Petrina Francis, Education Reporter
Dr. Pauline Knight (left), director of social policy, planning and research at the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), converses with Faith Innerarity, chief technical director at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. The occasion was a press conference to update the public on the Social Safety Net Reform Programme, held at the New Kingston offices of the PIOJ on Tuesday. - RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
THE GOVERNMENT is in the process of developing a 'Welfare to Work' programme designed to assist persons on welfare to gain meaningful employment in the labour force.
Collette Robinson, manager of social security and welfare at the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), made the disclosure on Tuesday.
"I think that it (the welfare to work programme') is integral to a reform process because we do not want to be assisting poor families forever," said Mrs. Robinson. "We want to be able to give families the opportunity to move away from poverty."
Mrs. Robinson was speaking with The Gleaner after a press conference on the Social Safety Net Reform Programme (SSN). This was held at the PIOJ offices in New Kingston.
The programme is still in its embryonic stage. She explained that a team went to the United States recently to look at similar programmes in two states.
The SSN is a network of Government programmes designed to provide cash, in-kind benefits and social services to poor and vulnerable persons.
Some of the programmes under the SSN are the school-feeding programme, Health Fee Waiver and Jamaica Drugs for the Elderly Programme and Programme for Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH).
Dr. Wesley Hughes, director-general of the PIOJ, said there was a lack of social cohesion and social capital in communities. He noted that a fundamental objective of the SSN was to achieve social cohesion.
According to Dr. Hughes, the reform of the safety net is to change the way persons interact with the state for benefits and to change the ways the state deals with people who are seeking help.
Meanwhile, a study which was commissioned by PIOJ in six of the island's poorest parishes, revealed that the PATH has had a positive impact on people's lives.
However, it was revealed that many persons, especially in the rural areas, were unaware of the SSN and believed that the benefits were administered solely through PATH.
The findings of the research have guided the design of a social marketing programme, which will inform the public about the SSN reform.
The process which is being phased over five years, is designed to bring social assistance programmes in line with modern practice by rationalising existing programmes to reduce overlap and high administrative costs .
Main objectives of the SSN reform
Higher levels of benefits.
Greater equity in the distribution of benefits.
Better targeting of beneficiaries.
Improved access to benefits and services.
Promotion of human resource development.
