The Social Workers Association of Ghana has highlighted the number of challenges facing the department of social welfare.
A statement issued by the association to mark this year’s World Social Workers Day, the association said “Social work is not all that valued in Ghana. It is not given the special position it deserves.
“Everyone is placed to do the work, pastors, friends and family, all takes up the job which is supposed to be handled professionally by social workers.”
–Lack of opportunity to work:
Some social work students end up been employed in different fields. And the tendency to take any body from any field train them for 2-3 weeks and taken as social workers make the few recognized job/positions for social workers occupied by unqualified staffs.
– lack of resources
With all the social workers ideas, without resources they become desk job workers as seem in many governmental institutions. You need to go to the field and without resources, that won’t be possible.
No vehicles, nor motor bikes for field work for instance imagine you have been called to rescue a trafficked child or abandoned baby.
No vehicle to move quickly to the scene and if you mange to get there, how you will convey the victim to the appropriate place for safety is another issue.
This issue of “Resources ” are our rights but rights and must be provided by the government to make our work easier for us for effective service delivery to the society.
Sensitization
One of our works as social workers is sensitization to tell people about social work. Social workers are not always acknowledged as social workers.
Even teachers and nurses who learn social work come out not as hospital social workers or teachers social workers but as their normal professions.
– Legislative advocacy
Advocating in the legislative arena for the recognition and gradual inclusion of social workers in fields that calls for them. And every field needs the service of a social worker. If it is the schools or hospitals they need us, if it is the companies and industries they need us, social workers are not limited to the social welfare offices and NGOs as we currently seeing in Ghana.
-Proliferation of the profession by non- social workers
Some institutions take up some of the activities social workers do without referring them to we the professional social workers since they see it as what they can easily handle.
Institutions like CHRAJ, the Police and in some cases, nurses try to handle issues that are purely for social workers. Also, some radio and tv stations are also added to the list.
In conclusion, the government must draw his attention to the profession and give the necessary support needed to function properly to instill peace in communities and family.
Everyone needs a social worker to survive.
The government must listen to us and professionalize our profession to take the shape it deserves.