SOCIAL SERVICES SUPPORT TO HAMBANTOTA, SRI LANKA

1. On 27 June 2005 the Cabinet received a report describing the work that had been undertaken by a team of six County Council Social Workers for a period of three weeks to support the people in the Hambantota district of Sri Lanka following the devastating tsunami that struck in December 2004. As part of a consortia of UK local authorities, the County Council was allocated Hambantota district and the team was the first from any local authority in the UK to provide support on the ground.

2. The Hambantota district was severely affected by the tsunami: 15,000 people in the district lost their lives, 2,500 of them in the town of Hambantota; in the region of 600 children lost both or one parent; 1,250 families and 6,342 people were displaced; 1,250 houses were destroyed or partially damaged; and a significant number of bodies have not been recovered. The key objectives of the package of support given were:

· to provide one to one counselling for those adults and children most severely affected by the tsunami

· to provide workshops for teachers and community workers who have care of children during the day in order to share the expertise of the County Council social workers experienced in working with children who have suffered separation or loss, and to help them understand and work through their loss in an appropriate and safe way

· to provide workshops for families and carers who had suffered loss in the tsunami and to help them understand and work through this with the children

3. The team received a very warm welcome upon arrival and were able to offer immediate help to a number of particularly vulnerable individuals and families. The team heard distressing accounts of individuals who had suffered their entire family being washed away by the tsunami in a matter of minutes, adults and children suffering nightmares about the moment the wave struck, and the fears people had of a further tsunami occurring. The team held four workshops which proved to be very successful and were attended by a total of 150 people, with each workshop being adapted to suit the needs of each group of participants. Accommodation for the workshops was limited and conditions were often difficult - limited washroom facilities, no air-conditioning and on one occasion no electricity. Throughout the period, the team received considerable assistance from a number of people including Mr Gamini, Chairman of the Urban District Council of Hambantota, translators and drivers all of whom offered commitment, flexibility and resourcefulness.

4. Several organisations who have come into contact with the team's work have requested further information or input, such as the Non Governmental Organisation's "World Vision" in respect of child protection and keep safe work; the Christian Children's Foundation in respect of Child Centred Places; and the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in respect of the training pack put together and used by the team, for use in the development of their work in Sri Lanka. On a national level, the team have been asked to contribute to the preparation of other local authority teams going out to Sri Lanka, and through the Association of the Directors of Social Services (ADSS), the County Council's now considerable experience of responding to this disaster is being shared.

5. The Cabinet expressed their gratitude to the team and all staff who had offered their expertise, as well as those who kept services running whilst their colleagues were undertaking this important work. Considerable experience had been gained and invaluable support given and the Cabinet therefore took the decision to send, in due course, further teams of Social Workers and others to aid in the recovery programme of the people of Hambantota.