– I have considered Halden before, and when this has happened, I think there is a great possibility that it will be Halden, says Paul Tshaba. He studies nursing care at Østfold University College. After completing his studies, he can pick and choose jobs, but now the student is considering moving to the small border town of Halden. The lack of care workers is large throughout the country. Halden municipality will now attract more graduates. They offer to repay up to NOK 15,000 of the student loan, every year for five years, to newly qualified social workers who choose the municipality as their place of work. The carers can get a further NOK 10,000 paid down if they choose to work during holidays. – This can mean that you don’t have to struggle and work yourself to death to pay off the student loan. It gives more room to focus on the job itself and helping people, says Tshaba. Difficult to hire new people Halden municipality currently has eight unfilled positions. That is a high number in a relatively small town. – Before Christmas, we announced eight positions. One applied. No one was hired. The situation is precarious, says Maria Bakken. Maria Bakken is head of department for three housing associations in Halden. She hopes more people will choose the nursing profession and Halden as a place of work. Photo: Stein Ove Korneliussen/news She is head of department for three housing associations in Halden. Now she hopes that professional replenishment and mentoring, in addition to loan repayments, will attract new employees. – It is not only for new applicants, but also for those who are already employed. It’s about recruiting, retaining and rewarding, says Bakken. Only 1,000 are trained a year In 2020, it was revealed that Norway lacked more than 20,000 social workers in services for people with developmental disabilities alone. At the same time, only around 1,000 new students are trained annually. This was revealed in a report carried out by the Joint Organization (FO) and the National Competence Center on the developmentally disabled. – This means that there is a lack of absolutely necessary competence, says welfare nurse Marit Selfors Isaksen in FO’s political leadership. Social worker in FO’s political leadership, Marit Selfors Isaksen, is concerned about the shortage of social workers in Norway and praises Halden municipality for taking action. Photo: Sara Angelica Spilling The joint organization believes that the move Halden is making now should be copied and lifted nationally. – More people should do like Halden! They have drawn up a comprehensive strategy to recruit and retain enough foster carers. They are looking both at recruiting students, a larger professional environment and how to retain seniors, says Isaksen. Regional figures for the proportion of care workers in the municipal services for the developmentally disabled: The professional recommendation from NAKU, FO and the user organizations is that at least 35 per cent of the employees are care workers. The number is far lower across the country: Nordland, Troms and Finnmark (6.7%) Trøndelag (16.4%) Vestlandet and Møre and Romsdal (12.6%) Agder and Rogaland (9.9%) Østfold, Buskerud, Telemark and Vestfold (10.1%) Hedmark and Oppland (9.3%) Oslo and Akershus (10.2%) Alerts about unsafe services Almost half of the foster care members in FO have reported unsafe services. It is also well documented how people with disabilities do not have their human rights safeguarded, according to Isaksen. – The new report to the Storting also points to a lack of competence. Without enough foster carers, I am afraid we will see even more human rights violations in the care of vulnerable groups. That is why it is so important that the municipalities take structural measures. Helene Fjeldavli is studying to become a social worker. She believes financial benefits can be decisive when choosing a workplace. Photo: Stein Ove Korneliussen/news Back at Østfold University College, there are several students who think the financial part of Halden’s strategy sounds tempting. – The care worker salary may not be the highest, so writing down the student loan is important. I could definitely consider Halden as a place to work, says nursing student Helene Fjeldavli.
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Halden offers repayment of student loans – news Oslo and Viken – Local news, TV and radio
