In my practice column this month I want to clarify a
concern that I first raised in my opening address at the 2003
International Child and Youth Care Conference hosted by the School of
Child and Youth Care at the University of Victoria, Victoria BC.
t the
time of the conference, I voiced a serious concern. I felt that
when negotiating contracts for care work, many of those in charge of
hiring do not put enough emphasis on the real needs of the clientele.
Also, let me remind you that many caregivers agree to working hours and
other working conditions that favor their own private lives, and are not
necessarily in tune with child and youth immediate treatment/living
requirements. However, to be fare we must keep in mind that these work
place agreements are consummated because those in charge could not or
would not adapt to reasonable salary demands or personal needs of the
prospective caregivers. It is not necessarily a matter of the agency
staff making unreasonable demands of being careless about work
negotiations. I hold that the major issue is out of the hands of the
caregiver and is the responsibility of administrators and consultants.
The fundamental basis for negotiation must be to
realistically see to it that care recipients receive the same quality of
care as their peers receive in their daily lives within the family. Just
as each family has to meet the needs of individuals amid family demands,
so treatment and living goals are foremost in out of home care. This
requires mutual adjustment; the essential task should not rest on
adaptation to the weakest spot. Plans should focus on searching for an
equitable balance which provides fair adjustment for the client, the
group and the caregiver.
Additionally, such an adaptation can be applied in
the obvious potential power struggle amidst different practitioners. In
planning their direct care work, they will need to pursue their
respective orientation with full respect not to subvert the purpose of
the agency mission.
Good cheers, Henry

Email:
hwmaier@aol.com