COI finds Drop In Centre’s operation wanting

Nov 07, 2017 News

…in wake of probe in children’s fiery death

Not only was the Hadfield Street, Georgetown Drop In Centre deemed overcrowded, but there were not adequate staff on duty and limited fire prevention measures in place when a fire occurred claiming the lives of two

Colonel [Ret’d] Windee Algernon is flanked by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, and Magistrate Fabayo Azore.

siblings in State care.
The fire, which reportedly occurred in the wee hours of July 8 last year, claimed the lives of three-year-old Antonio George and his six-year-old brother Joshua George.
Based on an investigation conducted by the Guyana Fire Service, the conflagration, which completely destroyed the female dormitory, was electrical in origin.
At the time of the fire, the George brothers were accommodated in the girls’ dormitory in an effort to keep them together. The day prior to the fire, the two, along with three more of their siblings [Shaquan, Shania and Anastasia] were admitted to the Drop In Centre. This move was the direct result of an investigation conducted by Social Workers from the Childcare and Protection Agency [CCPA] which determined that the children were at risk.
It was revealed that the placement was intended to be temporary, as investigations were ongoing, with a view of finding kinship care for the children.
This is according to information detailed in the Final Report of the Commission of Inquiry [COI] into the circumstances surrounding the death of the children which was tabled in Parliament last Thursday. The COI was conducted by Colonel [Ret’d] Windee Algernon.
Detailed in the report of the COI is the fact that the number of children housed at the Centre at the time of the fire amounted to 31, but based on evidence collected, it was determined that the facility only had the capacity to comfortably house 21. At the time of the fire, the children, ranging in ages from seven to 17, were in the care of two Social Services Assistants [Ms. S. Jones and Mr. R. Hinds].
The investigation conducted by the Commission was able to ascertain that while the girls and the younger boys [infant to five years] occupied the girls’ dormitory at the southern section of the first floor of the building, the older boys occupied the common room area on the northern side of the lower flat. The latter group, according to the report, were occupying the common room, since the boys’ dormitory was undergoing renovation.
But according to the findings of the Commission, there were insufficient staff members rostered to work on the night of the tragedy, which was in direct contravention of the Minimum Operational Standards and Regulations [MOSR] for children’s homes in Guyana.
The MOSR states that Homes such as the Drop In Centre must maintain at all times adequate staff on duty to fulfil the agreed staffer/child guideline ratio.
The MOSR recommends that for children under five years, there should be one staffer to every two children and for children five years to 12, there should be one staffer to every five children. Further, it recommends that for children 13 years to 17, there should be one staffer to every seven. At the time of the fire, there were two children under five, nine between the ages of five and 12, and 20 children between the ages of 13 to 17.
Taking the children/staffer ratio into consideration, a minimum of six Social Services Assistants should have been on duty to adequately meet the needs of the children. In fact, the COI found that the two Social Services Assistants on duty did not possess the necessary qualifications and experience for the responsibility given to them.
According to the MOSR, qualifications for the position of a Social Services Assistant [Caregiver] is a Diploma in Social Work, Sociology and three years experience working with children or a Trained Teacher’s Certificate, along with a valid police clearance, or a secondary education and 10 years experience caring for children.
According to information unearthed by Colonel [Ret’d] Algernon, on the night of the fiery tragedy, House Supervisor, Ms. Claudette Mentor, had the authority to call out additional staff, but failed to do so, for no valid reason. The COI found that although “there were adequate written guidelines for the management of crisis situations including fire, however, the House Manager, House Supervisor or Social Services Assistants on duty seemed unfamiliar with them, consequently there were no rehearsals…thus when the fire occurred there was confusion and panic resulting in the tragedy.”
It was therefore concluded that “the conduct of the staff on duty on the night of the fire was not in conformity with the required statutory obligation of the State and Standard Operating Procedures [SOPs].”
Compounding the situation was the fact that the Centre did not comply with all fire regulations. It was found that while there were fire extinguishers and fire blankets on both floors of the Centre, the children and the Social Services Assistants were not trained to use these. Added to this, the Report revealed that “there were no operational escapes, no smoke alarms, no marked fire exits and signs on the wall stating what to do in case of fires.”
The COI found that the fire was caused by a defective electrical point fitted with exposed wires on the eastern wall of the girls’ dormitory. It was pointed out that this played a role in the fire ignition and subsequent heat transfer which caused the fire to travel via the electrical conduits in the ceiling. The deceased children, it was found, died as a direct result of smoke inhalation.
According to the Report of the COI too, recommendations from the Guyana Fire Service in 2010 and 2015 in the interest of improving ‘Life and Fire Safety’ at the Centre, were not fully implemented. As such, it was concluded that “this was a tragedy waiting to happen and there was collective responsibility for the tragic event…”
Moreover, Colonel [Ret’d] Algernon in the Report has recommended that in addition to addressing all of the shortcomings, both the CCPA and the Non-Governmental Organisations with which it collaborates, “must put aside perceived personal grievances, stop seeking promotion, work together and focus on the objective of providing quality care service and protection to children.”
It has also been recommended that some form of compensation be awarded to the mother of the deceased children.