Online Seminar and Technical Guidance of Social Workers "Working in the Middle of the COVID-19 Pandemic"

JAKARTA (16th June 2020) - The Directorate of Child Social Rehabilitation in collaboration with Unicef ​​Indonesia conducted a Webinar (online seminar) and Technical Guidance "Working in the Middle of the COVID-19 Pandemic for Social Workers". The webinar activity was held on 16th June 2020, followed by Technical Guidance starting from June 18th to 30th , 2020.

The Indonesian Minister of Social Affairs, Juliari P. Batubara acted as the Keynote Speaker in the webinar which was attended by 900 people from the Social Worker Service Unit (Sakti Peksos), Head of Center for Social Rehabilitation of Children in Need of Special Protection (B/L RSAMPK), Social Worker B/L RSAMPK, Facilitator Team, Unicef ​​Indonesia and other social pillars from all over Indonesia. This webinar was also broadcast live on YouTube at the Directorate General of Social Rehabilitation and was attended by employees of the Directorate General of Social Rehabilitation.

Webinar and Technical Guidance "Working in the Middle of the COVID-19 Pandemic for Social Workers" is one of the Ministry of Social Affairs efforts to provide support for Social Workers in preventing and overcoming burnout (boredom) while working in the midst of a situation like the current one. The webinar featured experts speaker, the Director General of Social Rehabilitation, Dr. Ir. Harry Hikmat, M.Si with the material "Children Social Rehabilitation Policies and Programs", Deputy Chairman of the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) Dr. Livia Istania DF Iskandar, M.Sc., Psi discussed "The Importance of Collaborating with Social Workers in the Protection of Witnesses and Victims of Crime,” Doreen Biehle, MSSW, LIS (Licensed Social Worker) explained "Maintaining Professional Boundaries in Services to Children and Adults" and finally Psychiatrist Dr. dr. Nova Rianti Yusuf, Sp.Kj. delivered about "Mental Wellbeing for Humanitarian Workers While Working at The Covid-19 Pandemic Period. "

The Minister of Social Affairs is very supportive of the Webinar Activities and Technical Guidance for Social Workers in this COVID-19 Pandemic Situation. “I want to reiterate that the focus of social workers is serving Indonesian children. This is not a side job because children are our future. The country can rely on children when they grow up. If the parents cannot direct and educate the children, there will be no better future,” said the Minister of Social Affairs.

The Minister of Social Affairs also reminded that social workers must continue to maintain safety during work, especially in this era of the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently there are 770 Sakti Peksos in 463 Regency/City, a number that is still limited compared to the needs in the field. "This is the right time for the Social Workers to increase your capacity as a professional. Ladies and Gentlemen must be more capable and enthusiastic in facing the new challenges in the midst of this pandemic. Let's work wholeheartedly for the children, so that children will be more prosperous and respected by other countries," concluded the Minister of Social Affairs.

In her remarks, the Head of UNICEF Indonesia's Child Protection Program, Amanda Bissex, conveyed the increasing need for the availability of trained social workers to respond to the increasing variety of child welfare issues during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to encouraging the Indonesian government to increase the number of social workers available in the community, Amanda also encourages greater attention to work safety and the welfare of social workers, who are also affected by this pandemic.

On the other side, the Director General of Social Rehabilitation said that as of7th June 2020 there were 8,753 children who had been exposed by COVID-19, even 494 of them died. A total of 14 orphanage children in South Kalimantan are also exposed by COVID-19," said Harry. Sakti peksos has also monitored and implemented assistance for 70 confirmed children, 56 children/ PDP (patient under surveillance), 346 children/ODP (persons in monitoring) in 25 provinces.

Apart from these data, the Director General of Social Rehabilitation stated that the reconstruction of children's Social Rehabilitation policies and programs that focus on family-centered prevention, care and protection. Prevention is very important so that the social workers are not only struggling with handling cases that occur. Preventing the increasing number of AMPKs, one of them is through a massive child protection campaign. However, Sakti Peksos continues to respond to cases as input for policy reflection so that cases handled do not occur again in the future. Harry Hikmat also emphasized the importance of the family-based parenting continuum as the main reference. All programs need to be implemented by involving the Government, families and communities, including through Social Welfare Institutions.

Social Workers face different challenges that have never been experienced before. Working in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for services increases due to the increasing population of children and families affected by COVID-19. Likewise with other cases such as cases of violence, exploitation, neglect, and discriminatory treatment due to stigma against children related to COVID-19. The availability and access of referral services that can normally be used as a source of social welfare are also experiencing disruption. Policies related to preventing the spread of COVID-19 makes Social Workers unable to use the methods usually applied in services to the beneficiaries. That’s why the Ministry of Social Affairs will strengthen Social Rehabilitation Assistance (ATENSI) through the Social Rehabilitation Center which functions as a temporary shelter that provides services for basic needs, strengthening family responsibilities, social care and psychosocial therapy carried out professionally by Social Workers.

Social Workers also feel the threat of contracting COVID-19 when working outside the home and worries for themselves and family members at home. This puts pressure on its own at work, maybe even greater than the workload. Furthermore, this condition can affect the performance and mental health of Social Workers. Therefore, efforts are needed to help them adapt to new challenges as well as adapt when facing the new normal era. Social Workers are expected to be able to carry out their duties optimally in providing the best services to Indonesian children.

The various challenges and difficulties of social workers in the field amidst the COVID-19 pandemic will be discussed in the Technical Guidance Activity which is a continuation of today's webinar. Technical Guidance is carried out for two weeks with materials: Self Care, Case Management, Psychosocial Support, and Ethical Dilemmas in Social Work.