Secretary for Social and Family Affairs (Sanctaria)
| Secretary of State for Social and Family Affairs | |
|---|---|
 Sanctarian Coat of Arms | |
| Style |
|
| Member of |
|
| Reports to | Chancellor of Sanctaria |
| Nominator | Chancellor |
| Appointer | President of Sanctaria on the advice of the Chancellor, and the consent of the Senate |
| Term length | At the Chancellor's Pleasure No fixed term |
| Formation | 19 November 1974 |
| First holder | Dennis Clarke MP |
| Salary | S£280,000 |
| Website | welfare.gov.sct |
The Secretary of State for Social and Family Affairs, also known as the Secretary for Social Affairs or colloquially Welfare Secretary, is the head of the Sanctarian Department of Social and Family Affairs, which is tasked with administering Sanctaria's welfare system, the federal child protection strategy, and the national strategy for community and family services. The current Social and Family Affairs Secretary is Amanda Thomas. She was appointed to the post on 14 December 2022.
The position, and the Department, has been known by many names since its incarnation. Until 1993, it had been called Family Affairs, however since then it has been called Secretary for Social Welfare, for Social Welfare and Family Affairs, and between 2015 and 2018, the position was known as the Secretary for Human Services in charge of the department with the same name.
Overview[edit | edit source]
The Secretary for Social and Family Affairs is a senior advisor to the Chancellor on matters relating to the nation's welfare system and the provisioning of income support. Examples of areas of policy that come under the purview of the Social Affairs Secretary include the development and enactment of government policy on income supplements, pensions policy, as well as identifying areas of social assistance that require improvement.
The position was originally established in 1974 as the Secretary for Family Affairs, in charge of the department of the same name. Original responsibilities of this department not only included the social welfare system, but also community and family supports, as well as the provisioning of social and child protection services. Later governments, however, moved these latter responsibilities were moved to other government departments. In 2022, these responsibilities were transferred back.
Duties[edit | edit source]
Duties of the Social and Family Affairs Secretary include, but are not limited to:
- Overall oversight and regulation of the provisioning of income support and welfare aids.
- Implementing government policy on issues such as fraud and sanctions.
- Identifying improved methods for the identification of, and the supplying of welfare to, at-risk claimants.
- Responsibility for the administration of pensions and pension-related benefits to entitled claimants.
- Oversight of the Sanctarian Adoption Authority.
- Federal regulation of social services, such as fostering services, social work services, and domestic abuse protection services.
- Regulation and oversight of the charity, non-profit, and volunteering sectors.
List of office holders[edit | edit source]
| Key |
| ||||
Secretary of State for Family Affairs[edit | edit source] | |||||
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth—Death) |
Government | Term of office | |
| 1 | 
|
Dennis Clarke (1930—2016) |
1st | 19 November 1974 |
17 September 1979 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 
|
Msgr. Clarence O'Donnell (1932—2006) |
17 September 1979 |
03 November 1981 | |
| 3 | 
|
Eli Taylor (b.1933) |
2nd | 06 December 1981 |
28 February 1984 |
| 4 | 
|
Sheree McQuaid (b.1939) |
28 February 1984 |
17 October 1986 | |
| 5 | 
|
Nancy Ryan (b.1939) |
3rd | 29 November 1986 |
31 January 1990 |
| 6 | 
|
Audrey Bennet (b.1950) |
31 January 1990 |
06 November 1993 | |
Secretary of State for Social Welfare[edit | edit source] | |||||
| 7 | 
|
Charlene Hendry (b.1960) |
4th | 12 December 1993 |
08 November 2000 |
Secretary of State for Social Welfare & Family Affairs[edit | edit source] | |||||
| 8 | 
|
Robert Smyth (b.1950) |
5th | 01 December 2000 |
04 November 2007 |
| 9 | 
|
Lorraine Dobson (b.1950) |
6th | 13 December 2007 |
18 December 2010 |
| 10 | 
|
Andrew Silk (b.1974) |
18 December 2010 |
28 June 2012 | |
| 11 | 
|
Yasminé Pontif (b.1962) |
28 June 2012 |
05 February 2013 | |
| 12 | 
|
Kate Cruz (b.1961) |
7th | 01 March 2013 |
11 September 2015 |
Secretary of State for Human Services[edit | edit source] | |||||
| 13 | 
|
Noreen Islington (b.1976) |
7th | 11 September 2015 |
12 January 2018 |
Secretary of State for Social Welfare[edit | edit source] | |||||
| 14 | .jpg)
|
Harry Bell (b.1979) |
8th | 01 February 2018 |
23 November 2022 |
Secretary of State for Social and Family Affairs[edit | edit source] | |||||
| 15 | 
|
Amanda Thomas (b.1978) |
9th | 14 December 2022 |
Incumbent |