Society - Deficits in childcare keep Ombudsman busy
The Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Ombudsman remains an important point of contact for people who feel that their rights have been curtailed and that they are being bullied by the authorities. In the year just ended, he again received around 1700 complaints, requests and inquiries. "Around half of these related to social issues, which continued to be the main focus," Matthias Crone, the state's long-serving ombudsman, told the German Press Agency in Schwerin.
After two terms in office, Crone is stepping down at the end of February. The 65-year-old was first elected as the state's ombudsman in 2012. It was not yet clear who his successor would be to present the annual report for 2023, which he is still preparing.
According to Crone, complaints about social issues tend to focus less on state aid for the unemployed as a result of falling unemployment figures. Instead, problems in child and youth law are increasingly coming to the fore. In particular, staff shortages in daycare centers and schools have led to citizens turning to him more frequently.
"For example, if their children have a disability, but adequate care could not be guaranteed despite legal entitlement. Inclusion is the right way to go. But the space and staffing requirements must also be in place. Unfortunately, there is often still a gap between aspiration and reality," stated Crone, who also represents the interests of people with disabilities in his office.
The general shortage of teachers has also been a frequent concern for him. Crone recalled the protest by pupils in Schwerin, who had drawn attention to the lack of teaching provision with their public action. "Protest and standing up for one's own interests are part of our democracy. Even if problems can't be solved overnight, the pupils made their voices heard by the responsible minister. An important experience," Crone was convinced.
In the still young function of being the point of contact for police officers' concerns, his authority is now being used much more frequently. "After five cases in the previous year, there are now 37, ranging from the condition of individual police buildings to outstanding promotions and criticism of the leadership behavior of superiors," Crone reported. He had been involved as a moderator in individual cases of conflict. The fact that the specialist officer, who has been working in this segment since May, has relevant professional experience has proven to be beneficial. "A good reputation helps to gain access quickly," said Crone.
Ombudsman MV
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- The deficit in childcare centers due to staff shortages has resulted in an increase in complaints to the Ombudsman in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, as adequate care cannot be guaranteed for children with disabilities, despite legal entitlement.
- Matthias Crone, the outgoing Ombudsman, highlighted the issue of heavy workload and limited resources in childcare and education during his annual report preparation, citing the example of the lack of teaching provision leading to pupils' protests.
- In his role as a point of contact for police officers' concerns, Matthias Crone reported an increase in cases, from 5 in the previous year to 37, covering various issues such as conditions of police buildings and leadership behavior of superiors.
- The turn of the year typically sees a spike in complaints and inquiries to the Ombudsman's office in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, with social issues, including childcare deficits, as common themes, as revealed by Krone during his interview with the German Press Agency.
- The German Press Agency highlighted that around half of the complaints received at the Ombudsman's office in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern related to social concerns, with children's rights being a particular area of concern due to the heavy burden of deficits in childcare, affecting families across the region.
Source: www.stern.de
