Minister Humphrey: Additional SEA Client Centers On The Cards

Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, Kirk Humphrey, has described the launch of the Social Empowerment Agency (SEA) and the opening of its first Client Centre at Six Roads, St. Philip, as a transformative moment in the delivery of social services in Barbados, grounded in dignity, access, and people-centred care.

Speaking at the official launch, Minister Humphrey noted that the Six Roads centre is the first of several locations to be established across the island.

“This is the first, but it will not be the last. This is the one for the east. We’ll soon be doing the one in Benthams, St. Lucy to the north. We also have one in St. James… and we also will be doing one in Southern Plaza,” he said, adding that the goal is to serve “the north, the east, the south and the west…and then…rolling this out throughout Barbados”.

The Minister explained that the SEA was deliberately named to reflect a new relationship between the State and citizens seeking assistance.

“We did not stumble upon this name, but it took us a long time to determine what we should call this particular agency,” he said, noting that an earlier proposal for a Department of Family Services was reconsidered after consultations revealed that many clients did not feel adequately supported within traditional family structures.

“That told us that we not only had to change the name, but…that the State must change its relationship with its citizenry,” Mr. Humphrey said.

“That is why today…we are not just opening a new building; we are opening a new way of delivering social services to the people.”

He emphasised that the SEA addresses long-standing fragmentation in social service delivery, where individuals with complex needs were required to visit multiple agencies. “What we have done is to reverse that. Instead of having to go to four different agencies, one person, one agency, will now attend to the four different needs, and more of the persons who need help the most,” he stated.

Describing the shift as radical, Minister Humphrey stressed that the new model prioritises dignity and humanity. “Beyond offering a coordinated service, we are offering a service that allows people to feel dignified and to feel as if they’re human and to be treated in that way,” he said.

“People are not cases…. People are not problems to be managed…. They have dreams, they have desires.”

The Minister also addressed concerns surrounding staff amalgamation, making it clear that workers were not disadvantaged in the transition. “We began with a very simple principle… that new people should not be treated any less fairly, any less favourably than they currently are being treated,” he said.

“In fact, the staff are all in a better position…and today, almost 100 per cent… came over voluntarily and decided to join the Social Empowerment Agency.”

Minister Humphrey thanked trade unions for their partnership, noting that approximately 80 meetings were held with staff and stakeholders throughout the process. “This is not the government’s agency. This is the people’s agency, created by the people for the people to serve the people,” he stated.

Reflecting on his own decades-long involvement in social services reform, the Minister described the SEA as the culmination of work spanning more than 30 years. “This is a project that is over 30 years old…and has allowed us to deliver to Barbados the most transformative social services agenda in Barbados,” he said.

He also highlighted major legislative achievements, including updated child protection laws, the passage and proclamation of disability legislation, and the near completion of legislation for older persons.

In closing, Minister Humphrey reaffirmed the philosophy underpinning the agency. “People are the core of what it is that we do,” he said. “People who show up to a social service agency…are probably having their worst day…and if we’re not able to see people, feel people, then we would have let Barbados down.” PR/GIS

Caption: Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, Kirk Humphrey (left) and Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, unveil a plaque to officially open the Social Empowerment Agency’s (SEA) first Client Centre at Six Roads, St. Philip, yesterday