NIPSA has announced three days of strike involving members working in Children's Social Work across Gateway and Family Support & Intervention Teams (FSIT) within the Northern Health and Social Care Trust. The strike will take place from Wednesday 23 October to Friday 25 October in response to a growing crisis in the sector caused by serious workforce shortages and unmanageable workloads.
For months, NIPSA has been in urgent discussions with the Department of Health (DoH) and the five Health and Social Care Trusts to address the escalating crisis in Children's social services. These talks focused on stabilising the workforce and ensuring safer working conditions for staff. Despite prolonged negotiations, however, no substantive progress has been made.
As a result, NIPSA has been left with no alternative but to instruct its members to take industrial action. Workforce shortages have severely impacted the safe delivery of social work services, including safeguarding in Gateway teams, Family Support & Intervention Teams and Looked After Children services. Social Workers are overwhelmed with excessive workloads, with many reporting high levels of stress, anxiety and burnout. NIPSA demands that the Northern Health and Social Care Trust must prioritise the welfare of its staff and act urgently to alleviate this crisis.
Speaking on the issue, a NIPSA spokesperson stated:
“It is reprehensible that frontline social workers are forced to take strike action to bring attention to these workforce shortages. Our members feel abandoned and the lack of action by the Department of Health is putting both social workers and vulnerable children at risk.”
Representatives from NIPSA will meet with management to negotiate derogations, ensuring that emergency responses can still be provided to protect children in immediate danger.
Picket lines and office closures are in the following areas
Magherafelt Picket Line: Union Arcade, 12 Union Road, BT45 5DF. There is pay and display parking in Union Street and Rainey Street.
Carrickfergus Picket Line: Ellis Street Complex, BY38 8AZ. There are limited car parking spaces in Ellis Street but theTescos is close by.