By Caroline Nansukusa
Catholic Care for Children Uganda (CCCU) has held a meeting with stakeholders to review and support the Association of Religious in Uganda Best Practices Assessment Toolkit and Case Management System which has just been upgraded on March 30, 2021. This was necessitated by the fact that the first separated systems served their purpose and had gaps which have now been resolved through the updating and integration exercise.
The end users of the case management system, mainly the case managers affirmed that the program software is user friendly.
The Director of CCCU Sr. Euphrasia Masika DST in a welcome note said, “The reviewed system merged the dual system (case management and data management tools). The loophole in the first system included challenges of tracking details. We thank GHR, ARU-CCCU for the idea of a system to support record keeping. It caters for the domains and focus areas like child admission, placement, governance, management structure, financial management, human resource, record keeping and the like.”
According to case management team, it is all about the child and the surrounding environment whereby case management is continuous and could take up to three years to be processed. The ideal management moves from sad family or community to a secure and happy family or community. Where Catholic Care for Children Institutions (CCCIs) stop, the family or community ought to proceed.
The reviewed system offers record security and helps to track records to help users to make informed decisions and to profile details. Basing on the check list, summary scores determine case closure, referral and/or graduation. Thus, it provides detailed information. In order to create a lasting impact and expertise in using the software, CCCU Office planned for a four-day workshop for the implementers of the program (CCCI Administrators and Social Workers) so that they get the gist of it.
Mr. John Mugisha the Chief Guest of the day who came from Alternative Care Unit of the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MoGLSD), promised to help scale up the best practice tool and give maximum support to CCCU. “It is our work and we ought to offer free services where there is need,” he said.
Sr. Anna-Maria Nankusu RSCJ the Chairperson ARU/President of the Conference of Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life in Uganda (CICLSALU), thanked CCCU for giving priority to the child in their services and thanked Government for the usual collaboration through line Ministry.
“Children matter to us. Our Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was founded in 1800, during the revolutionary war in France and our founder St. Madelene Sophie Barat said that for the sake of saving one child, she would start the Society …” Sr. Anna-Maria encouraged CCCU team never to tire in serving children
The consultative review meeting attracted a cross-section of stakeholders from Makerere University, Monitoring and Evaluation Team, Administrators of in the Catholic Care for Children Institutions (CCCIs and the ARU Administrative and executive team.
