Social Services - Gambia
Social Services in The Gambia
Social Welfare Services:
The Government of The Gambia initiated an official Social Welfare Service in the country since prior to Independence. Records show that a single Social Welfare Officer was attached to the Ministry of Labor and Employment in 1962. Since then there has been an increase in staff strength and a shift of ministerial responsibility first to the Department of State for Education and finally to the State Department of Health and Social Welfare. They have different units, which are listed below;
The Units comprise of:
The Family Unit: By far the largest unit dealing with cases of family disputes involving maintenance, custody of and access to children, screening applications for financial assistance and providing other counselling services.
The Probation Unit: Dealing with all work connected with the Courts and covering the probation and/or aftercare for prisoners together with advocacy on behalf of juveniles in trouble with the law. Its responsibilities extended to adoption work, and other child protection matters.
The Medical Unit: Providing a service to the Royal Victoria Hospital and Campama Hospital by allocating a social worker to attend Doctors rounds and otherwise taking referrals for patients with social problems.
The Education Sponsorship Unit: Gives responsibility for co-ordination of the school sponsorship funds provided by foreign and The Gambia Government. The Unit's liaison function with the State Department for Education has developed over time with the staff working at departmental and school levels but also at the level of the individual pupils.
The National Rehabilitation Centre: Serves to demonstrate that disability should not be construed as inability. Established through the experience gained in 1981 when the Department acted as the focal point for activities marking the International Year of the Disabled. The staff works with physically disabled persons, providing mobility and orthopaedic aids. The Gambia Association for the Physically Disabled shares the premises.
The Child Care Unit intends to promote and protect the rights and welfare of children, individuals and families through service provision, awareness creation and collaboration with partners, stakeholders and the community. Children and families are supported in order to bring a positive change in their lives; empowered to be self-reliant; and encouraged to fully participate in nation building.
In order to better protect and promote the rights of children, and respond in a most adequate manner to specific situations, the Child Care Unit has been divided into two subunits: the Child Support and Juvenile Justice and the Adoption and Child Placement.
Adoption and Child Placement
The objective of the adoption and child placement sub-unit is the promotion and protection of the rights and Welfare of children, individuals and Families through service provision, awareness creation and collaboration with partners and stakeholders, to empower Children and Caregivers through capacity building and encourage their active participation on issues affecting them.
For more information about the Social Services in The Gambia, contact;
Social Welfare Department
Marina Parade, Banjul
Tel: +220 4224681 or 4228843
Other Institutions that provide Social Services include
The SOS Children’s Village in the Gambia; The Gambia - SOS Children's Villages International https://www.sos-childrensvillages.org › where-we-help › africa › gambia
Action Aid The Gambia; ActionAid the Gambia https://gambia.actionaid.org
Child Protection Alliance The Gambia;
Atlantic Road
Fajara M Section, Booster Station
TANGO Building
Kanifing Municipality, Ksmd
The Gambia, West Africa
Tel no: +220 4498154
+220 9929421