Concerns Mount Over Home Assistance Services in Santa Cruz de Tenerife

In recent weeks, significant concerns have emerged regarding the home assistance services provided in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The focus has been on alarming service failures and troubling incidents of misconduct that have raised serious questions about the safety and efficacy of these essential services.

Formal Complaints Escalate to the Ombudsman

On August 19, members of the Atende works committee, which oversees the home assistance services in the region, took the unprecedented step of filing a formal complaint with the Ombudsman. This complaint highlighted a range of serious issues, including inadequacies in service delivery and disturbing reports of sexual assaults against staff by users. The Ombudsman, Lola Padrón, has emphasized the necessity for the local government to conduct a thorough investigation into these allegations. However, as of now, the city administration has not responded to this critical request, leaving many questions unanswered.

Frustration Over Investigative Delays

In a follow-up statement issued on October 30, the Ombudsman expressed her frustration regarding the lack of communication from the Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council. This communication gap pertains to a requested report on the reported sexual assaults and the deficiencies in service provision. Currently, an investigation by the Labour Inspectorate is underway, initiated by the complaint from the works committee. On October 29, inspectors conducted interviews with several employees from Atende to gather more information about the troubling claims.

Staff representatives have revealed a shocking absence of established protocols for addressing incidents of assault. In many instances, when an assault occurs, the typical response has been to reassign the affected worker to a different task. This practice leaves the new worker unaware of the previous incident, creating a dangerous environment where issues can recur without proper acknowledgment or resolution.

Misuse of Services and User Expectations

In addition to the serious allegations of misconduct, the works committee has raised concerns about the misuse of home assistance services. Workers have reported that users frequently expect them to perform tasks that fall outside the scope of their official duties. For example, many users decline essential services such as personal care or meal preparation, instead opting for cleaning tasks to maximize their time with staff members.

Workers have shared troubling anecdotes about user requests that often escalate during festive seasons. They have been asked to prepare food for holiday celebrations, including cleaning cutlery for Christmas or preparing croquette mixtures for Christmas Eve dinners. Such requests not only blur the lines of professional responsibilities but also place undue pressure on staff who are already facing numerous challenges.

Health and Safety Concerns for Staff

Another alarming issue raised by representatives of the works committee is the unsanitary working conditions that staff members endure. Verónica González, chairperson of the works committee, has described the presence of pests such as rats, bedbugs, and lice in the environments where they work. She emphasized that it is utterly unacceptable for workers to contract illnesses, such as scabies, due to the hazardous conditions they encounter on a daily basis.

Despite these serious health concerns, the Ombudsman has been waiting for nearly three months for a response from the council regarding the issues raised. Workers have expressed their growing frustration, questioning why these pressing matters cannot be resolved immediately. Charín González, the councillor responsible for Social Action, has suggested that solutions will emerge with the implementation of a new management model, but many remain skeptical about the timeline and effectiveness of such changes.

Contractual Challenges and Financial Implications

The home assistance contract for Atende has been expired for almost a year, with the city council neither extending the service nor initiating a new bidding process. Since December 2022, Atende has been operating under an irregular extension deemed illegal by the Canary Islands Consultative Council. This situation has resulted in the council being liable for approximately seven million euros in outstanding invoices, raising significant financial concerns.

Rather than re-tendering a comprehensive contract for the municipality, Santa Cruz de Tenerife is attempting to establish collaborative agreements with service-providing companies, which is referred to as a new management model. However, the first attempt to implement this model was halted due to legal challenges from the PSOE, leading to a suspension based on non-compliance with regulations. The council is now working diligently to ensure that this new model is legally sound and can be implemented without further complications.

Key points

• Atende works committee filed a complaint with the Ombudsman regarding service failures and staff assaults.
• The Ombudsman has yet to receive a response from the Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council.
• Labour Inspectorate is investigating incidents of sexual assault against staff.
• Workers reported misuse of home assistance services by users.
• Unsanitary working conditions pose health risks to staff.
• The home assistance contract has been expired for nearly a year, leading to financial liabilities for the council.