Park Mijeong, a member of the Gwangju Metropolitan Council (Dong-gu 2), held a policy forum to establish recovery measures for social welfare workers who have suffered violence.
According to the Gwangju Metropolitan Council on the 24th, this forum, co-hosted by the Gwangju Metropolitan Council, Gwangju Metropolitan Social Welfare Council, and Gwangju Welfare Governance Committee, was organized to discuss the actual damage and recovery measures for social welfare workers who have experienced physical and mental violence from social welfare service users.
Yang Jeongbin, a professor in the Department of Human Care at Namseoul University and the presenter, explained “The Current Status of Violence Against Social Welfare Workers and Considerations for Effective Response Measures.”
He pointed out that workers who have experienced violence from users exhibit negative reactions such as fear, anxiety, depression, and stress, which lead to decreased organizational belonging and increased turnover.
Next, Jeong Eunkang, director of Mudeung Childcare Center, presented on “The Current Status and Measures of Human Rights for Workers in Childcare Facilities.”
Director Jeong suggested revising related laws to consider not only the age of children but also their special characteristics when assigning staff numbers, establishing manuals on human rights violations to prepare response measures by local governments or institutions, creating measures that consider the unique nature of residential facilities where it is difficult to separate staff and children when human rights violations occur, and establishing a crisis response support center for social welfare workers.
The subsequent discussion included Kim Geontae, president of the Gwangju Metropolitan Social Welfare Center Association; Kim Gyeongrye, CEO of the Gwangju Women and Family Foundation; Lim Jiyeol, member of the Gwangju Welfare Governance Committee; Jeong Hyeonhwa, president of the Gwangju Metropolitan Disabled Daycare Facility Association; Lee Seonmi, head of policy research at the Gwangju Metropolitan Social Service Institute; and Kang Eunsuk, director of the Care Policy Division at Gwangju Metropolitan City Hall.
Councilor Park Mijeong emphasized, “In the field, there is a prevailing atmosphere that prioritizes the human rights of welfare service users, so it is a reality that workers endure verbal abuse or minor violence while working,” adding, “It is urgent to accurately recognize the damage suffered by workers who have become essential personnel in our lives and to establish safety measures.”
She also added, “With the passage of the related ordinance in the plenary session last March, a legal basis for supporting the recovery of social welfare workers’ damages has been established,” and “The council will also strive to gather and review various opinions to ensure there are no blind spots in the recovery of workers’ damages.”
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