PRESS RELEASE No. 445/2015 Date: 24th June 2015 Budget Speech 2015 - The Hon Samantha Sacramento MP - Minister for Tourism, Equality, Social Services and Housing Mr Speaker, This has been my first Parliament. It is quite amazing how time flies and that this is my last budget address of this parliament, making it important to pause for a moment and reflect on all that has been achieved for our community by this Government. SOCIAL SERVICES Of all the departments I am responsible for, nowhere is the change as apparent or as rewarding in my view as the tremendous progress that has been made in social services in such short period of time. Ministry of Tourism, Equality, Social Services and Housing, HM Government of Gibraltar • 14 Governor ’s Parade • Gibraltar GX11 1AA t +350 20066482 f +350 20042509 (Centrex 2368) e
[email protected] w gibraltar.gov.gi We have gone from a haphazard disjointed service, that, by the very nature of its disorganisation, failed to support and reach out to people as it should, to one that is now a far cry from that. The priority has been to reorganise and restructure in a way that has best worked for the service and the service continues a process of self-assessment and review as needs and priorities change. To say that in the history of social services it is the first time ever that there is a full complement of staff is an achievement in itself, but this Government has not stopped there and we have invested in increasing the number of social workers and support staff.