It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to today's press conference of the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare for the presentation of the pilot programme "Social Worker of the Neighbourhood".This is a programme in which I invest the most, as I believe that it will contribute decisively to both prevention and the direct approach of our fellow human beings who need the support and assistance of the state.The implementation of the programme has only recently started and is currently being piloted, for a period of six months, in the Municipalities of Larnaca, Limassol, Paphos and Paralimni, in the communities of the mountainous areas of Paleochori, Evrychou/Solea and Pera Pedi/Fini, as well as in the Municipality of Polos Chrysochous. The aim is, with the evaluation of the programme, to achieve its nationwide expansion. At this point let me express my sincere thanks to the mayors and community leaders who are participating in the programme and have already embraced it. I hope that very soon we will be able to talk about nationwide coverage of all regions.
We look forward to enhancing citizens' confidence through faster, more efficient and higher quality service. We target various social problems, such as unemployment, poverty, delinquency, social exclusion, loneliness and other simple and complex issues. Our ultimate goal is the well-being of the person and by extension of the whole.
The "Neighbourhood Social Worker" is an action, the implementation of which is included in the governance programme and is in fact a practical implementation of the aim of the Government of Nicos Christodoulides for a governance with a human-centred character that is politicised and proceeds with empathy.
The "Neighbourhood Social Worker" is an action, the implementation of which is included in the governance programme and is in fact a practical implementation of the aim of the Government of Nicos Christodoulides for a governance with a human-centred character that is politicised and proceeds with empathy. The welfare state is strengthened, reducing its distance from the citizen and acquiring, if you like, another face.
We are implementing the Neighbourhood Social Worker programme, taking into account the current needs for reform and development of existing services to citizens, while recognising the long experience of local authorities in matters concerning their community. It is also commonly accepted that local authorities, as the closest authorities to the citizen, can more directly explore and more effectively highlight the needs and sensitivities of their community.
It is for this reason that we aim to further strengthen cooperation with Local Authorities in other directions as well. Together with local authorities, we aim to reach out to the problems of our fellow citizens who may not be seeking help or may not know in what ways they can be helped. We aim to identify community and individual problems, identify and solve them. We aim to build those bridges which, at the end of the day, do not act as a fire brigade but as a preventative measure.
But what exactly is the Neighbourhood Social Worker programme? In essence, each participating municipality or community is staffed by professionals with experienced social workers and supervisors, some of whom are among us today. I take this opportunity to address them and thank them for the great work they do. I know it is a difficult task, I have a full understanding of the challenges of the profession, and I thank you because the front line is the mirror not only of our State Department but of our country. It is our human face.
Neighborhood Social Workers are essentially the first point of reference for residents in communities and municipalities who need social support, but they are also the ones who will identify various problems immediately and in a timely manner. More on the subject will be reported later by the Deputy Director of Social Welfare Services, dear Maria.
Friends,
Allow me to reiterate the catalytic role that Local Government can play in advancing social policy, as well as in maintaining social cohesion and the well-being of our fellow citizens. Municipalities and communities are perhaps the institutions closest to the citizens and - in cooperation with the State - can create for them, as they should, a network of social protection.
Dear Mr. Vyra, thank you very much for your presence here and your contribution to the Programme, which you will have the opportunity to talk about later.
At this point I would like to say that I had the opportunity to visit, as part of my other activities, the community of Evrychou and Kakopetria. I have spoken both with the President of the Solea Cluster and the Commune of Evrychou, Mr. Xenakis Xenophontos, whom we will hear from in a moment, and with the other Communes of the Solea Cluster. We have exchanged views on the issues facing the communities and I have seen how important the Neighbourhood Social Worker Programme is for them and their residents.
I plan, soon, to visit the other municipalities and communities participating in the pilot programme and beyond. From this platform, I invite all local authorities to embrace this synergy and, at the end of the pilot, to join the Neighbourhood Social Worker programme. As Deputy Minister of Social Welfare, I am personally at your disposal to listen to any suggestions you may have for further cooperation.
The provision of accessible, affordable, friendly and personalized social services, always in the context of a harmonious and upgraded cooperation with all of you, is indispensable to address the various social issues and to comprehensively meet the needs of each family, of each citizen. The focus of this effort, in which we all invest, is the human being, and the goal is his or her well-being.
I will not bore you any longer and I will give the floor to the Deputy Director of Social Welfare Services, Mrs. Maria Kyratzi, who will give more details about the Programme.
ΘΘ/EΠ/ΣΧ
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