€5k pay gap between HSE and voluntary sector hurting services for children and vulnerable
Ashley Connolly said members in the organisations, known as Section 39 bodies, want to work in the community but salary is a barrier.
Children and vulnerable people are missing out due to staff shortages linked to pay gaps of up to €5,000 between therapists in the voluntary sector and the HSE, Forsa said.
Head of health and welfare, Ashley Connolly, said employers in the sector have reported an annual 30% churn of staff. Organisations, known as Section 39 bodies, are funded by the HSE to cover the disability sector, domestic violence, and other vital areas.
“The revolving door sees one member of staff walk out just as another is hired, driving up recruitment costs and disrupting the ability of these agencies to meet service demands and driving up waiting lists,” she said. “This needs to stop, the only way to do this is to ensure they have sufficient funding.”
Speaking during the Forsa conference in Galway, she said their members want to work in the community but salary is a barrier.
“If you take someone working as a speech and language therapist in a Section 39, and then look at one in the HSE, the gap in salary is actually now thousands per annum,” she said.
“You multiply a gap of €5,000 by four years, up to €5,000, yes, that’s €20,000 in some cases.”
These workers suffered pay cuts following the 2008 recession, but unlike HSE staff have not yet seen these restored, she explained. Last year, workers at Enable Ireland in Cork and Kerry took industrial action to highlight the challenges.
These issues will be heard before the Workplace Relations Commission on June 12 again. Children with disabilities waiting for an assessment of need are one group facing a huge backlog.
Minister of State for Disabilities Anne Rabbitte told the some children are waiting longer than nine months. This is despite funding of €11.7m secured last year, she said.
“That was to ensure we would clear that backlog. To date, we have not started to clear that backlog,” she said. “The conversations I have had with Bernard Gloster is actually how can we with immediate effect do it?”
She reiterated her stance that regional assessment units need to be in place by August 1.
“If not, we have to look at the alternative to ensure that children have timely access to assessment so they can get into education and get the intervention they need. The funding is there, I need to see the money spent,” she said.
She intends to offer families funding for private assessment as an alternative.
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