Clients’ Experiences Of Service Delivery At The Department Of Social Welfare (Dsw) In The Ashanti Region Of Ghana

ABSTRACT The Department of Social Welfare (DSW) is an institution responsible for the provision of social welfare services in Ghana. An institution such as this is expected to have skilled employees, resources, among others, to facilitate the provision of quality services. However, the DSW is reported to be facing several challenges including the lack of infrastructure and adequate staff. Given the increasing challenges confronting the DSW, this study investigated clients’ experiences of service provision at DSW in the Ashanti Region. The specific objectives of the study were to identify the level of clients’ satisfaction with the services provided by the DSW in the Ashanti Region, to investigate the factors that influence clients’ satisfaction with service provision by the DSW in the Ashanti Region, and explore clients’ suggestions on how to improve service provision at the DSW in the Ashanti Region. The study employed a concurrent triangulation mixed-methods design to gather data from one-hundred (100) participants. Data was gathered using an interview guide for the qualitative data. The researcher, however, adapted the McMurtry’s Client Satisfaction Inventory (CSI) for the quantitative data. The findings of this research revealed that the majority of the participants (68%) of clients of the DSW were dissatisfied with the services they received from the DSW. The factors that led to clients’ dissatisfaction with the services included non-fulfilment of clients’ expectations, behaviour of employees, and poor process of service delivery. Additionally, it emerged that the DSW clients engaged in this study encountered challenges with the organisation’s infrastructural arrangements. The study participants suggested that government provide support to the Department and the staff and pay more attention to clients, which would consequently improve their satisfaction with the services provided by the DSW. Based on this study’s findings, the researcher recommends that the government increases the budget allocation for the Department to help them acquire logistics, engage in the periodic training of employees, and improve their infrastructure.