Social work: the ‘people’ people (not the office people!)

NameJob Title / Organisation

Dr Ian MilliganInternational Lead Title / Organisation

www.celcis.org

www.celcis.org

Social workers & social pedagogues

•The role of social work is NOT arranging cash benefits (social administration).•Social workers engage with people who are vulnerable, multiple problems, minorities•They are valuable for the government, they (sometimes) carry uncomfortable messages.•Each country must develop its own system(A matter of national pride, not merely ‘international standards’)

UNICEF CEE/CIS Regional Child protection conference, Minsk 2

www.celcis.org

Social workers & social pedagogues

The role of social work = tackling social problems & protecting childrenFocus on individual families and

communities/neighbourhoodsCollaborating with – Education

- HealthFoster-care & kinship care– social workers are essential

UNICEF CEE/CIS Regional Child protection conference, Minsk 3

www.celcis.org

How does social work protect children?

• Inter-Personal work: based on knowledge of social problems

• ‘Out there’ in homes, not (mainly) in the office

• Intervening (legal mandate)– Empathy and challenge– Advocacy– Empowerment (for care of children)

UNICEF CEE/CIS Regional Child protection conference, Minsk 4

www.celcis.org

Where is social work done?

• In local ‘Child Protection Units (‘primary’ setting)

• In ‘secondary’ settings (locations):– In the clinic– In the school– In the court– In the maternity hospital– In day centres (young children, disabled

chn)– Other places....

UNICEF CEE/CIS Regional Child protection conference, Minsk 5

www.celcis.org

Issues in training•Selecting: moral courage, empathy, intelligence•Social work training includes: knowledge, skills, values (rights’ orientation):•Universities can provide:– knowledge (easy)– skills acquisition(more difficult)– Practice experience (impossible)

•Partnership with ‘field’ is essential= practice placementsUNICEF CEE/CIS Regional Child protection

conference, Minsk 6

www.celcis.org

Threats to professional sw

•Threats/challenges: –Too few, Badly paid–Too centralized–Absence of prof. supervision

Result =•Overwhelmed, high turnover, not respected

UNICEF CEE/CIS Regional Child protection conference, Minsk 7

www.celcis.org

referencesIarskaia-Smirnova, E. & Rasell, M. (2014). Integrating practice into Russian social work education, International Social work, 57(3), 222-234.Caras, A. & Sandu, A. (2014). The role of supervision in professional development of social work specialists. Journal of social work Practice, 28 (1), 75-94.Harris, R. & Milligan, I. (2014). A Shared vision for child protection : Advocating, developing, evidencing, and partnering to build a child protection system. Lessons learned from Albania. forthcoming report for Terre des hommes.Milligan, I. (2013). The ‘people’ people: the many roles and professional relationships of social workers. In T. Bryce, W. Humes, D. Gillies, & A. Kennedy (eds) Scottish Education, 4th edition, chapter 88, p.820-829.Milligan, I. & Stevens, I. (2006). Residential Child Care: collaborative practice. London: Sage.

UNICEF CEE/CIS Regional Child protection conference, Minsk 8