Child and youth centres struggling during lockdown
Like everyone, child and youth care centres are worried about the future of their facilities.
The pandemic has impacted everyone in a negative way and left many in limbo and just trying to come up with ways to survive as the days go by.
Businesses are losing money, people are losing jobs and everyone is worrying about their futures.
Like everyone, child and youth care centres are worried about the future of their facilities.
Johannesburg Children’s Home, one of Johannesburg’s oldest homes, said it has been difficult to protect those it cares for and to ensure its staff’s safety.
Social workers Kim de Allende and Faiz Khota said Covid-19 has made it difficult to manage child and youth care centres.
“Even with all the safety measures the government has put in place and despite standard health and safety measures being implemented there are few guidelines available for managing residential care settings in pandemics.
“Covid-19 has made us aware of gaps within our existing social welfare system,” said de Allende.
She added that the pandemic has highlighted how the disadvantaged are neglected.
“It has highlighted the sections of the population who have been neglected, such as the homeless, people with mental health issues, children who are found in need of care and protection, and children in alternative care,” said de Allende.
Child and youth centres have been facing a number of challenges during lockdown.
“We have been struggling to deal with protocols for testing children and staff, how to enable social distancing and other Covid-19 protocols in a residential care facility.
“This becomes especially difficult if someone in the system becomes infected,” said Khota.
The GCN asked how the home has been able to survive and tackle some of the challenges they are facing.
“The home conducted an education drive and prepared for the lockdown.
“Preventative measures such as a hand washing campaign were put in place before the schools were closed.
“Furthermore, bottles of sanitiser, masks and hand wash were purchased to ensure high standards of hygiene were observed across all departments in the organisation,” explained Kota.
They also looked into how they were going to manage 64 children and ensure that all safety measures were followed.
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“We had to decide if our children would be more or less vulnerable at the facility or with their families.
“A risk assessment was done with all 64 children and 22 children were sent home on a leave of absence.
“A holiday programme was put in place for the 42 children remaining on the premises,” said Kota.
The home further suspended all outside visits from mentors, volunteers and sports coaches during the course of the lockdown.
In all the precautionary measures the home has taken it also looked at the mental health and well-being of the children and staff.
“Consultations were held with each child in order to ascertain their knowledge of the pandemic, as well as to correct any misconceptions.
“We also took care to explain the implications of a lockdown to them, as well as to offer support and discuss going home with those who could.
“We made an effort to gain an understanding of children and staff with underlying conditions which makes them vulnerable to Covid-19 and implement additional protective measures,” said de Allende.
The home invited Netcare to educate the staff prior to lockdown and to brief the children and care staff about Covid-19.
Three staff consultation sessions were held to develop an understanding of what staff perceptions of Covid-19 were.
De Allende said they also supported the staff in every way they could to enable them to work to their best ability.
“We support the staff’s mental health.
“The life coaches and therapist give telephonic and online support to all staff who are in need.
“A range of essential goods were offered to staff on sale at the facility to avoid shopping from local supermarkets.
“Transport arrangements were made for staff to be transported to and from the facility.
“The supply of personal protective equipment is still a challenge due to the lack of available resources,” said de Allende.
The home has put all measures in place to ensure that it survives lockdown.
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