Salmila Children’s Home in Kajaani reports staffing improvements amid legal concerns

The staff situation at the Salmila Children’s Home in Kajaani has partially improved, according to Jarkko Hanhela, a service manager at the Kainuu welfare area. In July, the region’s supervisory authority issued a warning due to a lack of adequately educated staff at the children’s home. To address this, Hanhela noted that employees have been temporarily transferred from other units. Kainuu faces a significant shortage of personnel in social and healthcare sectors, but Hanhela is optimistic that the staffing issues at Salmila will ease before autumn, even though a quick fix is not yet feasible. “We aim for a long-term solution to ensure that the staff structure at Salmila is adequate and that employees feel satisfied,” he stated.

The Kainuu welfare area has also intensified collaboration with student organizations. Hanhela emphasized the importance of final-year students graduating as social workers this fall. The staffing structure at Salmila has been illegal since November 2023, and the supervisory authority has requested a report on the situation by September 2.

Salmila is the only child protection facility in Kainuu providing round-the-clock services for children requiring special support. At least half of the staff should have higher education qualifications, but this has not been the case for the six employees at the Järvi unit and the seven at Salmi unit. The authority reported that staff members who left or resigned were replaced by care assistants, social work students, and youth activity leaders, with approximately half of the staff being temporary substitutes in March. This situation violates child protection laws, as children have a right to stable relationships.

Lawyer Heli Kajava from the Northern Finland regional administrative authority noted that warnings for deficiencies in social and healthcare services are given infrequently. Such notices are issued when milder directives fail to suffice. The regional authority prioritizes gentle guidance and self-regulation in its oversight process, which applies to both the Kainuu welfare area and Salmila. However, stricter measures may be implemented if deficiencies persist.