department of Social welfare and community development
Elijah Kweku Atta Quansah
Head of Social Welfare and Comm. Development
The Department of Social Welfare and Community Development is made up of two units under the Local Government Service instrument, 2009 (L.I 1961) namely Social Welfare and Community Development.
Its mandate is to work in partnership with people in their communities
to improve their social and economic wellbeing through promoting development with equity for the disadvantaged, vulnerable and the excluded.
Social Welfare unit is made up of the following sections:
1. Child and Family Welfare programme.
2. Justice Administration programme.
3. Community Care programme.
Community Development Unit is made up of the following sections/programmes
- Adult Education.
- Home Science Extension/Local Economic Development.
- Extension Services section.
GENERAL SERVICES PROVIDED UNDER THE SOCIAL WELFARE UNIT
The following services are provided under the Unit:
UNDER CHILD AND FAMILY WELFARE PROGRAMME:
- General case work/management which includes mediation in child custody, paternity, maintenance cases, family reconciliation, child abuse, Non-Maintenance cases etc.
- Provide alternative care for children without parental care.
- Supervise, monitor and facilitate the Registration of Day Care Centres.
- Conduct Social Investigations Reports in favour of abandoned children, orphans, abused children, victims of trafficking and child labour as and when required.
- Engage in family tracing of missing children and stranded people and assist in family reunification/reintegration and settlement of such people.
- Engage in public sensitisation on child rights and protection.
- Rescue, Rehabilitate and Reintegrate victims of Trafficking in Persons (TIPs).
- Support, and handle domestic violence cases and spousal abuse.
- Work with street children and their families in the removal, Rehabilitating and their Reintegration.
- To investigate, protect and promote the right of children in the district.
UNDER JUSTICE ADMINSTARTION:
- Provide probation services to juveniles and families.
- Make representation at the Juvenile and Family Tribunal courts.
- To prepare and submit Social Enquiry Reports to Court (Family Tribunal and Juvenile Court) upon request.
- Ensure the establishment of child panels in the district.
- Liase with police, hospitals and prepare Social Investigation Reports for Regional Social Welfare office in favour of missing, abandoned or vulnerable children.
- Undertake probation and prison after care services.
UNDER COMMUNITY CARE PROGRAMME:
- Identify, Register and keep update data on Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).
- Assist in the rehabilitation of PWDs and promote job placement
- Facilitate skills training programmes for PWDs.
- Facilitate the implementation of the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) program.
- Inspect, supervise and monitor residential facilities and shelters for abused persons and the elderly.
- Conduct and write social investigation report for the purposes of licensing and compliance of the National standards for residential homes.
- Conduct physical, medical and psychosocial need assessment for vulnerable groups.
- Offer psychosocial counselling to affected persons with disabilities and HIV-AIDS and their families etc.
- Provide hospital welfare services.
- Assistance to destitute, psychiatry patients and stranded people.
- Undertake sensitization and social education on social problems.
- Supervise and monitor the implementation of Social Intervention. programmes eg. School feeding programme, Gender activities etc.
- Supervise, monitor and facilitate the Registration of NGOs and CBOs within the district.
- Intervene in cases of children in Worst Forms of Child Labour.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT UNIT
- To embark on Adult Education programmes.
- Undertake community entry processes for programme initiation, monitoring and evaluation.
- Hold community briefing sessions on the role of the Assemblies and its Departments with key stakeholders and community members.
- Identify, maintain and update data on various groups in the community
- Conduct community needs assessment.
- Conduct community surveys and compile profiles.
- Assist in the mobilization of resources for community development interventions.
- Mobilise community members for communal labour and self-help projects.
- Teach women home management, child care and entrepreneurial skills
- Provide technical support to development partners.
- Facilitate the roll out of the child protection tool kits through community engagement and dialogue.
- Home visits and reinstatement of school drop outs in school.
- To advocate for group formation on economic and social ventures.