Social Affairs ministry seeks India’s support to strengthen home care and social services |08 October 2026

The Ministry of Social Affairs, Family & Equality has begun discussions with the Indian High Commission on areas of collaboration aimed at strengthening home care services and the wider social sector. Support is being sought in capacity building, training programmes, including training of trainers, and exchange visits.

During a meeting on October 6, 2026, with the Indian High Commissioner to Seychelles, Rohit Rathish, Minister Pamela Charlette outlined the work being undertaken by her ministry in the areas of elderly care, disability services and social work.

She noted that many people involved in home care currently provide their services out of goodwill and compassion but often lack the specialised knowledge and skills required for professional caregiving.

Minister Charlette added that while formal training opportunities exist in social work, leading to diploma and degree qualifications, social workers still require greater capacity in emerging areas such as case management, digitalisation and social innovation to enable them to deliver services more effectively.

She stressed that these are among the areas in which the ministry hopes to benefit from India's expertise, particularly given the longstanding cooperation between the two countries.

The meeting, attended by principal secretaries Mike Morel and Beryl Payet, as well as Home Care Agency chief executive Davis Mathiot, focused on the need for customised caregiver training programmes with practical components.

The parties also discussed the possibility of organising exchange visits to provide participants with greater exposure and hands-on experience. In addition, the ministry is considering extending services for persons with disabilities on Praslin and will require technical support to establish the necessary services.

Mr Rathish expressed his support for the initiative and offered assistance in developing customised training programmes tailored to the specific needs of the ministry and Seychelles.

He added that Indian experts could also assist in the development of policies related to home care and social work, as well as support the implementation of the Older Persons legislation currently being drafted.

Building the capacity of social workers will be particularly important as the new legislation comes into force and as cases involving elderly abuse are expected to increase. Enhanced skills and expertise will help social workers better support investigations and legal proceedings in such cases.

Mr Rathish also briefed the meeting on India’s home care strategy and said he could facilitate links between the ministry and relevant non-governmental organisations in India that could provide support in various areas. These include working with young people displaying challenging behaviour, supporting women affected by violence, and managing shelters.

Press release - Ministry of Social Affairs, Family & Equality