Social workers in Telde are facing significant disruption as they relocate following the closure of their previous office at Plaza de San Juan. After being moved to an open-plan workspace at El Cubillo, they are now being proposed another move to the Casa de la Juventud, a building that staff believe is unsuited for public service.
Mayor Juan Antonio Peña ordered the evacuation of the San Juan site at the beginning of October, citing warnings from health and safety officials that the facility was not suitable for public use. Staff members argue that these issues had been known for nearly two years.
The abrupt move, enforced on 2 October, required around 30 employees to begin packing almost overnight, with removal trucks arriving days later.
Currently, social workers are working in a shared space at El Cubillo with no private areas for consultations. The situation has forced the team to handle client interactions solely over the phone since the San Juan office closed permanently last Thursday. Workers are frustrated, stating they struggle to find adequate facilities for clients, particularly those facing homelessness or domestic violence.
With the local population of about 105,000, Telde has only eleven social workers, creating a worker-to-resident ratio of more than 9,000 people per professional, far exceeding the recommended ratio of one social worker for every 1,700 residents.
The council’s social services department requested an entire floor at El Cubillo, but the mayor’s office plans to shift the registration and public attention services to the Casa de la Juventud instead. Staff members have raised concerns about moving to this older building, which has issues such as dampness and structural problems.
The local UGT union recently highlighted these concerns in a public statement, demanding a technical safety and accessibility evaluation of the Casa de la Juventud before proceeding with the move.
Despite the need for a new location, staff stress that they seek a space that meets basic standards. The previous office had significant maintenance issues, including leaks and fire hazards. Employees have expressed their dissatisfaction with the ongoing situation, noting that the council has had ample time to secure a suitable alternative.
In a prior interview, Mayor Peña indicated that the future of social services at San Juan would depend on its renovation, promising that new facilities would prioritise safety and privacy for residents when completed.
