In a momentous gathering held at Kempinski, Accra, the Department of Social Welfare, Ghana, under the auspices of the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection (MoGCSP), convened a National Symposium on Tuesday, March 19, to mark the 2024 World Social Work Day.
Themed “Professionalisation of Social Work Practice: A Shared Future for Ghana’s Transformative Change,” the symposium aimed to underscore the importance of professionalizing social work practice and its profound impact on societal development. It served as a platform for knowledge exchange, fostering dialogue among social services professionals, and advocating for increased investment in their professional growth to bolster their effectiveness.
Dr. Comfort Asare, Director of the Department of Social Welfare, conveyed gratitude to UNICEF Ghana and USAID for their instrumental support in crafting legislation to regulate social work practice, ensuring alignment with international standards and garnering policymakers’ attention. She emphasized the pivotal role of professional training in elevating the quality of social services and preventing the recruitment of unqualified personnel.
Addressing the audience, Dr. Augustina Naami, Head of the Department of Social Work at the University of Ghana, underscored the significance of providing social workers with comprehensive education, training, licensure, and ethical guidelines. She called upon the government and stakeholders to furnish the requisite resources to empower social workers to fulfil their duties effectively.
Madam Lucia Soleti, Chief of Child Protection at UNICEF Ghana, urged social workers to advocate passionately for the professionalization of their field, envisioning a future wherein it yields high-quality services tailored to the needs
