Leadership - Administrative Support and Staff Assignments
8.1.16 Leadership - Administrative Support and Staff Assignments
Education and health respondents were asked to report on staff assignments related to HIV/AIDS, STD and sexuality. The most prominent finding in this area is the considerable proportion of such staff assignments that were being reviewed at the time of the telephone interviews.
The majority (about 60%-70%) of health respondents reported that they have personnel assigned to HIV/AIDS, STD and sexuality. But the public health nurses reported that they spend about 1/5 of their time on sexual health issues.
The education respondents reported that someone was assigned to HIV/sexuality issues as part of their curriculum team, but only a minority reported that people had been assigned to HIV/sexual health from areas such as student services.
At the front-line, both the teachers and nurses reported that they had considerable experience with their assignments that include teaching or promoting sexual health.
The following table shows the status of ministry, agency and professional assignments to HIV/AIDS, STD and sexuality. The findings indicate a high level of instability within the systems as the structures and staff assignments are being changed.
Figure 61
| Staff Assignments Under review |
Currently reviewing |
A change will occur |
Organization has reviewed its structures |
No change is anticipated at this time |
No Response |
| MOE-2 | 45.4 |
9.1 |
0 |
45.5 |
0.00 |
| SD-2 | 36.6 |
8.9 |
11.6 |
41 |
1.9 |
| SP-2 | 4.9 |
2.1 |
1.4 |
60.9 |
30.7 |
| MOH-4 | 41.7 |
0 |
0 |
50 |
8.3 |
| PHU-2 | 32.7 |
5.7 |
0 |
61.6 |
0 |
| PHN-5a | 30.4 |
23.3 |
14.4 |
50.5 |
0 |
On the other hand, the front line staff appear to be experienced in their assignment related to HIV and sexuality. Teacher responses show that, on average, teachers have:
Public health nurses also reported considerable experience in their jobs. On average, the nurses have:
Health ministries and public health units were asked about assignments within the domains of health promotion, sexual health, STD and HIV/AIDS. They were asked if they had designated people within these areas for youth, including schools, within several divisions of health ministries and public health units.
Figure 62
| Designated Staff for Youth | Yes |
No |
Don’t Know |
No Response |
|
| MOH-3 | Within Population Health/Health Promotion | 58.3 |
16.7 |
25 |
0 |
| Within Sexual Health | 33.3 |
25 |
41.7 |
0 |
|
| Within STD | 58.3 |
16.7 |
25 |
0 |
|
| Within HIV/AIDS | 58.3 |
16.7 |
25 |
0 |
|
| PHU-1 | Within Population Health/Health Promotion | 54.8 |
36.1 |
4.5 |
4.6 |
| Within Sexual Health | 71 |
23.4 |
3.5 |
2.1 |
|
| Within STD | 71.5 |
25.3 |
0 |
3.2 |
|
| Within HIV/AIDS | 72.2 |
26.7 |
0 |
1.1 |
Respondents were also asked what proportion of their time was spent on working with youth and schools. Many respondents were not able to estimate that proportion, but those that did indicated that they spent less than 20% of their time on HIV/sexuality.
Public health nurses were also asked to estimate the proportion of their time spent working on sexual health promotion for children and adolescents and about the time spent working with schools on sexual health promotion.
Figure 63| Proportion of time spent on: | Sexual Health of Youth |
Sexual Health and Schools |
| PHN-1 and PHN-2 | 24 |
16.2 |
Public health nurses were also asked other questions
(PHN-3, PHN-4) about their work with schools. 94.2% of public health nurses work with schools. On average, public health nurses work with about six schools (5.8). A minority (15.2%) of the public health nurses do not spend time in schools on a regular basis. Of the nurses that spend time in designated schools regularly (45.6%), they are there, on average, 11.1 hours per month. Other nurses do not spend time in designated schools (39.1%) but are regularly in various schools, on average, 13.3 hours per month.Consequently, the current assignments of public health nurses across the country means that, on average, schools receive about five hours per month of direct, in-school support from nurses. Of those five hours, one hour per month would, on average, be spent on sexual health.
Education ministries and school districts were asked if there was a designated person responsible for HIV/STD/sexuality in the areas of curriculum/instruction, student services and other departments. Staff in the curriculum area were assigned to cover HIV/STD/sexuality. However, those assignments often included many other subjects, not always limited to health issues. This indicates that the support for teachers at the education ministry and school district level will be diminished in comparison to the past. The results are tabulated below:
Figure 64
| Staff Assigned to HIV/STD/Sexuality | Yes |
No |
Don’t Know |
No Response |
|
| MOE-1 | Within
Curriculum/ Instruction |
100 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Within School Services | 27.3 |
54.5 |
18.2 |
0 |
|
| Within Other Areas | 27.3 |
45.4 |
27.3 |
0 |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
|||
| SD-1 | Within Curriculum/ Instruction |
76.9 |
21.4 |
0 |
1.7 |
| Within School Services | 36.4 |
45.2 |
0 |
18.4 |
|
| Within Other Departments | 9.5 |
62.0 |
3.8 |
24.7 |
Education respondents also had difficulty estimating the proportion of these staff assignments that were devoted to HIV/STD/sexuality issues.
Education respondents were also asked
(MOE-1) if the people assigned to HIV/STD/sexuality were also assigned to similar but different matters. The results show that:School principals were asked
(SP-1) if they have a designated person responsible for coordinating HIV/AIDS/STD prevention, sexual health promotion or health promotion. About one-third (37.1%) reported that no person was designated for that role.Of the schools that do have a person designated to coordinate on HIV/sexuality issues, the person selected was: