Minister looks for a new start with social services
(CNS): Focus and coordination are the new goals at the Ministry of Community Affairs and Housing says the minister Mike Adam as he aims to empower communities in the Cayman Islands. Poverty reduction; improving parenting skills; stemming negative societal trends such as drug abuse, and streamlining services to assist children in need of care and protection, while addressing youngsters’ behavioural issues as well as housing needs are the areas where he says his ministry will be focused and co-ordinating efforts across all the relevant agencies.
The new ministry of which Adam is at the helm now focuses all of the country’s social services and support networks ’s under one government ministry providing the opportunity for the minister to bring together the various agencies and have them focus on the same goals of helping and empowering those who need support. Speaking to CNS before Christmas, Adam said that over the years there had been many studies and research projects, assessments and reports on the needs of the more vulnerable in the community and it was now time to bring all of the expertise, knowledge and experience together and to focus on what needed to be done to make changes.
He said that the National Assessment of Living Conditions (NALC) the most recent and comprehensive study of poverty in Cayman would also form part of the new vision and strategy for his ministry. Conducted during the previous administration, Adam said however, that the information in it would be informing policy for the future. He said his primary goal was to ensure that the services delivered to the people who needed them were focused, streamlined and targeted. Adam said in the past there have been duplicated efforts and some misdirection of resources that needed to be addressed.
Adam’s Ministry includes the Department of Children and Family Services; the Department of Counselling Services; the Children and Youth Services (CAYS) Foundation (the Frances Bodden and Bonaventure homes), and the National Housing Development Trust. One of the minister’s primary aims is to strengthen team work and collaboration among the related agencies.
“If we as a ministry are to serve the people of these Islands efficiently and effectively, we must strive to take a more holistic approach to service provision, based on the principles of collaboration and integration,” he said adding that his ministry was about people. “Looking at our functions, everything we do is about building communities and empowering people to fulfil their potential. We have to sharpen our skills to achieve our objectives and function effectively.”
Adams said that each agency needed to have a common goal and vision and the ministry was seeking to lay the foundation for that frameworkand the collaboration needed to achieve goals.
With people at the focus of the ministry the Department of Children and Family Services has finally put in place procedures to handle client complaints. DCFS Director Deanna Look Loy said the department assisted 6,647 persons during 2008 and was pleased to launch the procedures which would improve efficiency and ensure fairness across the board. “It will strengthen the partnership between staff and clients,” Look Loy said. “For DCFS staff, it will reinforce what is being done correctly, and highlight what is not working.”
The policy outlines how the department staff will inform clients about the complaints handling procedures; how they will acknowledge the complaints and suggestions that are made; and the standards to be applied in responding to them. Among the stipulations are that reports made should be acknowledged within three working days, and responses provided within 14 calendar days after receipt, the DCFS Director explained and added that Complaints Commissioner Nicola Williams, had given the measures her endorsement.
“It is the responsibility of all staff to respond to customer issues in a courteous manner, and to provide complainants with information on the DCFS complaints handling system,” she said.
For further information and to download the official complaints form visit www.gov.ky or the DCFS office, Britcay Building, Eastern Avenue.
Category: Local News
Good point. Maybe Mike Adam will have the social service department give information to the immigration department. I heard from one board memberthey are trying to get that information so that they can identify the number of destitute PR and CS holders on the social service list but social services will not give it! meanwhile, who pays the cost to maintain these people? US! Who are they protecting? People from their homelands or this country?
Compel the fathers of the children to pay child support whether or not they are married to the mother at the time of the child’s birth, and keep them in compliance with the orders that the court issues, no matter what their station in society, or hold them in contempt of court and send them to prison. Make an example for the children out of the parents. The parents must be made to be responsible for their own children, or the children will grow up to be irresponsible, which is what is happening here in the Cayman Islands. The first step is to enforce the courts decisions and the laws – no exceptions! If the parents can get away with misbehaving, it is much easier for the children to become delinquents too. And no child in the Cayman Islands can be maintained on $50 per week.
Let’s not forget the mothers in all this. If they kept their morals intact and said NO in the first place instead of jumping in the sack with every bad boy in town they wouldn’t be single mums would they?
It takes two to tango.
But I do agree with your point of more aggresively pursuing absent parents.
I for one am sick of paying for these people to keep having kids.
Mike Adam, I implore you – In the name of God – put down the clichés, fire the speechwriters, and let the people return to work. YOU, if Mac lets you, have strategic direction over a team on trained social workers. Let them do the jobs they were trained to do! Do not parade them before thepress to offer support for the same rehashed mumbo jumbo that every career politician has thrust upon them since they joined the department. There is no need to advertise, we will know that you are doing your job if we can go to the post offices, liquour stores, supermarkets etc. without being accosted by someone seeking a handout.
Well…..if the social workers had been doing their jobs all these years…he wouldn’t be giving the same speech right? And from what I see, he isn’t parading them around…..he’s putting them to work!
Putting them to work?? That is the problem is;nt it.
Social services is what it is. It is a social organisation of people that prefer to spend their time talking about yesterday rather than attending to the needs of the socially depraved people. On the desks at the children service office are signs indicating that you should keep a distance from these desks so that you wont hear what the person behind the desk is discussing on the phone while you sit forever and wait for attention.
Putting them to work is going to change that and they certainly ai;nt gonna like it.
Best of luck Mike, but it looks like you may have another Cayman Airways type job now.
Mike who? Do we know this guy?
NO, we do not know who he is. I believe I glimpsed him a couple of times before the elections in May, but I never seen him since! No, I don’t know him, sorry.
come on, stop it folks, Mr. Adam has no more say in this than you or I do! It all depends on what the bush has to say! And I can guarantee you all that unless you are a close friend, associate, family or colleague of the bush you will not get anything! This has already been decided, & this little game by Mr. Adam is just that, A GAME! It is to give the impression that everyone will have equal opportunity, but FOLKS, forget it! It ain’t gonna happen! IT HAS ALREADY BEEN GIVEN TO 2 WITHIN THE UDP! If you don’t believe me, just wait & see! I TOLD UNNA SO! THAT WHAT YOU GET!
DCFS Director Deanna Look Loy said the department assisted 6,647 persons during 2008
How many were not Caymanian?
Why?
If you are not Caymanian and require assistance you are destitute.
If you are destitute you are here in breach of your immigration permission.
Does not immigration deserve to know so they can determine if any steps need to be taken? (NO – I am not suggesting we deport people because they needed help with groceries one month, but perhaps we should refuse them any more dependents until they are back on their feet.)
Does government not deserve to know so they can determine the extent to which it is appropriate for their needy constituents to be deprived of support because it is expended on others?
Does anybody care that significant funds may be being lost unneccessarily?