Could you handle it?

SOME of the situations that people share with staff when they visit the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA) can be sad and upsetting, but CPA Officers listen intently to assist with the best decisions. Although they are trained social workers who deal with various daily problems, no two problems are the same. The solutions differ according to children’s ages and the willingness of parents to co-operate.
Therefore, not every case that comes to the CPA is resolved promptly or with the most favourable results. It is a type of ‘win one lose one’ job where children can fall through the cracks, despite their ardent work. Whether the result is successful or not, Officers still have to go through the necessary procedures required by law, ranging from documentation and follow-up reports on each case to personally visiting and overseeing the well-being of families and children.
One CPA Officer explained. ‘It can be a rewarding or sometimes disheartening job depending on what you’ve achieved that day. When results are forthcoming, it makes it all worthwhile. I may have located a long lost father or reunited some children with relatives; this gives me a sense of satisfaction and a boost. But on occasions, the job is ‘full on’ from the moment I get to work; people waiting to see me; cases to deal with and new cases coming in all the time. The workload is always more than the time we have available.
Also, sitting and listening to people’s predicaments can take a toll on your personal life if you don’t know how to separate the two. It took me a while to learn how to do that. Yes, it is a job and one that I enjoy. Still, we are all human, so of course, I am affected when listening to the details of what some children have suffered or when a frustrated father becomes belligerent and starts shouting and carrying on – it can be scary’.

Officers also go into the fields: either to check on a child or the progress of a family. Or to follow up on a report of child abuse. For every child abuse case brought to the CPA, there are several more that are never reported”.
The Officer continued, “Most of the time, we have no idea what to expect when out in the field. Once you are in a public-facing role, you meet up with all types of people. Some are hostile, awkward, indifferent, aggressive or just uncooperative. You have to use the right words to communicate effectively, remembering that a child’s life may be at risk”.
Decisions made by the CPA do not always find favour with the people and parents involved but the Agency’s mandate is clear, vulnerable or abused children must be protected. Some adults have a problem with that fact; they believe it is their right to treat their children how they choose. The Agency works along with families; teaching parenting skills for future reunification and helping parents to provide a conducive environment for children.
Another CPA Officer shared her thoughts on the job. “The system we work with is tight; there is little room for lapses, but if they occur, it feels like we are being attacked- this is the most challenging part of the job for me. There is little gratitude for the many cases and things that we get right and all the families we’ve helped over the years.
Although we are Child Protection Officers, child protection is everyone’s responsibility – it starts in the home with parents. They should be the first line of protection for children; and transcends to communities, schools, and religious organisations. They all have a significant role in protecting children. Officers only become aware of child abuse cases when members of the public report them to the CPA.

Some cases can give you sleepless nights if you don’t know how to shut things out and get some rest. Self-care is essential in this line of work, or you could suffer ‘burnout’, and then you are no use to anybody; I do this job because I want to help others. Ever since I was young, I had a particular aptitude for listening to people and solving their problems, so I naturally gravitated to this type of work.
But it is a complex job at times that touches my body, mind and soul. How do you explain to a father why he should not share a bed with his eleven-year-old daughter? Or get over the fact that an innocent toddler was raped? Then you have the mindsets of people to deal with: whether they’re poor, rich, intellectual or famous, they all believe they are right and refuse to see another person’s point of view. The cases where most people are at loggerheads are ‘Visitation Rights’ and ‘Access’. It affects me when I do not have all the resources available to help people – but my satisfaction is when a client or family move from point ‘A’ and reaches a better phase before the intervention period stops. It is a relief to see the improvement and progress, even if it’s slow”.
Child Protection is not a run-of-the-mill job. Officers have to build a certain resilience to the cases they handle and balance their living and lifestyle with the challenges and demands of their workload. Could you handle it?
If you are concerned about the welfare of a child, call the CPA hotline on 227 0979 or write to us at childcaregy@gmail.com
A MESSAGE FROM THE CHILDCARE AND PROTECTION AGENCY,
MINISTRY OF HUMAN SERVICES AND SOCIAL SECURITY

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