About Us

School of Social Work

About the School

Campuses

Current Courses

112

2023 Students Enrolled

Certified Tutors

Why Join SSW?

The School of Social Work (SSW), formally called Gold Coast School of Social Welfare is a government training institution which was established under the Department of Social Welfare (DSW) in September 1945 then under the Ministry of Works and Housing under Gazette Notice No.947. The School is an integral part of the Department of Social Welfare now under the Ministry of Gender, Children & Social Protection (MoGCSP).

Its mandate is to train generic frontline social workers to deliver integrated social welfare services within facilities and programs that promote social development, social justice and social functioning of people. Thus, grandaunts of the school take up positions in the DSW as Social Welfare Officers, Rehabilitation Officers, Community Development Officers, Probation Officers, and Hospital Welfare Officers. Officials from other countries in Africa have also been trained by the school.

These sectors and settings they work are developed to help people function more satisfactory in their interaction with others and thus lead more fulfilling lives. They are designed to help and improve the wellbeing of individuals, families, groups and communities and create a caring and just society which respects human rights.

With socio economic and political changes with time coupled with the fact that social welfare services entails extensive cooperation with a number of Ministries, Departments, Agencies, Individuals, Communities and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) among others, the school extended the target trainees to include officers from the Ghana Prisons, Police, Ghana ports and harbor authority, Faith-Based Organizations(FBO),Non-Governmental Organizations(NGOs) and Individuals. This development was aimed at ensuring that social welfare services are rendered by a professional highly-skilled social welfare workforce well positioned in the social service sector in tackling vulnerability, social exclusion and social protection.

Core Mandate

To equip students with relevant knowledge in social work to promote the wellbeing of individuals, families, organizations and communities’
To equip students with macro level practice skills, such as policy analysis, social justice advocacy and human rights assessments to facilitate in building a more just society
To collaborate with public and private sectors and social services organizations to train competent social work practitioners to contribute to the well being of society

Values

The SSW holds the following values to be the foundation of its identity. As an academic community, we pledge ourselves to act in accordance with these values stated below;

We value high standards for learning, teaching and inquiry
We provide a well – grounded education that integrates professional preparation and study in the arts and science with co- curriculum involvement
We demonstrate integrity through honesty, civility and fairness
We embrace the diversity of individuals, ideals and expression
We foster personal growth within sane environment in which every individual matters
We exercise stewardship of global community

Fundamental Goals

Prepare frontline social workers and scholars for social work practice amongst diverse people and communities in the country and beyond the borders of Ghana.
Prepare social workers and scholars to be leaders in the elimination of oppression and inequality by promoting the goals of social justice for individuals, families, and communities.
To prepare social workers to work towards the prevention and /or resolution of critical social problems.
Promote educational and professional growth among social workers in the country through innovative continuing education.
Make the school visible as a major source for contributing to intellectual and professional development for national growth.
Offer an enriched educational experience to all students that take full advantage of the special strengths of the school to prepare students to be productive members of society; and
Engage in a range of partnerships with private companies, government agencies, development partners and other educational institutions to make the school a major contributor to the well-being of the citizens of Ghana.

Philosophy and Objectives

SSW believes in the provision of quality education for students. Specifically, SSW aims to:

Achieve educational excellence by ensuring that faculty engage in research, scholarly writing, consulting and practices that contribute to enhancing the quality of learning and research.
Enable students to engage in critical and constructive thinking – students are expected to become familiar with research and problem-solving methods.
Support students to demonstrate the ability to synthesize knowledge from many sources and to be self- directed to life-long learners.