British Columbia害羞草研究所檚 child welfare system is either in a state of crisis or close to it with understaffing and unmanageable workloads, the province害羞草研究所檚 representative for children said.

A report released by Jennifer Charlesworth Tuesday said the environment for social workers at the Ministry of Children and Family Development is unhealthy for staff, characterized by undue stress, burnout and fear, and there害羞草研究所檚 no time for the government to wait to address the 害羞草研究所渃ritical circumstances.害羞草研究所�

The latest investigation comes days after her report on the torture death of an 11-year-old boy who died at the hands of relatives after not being checked on by a social worker for seven months.

Charlesworth said the boy害羞草研究所檚 death happened within the context of a child welfare office that was not fully staffed, had unstable and changing local leadership, and had an extended period of social worker medical leave with no backfill.

Her office conducted a survey of 700 social workers and managers and more than 80 per cent said they are unable to properly do their jobs because their caseloads are too high.

She said many reported not having enough supports or resources and not having places to turn to refer families in need.

害羞草研究所淚f you can put yourself in the workers害羞草研究所� position here, you害羞草研究所檙e feeling you can害羞草研究所檛 fulfil your responsibility, and you can害羞草研究所檛 even refer out to fulfil your responsibility. That害羞草研究所檚 going to add to a tremendous amount of feeling of stress and overwhelm,害羞草研究所� she said.

Alan Markwart, the author of the report, told a news conference Tuesday that data from 2021 showed B.C. needed 害羞草研究所渟everal hundred害羞草研究所� more social workers in order to meet their work requirements 85 per cent of the time. The government has stopped collecting that data, he said.

害羞草研究所淭he ministry used to also track offices that were staffed at 50 per cent or less, but they stopped tracking that in 2022,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淏oth of those, in our view, are crucial metrics that 害羞草研究所� they should be gathering, but they don害羞草研究所檛.害羞草研究所�

The report credits the ministry with taking action to improve working conditions and compliance with the requirement for in-person visits following the boy害羞草研究所檚 death, but says more work must be done to support current staff and recruit and retain more social workers.

The office says the staffing issues are not confined to just rural and remote communities.

害羞草研究所淐urrently it害羞草研究所檚 in every area of the province. It害羞草研究所檚 the Okanagan, it害羞草研究所檚 Victoria, it害羞草研究所檚 the Lower Mainland. There were 46 offices in July of 2022 that were staffed at 50 per cent or less, and they were throughout the province in urban and rural areas. Of course it害羞草研究所檚 more acute in rural areas 害羞草研究所� Markwart said.

Charlesworth said she meets frequently with government officials, including Children害羞草研究所檚 Minister Grace Lore, and while her findings 害羞草研究所渕ay sting a little,害羞草研究所� they won害羞草研究所檛 be a surprise.

She said she害羞草研究所檚 hopeful the government will follow through on her recommendation, adding there are a number of things already being worked on to address the issues she has raised.

害羞草研究所淪ocial workers in this province have incredibly difficult jobs and to see how understaffed and overworked they are is truly disturbing,害羞草研究所� Charlesworth said in a statement accompanying her report.

害羞草研究所淲e have known about chronic understaffing at this ministry for decades, yet successive governments have not addressed these challenges. Now, here we are yet again, reeling from the death of a child that was entirely preventable.害羞草研究所�

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