Acting Chief Officer of Community Affairs, Teresa Echenique built on the impetus generated by her tour of the Needs Assessment Unit (NAU) on Wednesday, 27 September with a roundtable planning/strategy meeting with senior members of her Ministry, Thursday, 28 September 2017.

Attendees at the two-hour long meeting, led by Ms Echenique, included NAU Director Tamara Hurlston, Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) Director Felicia Robinson, the Ministry’s Operational Human Resources Manager Frank Millwood, Deputy Chief Financial Officer Melissa Whorms and Senior Policy Officer Sophy Banner.

Participants discussed the NAU’s current services, identified its strengths and challenges and brainstormed solutions to advance outcomes in service delivery and provision.

The solution-focused session reviewed ways of stabilising and enhancing the Unit’s existing services to meet clients’ immediate needs, and agreed on the way forward to ensure effective and efficient implementation and provision of services. It also looked at ways in which the Ministry, the DCFS and the NAU could strengthen their collaborative efforts to enhance service performance and provide a holistic approach to best meet the needs of our people while also empowering them.

“In reviewing the NAU’s remaining budget allocation, programmes and personnel numbers, it is imperative, going forward, that we are creative with our resources and work strategically to ensure the necessary and desired outcomes,” said Ms Echenique.

“As an initial step, we are now in the process of recruiting to fill pre-existing staff vacancies before the end of 2017 and formulating our approach for further enhancing and advancing services in 2018,” she explained.

IMAGE: (GIS)