Regulating access to professions: national perspectives. Social workers

Transcription

1 Regulating access to professions: national perspectives. Social workers Anna KUCZYNSKA Institute for the Development of Social Services Poland Brussels, 17 June 2013

2 Regulations After 1989 a significant change in the law took place, and many new legal acts were introduced: Social Assistance Act (1990), Social Employment Act (2003), Promotion of Employment and Labour Market Institutions Act (2004). They significantly changed the role of social worker.

3 Who can become a social worker? To become a social worker a person has to meet one of the following criteria: graduate a college of social work (licentiate), graduate social work at university (Master's degree), graduate social sciences studies at university (Master's degree).

4 Polish Qualification Framework The qualifications necessary for the profession of social worker will also be a part of the Polish Qualification Framework (under development). The profession of the social worker is currently ascribed to level 6, as most of the duties require both knowledge and professional skills. Such high professional level is thought to be necessary to prevent people who are not competent enough from working in the profession of social worker.

5 Professional advancement There are two ways of professional advancement. Social workers can: receive further training in a first- or second-degree specialization course in the profession of a social worker advancing their skills in social work or take a course in specialization in organization of social support preparing themselves for managerial posts.

6 Current role Social workers are agents of change for clients and their environment thanks to the following tools: an individual program, a social contract, an individual action plan. They have become partners who, in collaboration with other professionals and NGOs, are creators of change in attitudes of social assistance clients and force them to become active and independent. Also, social workers co-create local partnerships and project systems using the ESF means.

7 Employment Social workers are employed mainly by the local government administration, namely Social Assistance Centres (in municipalities) and District Centres of Family Assistance (in counties). They may also be employed by other institutions, in particular: organizations dealing with employment and combating unemployment, hospitals, prisons, NGOs. The most frequent type of job contracts among social workers is a contract of employment or a mandate contract.

8 Future: Social Work Agencies Today, a social worker is burdened with tasks that have little to do with actual social work. A draft of an amendment to the Social Assistance Act which is currently being prepared is aimed at letting social workers focus only on social work. The proposed solution is enabling creation of social work agencies - social work business entities which could be established and run by qualified social workers only. The agency will be sub-contracted by local government authorities, which should minimize paperwork related to social work.

9 Professional Code The general standard of services of the social worker are set by the Social Assistance Act from However, so far there has been no separate official document dedicated to the code of conduct or ethical standards of the profession of social worker. The works on a code of conduct were begun by the Polish Society of Social Workers (dissolved), but as of today the works has not been finished.

10 Professional Organizations Currently, the only universal professional organization representing social workers is the Polish Federation of Social Workers and Social Assistance Workers Trade Unions. The federation was created in 2012 by the representatives of 15 trade unions. Its aims include: promoting better working conditions, improving professional status of social assistance workers, active participation in creating draft laws concerning labor law and social policy.

11 Summary The profession of social worker is regulated by the law. In order to become a social worker, a person has to graduate relevant studies. No special exams or professional tests are necessary to work as a social worker, but they are needed to graduate specialization courses. The professional code of conduct and ethics is still under development, but the standards of services are described in the law. The character of the job is going to change with the creation of the Social Work Agencies.

12 Thank you for your attention! Institute for the Development of Social Services Instytut Rozwoju Służb Społecznych ul. Marszałkowska 34/ Warszawa