PHNOM PENH: Speaking at the launch of the book "Strategic Plan for Social Service Force Training on Child Protection 2021-2025", Minister of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation, Vong Sauth has stated that vocational training in social skills is important to strengthen the capacity of social service, specially to provide high efficacy on social services to victims and vulnerable people.
The Minister of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation, Vong Sauth stated that the goal of the Ministry is strengthening capacity building of the social service to participate in social change, community building and development within the sectors in community that mostly need.
He added that a well-developed social service force is the key to promoting social justice, reducing discrimination and changing social attitudes that are dangerous towards vulnerable people. The social service helps to prevent and respond to violence, abuse, neglect of children and all forms of exploitation of humanity.
The main purpose of a strong force of social service is to achieve a society that promotes non-discriminatory participation of all kinds of people, such as women, people with disabilities or the poorest in society.
The Minister stressed that social service force is a common vision that refers to professionals and associate professionals in both government and non-governmental organizations working with children, youth, adults, families and communities to ensure development and well-being.
Taking the chance of speaking at launch of the book "Strategic Plan for Social Service Force Training on Child Protection 2021-2025" the Minister also instructed all relevant units to provide continuous opportunities for training and professional development, strengthening human resource capacity, focus on data management and information sharing at all national and sub-national levels.
He has also ensured the government must continue to build a mechanism of social that is in line with regional and global instruments, in particular, promoting active support for the social protection system and enhancing closer cooperation with all stakeholders, both nationally and internationally.
In 2012, Cambodia had about 1,551 social service providers, while a recent study found that Cambodia has one social service force per 12,500 people.
The number is still insufficient for the deployment of one or two social services in the commune, requiring a national plan to increase the human resources of the filed.
According to the plan, the government plans to create more than 7,000 social service workers at the national and sub-national levels, including NGO partners.
Minister Vong Sauth is aiming to have two social workers or two deputy social workers in each commune to improve the social service force in Cambodia, in order to solve problems of poor and vulnerable victims.