Social Services - Seychelles

Social services support for women in Seychelles

The Social Services Division has the responsibility to promote the well-being of children, families, disabled persons and persons placed on probation orders. The Social Services Division is made up of the following sections:

• Legal Services & Child Protection
• Community Social Work and Family Support Unit
• Monitoring and Compliance Section

Overall Objectives of the Division

• Maintenance of society
• Restoration of social functioning
• Empowerment
• Alleviate social problems
• Improve quality of life
• Provide social services
• Mediation

Legal Services and Child Protection Section

• Identify foster and adoptive parents.
• Arrange placements in foster homes following investigations.
• Facilitate the adoption process.
• Undertake investigation and provide reports to the Courts and the Family Tribunal in relation to: custody, access, maintenance, guardianship, adoption, interdicted minor’s property and interdicted disabled adult’s property amongst others.
• Provide guidance and counseling to parties regarding children’s issues.
• Collaboration with overseas partners in relation to investigation cases for courts and family tribunal.
• Investigation into reports of alleged abuse on children.
• Work with children and their families by providing services to dysfunctional families to restore social functioning.
• Counsel, support and guide children and their families.
• Empower children to protect themselves.
• Protect abused children and those who are at risk of harm through clear intervention plans.
• Conduct preventive work regarding abuse of children.
• Register children who are at risk of abuse.
• Work in close collaboration and in partnership with child local and international protection partners.

Community Social Work Section

• Maintain society and alleviate social problems by providing the necessary assistance.
• Safeguard the interest of the weak and vulnerable groups.
• Assist individuals and groups to restore their social functioning.
• Provide support and counselling to families and children in the community.
• Cooperate with other community resources in the education of individuals and families with regard to social forces which affect them.
• Provide support for the elderly.
• Counsel families to take responsibility and care for their elderly parents.
• Empower service users to better fulfil their potentials.

Family Support Unit

• Provide social enquiry reports and other services to the Courts in criminal cases
• Counsel and work with at risk adults.
• Provide support and counseling to families in difficulty.
• Mediate in cases of spousal conflict and relationship problems.
• Provide social casework investigation, reports and other services to the Courts and Family Tribunal.
• Offer support to homeless people.

Monitoring and Compliance Section

· Assure the suitability of people wanting to work with children in line with the regulations.

· Ensure that stakeholders and employing organisations, non-government organisations exercise due diligence to safeguard children.

· Engage in processing formalities to screen potential candidates and people working in child related field.

· Monitor and inspect children’s care homes to ensure that implementation of the minimum sets of standards that embody the best interest of the child principle.*

*The monitoring and compliance section act as an independent review and body to ensure that compliance concerns within child related service providers or stakeholders are in accordance with the regulation.

*All of the above services apart from the Legal section are available at the Praslin and La Digue offices. Social workers from Mahe travel to La Digue and Praslin to handle legal cases on the two islands.

Some useful contact numbers

☑ Social Affairs Department/ Social Services- (00248) 4281500

☑ Principal Secretary Social Services – (00248) 4281623

☑ Director Social Services- (00248) 4281831

☑ La Digue (Social Services) - (00248) 4234140

☑ Grand Anse Praslin- (00248) 4233434

☑ Baie Ste Anne Praslin- (00248) 4232027

Contact information

Director Social Services

Unity House Block C, First Floor

Tel: (248) 4281500

Fax (248) 4225656

Social Affairs Department

P.O. Box: 190

Victoria

Tel: (248) 4281500