Department of Social Work
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Item Assessing Child Maintenance Cases in Ghana: What Do Social Workers Consider?(Journal of Social Service Research, 2024)While one of the key responsibilities of social services in Ghana is to conduct maintenance arrangements so that the nonresident parent is committed to making financial contributions to the well-being of the child, little is known about what informs social workers’ assessments in child maintenance cases. The aim of this study was to determine what social workers consider when undertaking child maintenance assessments. A qualitative practice research study was conducted with 13 social workers and 12 parents involved in a child maintenance case with three agencies of the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development in Ghana. The study showed that corroborating the existence of nonpayment for maintenance in the family is the first step in assessing other factors, such as the parent’s income, occupational status and maintenance amount. Even after the maintenance amount was decided upon, social workers were often unable to follow-up on nonresident parents to ensure that they complied with the maintenance arrangements. Given that no assessment instrument exists in Ghana for addressing child maintenance cases, the study’s findings can provide useful information that can aid in the development of an instrument or framework to assist social workers in their assessments.Item Exploring African-centred social work education: the Ghanaian experience(Social Work Education, 2023) Naami, A.; Mfoafo-M’Carthy, M.Through the years, there has been regular discourse among African social work scholars regarding the production of Indigenous knowledge in Africa. Most of the arguments hold that social work knowledge creation and production is often based on Eurocentric approaches due to the dearth of African-centered social work literature from the continent. This paper attempts to explore the intellectual and philosophical underpinnings of African-centered social work education and practice. Using Ghana as a case study, information is provided on theoretical and conceptual thought processes about African-centered social work education in response to the shortage of insights about African culture. Using purposive and availability sampling, we recruited three graduate students to be interviewed. The interviews were analyzed using thematic inquiry. We explored African paradigms and argued that the practice of social work education on the continent of Africa should not be based on the Eurocentric approaches only, to the detriment of traditional African ways of knowing. We believe that for social work education in Africa to thrive, we should embrace Indigenous African practices and values of spirituality, collectivity, interconnectedness, and reciprocityItem Inclusive education in Ghana: How prepared are the teachers?(Frontiers in Education, 2023) Naami, A.; Mort, K.S.We cannot overemphasize the importance of education in creating sustainable societies. Persons with disabilities continue to lag in education, which affects their employment, income and overall well-being. Education is necessary for people with disabilities to break out of the cycle of poverty, as recognized by both the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Sustainable Development Goals. Ghana developed an inclusive education policy in 2015 with an overarching goal of fostering equitable access to education for all children. The critical question is what to teach. The B.Ed. Curriculum in 2018 was written to reform education and the school curriculum. But how prepared are student teachers? at Colleges of Education in Ghana. Using the curriculum to promote inclusive education? In this paper, we use the social model of disability, anchored on the Sustainable Development Goals, to examine the preparedness of student teachers in meeting the needs of learners with diverse learning needs.Item Factors associated with the family reintegration stability for children with a residential care experience in Ghana(Global Studies of Childhood, 2022) Frimpong-Manso, K.; Agbadi, P.; Deliege, A.There is limited evidence on family reintegration for children who have been in residential care within the African context. The goal of this study is to find out what factors impact reintegration institutionalized children’s desire to remain with their biological parents or extended family. The dataset included records for 659 interviewed children and their guardians. However, the analyses were limited to 408 cases with complete data on the dependent and independent variables. Most of the children in the study (73%) preferred to remain with their relatives. The age of the child, length of time spent in residential care, and having a case file were all factors linked to the children’s wish to stay with their family. Based on the findings of the study, social workers should do a full assessment and documentation to decide if reintegration is appropriate and prepare the child and family, and give follow-up assistance to ensure stable reintegration. Social workers must also link reunified families to long-term support, such as enrollment on the Livelihood Empowerment against Poverty social protection program, and they should monitor placements to improve the stability of the reintegration.Item Workers Needed To Foster Improved Academic Performance: Perspectives Of Social Workers And Education Officers In Ghana(International Social Work, 2021) Ampomah, A.O.This study examines the perceptions of social welfare and education officers in Ghana about school social work practice and its possible contributions to improving academic performance at the basic level of education. Qualitative data was collected through two focus group discussions with social workers and education officers. Participants expressed views that school social work interventions are needed to strengthen the bond between the home and the school and help students deal with psycho-social problems and reduce the burden on teachers. Suggestions were also made. made on the best ways to foster the practice of school social work in Ghana. Theses coalesced around three core themes: active engagement of stakeholders, a robust funding mechanism to develop and sustain social work interventions in schools and a long-term agenda to train and recruit more school social workers.Item Understanding older adults' functioning and health-seeking behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana: A descriptive qualitative study(Health Social Care Community., 2021) Newton, A.; Abekah-Carter, K.; Awuviry-Newton, K.; Nkansah, J.O.Little research has been conducted to explore the functional status of community-dwelling older adults in sub-Saharan Africa, including Ghana, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigated the functional status and health-seeking behavior of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana. Utilising Using a descriptive-qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from 12 eligible older adults from southern Ghana. With the use of NVivo (v12), descriptive and focused coding techniques were employed to analyse the data. The following five themes were identified after the data analysis: (a) older adults' health status during COVID-19 pandemic, (b) feeling limited; (c) feeling of unhappiness for being inactive, (d) striving to be active and (e) seeking healthcare during COVID-19 pandemic. This study revealed the unique health and social-related needs of Ghanaian older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study's findings draw attention to the urgent need for the state to devise practical health and social-related initiatives to support older adults during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.Item The unmet needs of older people in Nsawam, Ghana(Health & Social Care in the Community, 2022) Abekah-Carter, K.; Oti, G.F.; Awuviry-Newton, K.; et al.Although healthy life expectancy is projected to be increasing among older people, in Ghana, a high proportion of older people will live with functional disabilities, warranting their need for long-term care. We explored the expressions used by older people to describe their needs and preferences of care and support. Using the descriptive-qualitative approach, 14 older people were engaged via semi-structured interviews, and the data were analysed thematically. The study found that older people desired decent accommodation, preferential healthcare, adequate nutrition, and an opportunity to interact with their peers at social functions. A provision of sufficient financial assistance, adequate healthcare, the periodic organisation of social and group events for older people, and the availability of home care and support could help older people address these needs. The paper reveals the need for interventional research on how a model incorporating social, health and environmental factors even during a pandemic can address older people's varying needsItem Women in the shea industry: The case of Kusawgu in the Northern Region of Ghana(Social Work & Social Sciences Review, 2019) Naami, A.; Naami, E.K.This research sought to highlight the experiences of women in the shea industry in Kusawgu in Ghana. Recommendations to enhance and sustain the industry were also explored. A total of 60 women from four shea production groups, who lived in Kusawgu, participated in focus group discussions. The data was first analysed separately by the two researchers. Results were then compared to reconcile differences. The study demonstrates that the shea industry undoubtedly provided means of livelihood, self-dignity and respect for the women. Positive outcomes for working in groups include quick processing; sense of belonging and social capital; security and peace of mind; and skills development. However, lack of access to microfinance, travelling for longer distances, the period of time required to get water and fuel-wood, gender-based land ownership discrimination, and extinction of shea trees hamper production and income. Regardless of these challenges the women demonstrated resiliency by their continuous work in the industry. Due to the potential of the shea industry to reduce poverty among women, government should work hand-in-hand with the traditional authority to develop measures to sustain the industry. Social work practitioners could build the capability of the women in the shea industry to access existing pro-poor programmesItem Drivers of independent migration among adolescents from selected West African countries(Children and Youth Services Review, 2020) Dako-Gyeke, M.; Kodom, R.B.; Dankyi, E.K.; Sulemana, A.Independent migration among adolescents is an issue of public concern in West Africa. Thus, drawing on the neoclassical economics, new economics of labour and social networks perspectives, this study explored the reasons for independent migration among adolescents. Employing a qualitative research design, 41 adolescents participated in the study. Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and In-depth Interviews (IDIs) were conducted to gather data, which were analyzed thematically. The findings of the study indicated that the adolescents migrated due to diverse reasons (poverty and hardship; social support and networks; peer-pressure and escapade; and maltreatment and abuse). Also, it was found that generally, poverty and hardships drove adolescents to migrate from their countries of origin with the aim of finding and starting work in Ghana, which was perceived as an important source of economic opportunities. Furthermore, evidence showed that while some adolescents had positive experiences in Ghana, others were confronted with challenges, a push factor to their return and in tegration decisions respectively. Based on the findings of the study, conclusions were drawn.Item Navigating sexual and reproductive health issues: Voices of deaf adolescents in a residential school in Ghana(Children and Youth Services Review, 2020) Mills, A.A.Globally, the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) of adolescents continue to receive a lot of attention; yet little focus has been placed on the SRH needs of adolescents with disabilities, particularly in developing countries. While adolescents with disabilities experience the same feelings, needs, and desires as those without disabilities, society tends to underestimate their SRH concerns. Furthermore, adolescents with disabilities may have limited access to SRH information in comparison with their peers without disabilities and may also encounter challenges with communicating their SRH concerns. Guided by the Social Cognitive theory (SCT), this study focuses on the knowledge and experiences of selected deaf adolescents in a residential school in Ghana regarding SRH. Using Ghanaian Sign Language, twenty-five (25) participants (13 females and 12 males) aged 15–19 years were en gaged in qualitative in-depth interviews. While some of the participants reported abstaining from sex despite pressure from peers, others disclosed that they had sexual experiences, both consensual and non-consensual. In most cases, these SRH behaviors were found to be influenced by participants’ personal and environmental factors. Participants mentioned talking to teachers, peers, health professionals, parents and siblings about their SRH issues, but findings revealed challenges and reservations about communication with these groups of people in their social environment., It is recommended that SRH intervention strategies for deaf adolescents should focus on enhancing communication opportunities (especially with Sign Language) with parents and health professionals as they are critical elements in their environment for promoting healthy SRH behaviors.