ONE of the most challenging tasks Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA) Officers perform is meeting parents who may have physically or sexually abused their children. As you would expect, when abuse allegations are made, parents are not happy; they can be hostile, uncooperative or belligerent.

Reports of child neglect and abandonment are incredibly complicated to investigate. Neighbours may give details but wish to remain anonymous; parents and family members are difficult to track down, and the children can only speak from their perspective. However, it is an Officer’s duty to protect vulnerable children; that is their focus regardless of the difficulties they face or if parents are unreceptive. Officers represent the law; they must remain calm, impartial and proficient in their duty of care.

Most public-facing roles are challenging. Staff who deal with the general public daily need a special knack and a flexible personality. The people they assist come from a variety of backgrounds and understandings. Therefore, staff need to be courteous, efficient and friendly, even under pressure. Protecting abused children is quite different. It is a diverse, complex and emotive occupation for CPA Officers, involving empathy, compassion, consideration and understanding. The responsibility requires a great deal of decision-making on behalf of the child and in the child’s best interest.

A CPA Officer may deal with several severe abuse cases on an average day. Each case must follow procedure – investigations, report writing, action (if any), follow-up, and results. Sometimes immediate action must be taken, and children are brought into the Agency without notice. Where will the Agency place them? For how long? What follow-up will Officers do in the meantime? Finding last-minute solutions for children at risk can be hectic, time-consuming and awkward. The children must be placed appropriately.

Being separated from family members is enough upheaval for a child without the added trauma of being placed in an unsuitable setting. Officers must organise a medical checkup for every child brought into care as soon as conveniently possible. Some children are malnourished or have skin conditions and other ailments that need attention. Because children are brought into care under various circumstances during the day or night, CPA Officers do not work an 08:00 to 16:30 hours shift. They cannot down tools at the stroke of 16:30 hours and start making their way home. More often than not, child protection matters must be addressed before ‘shutting up shop’ for the evening.

With a stream-less succession of active cases, pending cases, new cases, cases awaiting closure and investigations, CPA Officers face a tireless routine of exertion for the safety of our nation’s children. Child protection is not a career move; therefore, anyone thinking of joining the Agency throughout the various Regions of Guyana must be prepared.

Being a Child Protection Officer is a vocation. Vulnerable children need worthy advocates to be their voice, their refuge and help safeguard their future. The job does not commend CPA Officers for having the courage to confront intimidating adults or carers. Still, it gives credit to what is positively achieved by the Agency’s intervention on behalf of the child.

One CPA Officer commented, “The number of cases per Officer always exceeds the time we have to complete our work. There are only 24 hours in one day, 8 of which we need to rest and rejuvenate. A good night’s sleep and the ability to mentally manage your workload is important. Of course, at the end of the day, you spend time reflecting over the day’s events in your head to evaluate your performance, but, after that, you need to switch off and relax.

When I started this job, I had many sleepless nights, disturbed by the abuse children suffer at the hands of adults. I felt helpless and wondered if I could really make a difference. After a while, I came to terms with the significance of my role. My only regret is that most adults fail to recognise their role in safeguarding children. You don’t have to become a Child Protection Officer to prevent or stop child abuse; you only need to be a caring, watchful adult – that is what children need”.

A Senior Officer spoke from experience. “You can’t be weak-hearted or take offence at people’s behaviour when you have a job to do, but it is not always easy. When adults shout, cry or act up at meetings, of course it affects me, we are all human. Tactfully at times, you have to keep people on track and remind them it is the child’s welfare we are dealing with and not their personal feelings or perceptions.

We need to come to a conclusion that will help the child. During (mainly family) meetings, everyone has a contribution to make, and everyone feels they are ‘right’. If the child is old enough, it is important to hear from the child, away from the parents, without fear of their admonishment. There have been occasions when the child has a better judgement, more clarity and makes more sense than the adults”.

Families who use the CPA will have different experiences. Some of them are good, some are satisfactory, and some are not so good for various reasons; however, the CPA is a Government establishment created to protect the welfare of vulnerable and abused children in every Region. It is open for ideas, support and advice from adults, parents, teachers and scholars. In fact, anyone who acknowledges that protecting children is everybody’s business and not the work of the CPA alone. Together we can eradicate child abuse.

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