2016 REPORT ON NATIONAL PREVENTION OF TORTURE at present a discussion is under way with the above entities on the implementation of this recommendation. The following main problems and most common violations of human rights have been identified: 1. Concerning the composition, number, work­ load and salary of the personnel. The number of employees is inadequate in case of personnel’s illnesses, vacation, etc. The workload of social workers and their assistants is large, and their small salaries contribute to the great turnover of the personnel. Some complaints have been received that a psychologist is not capable of providing the required help to all children, has ignored their needs and betrayed someone’s secret to other children. The children in care have no trust in him and believe that a psychologist is only necessary for patients suffering from a mental disease. 2. Concerning the qualification development. Social workers lack practical training on preparing for emergency situations and their control; persons responsible for the personnel’s qualification development are not aware of the preferences of employees with regard to improvement of their qualifications. There is also a shortage of funds for paid events on the qualification development of the personnel. 3. Concerning the treatment of children by employees. Complaints have been received on the treatment of children that involved shouting, angry speech, preconceived judg­ment with respect to children or slander about the parents, or on the failure to notice children’s proper behaviour. 4. Concerning the disciplinary measures applied and control of the children’s behaviour. The procedure for the application of punishments lacks an exhaustive list of measures applicable to children, a time frame for applying punishment and the requirement of proportionality or this requirement is sometimes not complied with. The reduction or complete withdrawal of pocket money is quite Of the recommendations issued, the care institutions implemented all 45 of them, except one care institution (public establishment Ona Milienė Old People’s Home) where nine recommendations were implemented in full or were not implemented at all, in particular those regarding the nurse’s position of the scope below the standard, the shortage of personnel during illness or vacation, development of employees’ qualifications, increase of the minimum salaries of the personnel, internal reconstruction of the building (broadening of the stairs and installation of a lift and fire escape ladder for fire emergencies), adaptation of the window height to bedridden and/or sitting residents, purchase of the necessary new furniture, creation of a home-like environment and hiring of an employment specialist. The care institution indicated that the above measures had not been implemented, as they required large investments. However, the Seimas Ombudsmen are continuing the discussion with this care institution for the purpose of achieving the implementation of all the recommendations and preventing the use of the money issue as an argument that allows violating human rights. Social care institutions for children Also inspections were conducted at 4 (four) children’s care institutions in Kaunas County: the Kaunas Municipality Children’s Care Home, Kėdainiai Children’s Care Home Saulutė, public establishment Paparčiai St. Joseph’s Family Home and Children’s Home Namų židinys of the foundation Parama vaikui (Report No. 2016/1-88 of 20 December 2016). 14

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