Nova Scotia’s child welfare social workers devalued and burned out: Report

CITYnews halifax / By Michael MacDonald, The Canadian Press

A new report paints a bleak picture of the working conditions for social workers in Nova Scotia’s child welfare system, saying they are feeling devalued and burned out.

The report, prepared by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, exposes a litany of complaints from social workers who say they are struggling with excessive caseloads, chronic understaffing, low wages and insufficient training.

“Our interviews reveal an essential workforce pushed to the brink,” says the report released Wednesday. “Those we interviewed spoke of an acute crisis of mental health amongst child protection workers and a near-total lack of support available to them.”

Social workers told researchers that the lack of support from the provincial Community Services Department has left them in a state of distress because they are unable to provide compassionate, meaningful support for their vulnerable clients.

“Given caseload overload, child protection workers simply lack the time required for effective … care and intervention,” the report says. “When concerns about time are raised, social workers are frequently told to improve their time management … they are personally held responsible for the system’s shortcomings.”

The department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The report, titled “Contradictions in Care,” says these workers often face intensely complex assignments that involve children, youth and families with histories of trauma, racism and gender-based violence.

“Given the psychological and emotional turmoil and moral distress described by our participants, we recommend unlimited mental health coverage and specific support for racialized workers,” the report says.

The research document is primarily based on recent in-depth interviews with 15 social workers, all registered with the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers and currently or recently employed in the Community Services Department.

The 90-page document also recommends the government enforce a caseload cap, build a more supportive work environment and provide more training and mentoring. It also calls on the department to do a better job of recognizing the social workers’ professional values and professional standards.

“All workers described feeling underappreciated, devalued and misunderstood by their employer, adjacent professionals and the public,” the report says. “Social workers anticipate challenging work. Less anticipated, however, is the dearth of resources to support that work.”

Alec Stratford, executive director of the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers, said the persistent problems highlighted by the report point to “a workforce in crisis.”

“These are not the failings of individual practitioners but deep systemic flaws that fundamentally undervalue the provision of professional care, ultimately compromising the quality of support that families and children so desperately need,” Stratford said in a statement

The report also calls on the province to boost wages, increase funding for resources and training, and establish an office for a provincial child and youth advocate, which already exists in other provinces.

Jackie Barkley, spokesperson for the Child Welfare Advocacy Coalition, said her group has watched for the past eight years as working conditions have deteriorated for child protection workers.

“The conditions of exhausted and overwhelmed child protection workers have a direct negative impact on the children and families the department serves,” Barkley said in a statement.

“We enthusiastically support this report as it adds to the body of research needed to create fundamental change.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 11, 2024.