A joint committee formed to address workload challenges faced by social workers is providing an update on some of the work already accomplished.

A Child Welfare Social Work Joint Committee was set up after NAPE raised serious questions about staffing levels and the caseloads faced by social workers in some parts of the province.

The joint committee, which includes representatives from the union, and the provincial department of Children, Seniors, and Social Development has been working on resolving issues including worker safety, workload, and stress.

All social workers are now provided with GPS devices and/or cell phones when conducting home visits, and work is underway on a risk assessment form reflecting the kind of situations social workers face.

A pilot project has also been launched to help assign risk levels to certain cases as high, medium, or low – helping to determine if a social worker should proceed alone, or whether more safety measures need to be employed.

Social workers interested in providing input or getting more information on the work of the Joint Committee can do so through NAPE or their respective manager.