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Madam Otiko Afisa Djaba, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, has called on social workers to dedicate themselves to the service of the vulnerable to improve their lives to create a sense of belonging.

She said the social worker by training is endowed with the ability to perceive, appreciate and understand the situation of the vulnerable person, identify their needs, design needed services and facilitate the provision of requisite intervention to bring relief to them.

She said: “Where no-one fails to perceive, appreciate, and take steps to intervene in the situation of the vulnerable in the society, they tend to remain or fall prey to abusive environments that is not in their best interest.”

Madam Otiko Djaba made the call in a keynote address delivered on her behalf at the 13th annual Matriculation and 12th Graduation Ceremony of the School of Social Work, Osu in Accra on the theme: “Caring for the Vulnerable: Social Workers Stand Up!”.

She said: “Social workers are by their training endowed with the skills to perceive such circumstances in the lives of persons and take steps to address them”.

The Gender Minister said the Department of Social Welfare is undertaking care reforms which seek to professionalize social work in Ghana and develop appropriate standards for care work.

She said the Ministry has also developed the Child and Family Policy and the Justice for Children Policy to ensure the welfare of children, LEAP and other social intervention programs are there to provide protection for the vulnerable.

“In all these arrangements, the person who has been prepared to facilitate addressing the needs of the vulnerable in our community, the social worker is critical”, she added.