Minister Carmant, you need an appointment with your optometrist. If your glasses aren’t rose-colored, as you mentioned, it’s legitimate to ask about your eyesight. Obviously there is something you are not seeing correctly. Unless this hasn’t been mentioned to us?
The situation in youth protection has not improved. It is comparable to what it was previously. The magic numbers that landed on your desk are the result of titanic efforts. Of dedication and hard work. Again, these statistics disguise the truth. It is easy to convince ourselves that the targets have been achieved. But at what cost ?
I have a colleague who likes to remind us that the boat still hasn’t sunk. On the other hand, he likes to remind us that we have wet feet and water in each shoe! He is an experienced colleague, Mr. Minister. He never got tired of cruising speed. But he saw people come and go. We work to protect youth by choice, we stay there out of devotion. Make things easier for us, Minister. Our work must be more than attractive, it must be a profession of the future! It is abnormal for school teachers to suggest that students avoid work in youth protection.
The Laurent commission recommends the implementation of different means to improve the situation. Three questions that still remain under construction: staff training, staff retention and recognition of the profession. A qualified worker who starts a new job in the construction industry knows exactly what tasks he must do. He knows his job, he acts without difficulty whatever the issues.
You will be surprised to learn that this is not the case when working in youth protection. You are hired. You have files the next day and you will be trained afterwards. In this way, the list of files awaiting assignment magically decreases. With what consequences? Isn’t it scary to learn your job while navigating psychosocial crises, emergencies, the stress of learning a new profession? Having to go to the Youth Court, for a situation that the worker cannot control: the ultimate anxiety! It is still common practice to build the aircraft in mid-flight. Training must be standardized and offered prior to hiring.
This is a significant problem that directly hampers the ability to retain staff. It becomes imperative to train our youth protection workers before they intervene in the field, before they appear in court and before they represent a state service. Your dentist has all his diplomas, he is qualified and he masters his field. He is not deprived. He doesn’t feel overwhelmed at the end of his first week on the job. Ask new employees, you will get the facts straight. This never shows up in your stats. Besides, your statistics should surely not talk about the difficulty of reconciling work and family life.
Work in youth protection uses a complex legal framework for a mission centered on the interests of the child while juggling excessively specialized intervention. Why is this still not recognized? You will say that we benefit from an advantageous bonus. The truth is that a previous bonus will be subtracted and a new bonus will now be offered. This financial magic delivers a rather insulting slap in the face. Why not “slam” the door, some will say. Our working conditions should be your next priority. The creation of a job title specific to youth protection is a simple, accessible solution and yet relegated to the future.
Given the waiting lists, vacation quotas will now be imposed. No leave can be taken if this vacation quota is reached. A radical change for workers who give so much effort to accomplish a noble mission. The foundation of psychological balance, the refuge for regaining personal well-being, is shattered. The probability of not having a vacation during the summer period is high. In the end, we treat staff with disrespect to respect your youth protection “targets”. Nobody had time to talk to you about it? There are positions that remain vacant. Were you informed of this? People are leaving this job because of these more than deplorable conditions.
It is legitimate to question decisions devoid of logic. Providing blind trust to senior management is a luxury that is becoming too expensive. A mobilization event was organized in recent weeks to reduce waiting lists. Unfortunately, this initiative was recently boycotted due to the lack of respect for our conditions. Is the reality similar to the one described to you?
There are still service gaps, rights violations, and endless waiting lists. The Commission on Human Rights and Youth Rights recently opened an investigation, and for good reason. It is clear that a vast gap exists between your perception and reality. In this matter, the mission of youth centers is still in danger and it is tiring to see your denial.