a) What  socio-­‐economic  challenges  face  Hamilton  and  his  family  in  the   circumstances  of  the  case  presented?         b) How  will  Social  Welfare  Services  measure  the  needs  of  families  in  these   situations?       c) What  recommendations  can  you  make  to  support  families  of  this  community   that  would  result  in  a  fundamental  change  in  their  circumstances  over  time?

  ASSESSMENT  #4  –  CASE  STUDY       

Christophe  is  twelve  years  old  and  will  sit  an  exam  to  gain  entry  into  secondary   school  next  year.    He  lives  with  his  father  and  grandmother,  Edith,  as  his  mother   Helen,  started  working  on  a  cruise  ship  (in  February  2020)  that  operates  out  of  the   United  States.    At  present  he  is  unsure  of  when  she  will  return  as  the  country’s   borders  are  closed  due  to  COVID-­‐19  restrictions.    His  older  sister,  Carolyn,  is   preparing  to  write  the  May/June  CSEC  exams  in  2021.    The  siblings  live  in  a   community  where  the  main  drivers  of  economic  activity  are  fishing  and  agriculture.     Both  siblings  are  members  of  the  youth  group  in  their  church  and  would  usually   attend  group  meetings  on  Saturdays  where  there  are  about  20  to  25  other  young   people  from  the  community.    The  team  leaders  would  normally  have  a  well-­‐run   programme  that  focuses  on  youth  development,  provides  opportunity  for   participants  to  learn  craft,  agriculture  entrepreneurship  and  gives  the  opportunity   to  socialize.    It  provides  an  escape  from  the  usual  boredom  at  home  and  from   temptations  that  might  be  provided  by  a  growing  number  of  school  drops  who  hang   out  in  the  village  because  of  scarce  employment  opportunities.         Hamilton,  who  is  Helen’s  common-­‐law  husband,  is  Edith’s  only  child  and  the  father   of  the  two  siblings,  is  employed  as  a  grounds-­‐man  in  the  maintenance  department  of   the  second  largest  hotel  on  the  island  which  is  located  about  45  minutes  from  his   home  by  bus.    He  works  there  three  times  a  week  and  supplements  his  income  by   providing  landscaping  services  whenever  he  gets  the  opportunity;  and  also  plants   short  term  crops  for  sale  in  the  village  market  every  fortnight.  Edith  was  a  cook  at   the  same  hotel  but  retired  when  she  reached  the  age  of  65  a  few  years  ago.     Although  she  has  diabetes  and  failing  eyesight,  she  still  bakes  bread  on  weekends   and  makes  a  small  profit  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  a  week  as  well  as  sells   goods  in  the  mini  mart  that  she  built  to  the  front  of  the  property  where  the  family   lives.         Helen  is  on  her  first  contract  with  the  cruise  line  as  a  cabin  attendant  and   contributions  from  her  job  was  intended  to  help  with  the  children’s  school  expenses.     Her  contract  was  cut  short  by  the  cruise  line  because  of  the  pandemic  but  she   received  a  basic  pay  off  of  what  she  would  have  earned  in  the  period  of  her  six-­‐ month  sojourn.    She  is  staying  in  a  hostel  with  a  few  other  displaced  colleagues   while  awaiting  re-­‐entry  to  the  island.    When  she  is  at  home  with  her  family,  she  runs   the  shop  for  Edith.    In  her  absence  however,  Carolyn  is  much  more  involved  as   normal  classes  have  been  suspended.      
Both  Carolyn  and  Christophe  are  expected  to  participate  in  online  classes  by  their   respective  schools  using  their  mobile  phones  and  an  Internet  service  that  is  not   always  reliable.    Their  teachers  have  also  made  provisions  for  photocopied  material   to  be  collected  at  their  schools  to  supplement  the  work  done  online;  and   assignments  can  also  be  dropped  off  and  collected  after  correction  on  specific  days.     The  turnover  is  usually  about  seven  to  ten  days  for  feedback.     The  advent  of  COVID-­‐19  has  hit  this  family  hard  with  the  thwarting  of  the   prospective  source  of  income  from  Helen  who  now  is  stranded  in  Miami  with  very   little  resources.    While  she  awaits  repatriation  she  has  to  depend  on  Hamilton,  as   she  is  unable  to  work  in  the  US;  he  in  turn  is  constrained  by  the  change  in  his   circumstances  as  he  was  furloughed  from  the  hotel.         Their  village  is  populated  by  approximately  five  hundred  persons,  with  more  than   fifty  percent  under  the  age  of  twenty.    Few,  if  any,  are  experiencing  fundamentally   different  prospects  than  Hamilton  and  his  family.      

  a) What  socio-­‐economic  challenges  face  Hamilton  and  his  family  in  the   circumstances  of  the  case  presented?        

b) How  will  Social  Welfare  Services  measure  the  needs  of  families  in  these   situations?      

c) What  recommendations  can  you  make  to  support  families  of  this  community   that  would  result  in  a  fundamental  change  in  their  circumstances  over  time?      

d) Present  and  support  a  realistic  implementation  plan  for  your   recommendations  that  hinges  on  research-­‐based  evidence  and  theoretical   concepts.