Some Department of Child Protection (DPJ) workers are now getting a $900 bonus for assessing at-risk children, La Presse has learned.
Posted at 8:49 am
This ministerial directive, announced on Friday afternoon, comes into the full negotiation of collective agreements in the public sector.
According to our information, the bonus is aimed in particular at rewarding the membership in the professional code of those affected. Eligible are employees who complete 150 hours of assessment and orientation during the year.
If, following a report, it is determined that a child is at risk, the staff in that position are the first to intervene. Her job is to meet children and parents, which often sends shockwaves through families.
If the child is in danger, other teams then take over the enforcement of the measures determined by the court. All of these other teams, upstream or downstream of the assessment, are not covered by the new Departmental Policy.
According to our information, the $900 will be paid in two installments retroactive to April 1, 2023. The first $600 will be paid initially to those involved in the process and the remaining $300 will be mailed to them once the 150 hours of assessment are complete.
“As for the assessment, we are sure that we are happy for ourselves,” responds Katherine Christensen, a criminologist who has worked in assessments at the DPJ der Capitale-Nationale for almost 10 years. “But we find it absurd and unfair to others,” she quickly adds.
In his view, a $900 bonus will not necessarily have the desired effect. “We think it’s unrealistic for them to think this will have an impact on the waiting list [pour l’évaluation des enfants], she assures. It’s not $900 that improves employee retention or makes people want to come. I don’t believe in that. »
“It’s difficult everywhere”
For Laurie Allard, social worker at the DPJ of the Capitale-Nationale, evaluating and guiding children is not the only difficult position within youth centers.
She has been working at the DYP for 10 years, four of which in assessment and consulting. She is now in a sector called “social emergency”. “We also go to families, we will also remove children,” she explains. We also witness the personal and family difficulties of our clients. We are all at risk of witnessing and experiencing violence on a daily basis. »
Ms Allard assures that the new ministerial directive, which has not yet been sent in writing, was received coolly on Friday afternoon.
It is sure to generate much dissatisfaction, both among those who don’t belong and among those who do. For us, it devalues our work: Why is only a small area recognised? People are really angry.
Laurie Allard, social worker at the DPJ de la Capitale-Nationale
The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) had not responded to La Presse’s request at the time of writing.
The unions want to extend the measure
On the trade union side, it is assumed that this ministerial guideline goes beyond the current negotiations.
At the Alliance of Professional and Technical Personnel in Health and Social Services (APTS), which represents the vast majority of DYP stakeholders in Quebec, we believe the measure should apply to everyone.
“We thought it wasn’t enough, not even for assessment and guidance,” says Josée Fréchette, first vice-president of the APTS. We have also tried to extend the measure to the entire DPJ. We had a no, we tried to argue and they gave us an ultimatum and finally decided to go ahead anyway. »
Reimbursement of professional association membership is part of union demands for all APTS workers who need it, adds Ms Fréchette.
For Jessica Goldschleger, first vice president of the trade association of the Confederation of National Trade Unions (CSN), this bonus is not a miracle cure for tackling the labor shortage at the DPJ.
“We think that the severity of the clientele, their intensity, the violent statements, the difficult working conditions in the youth centers, it is much more these conditions that prevent the workforce from stabilizing,” she believes.
“We are negotiating to keep the premiums [existantes], she adds, and thinking about innovative projects to facilitate the onboarding of new employees and the development of skills. »