Commentary

Role of Social Workers in Democratic Development

By Fred Boasiako Antwi, Social Commentator

March 15, each year is observed globally as Social Work Day. The day is considered an important milestone in the lives of Social Workers worldwide. A social worker is a professional who helps individuals and families improve their quality of life by ensuring access to basic needs such as food, shelter and safety. They work to achieve better lives for their clients by analyzing the environment, relationships, systems and policies that impact lives. The practice and profession of social work has a relatively modern and scientific origin, [ and is generally considered to have developed out of three strands. The first was individual casework, a strategy pioneered by the Charity Organization Society in the mid-19th century, which was founded by Helen Bosanquet and Octavia Hill in London.

Most historians identify COS as the pioneering organization of the social theory that led to the emergence of social work as a professional occupation. The second was social administration, which included various forms of poverty reliefs which had its roots in the English Poor Laws of the 17th century. The third consisted of social action with emphasis placed on political action working through the community to improve social conditions and thereby alleviate poverty.

The affected people, particularly, women, children, the aged and the invalid among others rely heavily on social workers for safety and protection. That is why the theme for this year, ‘Co-building a New Eco-Social World: Leaving No One Behind’ is timely and on point. In Ghana, Social Work since the 1940s ranked as one of the early professions in Ghana and has since been entrenched into the social structure of the Ghanaian society.

Social work promotes social change and the liberation of individuals and groups to enhance wellbeing utilizing theories of human behavior and social systems and relying heavily on the principles of human rights and social justice. From the above perspectives, it became imperative for leading social workers to rally those engaged in social work to approach their work with a sense of vocation which results only from a dedication to a profession with a concise code of ethics. The Ghana Association of Social Workers is a body corporate limited by guarantee and comprises trained and practicing social workers from all fields of the social work profession. It is a member of the International Federation of Social Workers headquartered in Bern-Switzerland and has served on various committees at the national and international levels.

Social work continues to be an incredibly challenging profession with high-stress levels in the workplace, excessive caseloads, the challenges of hot-desking, covering for colleagues who are sick and tiring procedures and timescales. These challenges according to the GASAW impede the progress of their work. Factors such as poverty, cuts in mental health services, a fragmented system of care and lack of affordable or suitable long-term housing solutions are major issues that have a corrosive effect on professionals’ resilience as they work to promote change without adequate support at a political or economic level. Most often, social workers face challenges, such as inadequate funding, lack of professional staff, among others. In Ghana, the day is being marked with focus on Promoting Diversity in the Power of Social Action. This call is timely due to the current challenges the country is facing.

From economic, political to social, it is clear that action needs to be taken now to save the country from further destruction, particularly for the poor and vulnerable. Gallant social workers have to be commended for their hard work and sense of duty to make the world a better place for humanity, particularly the vulnerable in society. The important role of social work was evident during the explosion that occurred at Apiatse, where the invaluable services of kinsmen and women helped in comforting the affected victims. This year’s World Social Work Day is being celebrated at a time when compatriots in Ukraine are going through difficult times. The invasion of Ukraine has triggered humanitarian problems where the services of social workers are crucial to the overall survival not only of the two countries in the war but the world as a whole.

This is why the theme is a call to societies to ensure equitable distribution of resources in a fair manner to all manner of people irrespective of race, sexual and religious orientation or social status. This places a huge responsibility on social workers worldwide to educate societies to eradicate discrimination and social injustice in any shape or form. Social workers have the duty to remind humanity that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.