Opinion
By Mr. Giorgos Pogiatzis*
The recent, catastrophic failure of the Ministry of Social Welfare and the Social Welfare Services to provide necessary protection to five children is yet another example of a systemic issue, the inability to operate professionally within the system. Clearly, the aim of the Ministry’s leadership is to avoid discussions on the systemic nature of these problems and the enormous responsibility they bear for the current situation. Instead, the focus is shifted to “bad” professionals who supposedly cannot do their jobs adequately.
While it’s understandable that the public is upset with the professionals working within the Social Welfare Services, it’s important not to lose sight of the bigger picture: the problems faced by those in need stem from a dysfunctional system. When the problem is systemic, as is evident from the ongoing failures, we must question who is managing this system. At the same time, the much-touted “restructuring plan for Social Welfare Services,” which has already cost millions of euros, clearly failed to meet its objectives. Six years ago, it promised modernization and “user-friendly services.” How exactly does “modernization” work when outdated practices and solutions from the previous century continue to be used? The social sciences have evolved significantly, allowing for the resolution of modern social issues that require a multidisciplinary approach within services, not the attempt to diffuse responsibility among various state departments. A glaring example is the underutilization of specialized psychologists employed by the Welfare Services, with responsibility being shifted to the Mental Health Services, which are clinical entities that cannot address psycho-social issues that fall outside their exclusive mandate.
For the past six years, we’ve been “modernizing” with a complete lack of protocols and working tools, no specialization, exhausted staff, a total absence of adequate professional supervision, insufficient training, and a series of glaring mistakes that have cost human lives. This reflects a mindset of management that operates under the motto “We’ll just do it and see what happens.” International research has documented that the lack of structured professional evaluation at every stage of investigating child neglect reports is linked to repeated child abuse (Farmer et al., 2008; Fauth et al., 2010). Poor quality evaluations and gaps in the assessment process, such as a lack of goal-setting, are consistently identified as factors that prevent services from preventing serious injuries, child fatalities, or even spousal murder (CM 5730, 2003; Rose and Barnes, 2008, Kouloumis, Metaxas, and Christodoulou, 2019). Delays in evaluation and decision-making regarding potential removal of a child from an abusive environment can lead to difficulties in the child's rehabilitation, with some never recovering (Beecham and Sinclair, 2007; Selwyn et al., 2006; Ward et al., 2006). Inaccurate and subjective assessments increase the risk of further neglect or abuse and may cause decisions to fail (Biehal, 2006; Farmer et al., 2008; Ward et al., 2006). The same issues apply to the services provided by the Social Welfare Services.
This time, the situation demands that the necessary measures be taken without delay. The issue shouldn’t be reduced to blaming low-level staff for show but must reach the top of the pyramid—those who made decisions and carried the true responsibility for implementing the restructuring plan. The system’s failures, which have cost lives, must be addressed at the highest levels.
*Mr. Giorgos Pogiatzis is a specialist psychologist.
**This opinion was translated from its Greek original
