Santa Cruz Social Services Face Staff Unrest Over Workloads and Resource Shortages

Social services in Santa Cruz de Tenerife are facing a period of institutional tension, highlighted during a recent municipal oversight commission. The unrest follows a public manifesto signed by 29 professionals from the Social Work Units (UTS), who have formally complained about their daily working conditions.

This discontent is not an isolated issue. The Childhood and Family team in the Ofra-Anaga area, which supports 164 families and 270 vulnerable minors, has also warned that their caseloads have exceeded safe limits. They are calling for the urgent addition of a psychologist and a social educator to their team. Meanwhile, UTS staff report that a lack of resources and ineffective management guidelines are creating psychosocial risks and preventing them from properly serving the public.

During the debate, PSOE spokesperson Patricia Hernández criticized the department’s councilor, Charín González, blaming the conflict on poor planning and unmanageable workloads. In response, González defended her department’s strategy, pointing to the upcoming approval of a new Job Position List and the progress of the II Strategic Plan for Social Services. She also noted ongoing infrastructure improvements, such as the new Los Gladiolos UTS headquarters and renovations at the La Salud facility.

In other business, the City Council announced a change in the management of the La Abejera Market in the García Escámez neighborhood. Councilman Carlos Tarife confirmed that the Development Society will take over the facility now that the previous contract has expired. The city aims to revitalize the market while supporting current business owners and using empty stalls as incubators for new entrepreneurial projects, in coordination with the Nuestra Señora de África Market.