up ( bakkie) pulled up alongside. The Woolworth supplies were loaded into it and it would drive off
Me, " Please put it in writing".
End result. A scheduled internal disciplinary hearing. The couple resigned without attending the hearing. REPORTABLE INCIDENT
Reportable incident 4
"If you go to the clubs in the red- light area of Johannesburg and get back late, I will not report you. But here's the deal. You will al be present when Mr Lodge does his walk-abouts at breakfast and at homework."
It was a young person who reported this. He must have had other grievances.
End result. Internal disciplinary enquiry. REPORTABLE INCIDENT.
Reportable incident 5
"There is to be NO physical punishment. No hurt whatsoever. As a child and youth care worker you will not punch, kick, pull hair, ears twist fingers, use a belt or cane on any part of the body, hands, feet. You shall not design any form of punishment which results in hurt."
"We might as well resign now", they said..
Me, "We'll have staff training to learn other ways of discipline".
"Not interested" But they did attend.
There was a thing called running the gauntlet . The boys lined up in two rows with a narrow passage between the two rows. The offender was forced to run naked through the passage .and the line-up flicked him with wet towels.
Allegations of physical punishment against the child and youth care worker were responded with "I did nothing. The boys have their own way of dealing with things ".
There was an internal complaint... encouraging and by silence associated with physical punishment.
End result. Internal disciplinary hearing, Guilty REPORTABLE INCIDENT.
Reportable incident 6
"Are there ay other child and youth care workers in this group who have this problem?" It was a full-blooded text on Facebook. "The manager here at St Goodenough is not a child and youth care worker. She know nothing about child and youth care work. We are suffering. We went to university and we got a degree in Child and Youth Care. Some of us have the certificate. We know what we are doing. But NO,. We are always told we are doing things wrong. Sometimes, some child and youth care workers finish up in disciplinary hearings for doing the right thing.
End result ... REPORTABLE INCIDENT.
Look at Reportable incidents 1--6
It all rests on the 'Code of Ethics for child and youth care workers. In the Code, the critical sections are the child and youth care worker's ethical and conduct responsibility toward Self, Profession, Client, Colleagues, Employers and Partners and Community. The examples in this blog have attempted to touch on most of these.
Organisations should have internal procedures for dealing with breached in these . But then Labour issues are different from, in most instances from Ethical and Professional Conduce issues. They have to be reported to the South African Council for Social Services Professions for further procedural measures too be taken'
An Sacssp form for REPORTING an INCIDENT. is required. It's available by requesting it by e-mail from profcond2sacssp.co.za This is the submitted to the South African Council through the e-mail address on the form.
Thereafter the procedure is set out in the Regulations regarding the Conducting of inquiries into alleged Unprofessional Conduct. Regulations 3 and 4 in terms of the South African Social Services Act 110 of 1963 with Amendments. Which can be downloaded.
It's like this. We have all been waiting for the Child and Youth Care profession to be truly professional and ethical. The procedures are now available to us for this to be. WE must use them.
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