My Department's personnel policy for 1990 allows health agencies flexibility to make permanent or temporary appointments within the parameters of their financial allocation and an overall establishment ceiling. Accordingly, the Eastern Health Board have authority to revise their staffing mix in accordance with service priorities while adhering to overall financial and staffing targets.
In line with this policy the Eastern Health Board are currently reviewing their staffing requirements in the supplementary welfare service and as an interim measure, arrangements have been made to place some additional staff in area 5 where the situation is particularly pressing.
It is inaccurate to suggest that community welfare officers on leave are frequently not replaced. As a general rule, replacements are provided for all planned leave and for most unplanned absences. In a small number of instances it is not possible to provide a replacement where the absence occurs without notice but even in such cases, a replacement is always provided not later than the third day of absence.
In recognition of the stress factor inherent in the role of the supplementary welfare service, the Eastern Health Board includes stress management as a component of its training programme for community welfare officers.
