Child protection frontline workers strengthen their self-care and well-being during emergencies and crisis

Social workers are at the forefront of emergencies and when families need them most. To strengthen the provision of timely, effective and quality services to children and their families exposed to violence, exploitation and abuse, UNICEF and the State Welfare Organization (SWO) jointly supported the capacity development of the Social Emergencies Department focal points to boost their self-care during emergencies and disasters.

Workers in humanitarian and social emergency fields face high risks, including hazards and trauma that can affect their safety, physical and mental health, and well-being and consequently affect the quality of their services to the children. It's essential for all workplaces to support their workers' mental and physical health, especially for first responders who work in unique and challenging environments. Hence, UNICEF and SWO have partnered to take a number of steps including development of a self-care protocol and conducting a training workshop for staff and mental health and social workers in the Social Emergencies Unit.

Funded by the European Union, the workshop aims to build the technical and institutional capacities of social emergency staff and enhance their self-care and well-being. Forty-five participants, including the heads of provincial social emergency units from 31 provinces, attended the workshop held in Tehran from 15 to 17 May 2023.

The Social Emergencies Unit (Children Helpline) plays a crucial role in preventing, identifying, and responding to violence against children. Enhancing the technical and institutional capacities of SWO on self-care contributes to the provision of timely, effective and quality services to children exposed to violence, exploitation and abuse. In the next step, UNICEF and the SWO will advocate for the integration of self-care in the organisational structure of the social emergency unit.