Mrs. Brennamae Cooper was named ‘Social Worker of the Year’ during the Department of Social Services and the Bahamas Association of Social Workers gala banquet this past Saturday at Le Chateau on The Green on Grand Bahama Island. Left to right in the photo are: Julita Ingraham, Chairperson for the Bahamas Association of Social Workers, Northern Chapter; Mellany Zonicle, Director, Department of Social Services; the Hon. Melanie S. Griffin, Minister of Social Services and Community Development; Mrs. and Mr. Cooper; Mrs. Paula Marshall, DSS; Lilian Quant Forbes, Deputy Director, DSS; and Dorothea Gomez, DSS. (BIS Photo/Vandyke Hepburn)

FREEPORT, Grand Bahama - Minister of Social Services and Community Development, the Hon. Melanie S. Griffin on Saturday stressed the importance of a country being able to cater to the needs of its citizens, especially the old and the young. She was in Grand Bahama speaking at a gala banquet organized by the Department of Social Services and The Bahamas Association of Social Workers, Northern Chapter.

Mrs. Griffin pointed out that there was a twofold purpose to the evening's celebration. Firstly, in September 2014, they celebrated the 50th anniversary of state-operated welfare services with a number of events to showcase the growth of welfare services since 1964, the advent of the foundation of the Department of Social Services.

That according to the Social Services Minister came about following the introduction of Ministerial Government in The Bahamas. “I am sure that you would agree with me that 50 years of existence is a significant milestone that is worthy of celebration,” she told the gathering assembled at Le Chateau on The Green.

Secondly, she advised that the month of March is being observed as Professional Social Work Month, under the theme: “Social Work Paves the Way for Change," and this is indeed evident in the growth of welfare services in The Bahamas over the past fifty years.

“So tonight, we are celebrating both the 50th Anniversary of the Department of Social Services and Social Work Month under the theme "All That Glitters is Gold."

“Ladies and gentlemen, in this world there are things that change and things that are constant. Economies expand and contract due to global events, the good times do not last forever but neither do the bad times, these changing events are inevitable. What does not change is our responsibility as humans to each other.

“The old must be taken care of because they have served their country and deserve to be rewarded. The young must be taken care of because they are the future of the society. The sick must be taken care of until they get well and can once again become productive members of society, the unemployed need assistance to be able to continue feeding their families until they can find work.

“It is the responsibility of any government to ensure that social assistance programmes are in place to address the changing needs of society and that there are competent and caring professionals to administer these services,” she stated.

Mrs. Griffin informed that the Department of Social Services, which started with just one worker some 50 years ago, now has a staff complement of just over 300 officers.

In addition to the head office and four outreach centres in New Providence, they now have offices in Grand Bahama and twelve other Family Islands. The Department's budget for this fiscal year is $40 million and the range of services provided literally covers persons from the cradle to the grave, she stated.

“Fifty years of continuous services is no small feat and this is even more so given the nature of the work of the Department of Social Services and the many roles social workers are required to play.

“Social issues today are much more complex than they were 50 years ago. The mere fact that the Department's staff complement has increased three hundred fold during this period is indicative of tremendous changes in our society and the demand for services, which caused social workers to enhance their knowledge and skills. No doubt, the next 50 years will bring about even more changes and greater demands for new and additional services,” she said.

PUBLIC CITIZEN OF THE YEAR award went to Ms. Donna McDonald. Left to right in the photo are: Julita Ingraham; Mellany Zonicle; the Hon. Melanie S. Griffin, Minister of Social Services and Community Development; Ms. McDonald; Dorothea Gomez; and Lillian Quant Forbes. (BIS Photo/Vandyke Hepburn)

The Minister went on to commend The Bahamas Association of Social Workers, Northern Chapter for its unwavering efforts in profiling the profession of social work.

“The role of the social worker is not always an easy one and it is not just a job, it is a calling and in its own right it is a Christian ministry. It requires workers to go into sometimes hostile conditions, to seek out the victims of horrible crimes such as child abuse; it requires workers to go into the courts, the hospitals, the prison, various residential care facilities, the shantytowns, the communities devastated by a disaster, and to help those who often don't even want to be helped.

“From time to time, we hear negative complaints about Social Services and social workers; how long it takes for persons to get service, the long lines, how they treat clients and what is being done and what is not being done.

“As with any organization, there may well be persons who do not represent the Department or the profession well and where these are discovered, those issues must be addressed.

“It is however my considered view, ladies and gentlemen, that social workers are among the most committed, most dedicated, most loyal and hardest working professionals in The Bahamas and they do the best they can with the resources at their disposal, she stated.

Continuing, Mrs. Griffin said she knows that much good is being done and lives are being positively impacted by the social workers and the Department of Social Services.

Indeed, she advised The Bahamas today could not exist without them, and that over the years, much has been accomplished, but they know there is still much work to be done.

“With God's help and the continued support of the public, Social Services will continue to do its part in eradicating the social ills that beset our wonderful country and to improve the lives of the most vulnerable among us.

“Many persons have served in social services over these past fifty years, and tonight we acknowledge in particular those who pioneered in Grand Bahama and several of them are here.

“We salute them for their sacrifice as no doubt it must have been very difficult in those early days to lay the foundation for what exists today.

“I am advised however that one of these persons, Mrs. Elaine Sands, who served for many years in the Department of Social Services, passed away recently. Let us have a brief moment of silence to honor her memory as a person who knew her job well and ensured that she gave the best service to all,” she stated.

Continuing, she was pleased to say that progress continues and in particular she is pleased that the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities) Act, 2014, was passed in parliament in July 2014.

According to the Cabinet Minister, several provisions of the Act were brought into force in November 2014 and in December the National Commission for Disability, which has some very specific functions under the legislation was established.

She advised that Mr. Dereck Nottage of Grand Bahama was appointed to the commission and elected as the Deputy Chairman. The Commission has been meeting regularly since January 2015.

Also, she advised that they are moving ahead with the Social Safety Net Reform Programme, which they expect to pilot in the next few months.

“This reform is intended to modernize the entire social assistance delivery machinery and will include what is known as a Conditional Cash Transfer. The Conditional Cash Transfer is used in many countries throughout the world.

“As a first phase of the reform process, we are changing the process for the delivery of food assistance and in New Providence already 2,642 beneficiaries receive their assistance by way of a reloadable prepaid card.

“The introduction of the card has made life easier for both beneficiaries and staff. As of yesterday the prepaid card has been launched at three of the four centers in New Providence and work has begun to for the implementation of the card at the final one by the end of May,” she said.

The Minister also advised that recently, a team from New Providence came to Grand Bahama to commence the ground work for the introduction of the prepaid card there and they are making preparations for the introduction of the card throughout The Bahamas.

She pointed out that these and other programmes would not be possible without our social workers, the allied support staff and non-governmental organizations.

“Again I commend all serving officers and our honorees for all of their hard work over the years. I also thank the volunteers and non-governmental organizations that have worked closely with the Department of Social Services in helping to meet our mandate to the Bahamian people.

“The preparation for the prepaid card is very extensive. Every client on the food assistance programme must be reassessed. It will mean working long hours during the day, in the evening, on weekends and sometimes on holidays,” she said