“Not only are we, the workers of the SAD, complaining, but different users are also starting to express their frustration with the service provided,” said Miriam Henriquez, a worker of the Home Help Service (SAD) and a representative for Equality and Prevention of the USO union, in statements to Atlántico Hoy.
“We are getting worse and worse,” the worker emphasised, also expressing dissatisfaction with the working conditions, highlighting the lack of staff to cover absences and holidays. “This affects the care provided to those who depend on us for personal hygiene.”
Services Provided
The service offered by the Santa Cruz City Council to individuals with dependency issues is primarily based on a range of actions, mainly carried out in the home, aimed at individuals and/or families in situations of particular need, thus facilitating their continued presence and autonomy in their usual living environment.
In this regard, the union representative stated that there are currently many deficiencies in the service, with essential services not being covered. “Personal care services are not fully covered due to staff shortages, although cleaning services are being provided.”
Availability Bonus
personal care provided to individuals who have requested this service from the council. “In most cases, this care is being provided, but there are instances where it is not available because there is no staff with the required availability bonus.”
Henriquez added that the employment agreement includes the requirement for staff to have the necessary availability bonus, “but of course, it is just not being paid.”
New Management
Furthermore, the union representative denounced that the new management planned for the SAD could complicate this service even further, “as it would be conducted through collaborative contracts,” explaining that the service is regulated under the Canarian Dependency Law.
“Users will receive a subsidy based on their needs, and this money will be paid directly to the awarded service company. Depending on the amount of the subsidy, the company will provide the required services,” she noted.
Poor Service for Years
Henriquez criticised that this home help “has been of poor quality for years” and cannot understand how there can be talk of better services in the future, tying the solution to a new management, “when we are fed up with submitting complaints to the council, reporting both grievances and incidents, and no one pays attention to us.”
Regardless, the capital’s council has yet to tender the service to competing companies. On the other hand, the workers of the SAD do not fear for their job security as they have the right to subrogation. “Several companies will apply, and the initially designated one will, in principle, retain all the workers and users.”
Protests
However, this would only be the case initially, as she explained, users could choose to switch from one company to another as per their convenience, which could potentially result in some of us losing our jobs, though unlikely. In the worst-case scenario, we might be continually owing hours to the company.”
“If a user is hospitalised, goes to live with a relative, or passes away, the worker ends up owing the company the hours that should have been dedicated to that user if there are no new intakes, meaning the company can manage the schedule as it sees fit to recoup those hours,” she illustrated, pointing out that this leads to genuine disarray “because they treat it as if they have a bonus for hour availability.”
Taking all this into account, the union is considering the possibility of staging some protests “because we feel it is unfair for them to claim that the service will improve with the new management. We do not believe this to be the case because if they haven’t achieved it with one company, it won’t be better when they have to organise with three or four different companies.”
