Help for the boys

School social work: Upper Austrian state increases staff

Deputy Governor Christine Haberlander

(Bild: Markus Wenzel)

The province of Upper Austria is investing 710,000 euros in ten new positions in school social work (SuSA). There are currently 74 school social workers working at around 250 compulsory schools in the province. Last school year, they carried out 3,500 counseling sessions - but demand is rising sharply!

"The worries and problems of young people have increased and have taken on different degrees," says Christine Haberlander (ÖVP), the deputy governor responsible. The experts would deal with the children, but also keep an eye on their family environment. In 2024, work began on increasing the number of posts, with a number still being advertised by the provincial government, Haberlander and Schlöglmann encouraged experts to apply.

"SuSA is an essential pillar for young people, everything is free and confidential," added Theresia Schlöglmann, Head of the Department of Child and Youth Welfare at the Province of Upper Austria - until, of course, dangerous situations arise. With the new full-time equivalents, 50 more primary and secondary schools - i.e. 300 of the 800 compulsory schools in the state - can be looked after. "Basically, there is a SuSA mailbox at every school," explains Johanna Gruber, specialist team leader in Vöcklabruck. Children can leave notes or letters with their problems there and the social worker will then approach the child. "SuSA supports the families and, above all, sees the small successes," explains Gruber. The inhibition threshold for seeking help is deliberately kept low and the waiting time for a consultation is kept as short as possible, including through appointments in the afternoon, via social media.

"We can take preventative action here at an early stage to reach families," says Schlöglmann. The social workers are available and approachable at the school locations - for teachers, parents and children, not just in the central area, as it has been noticed that there are also problems in rural areas, says Haberlander. The allocation of resources is based on socio-economic factors, the degree of coverage in the region and the proportion of exceptional pupils. There is no region that has no support at all. If a school reports a need, it is met.

"SuSa focuses on families and has the opportunity to go into the families and initiate further services - such as family social work, youth service centers, learning aids." There is an upward trend and staffing is the limiting factor. The need will increase in view of the growing problems that children and families are confronted with. The largest group are behavioral problems, from self-harm to violence and withdrawal to the consequences of media consumption. Consumption and violence against oneself and the outside world are also an issue among older people, and eating disorders are on the rise, outlines Schlöglmann.