In the legislative assembly, Yellowknife Centre MLA Julie Green said she SA国际影视传媒渨eptSA国际影视传媒� when she read the latest auditor general report.

Hay River North MLA RJ Simpson is SA国际影视传媒渢errifiedSA国际影视传媒� for what the future holds, based on the lack of progress since 2014.

SA国际影视传媒淲e should all be ashamed for being a part of a system that treats our most vulnerable this way,SA国际影视传媒� said Simpson, who highlighted that 98 per cent of children in care are Indigenous.SA国际影视传媒淚s this what reconciliation looks like to this government? We need to act, or move aside for those who will,SA国际影视传媒� said Simpson.

The NWTSA国际影视传媒檚 Health and Social Services child and family services division is struggling to hire and retain staff, with a vacancy rate that consistently hovers around 25 per cent, officials said following the release of a damning report from the Office of the Auditor General (OAG).

ItSA国际影视传媒檚 the second audit showing systemic failures in the territorySA国际影视传媒檚 child and family services system, and the report states services have only worsened since the 2014 report.

SA国际影视传媒淎fter the last audit we lost people. Are we going to lose people after this audit? I sure hope not,SA国际影视传媒� said Health and Social Services Minister Glen Abernethy in an Oct. 24 news conference.

The department continues to fill positions, but SA国际影视传媒減eople keep leaving,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

The department will head up an aggressive hiring approach and look to hire local administrative staff to lift the burden of paperwork from its social workers, said Abernethy.

Following the 2014 audit, the Health and Social Services authorities SA国际影视传媒渄idnSA国际影视传媒檛 pay enough attentionSA国际影视传媒� to the resources behind complex changes within its department, Abernethy told media Wednesday.

The GNWTSA国际影视传媒檚 efforts to introduce SA国际影视传媒渃omplexSA国际影视传媒� changes into an SA国际影视传媒渙verburdened systemSA国际影视传媒� continue to leave children vulnerable, the report states.

Asked if staff are leaving because the mandate is not being met, Director of Child and Family Services Nathalie Nadeau said there are SA国际影视传媒渁 lot of different reasons why people leave.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淕enerally in health and social services, there is a higher retention and recruitment issue,SA国际影视传媒� said Nadeau, adding this challenge is amplified in small centres.

Workers require good supervision and clinical expertise to directly improve retention, she said.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 high stress, very adversarial at times and it links to a lot of stress within their personal life. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 not one reason, itSA国际影视传媒檚 a series of issues,SA国际影视传媒� said Nadeau.

Kam Lake MLA Kieron Testart chairs the standing committee that will review the report and said his committee will pursue SA国际影视传媒渞eal answersSA国际影视传媒� on the current state of the system, he said.

SA国际影视传媒淎t this point, given who the minister is, weSA国际影视传媒檙e very disappointed to see that the provision of child and family services is worse off now than four years ago when the first audit was done,SA国际影视传媒� said Testart. SA国际影视传媒淲e donSA国际影视传媒檛 have a different minister. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 the same minister who was involved with the original file, (and) as a member of the standing committee on social programs at the time looked into this issue.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒� I donSA国际影视传媒檛 think the progress that the minister is reporting ... is really sufficient,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

SA国际影视传媒�(The minister) can say weSA国际影视传媒檙e doing something well, but when the auditor general, who spent 7,000 hours on this report, says there are major problems here, ISA国际影视传媒檓 always going to rely on the recommendations of the auditor general,SA国际影视传媒� said Testart. SA国际影视传媒�(Auditors) have no skin in the game. TheySA国际影视传媒檙e not running for political office.SA国际影视传媒�

Asked if he has faith this can be rectified, Testart said shaping up family services is a matter of political will.

'Start investing resources'

SA国际影视传媒淢inisters are fond of saying the best social program is a job. Well, I would say SA国际影视传媒� you look at the failings of the NWT on child and family services SA国际影视传媒� perhaps the best social program is a social program that works. We need to start investing resources,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

The 2018 OAG audit shows the department is not keeping in regular required contact with at least 90 per cent of children in care.

Last week, the department tabled its annual directorSA国际影视传媒檚 report, which shows 98 per cent of children in care are Indigenous, up from 95 per cent in 2008.

SA国际影视传媒淲hile (the OAG) findings align with what weSA国际影视传媒檝e seen in our own internal audit work, they are difficult and serve as another reminder that we are not where we need or want or must be,SA国际影视传媒� said Abernethy.

The minister has directed the department to take a more SA国际影视传媒渁ggressiveSA国际影视传媒� approach to recruitment, he said.

In the GNWT it can take months to fill positions. Many new hires come in from jurisdictions that favour apprehension over the GNWTSA国际影视传媒檚 family-first approach and need to be trained to work in the territory, he said.

SA国际影视传媒淭his is a very difficult for individuals and certainly a high stress, high burnout profession SA国际影视传媒� dealing with individuals who are often seen as taking away children,SA国际影视传媒� said Abernethy.

The department needs to determine its staffing needs, he said.

The GNWT doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 get to change salary rates, but could reach out more to schools and have constantly live ads and anticipatory hiring, said Abernethy.

SA国际影视传媒淭here are shortages across this country of the type of people who can do this work,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

There is also a direct relationship between morale and outcomes for children, said Bruce Cooper, deputy minister of the health department.

Organizations that ignore their operating culture risk not meeting their mandates, and not all of the authorities staff are trained on their systems and processes, he said.

The department currently has approximately 90 staff at various levels, with 70 staff appointed as child protection workers, said Nadeau.

The department looks at SA国际影视传媒渆xtended foster families first in the interest of preserving a family unit,SA国际影视传媒� said Nadeau.

Authorities have implemented permanent guardianship agreements SA国际影视传媒� sometimes without criminal background checks and requisite studies, the audit found.

However, guardianship agreements are SA国际影视传媒渞ecognized before the courts as appropriate solutions for families,SA国际影视传媒� said Les Harrison, assistant deputy minister for the health department.

SA国际影视传媒淧eople need to be able to trust that things will be different,SA国际影视传媒� he said.