ITF Port-based welfare workers for seafarers
Researcher:
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Project summary:
A study completed in 2007 for the ITF Seafarers’ Trust has documented the views of seafarers on what sort of port based welfare facilities and services they need and use (see:
http://www.itfglobal.org/files/extranet/-1/4423/WelfareReportl.pdf). However, there is still a gap in the understanding of working conditions, the needs and aspirations of port-based welfare workers.
The welfare of seafarers is heavily reliant on port-based welfare workers. They are at the frontline in delivering services and running facilities for seafarers’ welfare. What is interesting here is that when references are made to the port welfare workers the term is used as if there is one type or a uniform port welfare worker. In reality, their relation to their organisations, the port they work in, the resources that are available to them and their personal circumstances could differ enormously. Furthermore, we do not know what makes them to work in ports? What their workload is like? What sort of training they have encountered? What challenges they face? How they respond to the challenges? How do they collaborate with other agencies in their ports? What are their needs? What sort of support do they get? Also, it is important to know about their living and working experiences, career plans, and their views on how they could improve their welfare services and the facilities for seafarers. This is where this project comes in.
This project is
for port-based seafarers welfare workers and organisations that are concerned with seafarers welfare, rather than just
about them and it aims to provide information and analysis for the improvement and the more effective delivery of port based seafarer welfare work.
This is an international research and utilizes variety of methods, including: a literature review and analyses of documentary sources, utilisation of a Delphi group, online survey questionnaires with port based welfare workers; observations in ports and shadowing of port welfare workers, reflective everyday diaries of port welfare workers, in depth interviews and focus groups with them and key informant interviews in the seafarers welfare sector.
The final project report will be available in January 2010.
