Towards a comprehensive national policy on social care - Part 1

By Prof. Rajiva Wijesinghe

At an informal consultation on promoting the rights of children held in September with the Secretary to the Ministry of Child Development and Women’s Empowerment in the chair, it was decided to prepare a discussion document to assist with the formulation of policy in this field. It was agreed that the care of children should be part of a comprehensive program that had, as its basic goal, the empowerment of all elements in society that needed protection and additional support.

Given the success Sri Lanka had achieved with regard to providing universal health and education in the period in which independence had been achieved, it was noted that social services had lagged behind. They had been provided in terms of the patronage approach that had governed Poor Law in Britain in the previous century.

The vulnerable were treated as a species apart, with institutionalisation and punitive measures being implemented instead of rehabilitation based on the principle of developing the potential of those who had suffered from lack of equitable opportunities.

It was decided, for the purpose of ensuring comprehensive and positive coverage of vulnerable sections of society, that coordination between the Ministries of Social Services and of Child Development and Women’s Empowerment was desirable. This should encompass regular consultation with local professionals, as well as the informed involvement of provincial agencies in terms of their responsibilities, so as to develop a truly national perspective over time.

Women and children are among the most vulnerable sections of society and mechanisms to ensure a level playing field for them are an essential part of the social services the government should provide.

At the same time, interventions for other vulnerable groups will also involve services that are particularly important for women and children, ranging from counselling to employment policies based on equity and furthering the talents and capabilities of all.

Subsequent meeting

The Secretary to the Ministry of Social Services had been away on the date of the original consultation, but had sent a representative and at a subsequent meeting together with the Secretary to the Ministry of Child Development and Women’s Rights, it was agreed that the document to be prepared should cover areas for which the Social Services Ministry was responsible.

This was the more vital inasmuch as clear guidelines with regard to the provision of social services have not been formulated, let alone entrenched.

This document will therefore outline policy suggestions and guidance for delivering a social care system that provides care equally for all, while enabling people to retain their independence, control and dignity.

It is also necessary, given that social services and rehabilitation, including probation and child care services are devolved subjects, whereas national policy in this as well as other areas remains the responsibility of the Central Government, to suggest guidelines for effective action. In formulating policy, with due consultation of local concerns, the State must also ensure its fulfilment, while strengthening local mechanisms to undertake day-to-day implementation. Monitoring is essential for this purpose, as well as training for satisfactory delivery of services on a consistent basis.

While State responsibility to intervene, subject to limitations to protect individual freedom and independence, must be established, standards for social care and protection must be disseminated to the community as well as responsible officials, without provincial variations. Coordination between the centre and provinces is essential to establish a satisfactory monitoring mechanism and an evidence base which is continuously updated. This should be accompanied by a national commitment to address resource gaps between provinces in the provision of social services, as this is vital to avoid provincial variations.

Structures

The Ministry of Child Development and Women’s Empowerment is responsible for policy with regard to the holistic development of children. This includes protection and the strengthening of the rights of children. It also includes ensuring that services provided to children are of the highest standard possible, on the basis of the best interests of the child.

A key responsibility of the Ministry relates to the most vulnerable children, who need a multi-sectoral response. This should extend to outreach and social work with communities. Such activities lie beyond the sectoral mandates of the Ministries of Health and Education, so the duties of the MCDWE should supplement the work of those Ministries and contribute to holistic development for all children.

Responsibility would relate to both policy and implementation levels. At policy level there should be harmonisation and coordination of policies coupled with a sustainable process of resource mobilisation. The Ministry must promote wide consultation and ensure that national policy reflects the actual consensus of all stakeholders. It is only a shared commitment that can be effectively implemented.

Implementation level includes monitoring and improving the work of other agencies involved. A long-term human resource policy must be in place to ensure proper schemes of recruitment, institutionalised training and conditions of service that facilitate quality services for all children, without limitations or omissions because of insufficient monitoring to ensure universality.

Protection is provided at present through the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) as well as the Probation Department. The mandate of the NCPA makes it an apex and umbrella body which must work to unite all Governmental and non-governmental services within a rights-based agenda.

Given the responsibilities that both institutions have in common, such as the implementation of the mechanism to prevent secondary victimisation, which require communication and cooperation, it would make sense to combine the NCPA and the Probation Department at national level into one agency, with responsibility to:

* Develop a continuous monitoring system that tracks the progress of all children taken under State care as a protective measure. Such real time tracking should also be a strategy for moving into community-based tracking of other children at risk who may need State intervention if not helped initially through effective preventive measures:

* Lay down guidelines for protection and enforce them;

* Liaise with all relevant provincial authorities including probation departments to ensure conformity with guidelines, while sharing information and encouraging innovation and added support within the framework prescribed;

* Ensure provision of technical support, including psycho-social support at all levels in collaboration with the FHB, Mental Health Division and HIV/AIDS, youth and disabled units of the Ministry of Health;

* Monitor the work of social care centres and women and children’s units at divisional secretariat level, and promote coordination with other agencies of government, including in particular the women and children’s desks of police stations.

In making institutional changes to enhance commitment and efficiency with regard to child protection, it is desirable to:

* Create a new vision that responds to the real needs of children and families;
* Lay down a clear and practical policy mandate with accountability which will not be lost through forays into service delivery.

* Linkages with central ministries and provincial bodies must be guaranteed by the use of suitable public officers who can actualise multi-disciplinary networking;

* Ensure strong community representation and linkages;
* Harmonise staff into suitable positions, grades and salary scales.

The other institution within the Ministry is the Children’s Secretariat. Currently, this concentrates on children under the age of 5, but its responsibilities should be extended to cover all children. Though responsibility for aspects of child development will remain with other government agencies, which provide education and health, the Children’s Secretariat should promote children’s rights in the fullest sense, and ensure holistic development. Its officials should liaise with officials at divisional level to monitor progress and satisfactory delivery of all services, along with conformity to national standards. In particular, there should be regular contact with officials of the Ministries of Health and Education to develop guidelines for action and appropriate areas for intervention.

Family and community

All agencies should work in conformity with the principle that the family and the community are central to the well-being of children. Mechanisms to ensure involvement of the community in child protection and development must be developed, with constant consultation and responsiveness to needs.

Space must be provided for the relatively deprived to meet, analyse their own issues and identify possible solutions. Encouragement of alternative service provisions should be pursued while ensuring conformity with national standards. Local and sustainable family support measures like fostering, day care and other ways that the community can help each other to raise children must be promoted. It would also make sense to fix case loads for officials, to avoid overload. Coordination of the team in each division might be enhanced if different geographical areas of responsibility were allocated to each within the division. It should be emphasised that this would be for monitoring purposes, whereas professional interventions should be under the guidance of the official with technical competence. Thus, for a select number of Grama Niladhari Divisions, the Probation Officer could liaise with the Grama Niladhari and the local community, but would draw the attention of the Child Development Officer to cases of children whose development was adversely affected, and that of the Women Development Officer to problems concerning women in need.

The following duties were recommended for members of Women and Children’s Units at Divisional Secretariats:

(Early) Childhood Development Officer (the word ‘Early’ to be omitted)

* To ensure that health and nutrition requirements are monitored as recommended by the Ministry of Health;

* To ensure that pre-school facilities are available, and to monitor the qualifications and input of staff;

* To liaise with primary schools to ensure schooling for all, and recommend mechanisms to address the needs of children with learning disabilities;

* To liaise with education officials to ensure that teacher cadre are filled and students in all areas have access to quality teaching in all subjects;

* To liaise with principals to promote extra-curricular activities in schools, and the development of skills and attitudes that will support the child when entering the world of work;

* To monitor the facilities available in schools and liaise with relevant authorities to ensure satisfactory physical plant (availability of water and toilets and playgrounds in particular), teacher availability, and extra-curricular activities;

* To promote involvement of the community in the development of children, and in particular to encourage accountability to the community of service providers;

* To encourage community support for extra-curricular activities and leisure activities for children.

Probation Officer

* To support children involved in Court action, and ensure progress of cases to minimise harm to children (see the suggestions of procedures to be followed, to ensure continuing attention to the well-being of such children);

* To monitor the welfare of children in care, and in particular ensure that children’s homes adhere to required standards through a regular inspection and reporting routine;

* To develop awareness in the community as well as among those with responsibility for children in care, whether in homes or through foster parent schemes, of the needs of children and the responsibilities of society towards them;

* To liaise with schools to investigate cases of dropouts, and take remedial action including counselling as required, of both children and parents;

* To promote appropriate education and training for children in care, with alternatives leading to productive employment for children who miss out on regular schooling;

* To promote involvement of the community in the protection of children.

Child rights protection/NCPA Officer

* To monitor, including through village level vulnerability indices, the situation of single parents and provide support for the needs of young children;

* To liaise with school authorities and ensure mechanisms to protect children from abuse and remedial action, including psycho-social support, as required;

* To raise awareness with regard to threats to physical and emotional well-being, and ensure availability of counselling and support services as required;

* To monitor, including through village level vulnerability Indices, the situation of children at risk of neglect or abuse and provide appropriate support;

* To receive reports from the above officials, as well as Police Women and Children’s Desks, and recommend appropriate action to improve the service, including training and better coordination with other agencies;

* To liaise with divisional authorities in the health and education sectors to ensure adequate services for all areas in the Division;

* To ensure the availability of competent counsellors and adequate psycho-social support at required levels;

* To raise awareness among officials and the community as to the rights of children and potential threats;

* To ensure involvement of the community in the promotion of the well-being and the rights of children;

* To coordinate work in Grama Niladhari Divisions, through allocation of specific responsibilities for geographical areas to all members of the team, with provision for collating information and ensuring provision of professional support as required.

Women Development Officer

* To monitor, including through village level vulnerability indices, the situation of women in need, and provide and facilitate support as needed;

* To encourage the development of women’s groups that will provide support as required, while also encouraging productive employment and self-reliance;

* To promote appropriate training, including in soft skills and personality development, that will facilitate appropriate employment as well as entrepreneurship;

* To help in the establishment of women’s cooperatives, and obtaining micro-credit as required to develop local initiatives.

General guidelines

In setting the units up, it would be useful to examine the way social care centres have functioned to build on the experience gained. There is an operations manual that can be used as a benchmark to assess the procedures adopted and some service user research to understand the difference between the DS Office and the SCC in fulfilling the needs and the rights of the people.

It would be important to promote joint ownership of this emergent model between the Ministries of Social Welfare and of Child Development, with officials of the former also being active members of the units.

The resource commitment of the Government must be clear-cut and made known to the community. There should be no possibility of erosion of the support available. Technical gaps that prevail in the work of the SCC must be narrowed by developing models and setting up partnerships between academics and practitioners. The model must also be promoted and officer profiles developed so that working in it will be attractive to diploma holders and graduates of social work. The public image of the social work professional must also be raised. Tools like family group conferencing and case conferencing must be strengthened and brought up to international standards.

To be continued