scholarly journals Crossing borders: key features of migrant social workers in New Zealand

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 16-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Bartley ◽  
L. Beddoe ◽  
J. Duke ◽  
C. Fouché ◽  
P. Harington ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Border Crossing ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Social ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Key Features

The emergence of a mobile, professional social work workforce, successfully managing the demands of service-users, policy makers and the public at large in different countries across the globe, provides unprecedented opportunities for professional border-crossing. It is timely to generate New Zealand-specific data on professionals employed in the social services workforce in New Zealand so as to inform educational and institutional responses to this complex phenomenon. A study that seeks to develop a profile of migrant social workers in New Zealand and key issues experienced by these professionals, is underway. This article reports on the first phase of the project, comprising an examination of the key features of registered social workers in New Zealand with an overseas social work qualification and a review of issues and challenges faced by migrant professionals more generally, and by migrant social workers in particular. 

Social Work and Public Social Services Practice: A Status Report

1996 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Gibelman ◽  
Philip H. Schervish
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Labor Force ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Additional Data ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Status Report ◽  
The Public ◽  
Education Experience ◽  
The Social

The authors review the current status of the social work labor force within the public sector by means of an analysis of the National Association of Social Workers member data base for 1988 and 1991, with additional data drawn from a 1993 member survey. Changes in the proportion and composition of the public social services labor force are documented, including education, experience, gender, and ethnicity. The decreasing professional social work labor force within public social services is discussed within the context of the realities of public social services practice and social work's historic place within this sector. The authors encourage debate about the implications of these trends, focusing on whether social work should influence labor-force trends or be influenced by them.

scholarly journals Disrupting the grassroots narrative of social work in Aotearoa New Zealand

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonya Hunt ◽  
Barbara Staniforth ◽  
Liz Beddoe
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Social Work ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Policy Documents ◽  
The Public ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
The Social ◽  
Economic Forces

INTRODUCTION: The Aotearoa New Zealand social work professionalisation project disrupted underpinning grassroots narratives of the profession and led to decades of debate and conflict. Social work emphasises egalitarian approaches and, during the 1980s and 1990s, social workers responded to internal and external challenges of elitism, racism, and sexism. However, the ongoing professionalisation project has been at times, at odds with social justice imperatives and undermined by neoliberal drivers.METHODS: This research investigated how political, sociocultural and economic dimensions impacted on the development and initial implementation of the Social Workers Registration Act (2003) and how key actors at the time were affected. A qualitative realist research methodology has been utilised, analysing qualitative interviews with 22 participants, policy documents and archival data to clarify discourses of power and capture the voices and rich stories of those involved in the debates at the time.FINDINGS: A sociological lens was utilised to focus and frame the coalescing political, socio-cultural and economic forces that contributed to the problematising of social work professionalisation and the determining of the need for registration. Insight from some key actors at the time, including educators, the profession, tangata whenua, employers, practitioners, the State, and the public were considered.CONCLUSIONS: Examining these forces behind the professionalisation project provides a platform to consider if social work in Aotearoa New Zealand has been strengthened with registration. There are ongoing challenges and threats to the independence and social justice focus of the profession that grew alongside the grassroots of social work.

scholarly journals Social work in the public services in Brazil - disclosing ruling relations in a local context

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-146
Author(s):  
Trond Heitmann
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Local Context ◽  
The Public ◽  
Professional Careers ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Relationship

This article about social workers in the public social services in Brazil explores professional social work practice through the subjective standpoint of the social workers. Inspired by institutional ethnography, this approach explicates how understandings of social work are interpreted and implemented in various contexts. The findings show that the formalization of the relationship with the employer through contracts of employment implicate that the disciplinary normative definitions of social work succumb to institutional regulations, which are not necessarily discipline specific. In addition, the temporary character of the contracts of employment makes the social workers align their practice to institutional frameworks and demands, as they are personally interested in renewal of the contracts and the maintenance of their professional careers. With this approach, disciplinary, political, ideological, legal and moral definitions of social work are not viewed as the essences of social work, but rather as contextual processes that are locally activated in different contexts. At the same time, it underscores social work as a political profession which should naturally include interventions on political, juridical, economic and organizational levels. Consequently, professional social work is not one thing, nor only one profession, but rather professional practices adapted to a variation of contexts. This perspective is significant to help detect areas of intervention for social change.

scholarly journals Comparing public perceptions of social work and social workers’ expectations of the public view

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Staniforth ◽  
Kelsey L. Deane ◽  
Liz Beddoe
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Public Perception ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Social Work Educators ◽  
The Public ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
The Social

INTRODUCTION: Previous studies have explored public perception of social work and social workers. There is little written about what social workers think about how they, and the profession of social work, are viewed by the public. This article explores the views of a sample of social workers in Aotearoa New Zealand about their beliefs around the public perception of social work and social workers.AIMS: This article aims to explore social worker views on the public perception of social work, and then compares these findings with a previous study which looked at the public perception of social workers.METHODOLOGY: An online survey was conducted with 403 social workers from the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Work, which asked them about their perceptions on how social work and social workers are viewed by the public. The results are then compared to a previous telephone survey, which asked 386 members of the public their views on social work and social workers.FINDINGS: Results demonstrate that the social workers generally had a poorer impression of what the public believed in most areas, compared to what the public had indicated in the prior study.CONCLUSION: Social workers, social work professional bodies and social work educators need to be proactive in promoting accurate information about social work and what social workers do.

scholarly journals Volunteer peer supervision: In an ever-changing social service environment

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 68-77
Author(s):  
Jason Rushton
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Social Service ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Code Of Ethics ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Peer Supervision ◽  
The Social

The purpose of this article is to start a discussion around the importance of peer super- vision with social service volunteers (New Zealand Federation of Voluntary Welfare Organisations [NZFVWO], 2001, pp. 61-63). This will be achieved by addressing the history of volunteerism and the rise of Charitable Trusts (Styles, 1979, pp. 86-88). The structure of volunteerism changed, as policymakers identified the importance of including specific volunteer’s roles and functions in legislation. Furthermore, policymakers began introducing clarification around peer supervision and peer support, linking the importance of supervision for volunteerism in the social services (NZFVWO, 2001, pp. 61). The introduction of peer supervision for volunteers in the social services is to provide accountability around professional practice and registration for many social service professions. The importance of peer supervision for volunteers working in the social services should be viewed as a safeguard to provide better practice for the volunteer, client and agency (O’Donoghue, 1999, p. 7). Volunteering New Zealand (VNZ) offer an alliance with supporting agencies and government around volunteering best practice in the support and development of managers and coordinators of volunteers (VNZ, 2014, para 1-15). An example of this is the Volunteer Army, which came to fruition around the Christchurch earthquakes, getting the community working alongside each other to support and help those in need. However, none of these professional bodies offer a code of ethics to provide guidelines to volunteers. The Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (ANZASW) does offer a Code of Ethics, not only to social workers but to all social services and volunteers (Beddoe  Randal, 1994, p. 31), which could be incorporated and used as a guideline. Although social work has a code of ethics guideline there is still some debate around mandatory registration to provide accountability and safeguard clients and social work practice. 

scholarly journals Social work; neoliberalism; precarious workSosyal hizmet; neoliberalism; güvencesiz çalışma

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 376 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emre Özcan ◽  
Seda Attepe Özden ◽  
Arzu İçağasıoğlu Çoban
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Social Dimension ◽  
Precarious Work ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Individual

Precarious work is a form of work that is widespread today with the influence of neoliberal policies. This form of work includes the lack of job security and some social rights, as well as the fear of dismissal an ongoing job, even if the employee has a job. In recent years, precarious work has begun to be seen in the field of social work as well as being seen in every area with the contraction of the role of the public in working life. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the insecurity that has become widespread in the field of social work in recent years, in the eyes of the social workers, working in this field.For this purpose, in-depth interviews were conducted with 14 social workers who were working without precautions.Interviews were subject to content analysis by the authors and gathered under three subtopics. As a result of the research, it has been seen that precarious social workers feel themselves in an ambiguity on the individual level and on the social level they are away from working for the benefit of the client. The effects of precarious work are not only effect on an individual level, but Precarious work has also affected the social dimension, and it has preventing services for individuals. It is necessary to investigate more precisely the effects of precarious work on employees and clients, and to prevent the loss of rights in social services. ÖzetGüvencesiz çalışma, neoliberal politikaların etkisiyle günümüzde yaygın olarak görülen bir çalışma biçimidir. Bu çalışma biçimi, iş güvencesinden ve bazı sosyal haklardan yoksun çalışmayı içerdiği gibi aynı zamanda çalışanın bir işe sahip olsa bile sürekli bir işten çıkarılma korkusu yaşamasını da ifade etmektedir. Son yıllarda güvencesiz çalışma olgusu kamunun rolünün daralmasıyla her alanda görülmekle birlikte sosyal hizmet alanında da görülmeye başlanmıştır. Bu araştırmanın amacı da son yıllarda sosyal hizmet alanında yaygınlaşmaya başlayan güvencesizliği, bu alanda çalışan sosyal hizmet uzmanların gözünden değerlendirmektir. Bu amaçla güvencesiz çalışan 14 sosyal hizmet uzmanı ile derinlemesine görüşmeler gerçekleştirilmiştir. Görüşme dökümleri, yazarlar tarafından içerik analizine tabi tutulmuştur ve üç başlık altında toplanmıştır. Araştırma sonucunda güvencesiz çalışan sosyal hizmet uzmanlarının bireysel düzlemde kendilerini belirsizlik içinde hissettiği, toplumsal düzlemde ise müracaatçı yararına çalışmadan uzaklaştıkları görülmüştür. Güvencesiz çalışmanın etkileri sadece bireysel düzlemde hissedilmemekte, toplumsal boyuta taşınarak bireylerin hizmet alma ihtiyaçlarının önüne geçmektedir. Güvencesizliğin çalışanlar ve müracaatçılar üzerindeki etkilerinin daha kapsamlı bir şekilde araştırılması ve sosyal hizmet alanındaki hak kayıplarının önlenmesi gereklidir. 

scholarly journals METHODS OF SOCIAL WORK MANAGEMENT IN THE ACTIVITIES OF A SOCIAL WORKER

2021 ◽  
pp. 51-61
Author(s):  
Maryna Lekholetova
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Social Worker ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Professional Competence ◽  
Management Skills ◽  
Professional Activities ◽  
The Social ◽  
Work Management

The article presents an analysis of different approaches of domestic scientists to the interpretation of the concept of «social work management». The author surveys the features of management as an object of governance in the activities of a social worker. Features include the social nature of management information; the need for motivation methods that effectively influences and motivates professionals to better results in social work; availability of social workers' professional competence; the presence of problems with forecasting the results of management in the social sphere; the importance of current and final management results. The author proves the necessity of social workers' self-management skills (time management, motivation, stress resistance and recuperation, development of emotional intelligence) for the effective performance of management tasks in professional activities.  The article highlights the principles that should be followed in solving organizational and managerial tasks in social work management (purposefulness, ability of realization, adaptability, efficiency). The researcher presents the structure of social work management methods in the study (economic, administrative, social counselling, psychological and pedagogical influence, social influence). Research characterizes the methods of social work management while working with recipients of social services (methods of individual social work, methods of group social work, methods of community work, methods of social service design).

Social Work and Its Complexity in Aotearoa New Zealand

2020 ◽  
pp. 16-36
Author(s):  
Shahul Hameed ◽  
Anthony Raman
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
The People ◽  
The Social ◽  
Chaotic Nature ◽  
Developed World

The Social workers need to call on a broad range of sources of bodies of knowledge and respond to the complexity and its chaotic nature of situations arising in social work profession. There appears to be dire need to consider the use of (a) the theoretical knowledge into practice by being more caring and supportive with the aim of (b) disentangling the various elements of a complex system and enhancing the resilience both of the people involved and the social and organizational systems that they are inter-twined with people lives. The current acknowledgement of the bi-cultural framework by the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (ANZASW) is no doubt a positive move towards infusing indigenous practice frame work into dealing with the chaotic nature and complexity of the social work profession in New Zealand but still remains to be seen in actual social work practice .The purpose of this chapter is to attempt to explore the potential of infusing Indigenous bodies of knowledge into practice against the background of the complexity nature of the social work profession in a developed world like New Zealand.

Social Work in Funeral Homes, a Unique Chinese Practice?

2018 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 488-499
Author(s):  
Yunxian Huang ◽  
Weijia Tan ◽  
A. Ka Tat Tsang
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Funeral Home ◽  
The Social ◽  
New Ideas ◽  
Funeral Homes ◽  
Death Care ◽  
Further Development

Social workers were introduced to funeral homes in China amid the transition and expansion of both the funeral home industry and the social work profession and are proving to play a valuable, though under-researched role in serving not just clients but also communities and funeral home staff. Funeral home social work fills gaps in after-death care and mental health and is distinct from palliative, hospice, end-of-life, and bereavement social work. Based on the experiences of funeral homes that employ social workers, this article argues that this innovation may bring new ideas to bridge some of the service gaps in after-death care in China and globally. This article outlines the support that will be needed from funeral homes, social work service agencies, and educational and research institutes to facilitate further development of funeral home mental health and social services and to promote the professionalization of funeral home social workers in China.

scholarly journals Transnational Social Workers: Making the Profession a Transnational Professional Space

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allen Bartley ◽  
Liz Beddoe ◽  
Christa Fouché ◽  
Phil Harington
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
International Social Work ◽  
Specific Focus ◽  
The Social ◽  
International Demand ◽  
International Social

This paper draws on research conducted in New Zealand from 2009 to 2011 with overseas-qualified social workers as members of a global profession experiencing both great international demand for their skills and unparalleled flows of professional transnationalism. In line with the international social work literature, this cohort of migrant professionals offers a range of needed skill and expertise as well as unique challenges to local employers, client communities, and the social work profession as a whole. With a specific focus on mixed-methods data dealing with participants' induction experiences and engagement with professional bodies, this paper argues that migrant social workers have created in New Zealand a transnational professional space that demands a response from local social work stakeholders.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document