When childcare systems are examined in the wake of lawsuits and investigations, the road to repair is often dictated with measurable results such as cases of cases, stability of the place, health visits, and timely continuing for children. These scales, undoubtedly, are important indicators of system performance.
But the installation of quantitative measuring results often neglects an important and unsuccessful factor: the organizational health of the agencies charged with protecting our most vulnerable children. We have to realize that people – not machines – are at the heart of our work.
In payment for measurable results that we all pay strongly, it is easy to forget that it is behind each system of people. Enhancing a culture of safety, confidence and continuous learning within the system is a must, and the first thing to be discussed and measured. The state must decide how to pay the required plans, work steps to meet the results, and how many time will be eliminated in building a better environment for employees, which is more than just a training model. You cannot do one without the other to succeed in the long term and I mean well after the lawsuit disappears.
The welfare of employees who work day after day to help families and children are less important than the numbers we follow. When cases of cases, social workers and support teams are overcome, their salaries or are separated, it affects the quality of their work, and eventually, the families they serve. Supporting, evaluating and empowering these workers is crucial, such as achieving the measurable goals that we focus on. Real change and progress comes when we invest in people who make the system work.
The lawsuits filed by the calling groups often lead to settlement agreements that demand reform at the level of systems. These agreements, despite goodwill, focus heavily on performance results without sufficient attention to the sustainability of these improvements. Missing of the equation is an essential part of long -term success: enhancing a culture of safety, confidence and continuous learning within childcare organizations.
After I was in driving in two states working by settling the lawsuit, I can say with certainty that organizational health is the most ignorant part of the reform that the litigation started, or in fact any strategic reform of the child’s well -being. I mean this internal environment, morale and workforce flexibility – factors that directly affect how to provide services.
Cases and supervisors work in high -pressure environments, and they often deal with emotionally charged situations that involve abuse and neglect. Without a healthy organizational culture, these workers face fatigue and high rotation rates and decrease morale. Simply add “more” to an unhealthy organization that will not help, and can make things really worse.
The safety culture within the organization guarantees that we give priority to enhance the interdependence in the workplace by creating an environment in which employees feel the value, support and participation of them. Through mental organization, we can enhance clarity in roles, enhance cooperation and reduce stress in the workplace. Ensuring psychological integrity allows employees to share phonetic ideas, concerns and risks without fear of government or negative repercussions. By treating emotional exhaustion in a proactive way, we can improve luxury, maintain high performance and cultivate a culture of flexibility and confidence.
In systems that focus only on results measurement, unintended consequences can arise. Consider a scenario where the settlement agreement imposes strict commitment to the limits of cases. This guidance may lead to a rush in employment without ensuring training, support and adequate supervision of new employees. The result? The workforce that meets digital but struggles to provide high -quality services, which may lead to new crises.
Moreover, the focus exclusively on results can enhance the culture of fear and blame, as employees feel pressure on facing standards at any cost. In such an environment, critical issues may be hidden or ignored, which leads to erosion of confidence within the organization and the leveling of the safety of children that serve them. You may get your result, but it will return to the back as a problem over time.
To achieve a meaningful and durable reform, childcare systems must exceed standards and investment in their workforce. Settlement agreements and reform initiatives should include provisions to enhance organizational health and create a culture of safety and measurement by scanning a safety culture during the work of the settlement agreement.
This may include many major initiatives aimed at enhancing the culture of supportive and prosperous workplace. Leadership development is very important, as effective leaders can inspire, guide, guide and involve their teams, and create a more flexible workforce. Continuous professional development is also necessary, given the complexity and emotional requirements for child care; Providing continuous learning opportunities ensures that employees are well prepared to face these challenges.
Building a strong culture of safety and confidence is one of the most difficult parts of leadership. It requires constant attention and never stops. In South Carolina, if the state manager is in the provincial office, this means that the employees will be expelled or recorded. It was clear that we could not think about the results, until we started recovery and confidence. You have to continue to give this part of the work, and it may be exhausting, but it is also very rewarding and can lead to sustainable progress.
It is important to know your team members, listen to them, respect their opinions and make changes based on their notes. I was in court several times discussing the results, and I had to stop and say, “The data will come when we focus on our vision, values ​​and culture.” Simple things such as Christmas emails, e -mail messages of the anniversary, regular updates, and morale building messages help keep employees connected. They need to feel that leadership is interested and with them at work.
In addition, determining the priorities of the employee’s welfare through programs that address mental health, stress and balance between work and life can help reduce fatigue and improve their retention. Create open and transparent reactions, where employees can share their concerns safely with leadership, enhance confidence and enhance organizational communication. Improving the recruitment and examination is also vital-the choice of candidates who are not only qualified, but also in line with the values ​​of the institution and the task of enhancing the team cohesion and long-term success.
Employees are proud of their work, but when they already have a lot to do because of a very large number of governmental or federal regulations, then they hear that they do not do enough to achieve some goal, the leadership seems to be not interested in them. The middle administration feels that it failed when bad news comes or when the data shows that progress does not exist. It hurts and makes them feel defeated. I have heard that employees at all levels say their efforts are never enough, and that their presidents always want more. This is not what the culture seems to. The child care system must play its role to help build safety and confidence, but also the court, prosecutors and screens.
Fixing child care systems is a complex and urgent task. The metrics provide a basic road map, but they are not the destination. Without a healthy and essential organization, even the best reforms that are implemented risk collapsing under its weight. You want the employees to say, “I see progress, I feel better about our place now and then we were before all of this.” To really improve results, we must give priority to the well -being of people who do this vital work. Only by integrating organizational health into the fabric of reform, we can build systems that are able not only to survive the audit, but also flourish in their mission to protect and care for our children.
It is time to change the conversation. Let’s go beyond the standards and start strengthening the health and sustainable organizations that our children and our families deserve.