South Eastern Health Trust social workers begin three-day strike

Nipsa’s branch secretary for the South Eastern trust, Debbie Barlow, also spent time working as a frontline social worker in the family team.

“We have just had to take a stand for the safety of staff and campaign for them as this is not acceptable anymore” she said.

“Our teams are working so hard to ensure that the families and children they work with on the frontline are prioritised that staff may not even take their breaks.

“They are exhausted, anxious and stressed.”

Ms Barlow explained that minimal service cover plans are in place for the next three days in a bid to reduce the impact on service users.

“At no time do we want to put anyone at risk,” she said.

“Protective plans are in place to ensure that there will be skeleton staff working within the service.”

She said Nipsa wants the Department of Health “to sit down and make a plan to protect staff wellbeing”.

“We also need more social workers coming through the system – 380 students come through the universities each year and this year an additional 40 placed were added.

“However, that is still not enough to cover this issue for the whole of Northern Ireland” Ms Barlow concluded.

In a statement, the Department and Health said it and the trusts are undertaking a series of “both short and longer term actions to ensure that social workers have safe and manageable workloads”.