It was found that business associations that operate children's halls and after-school clubs nationwide had falsely reported too many staff members to several local governments in Tokyo, and the impact was spreading in Shinjuku Ward, such as the decision to cancel the designated management of children's halls. The organization will establish a third-party committee to investigate whether there are similar cases nationwide, investigate the causes, and consider measures to prevent recurrence.
False report of high number of staff at 9 facilities in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo
The third-party committee was announced by the Workers' Cooperative Workers' Coop Center in Toshima-ku, Tokyo.
According to the organization, in June this year, they received a report from an outside party and found that they had falsely reported the number of staff at a total of nine children's clubs and children's centers entrusted by Shinjuku Ward.
As for the cause, the business association announced that the background is a labor shortage.
Shinjuku City suspended the appointment of the business corporation for nine months due to non-fulfillment of the contract.
However, some of the after-school clubs in the city have been entrusted to the corporation for nearly 6 years, and the ward has decided to continue the operation of the after-school club to the corporation until the end of this fiscal year in consideration of the impact on children.
The designated management of the operation of the children's center will be canceled by the end of October.
Similar cases can be found in Adachi Ward and Arakawa Ward, Tokyo.
In addition, subsequent investigations by the business organization found similar cases in Adachi Ward, Arakawa Ward, Itabashi Ward, and Taito Ward, and each local government that received the report from the business organization confirmed it.
The organization is entrusted with the management and operation of children's halls and after-school clubs in 39 prefectures nationwide, and a third-party committee will investigate whether there are similar cases nationwide, investigate the causes, and consider measures to prevent recurrence.
The organization commented, "We would like to apologize again for the great concern and inconvenience caused to everyone."
Tokyo's Shinjuku City suspends the appointment of the corporation
According to the Shinjuku City Children and Families Support Division, the organization was entrusted with 13 projects related to children, including the operation of after-school clubs and the management of children's centers in the city.
However, in June this year, there was information from the outside that there was a shortage of staff at the children's club, and when Shinjuku City investigated, it reported that the staff who were not actually engaged in the work report were listed as engaged, and among the employees whose names were listed on the shift on the day of the survey, It was confirmed that there were personnel who were not actually engaged.
After that, it was confirmed that false reports about staffing had been made at a total of nine locations, including six children's clubs and three children's centers operated and managed by the corporation.
In response to this, Shinjuku City has suspended the appointment of business organizations and revoked the designation of children's halls and other services.
The operation and management by the corporation will be until October 6 for children's halls and community exchange centers, and until March 6 for after-school clubs and after-school children's plazas, after which the operation and management will be handed over to newly recruited businesses.
The number of people who want to use after-school clubs is increasing year by year, but on the other hand, it is difficult to secure human resources
According to the Children and Family Agency, the number of people who wish to use after-school children's clubs, so-called after-school children's clubs, was about 5.1 million as of May 145 this year, and is increasing year by year against the backdrop of the increase in dual-income families.
In children's clubs, two or more instructors are assigned to approximately 40 children, but there are many non-regular employees regardless of whether they work full-time or not, and it is difficult to secure human resources because the employment environment is not stable.
In addition, an increase in the burden on staff is also an issue as the number of users increases, and the Children and Family Agency will consider increasing subsidies for operating expenses when full-time staff are assigned in order to improve the workplace environment and secure human resources.