The Social Welfare Services is a Department of the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare.

The vision of the Social Welfare Services is to improve the level of services provided to the public aiming at:

- accessible, affordable, friendly and targeted social services;

- a holistic support of individuals and the family in a human-centred, multidisciplinary and efficient manner;

- empowering and safeguarding the dignity and the rights of vulnerable groups of people, improving their standard of living and assisting them to achieve the maximum of their potential.

The main mission of the Social Welfare Services is to provide personal and social services according to the social needs of each individual period in order to ensure:

- safeguarding social cohesion and social solidarity;

- social protection;

- attaining social inclusion;

- promoting equal opportunities for all citizens in the Republic of Cyprus;

- combating poverty and social exclusion;

- promoting the interests of individuals, families and communities.

The main functions of the Social Welfare Services for the attainment of the above goals concern:

- strengthening the family so that it can respond to its contemporary complex role;

- supporting individuals and families who are facing serious social problems;

- ensuring the protection and care of children and other vulnerable groups of people;

- mobilising and strengthening civil society in order to achieve high quality social services at local level;

- upgrading the services provided to vulnerable groups of people by state institutions and foster families;

- providing state aid to Local Government Authorities and Voluntary Organisations which provide Services of General Economic Interest (SGEI);

- registration and follow up of social care programmes;

- further development of the Social Welfare Services’ human resources and upgrading the means and tools to help them achieve their goals and objectives