Anderlecht (The Brussels Morning newspaper): Mostefa reports rising violence against social workers during the pandemic. To address this, Anderlecht OCMW plans better training and communication, but staffing shortages may hinder support for those in need.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mostefa, a social services group, has seen a rise in violence against its workers. This increase in aggression is linked to the growing frustrations and worries that many people have faced because of the pandemic and its challenges. As people went through tough times with money, health issues, and being isolated, they often took out their frustrations on those who were trying to help. This wasn’t just at service counters, social workers doing home visits also faced angry words and even physical confrontations.
How is Anderlecht addressing violence against social workers?
The stress from the crisis has caused some people to take out their anger on the social services that are supposed to help them. This has made things riskier for the workers who are doing important jobs. Most of the problems are just rudeness, but there have been worse cases like people spitting on workers or even trying to run over a social worker. If someone feels threatened or hurt, they can get support for their feelings. The police can be called if things get serious, and legal actions can be taken too. Mostefa says we need to work together to ensure everyone has a safe and respectful workplace because violence is not acceptable.
To prevent problems, the Anderlecht OCMW is taking some steps. Mostefa says they will train workers better on how to handle tough situations and start a campaign to raise awareness about aggression. They also want to use tablets so people can see translations in Romanian or Turkish during talks, which should help communication and reduce frustration. They will keep track of waiting times and case progress to help stop people from getting upset.
These actions will help, but Mostefa is worried they won’t fix everything. The OCMW has too few staff, which causes delays and makes work harder for those who are there. There are currently 13 open jobs for social workers that aren’t filled. Mostefa also says that if unemployment benefits are limited to 2 years, as is being discussed, it will get even tougher. In Anderlecht, about 1,000 people would need help from the OMW, and they are already having a hard time keeping up.
