MARY GRACE M.

CAWALING
BSSW – 2A
SW 221 – Social Welfare Policies, Programs and Services

Study Guide: Read the following. Write your answers on a piece of paper
either type written or handwritten will do.

1. Discuss what social welfare is all about.

Ans.
A social welfare system is a network of programs created to assist a country's citizens at
various stages of their lives. There are unemployment care programs, elderly-people programs,
retirement programs; assistance for disabled individuals, widow's care, among a wide range of
support efforts. Welfare assistance programs are designed by first researching the population
and then addressing the problems identified by the study of its dynamics.

The Social Welfare Services aim to safeguard social cohesion and social solidarity; to provide
social protection, achieve social inclusion and promote equal opportunities for all citizens in the
Republic of Cyprus; to combat poverty and social exclusion and to promote the interests of
individuals, families and communities.

Social welfare policy may be defined as government's response to human needs such as food,
housing, healthcare, employment, and other necessities. There are basic philosophical
differences in approaches that should take to meeting human needs. Social workers participate
in all aspects of policy processes to improve the biopsychosocial well-being of Americans and
people across the globe.

The concept of social welfare refers broadly to the resources and opportunities people need to
lead satisfying and productive lives (Midgley & Livermore, 2009). Virtually everything the
government does affects social welfare, from tax and national defense to education and
healthcare policy, but so does government inaction.

In the United States, with its tradition of federalism or shared government, social welfare policy
is made at local, state, and national levels. Policy is made by the legislative, executive, and
judicial branches of government in the form of laws, executive orders and administrative
regulations, and court decisions. Many of today's social welfare policies address basic human
needs such as food, housing, healthcare, and employment.

Social workers, with their intimate knowledge of human needs, influence policy by helping to
define social problems and develop corresponding policy responses. Poverty, unemployment,
lack of healthcare and housing, and child maltreatment have been targets of social welfare
policies. The same is true for policies that affect the civil rights of people who have been
disenfranchised, such as women, people of color, sexual minorities, and people with disabilities.

To meet human needs, conservatives have generally supported "residual," means-tested, time-
limited social welfare policies and services. Liberals have argued for "universal" or "institutional"
social welfare programs that provide assistance to citizens as communal rights. Universal social
insurance programs (primarily the Social Security retirement and disability programs and
Medicare) have become part of the fabric of the U.S. social welfare system.

Study Guide: Lesson 2 & 3 - Read and answer the following. Write your
answer on a piece of paper either typewritten or handwritten will do.

1. Among the sustainable development goals by the U.N., choose 3 and give
exampla of policies, programs and sevices.

Ans.

a. Quality Education

The Philippine education system has evolved over hundreds of years of colonial
occupation, through martial law and the people's power revolution.Education for All (EFA)
aims to ensure all Filipinos are able to achieve functional literacy - the ability to read, write
and do calculations at a sufficient level for the country they live in. K-12 reform extends
compulsory schooling to grades 11 and 12, adding two years to secondary school. In
2015/16 there were 14.9m children enrolled at primary school and 6.01m at secondary level.

Public spending on education in the Philippines increased by 60% in real terms between
2010 and 2015, according to a World Bank study. For grades one to six, best practice
included a curriculum more suited to the needs of Christian and Muslim pupils and closer
cooperation with indigenous communities. In senior high schools, where the full roll-out of
grade 12 is now taking place, the policy has been largely successful.

The Philippines has embarked on education reforms that it considers crucial to its economic
development, bringing its school system into line with international standards. Some
institutions already partner with overseas universities on select courses, including the
Philippine-California Advanced Research Institute (PCARI). PCARI was initiated in 2013 by
the scientific community and academics to boost the country's research capacity.

b. Gender Equality
 Ans.

The Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment (GEWE) Plan 2019-2025 is the government's
guide and key reference in formulating Gender and Development (GAD) plans and budgets.
Policies areas include recruitment, advancement processes, recognition and rewards that are
unbiased and based on contribution and performance; non-discriminatory approaches to care
and family responsibilities; and genuine access to various positions and levels of leadership.

Programs

 Gender Fair Education (GFE) Program. ...

c. Sustainable cities and Communities

A sustainable city measures what matters, shows political leadership, leads by example, utilizes
inspiring networks and forms university partnerships, and highlights the co-benefits of joint
efforts in building the cities' capacities.

The Philippine government has allocated P2.5 billion in its 2018 budget for the establishment of
forest parks and botanical gardens, upgrade streets and waterfronts and revitalize plazas. The
program aims to improve the connectivity and accessibility of spaces through construction of
eco-friendly bike lanes and walkways. A component of the President's national infrastructure
development program Build, Build, BUILD, BUY, GRAPHIC CONTENT.

Green, Green, Green is a five-year plan by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
to improve the quality of public open spaces in cities and urban zones across the world. The
project aims to address issues such as overcrowding, traffic congestion, as well as lack of open
spaces where people can socialize and live an active lifestyle.

2. Why is social policy important to social workers? Discuss.

I have heard so many people associate social policy with social work and I see why because
they are both 'social' subjects, which reflect each other to an extent. Social policy helps us to
understand social problems in our society or world and their causes, which affects every
individual and how the government have or are implementing policies to solve these social
problems. Social work on the other hand, involves working directly with people, to bring
about social change to help improve their standard of living. Social policy deals with social
problems in society and social work deals with the social problems people experience in
society. Both work hand in hand to bring about a social change but in different context and
settings

Policies are important to social workers because they help our clients live better lives. 
Policies help to protect our clients from discrimination, racism, or bullying.  Policies help our
clients live more productive lives by supplementing their income, providing health care, or
by obtaining needed medical treatments.  Policies help us as social workers to make a
difference in a person's life.  We are able to encourage the person to overcome oppression. 
We can empower the person to see how important they are.  Policies help to build the bridge
between a person feeling helpless or lost to a person living their life to their fullest potential.

Thank You!