STAFF LEAVING ...CHILD AND YOUTH CARE TALK

 

At 3.00 pm, she said she was going to buy the girls some winter jerseys.

Bu they can go themselves, or go with you to choose"

"I'll choose".

She didn't come back.

 Her sister 'phoned to say that she's not coming back and she, the sister, will come to collect her clothing.

One minute an on-line child and youth care worker - the next minute...walk out...gone!! 

"She needs a year", said the sister. She'll come back in a year."

An immediate dormitory meeting.

"What did we do?"

"Nothing, nothing at all. You did nothing, She needed a rest". 

Fairly soon after, a new appointee child and youth care worker was  introduced to the girls. She came early next day to start and to wake them. The moment the girls had gone to school, she came to my office, letter in hand. "Here, - I resign. You've got a nest of snakes up there. I'm on three months trial and 24hours notice. Here it is". She had barely put done her handbag when she picked it up again.

At the dormitory meeting..."We liked Sister Pat. We didn't like that one."

Connections count.

"Do you have a place for a 14year old girl as a place of safety? We'll get the Place of Safety Order and promise a  placement order within 3 days, After 4 years of being her child and youth care worker, that woman left overnight. She was there when they went to bed. Gone in the morning - clothes and all - no warning. This girl tried to cut her wrists. She needs a connecting female child and youth care worker immediately.

 There was a place in a group home...small number of children, close supervision and a warm, female child and youth care worker.

It's little wonder considering experiences like these in the lives of children that I encountered this.

I arrived at the facility late evening as the newly appointed Director. I was met by a group of girls in their pyjamas sitting in the foyer. Each r girl was introduced to me by a senior girl. 

That done.

 "Ok Mr Lodge. Now you are here. When are you going to leave?"

Oh, my word! My first moment in child and youth care. going   first encounter and I was called upon to do some fancy footwork. When they were satisfied that I wasn't beat a hasty retreat, they laid down the rules they said I must follow.

" No drinking. You are allowed one beer at our yearly picnic...and that' s all!"  

"You won't hit a girl"

'When you make rules, you will discuss them with us first". 

"When you want to leave you will tell us before. We want to say goodbye properly."

As it was, I had given them my promised 5 years minimum. They were told 4 months before. By then the Board of Management had established a 'Transition' Committee. It had 2 Psychologists among other professionals. I was given personal psychological supervision and the Transition' committee worked on and evaluated the strategy with the children for my departure. Each step was planned. A noticeboard was put into each dormitory and each of the group homes. It displayed a calendar showing the countdown events for each step.

My wife and I were due to leave in5 days.

"You must come now!!" It was the night nurse. " Three girls have cut their wrists". One was hospitalised.

Three days before leaving there was a final 'farewell' Board of Management meeting. I reported the incident of the three girls...and wept. I really thought we had done everything right. Weeping at a Board meeting was an embarrassment for me. I thought it was a slight on my professionality. Professionals don't cry!...hey do sometimes!!

The professional practice  learning was to live with me.   

Firing and retrenchment of child and youth care workers proved to be experienced differently. Both of these staff-leaving contingencies are at some time inevitable...each with its own child and youth care implications. I can't help thinking of a divorce in which one or both parties bad mouth the other to the children.

The usual suspension of the child and youth care worker before the hearing does provide  a window of time in which to meet with the young people, prepare them and reassure them of of fairness in the treatment of the child and youth care worker and continued child and youth care services...if.if, if

Shift workers are usually told not to come into the facility during suspension. It is obviously more difficult with resident child and youth care workers who are then told "No interaction with the young people." to avoid the possible badmouthing of the Board of Management, the management team and other child and youth care staff.to the children....to avoid splitting and pairing .. How is this then enforced?

Child and youth care worker James was to be retrenched at the end of a year school term because we were moving from a dormitory to a group home setting. The dormitory styled buildings were to be used as a school. We had to be out. There were more dormitories than group homes,. The number of young people  had to be about halved The staff reduced by three. All the fair warning, retrenchment protocols were strictly followed and the young people, one by one were briefed with all the moves. Again a "Transition' Committee was formed. 

Here came a delegation of boys. "Why are you firing Mr James? This is supposed to be a place of caring. It's going to be Christmas at the end of the month. Where's he going to go? You say you care. You don't. You should let him stay."

 Every word had been prompted and rehearsed by James.       I knew because he had sent a letter to the Board of Management  in which he had used exactly their little speech, word for word. 

To tell the young people that this is a bad place to be, that it doesn't care may and can happen in firing and retrenchment situations. It's really hard to maintain child and youth care professional practice in the best interests of the child if one is forced to leave.

In the main, young people seem to understand retirement "She's old. She must rest now. She must go and stay with her family."

Each of these staff-leaving leaving scenarios happen...including the possibility of an over night absconding and absence without leave. It means that if staff leaving can be expected that there has to be orgaisational  back-up to cover the contingency.

Masud Hoghughi had two important mantras. Repeatedly in his training he would say, "The only thing that is certain, is uncertainty" and "Expect the unexpected".

Staff leaving is to be expected.