The activities carried out under this programme includes; inspection of Akwadum Orphanage Home, inspection of day care centers, handling of maintenance cases, handling case work with families and collection of Maintenance fee on behalf of clients.
5.2 INSPECTION OF DAY CARE CENTERS
The Children Act, Act 560 of 1998 Part VII Sub Part II mandate the department to inspect the various Day care centers within the municipality. During the quarter under review the department monitored the activities of four (4) day care centers were within the municipality. They include; Frihands Educational Complex, Wood word School, sandy school and Solomon School.
In the course of the monitoring, officers noticed a number of issues including non-renewal of certificates, unkept environment among others.
The team sensitized the children and the teachers on hygiene and the need to adhere to all the safety precautions.
The Department charged various proprietors/tresses of the inspected schools to adhere to the standard operation of the Department of Social Welfare to avoid closure of the Day Care Centers within the municipality.
5.3 CASE WORK WITH FAMILIES
Eight (8) cases were reported during the quarter under review. They were resolved successfully.
Breakdown of the cases were as follows;
- Non- maintenance cases – 3
- Child abuse case – 1
- Child Neglect – 1
- Child Abandonment -1 an epileptic child was abandoned in an uncompleted building.
- Defilement -2 referred to Dovvsu.
5.3.1 WORK WITH FAMILIES
| NATURE OF CASE | B/F | NEW | Total | SUCCESSFULLY HANDLED | REFERRED TO COURT | WITHDRAWN | Total | Pending |
| Maintenance | 3 | 3 | 3 | – | – | |||
| Paternity | ||||||||
| Custody | ||||||||
| Family Welfare | ||||||||
| Child Welfare | – | – | ||||||
| Others | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 referred to Dovssu | ||||
| Total | 8 | 8 | 6 | 2 | – |
6.0 HOSPITAL WELFARE/ MEDICAL SOCIAL WORK
This report covers the services that were undertaken by the Department of Social Welfare in collaboration with the St. Joseph Hospital, Effiduase – Koforidua to clients who needed them for their existence. These services embodied the Core Programs of the Department in the hospital environment for the survival of man. These services include;
- Counseling / Social education to patients and their significant others
- Contact with relative
- Assisting clients in collecting salaries / entitlement etc.
- Advise on disability
- Recommendation for undertakings
- Absconded patients
- Recommendation for pauper burial
- Assistance to the needy
- Referral cases to DSW staff
- Counseling and reintegration of psychiatric patients
- Discharged of relatives
- Miscellaneous assistance
- Subsistence/travel & transport
- Referral cases to community health for supervision
- Community /foster are arranged
- Discharged to CDI or institutional care
- Supplied clothing
- Home visits
The report also highlights the organizational details, achievements and challenges of the unit in relation to the programs performance.
OBJECTIVES: To assist clients to overcome or cope with their medico-social challenges using preventive and curative approaches.
SUMMARY REPORT
Total number of cases handled 68
Total number of completed cases 68
Total number of cases pending- NIL
REPORT DETAILS / PROGRAM PERFORMANCE
To achieve the Department’s objectives, the under listed programs were pursued at the hospital during the quarter under review.
During this quarter, sixty-eight (68) cases were handled. Out of this number, fifty-one (51) male and seventeen (17) female clients were attended to. The breakdown is as follows
| NO. | SERVICES RENDERED | MALE | FEMALE | TOTAL | |
|
|
Counseling of patients and relatives | 22 | 8 | 30 | |
| 2. | Medico social report written | 5 | 2 | 7 | |
| 3. | Contact with relatives/tribal head/employer | 8 | 4 | 12 | |
| 4. | Recommendation for free treatment | – | – | – | |
| 5. | Assisted to pay bills | 2 | – | 2 | |
| 6. | Discharged to CDI or institutional care | – | – | – | |
| 7. | Community/foster are arranged | – | – | – | |
| 8. | Referred to community health for supervision | – | – | – | |
| 9. | Supplied clothing | – | – | – | |
| 10. | Referred to other agencies | 2 | – | 2 | |
| 11. | Collection of salaries etc. | 4 | – | 4 | |
| 13. | Subsistence/travel & transport | – | – | – | |
| 14. | Advice on disability | 6 | 2 | 8 | |
| Dead Persons | |||||
| 15. | Relatives traced for collection and burial | – | – | ||
| 16. | Recommended for pauper burial | – | – | ||
| HIV/STD Cases | |||||
| 19. | Discharged of relatives | – | – | ||
| 20. | Discharged to other institution/home etc | – | – | ||
| 21. | Contact tracing (std) | – | – | ||
| 22. | Undertaking to pay m/bills | 1 | – | 1 | |
| 23. | Tracing Absconded Patients | – | – | ||
| 24. | Referred to DSW field staff | – | – | ||
| 25. | Counseling and reintegration of psychiatric patients | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 26. | Home visits | – | – | ||
| 27. | Others (specify) | ||||
| TOTAL | 51 | 17 | 68 | ||
Counseling / Social Education with clients and significant others
Thirty (30) Clients/Patients and their caregivers were educated and counseled on their treatment processes and their financial obligations. The caregivers were informed that the deposits made were not the final payments. They are to commence mobilizing for funds ahead of time to enable them settle the medical bills after the patients are discharged.
This information is usually given to patients and their caregivers as soon as they are admitted to prevent misunderstanding and frustration after the patient is discharged.
Contact with relatives / Significant others
Social workers during their daily rounds at the wards contacted twelve (12) relatives of clients/patients through home visit. The relatives were encouraged and appealed to support the clients/ patients financially and emotionally.
Advice on Disability
Eight (8) male and female clients/patients were counseled by the unit before the surgical intervention as well as the prognosis.
Series of counseling sessions was held to help him understand that he could still live a normal live with artificial aids and that disability is not inability.
Assisted to collect salaries / Entitlement
Four (4) male and female clients/ patients were assisted in several ways. Some were accompanied to withdraw money from the bank. This is to enable them settle their medical bills and other expenses at the hospital. Payment of medical bills was done for those who are not having caregivers or relatives by them.
Undertaking
The unit recommended undertaking for no client during the third quarter under review.
5.0 CHALLENGES/ CONSTRAINTS
- Inadequate Logistics for personnel to perform duties.
- Most clients/patients are unable to honor the promises after the endorsement of the undertaking forms.
6.0 CONCLUSION / RECOMMENDATION:
In spite of the above-mentioned challenges, the unit made some achievements as indicated under the core programs. If funds are allocated to solve the problems of the needy, support the vulnerable, can improve upon their performances. The following items listed below should also consider;
- Emergency fund must be allocated to the Department to handle emergency cases.
- Workshops should be organized for staff to update their skills and competencies.
- Adequate office desk for officers should be provided.
7.0 CONCLUSION
During the year, some of the activities and programmes earmarked to be implemented were not executed due to the continuous bottlenecks posed by lack of funds. With enthused and adequate staffing of the Unit, making funds available will enhance the execution of most of its programmes and activities.