The Development of Social Welfare Policy Flashcards
What does social welfare entail?
Social welfare includes helping those in need, actions and resources to improve or promote the well-being of people, families, and society as a whole, and wide attempts to eliminate or minimise the prevalence of social issues.
What is the history of social welfare?
The history of social welfare involves the growth of charity acts, social reform movements, and non-profit or public social services aimed at benefiting individuals, families, and citizens. Religious beliefs have often driven charitable efforts, inspiring reformers with compassion, ethics, and a sense of justice.
This foundation supported movements such as abolition and temperance, with religious groups playing a major role in social change and humanitarian aid.
The development of Social Policy in the former British Caribbean territories was influenced by several factors: their historical legacy; the local stimuli (e.g. civil revolts) and the international programs of the developmental partners.
What are the several factors that influence social policy?
—–Social Sectors: Health, Education, Water and Sanitation, Housing
——Social Insurance: Pensions, unemployment benefits, disability allowances
——–Social Protection: Food Subsidies, targeted safety nets (e.g. public works projects, supplementary feeding, income transfers)
———Social Services: Care for vulnerable groups (e.g. people with disabilities, elderly people, orphans and other children in need of protection)
——–Social Rights: Child Labour, women’s rights, labour codes
What is a community in terms of community development?
Community is the structure of relationships through which a localised population meets its daily requirements
Community is the amalgamation of different units or sub-systems that jointly work towards achievement of community goals.
What are the characteristics of a community
Has one or morerolesthat define its identity within society.
Has a set of goals - provides a sense of direction.
Is organised within a set of formal/informal beliefs, values, expectations and behaviours that defines the boundary of the community.
The boundary may be explicit (physical) or implicit (defined by the shared characteristics of its members).
Has ownership of it’s members.
There is some form of communication between members.… Has skills and resources that are shared between the members.… Balance the needs of the community with the needs of its members.… Often has clubs, teams, groups etc. within the community.
Sybil Francis
COMMUNITY SOCIAL WORK PIONEER IN JAMAICA
From 1940-1962 she worked with the Government of Jamaica as a pioneer social welfare officer, undertaking a variety of community development programmes in rural land settlement areas and housing development projects.
Three of the pioneers who helped to shape the community development programme in Jamaica are
Eddie Burke, Arthur Carney, and the late Thom Girvan
Role of a community social worker
The role of a community social worker is to unite members of these groups to work toward a common goal, so the community can function effectively.
