By DANA SMITH

Tribune Staff Reporter

dsmith@tribunemedia.net

THE Department of Social Services is speaking out over what it claims to be “years of systematic neglect”, including staff shortages, limited internet access, no health insurance or risk allowance, and a myriad of other problems.

Employees of the Health Social Services Division said yesterday that eleven technical officers have to see more than 500 clients a week, leaving staff overworked.

Welfare officer, Carolyn Perpall explained: “We’ve had co-workers who have passed, who have expired, we’ve had persons who have transferred out and for whatever reason, we have staff members who have health issues – and so for the most part, we have persons out a whole lot. That means now, that the ones who are at work, their work is now multiplied.

“The other day I almost had a stroke; my left side was weakened and everything. I was carrying files home to try to compensate to make up for being not able to do the work during the day because I have to see the clients that come in so I couldn’t get the work out that I already presently have.

“Right now, my desk is piled up. I’m already behind, I know any minute now my supervisor could say something. I’m really behind with my work. The staff shortage is one of the main things that we are facing here.”

On top of that workload, the employees say, nearly half the staff at the location has not yet been made permanent – with some employees having held temporary status for decades through the work assistance programme.

Patrice Roberts said she’s been on the work programme for 18 years, Raquel Davis for six, and Sherryann Johnson said she’s been on the unemployment work assistance programme for more than 20 years.

“I get no benefits,” Ms Johnson said. “My concern is, being on the bus stop about 6:30am to be to work for 7am, today or tomorrow something happen to me – my kids get nothing... If I was to die, my kids would get nothing.

“If I need a letter to go to a bank, the letter would not state that I’m permanent, it would read unemployment so the bank would deny the letter. If I want to go to a furniture store to get something – they would deny the letter that they’re giving us for our job.”

She added: “I cannot go with that job letter that they give me to put in for a house.”

The employees also take issue with a lack of health insurance and risk allowance. Especially, they say, in light of “risks” they face in their job – such as servicing unwell clients and persons who suffer from various contagious diseases.

“If there’s a hurricane they want us to drop and go. If there’s a fire – any disaster, we’re expected to go,” said Sheleta Collie, senior clerk and shop steward for the Bahamas Public Services Union.

“We got to go to prisons, we have to deal with people in the community. People come here with communicable diseases from the hospital... Yet we don’t have any insurance, we don’t have any risk allowance. Our health is continually compromised... we’re not properly compensated neither are we properly protected.”

Another issue is a new proposed career path that employees say is “not attractive” to persons who want to join the industry. Social worker, Geraldine Lewis, explained it allows for persons to attain certain positions with unrelated degrees and employees were not consulted on the proposed path.

“The future looks very dim if this career path is implemented in its current state,” she said.

The employees also claim their office suffers from a “lack of adequate technology” such as computers and internet access. They explained only “certain” ones have internet access.

Ms Collie said the Department has been suffering from these problems for years and on-going conversations over the issues with top officials in the government, have been to no avail.

She said letters written to officials at the Ministry of Social Services detailing their complaints, have gone unanswered.

“We have people at the top – they’re so resistant to change and things at this department are so stagnant, you can almost cut the tension with a knife,” she said.

“Instead of going forward it’s like we have this prehistoric system in place and they refuse to release it and they don’t want to open themselves to dialogue or new ideas... This is both administrations. I have served under every prime minister and things have always been the same. The time has come not just for change in social services, but for real and measurable development.”