In a call to action on World Social Work Day, Sharon-Rose Gittens, the president of the Barbados Association of Professional Social Workers (BAPSW), has urged a collaborative and holistic approach to tackle the complex social issues plaguing the nation’s youth.
She told the BAPSW’s inaugural social work conference at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre (LESC) on World Social Work Day, entitled Buen Vivir”: Living Good Social Work, that addressing delinquency and other challenges requires not just social workers, but a broader coalition of professionals and community members.
Highlighting the evolution of social work in Barbados, Gittens noted: “Some years ago on World Social Work Day, we had flagged the importance of having social workers in schools, and the first step had been volunteers but then it has been extended to include paid social workers and that has grown. Clearly we are very much concerned with the delinquency in the youth, and what can be done by retooling ourselves to respond.”
Gittens emphasised that social work and its workers must continue to evolve and sharpen their skills, as societal issues continue to become more complex.
She said: “I would say it’s more evolving; as society changes over time we want to equip persons to be able to deal with those changes. We have been doing that, but at the same time, you recognise we really cannot do it on our own. You have the social worker, but you also need the nurse, you need the guidance counsellor, you need also the man in the street, the community worker, and you definitely need the engagement of the church.”
The veteran welfare officer noted that parents play a key role in some of the issues being seen, but also drew attention to the overlooked challenges of bereavement and loss among children, who often grow up in difficult situations with only one close relative to rely on.
“Children don’t stand by themselves, and I really would like to emphasise this. It’s not the only child, let’s also think in terms of parenting. Parenting not only in the household but the parent that is absent from that household, so when you think of the young person, think about that young person who may have also lost a granny,” she said. “I don’t think we have done enough in terms of bereavement, and children would say that this particular family who they were close to has died. Who has dealt with their grief?
“So there are issues of bereavement, there are issues of loss, there are issues of separation, but the child is still a child in a household, or family, or community, that [can] help to build that child.”
Other critical factors such as drug use, mental health issues, and household instability were highlighted as contributing to social decay, making it imperative to have a robust support system in place.
Looking ahead, Gittens called for enhanced collaboration within social work: “Realistic expectations knowing the climate which we are in, I can say our expectations really are for us to grow together [with] greater collaboration, greater partnership, greater engagement in our activities.”
(SB)
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