Low compensation is among factors affecting staff levels at the Children’s Authority of T&T, which annually handles 4,000 reports of child abuse – and efforts are on to see if CATT workers can access the four per cent salary increase offered by Government to public servants.
The authority, whose staff complement was 236 in February 2022, requires 942 officers in its upcoming new organisational structure. This plan will have enhanced salaries.
The authority’s acting director, Sharon Morris-Cummings, indicated this yesterday.
The authority’s management, as well as officials of the Auditor General’s Department and Children’s Affairs Division of the Prime Minister’s Office, appeared before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee.
The PAC, headed by UNC MP Dave Tancoo, conducted an inquiry into CATT’s Audited Financial Statements (2014 to 2018).
Tancoo asked about CATT’s January 2023 report, which detailed key challenges with regard to fulfilling its mandate – including staffing and resourcing, lack of collaboration, absence of information/data, overburdened caseloads and attitude towards children.
Morris-Cummings said what was outlined in the report on staffing/resourcing related to 2013 and 2016, during 2016-18 and to date, some of these issues still persist, she added.
“The authority has been challenged by having sufficient staffing that is commensurate with its mandate,” she said.
She said when the authority commenced it was estimated it would receive about 1,200 cases annually based on available data from other agencies.
“However, that number was far exceeded. More than 3,000 reports were received in the first year and afterwards, we have an average of about 4,000 reports of abuse of children annually,” she noted.
Apart from the increased numbers and growth of responsibilities, she cited increased complexity of cases, “and COVID-19 has added another layer of complexity into our already complex situation,” she said.
Among the staffing challenges, she said, was compensation where salaries “were a bit low compared to other agencies and that persists to date.”
Morris-Cummings said when people were interviewed and “understand this is the salary, some decline.”
Between January to December 2022, she said 40 people resigned.
Staff at February 2022 was 236. She said turnover was a challenge, especially with loss of institutional memory. Other reasons for staff departures included family, personal, migration, better jobs elsewhere and burnout.
But despite low salaries since 2015, some workers have stayed on.
She said, “When I saw the (Chief Personnel Officer) and the issue of the four per cent (salary increase), I asked the Finance Manager to find out how do we get that four per cent in the interim.
“I don’t have the answer to increasing salaries in the interim, but I know with the new organisational structure, a compensation framework that calls for enhanced packages and terms of service is on the table and is being addressed by the authority.”
Morris-Cummings said a new organisational structure was approved in June 2022 and steps are being taken to staff CATT consistent with the need for more staff in certain areas. It will require an assessment of compensation levels.
The new structure shows CATT requires 942 workers to address all areas of need, care and protection for children. It also caters for other aspects, including recommendations in the Judith Jones Report on children’s homes and CATT’s assessment of what’s required.
Morris-Cummings said the plan will be fully implemented by November 2024, with at least 451 officers projected by September.
Morris-Cummings confirmed her own post was advertised and is expected to be filled by April. She didn’t say if she’s staying on.
