Professional Social Work in the Context of Welfare State Finnish example

Transcription

1 Professional Social Work in the Context of Welfare State Finnish example M A R I S U O N I O U N I V E R S I T Y O F E A S T E R N F I N L A N D, D E PA R T M E N T O F S O C I A L S C I E N C E S ( C A M P U S O F K U O P I O )

2 FINLAND Population: 5,4 million Capital: Helsinki Population per km²: 15.5 Official languages: Finnish (91 %) Swedish (5.4 %) Foreign origin: 4,8 % of the number of inhabitants

3 The Development of Finnish Society Change from the agrarian to an industrial society in the 1960's Rapid industrialization, economic growth and modernization the establishment of the Nordic welfare state model 1970's and 1980's the national insurance and welfare services expanded and diversified In the beginning of the 1990's deep economic depression The same economic problems and challenges of globalisation as other European countries

4 The Development of Social Welfare and Social Security 1879 relief work 1922 to official relief for the poor 1956 social assistance 's: basis for the extension and diversification of the social service system, unified social service were created, enormous expansion of the social and health care system 1982 social welfare the economic support of citizens became a collective responsibility of society Since 1980: social work became established as an institution of the social security system of the welfare state 1990's significant increase in the number of people in need of economic and psycho-social support

5 Traditions of Finnish Social Work The development of the professionalism of social work in 20th century occurred outside of state social offices. Medical social work in health care, the churches, family counselling social work and social work therapy clinics for alcohol-related problems, have all been involved in developing social work theories and practice models Professional social work has been seen emerged by: Juridical-administrative tradition Individual-therapeutic tradition Community based tradition (Toikko 2005)

6 THE PRINCIPLES OF THE NORDIC MODEL Solidarity, universality, needs-based and preventionorientation All citizens have the right to receive social benefits according to general allocating criteria Basic services to the whole population and special services to certain groups Municipalities are responsible for arranging services, although the role is changing Role of private sector and NGO s have been so far quite marginal, but is increasing

7 CRISES OF THE WELFARE STATE The increasing economic and political problems in meeting the financial costs of society s expectations Also challenges the legitimacy of the welfare system as a whole Great differences in between municipalities when it comes to provision of welfare services Also cut backs: for example, compared to years ago, there is less support today from society to families with children. What is going to happen to Nordic welfare model? High rate of unemployment, who is paying taxes? Neo-liberalism, privatization of health and social services Universalism? Still, in people s minds there is no legitimacy problem towards Nordic model in Finland Changes in social services: welfare-mix, NGO`s, corporations

8 Social Work in the Context of Nordic Welfare State Institutionalization and legitimization of social work is connected with development of the social policy and ideology of the welfare state in its different forms matter of the state responsibility of its citizens Social work and social policy are related Social security as a basic principle of Finnish society and social work's position, aims and tasks are closely linked to this Social work is seen as professional activity that occurs within a particular social welfare environment Qualified social workers Social work in general in the municipalities

9 Social Work in the Context of Nordic Welfare State Social work is as the final safety net, minimum social security (income support work) (Prevention) and solving of social problems Part of a multiprofessional network Social workers are public servants but social work has also advocacy approach Social work usually takes place in the office, administrative tasks and legislation directs the nature of work Client centred orientation

10 Education, Theory and Practice of Social Work in Finland

11 Social Work Education in Finland Is provided in six universities (Helsinki, Jyväskylä, Kuopio, Lapland, Tampere, Turku) Universities have constructed a Finnish National University Network for Social Work (SOSNET) Major subject is Social work and the degrees in social sciences are: Bachelor s Master s Licentiate (Professional, practice research) Specialist in: 1) Children and youth work, 2) Empowering sw, 3) Marginalization, 4) Community work, 5) Welfare services Doctoral degree; National Post-Graduate School for Social Work and Social Services The themes are: 1) The study of interventions in social work, 2) The expertise and knowledge base of social work, and 3) Social problems encountered in social work in their social and cultural contexts

12 To become a qualified social worker in Finland You need bachelor s and master`s degree During your studies, practice teaching is obligatory and regulated in law Students include young high school graduates and adult students, many have worked previous e.g. as social instructor/ social educator You are one of the three qualified social welfare profession among social instructors (educated in polytechnics; Fachhochschule) and practical nurses (vocational schools) cooperation and multiexpertise

13 How to study social work in Finland? Social work qualifications comprises both the bachelor s and master s degrees (the Act on Qualification Requirements for Social Welfare Professionals 272/2005; 3 ) - working as social worker need master's degree Teaching is both theoretical and practiceoriented - produce skills both practical social work and social work research The research-based knowledge-building

14 Qualified social workers Have completed basic, intermediate and advanced studies in social work, including master`s thesis and social work practicums Have completed studies of general social work, specialization can be obtained after MA Education is integrated Research Model Research entities have been integrated with the education programmes Basis, intermediate and advanced levels

15 Qualified social workers You have generated professional know-how, academic abilities and research skills You can use knowledge of theory and practice in skilled way You can analyze and understand different kinds of social phenomena and structure of society and also you are skilled in clients work - interaction between theory and practice is the key issue Research-orientation as practitioner

16 Knowledge Building in Practice (during education) Intellectual competence: connect theory to practice, understand social problems (individual/society), understand SW as target-oriented Functional competence: skills in client work, applying legislation, applying ethical codes, applying SW methods in practice Personal competence: to recognize own values and attitudes, to be able to analyze own professional growth and meaning of reflection Evaluation competence: to evaluate usability of approaches and methods of SW, to perceive possibilities of development in SW (Based on Guttman)

17 Development of Social Work Practice (in theory-oriented point of view) Practice-based research, practitioner research and practice research Practice research: Research problem and questions based and raised on practice of social sector Research methods are interactive and in process of research is participating several participants Roles of researcher and social worker are overlapped and researcher is subject and object Producing of information and implementation of information to practice coincide (Saurama & Julkunen 2009)

18 Social workers orientation and professional challenges M I N N A K I V I P E LT O, J A N U S

19 The aim of study Social work s societal function in society Relation to society Role in society Social workers conception/idea of that Helps to recognize what are the intended effects of social work in society What kind of societal orientation social workers have? This is studied by asking social workers to define how they define The knowledge they need The aim of social work The position and role of clients The methods of social work The relationship between social work and structures/institutions of society A social worker with multiple orientations

20 Individual centred, integrative orientation Strongest orientation Characterizes: norms of society, normality, individual s life management Roles: social worker: professional/expert client: recipient of services and help Emphasizing the knowledge that helps to make right decisions in client s problems, knowledge of service system and benefits, regulation and acts of law Legislation forms an important and controlling framework Task of sw is to produce the most efficient services to help clients with the existing resources and in the existing system Similarities with: Payne: individualistic-reformist paradigm Dominelli: conservative social work Gambrill: adaptive social work Problems: might maintain and strengthen deprivation and stigmatization, might develop the feeling of otherness, categorization and hierarchical systems

21 Supportive-interpretational orientation Social work as the interpreter and reflector of the problems between the individual and society. Targeted to decrease the gap between professionals and clients. Were mainly expressed in relation to methods and role of social worker Characterizes: emphases on interaction, support and understanding towards client Roles: aspiration to equality emphasizing dialogue, deliberative, consulting methods Aim: change in client s own life Similarities with: Payne: reflective-therapeutic paradigm Fook; Barton & O Byrne: postmodern narrative or dialogical methods Dominelli: therapeutic social work Juhila: participatory orientation

22 Critical orientation Were rarely expressed, mainly in relation to critics toward the preconditions of sw, but also some notions that social workers were trying to influence clients life on larger scale: delivering the knowledge to local authorities financiers of services Characterizes: justice and equal rights to all, empowerment, radicalism and antioppressiveness Aim: to increase the possibilities to act and participate in society Methods that helps to recognize and analyze the effects of social factors in individuals life and progress change Social work s ethical bases are defined usually as critical and change-orientated but is very rare in Finland in the practice of social work Different kinds of developing projects were seen as possibility to trying to influence Similarities with: Payne: socialist-collectivism paradigm Dominelli: emancipatory orientation

23 Why this kind of results 1. Defining social problems and methods are mainly made by those who are well-to-do in society (power issue) whose interest is to keep the poor poor? 2. Psychological theories and methods are emphasized in social work which aims to adaptation of individuals and groups to society. Psychological traditions are important for social work, but also problematic. Lack of social theories? 3. Social workers are mainly working in public organizations engaging organizations aims. How to bite a hand that feeds you? 4. Critical social work is considered to be too radical. It extremely defend and advocates clients. It also generates definitions that reinforce abnormality and confrontations between individuals Should social work change disadvantageous conditions IF the person her/himself does not wish to proceed in that direction? What can be the unfavourable outcomes of raising consciousness?

24 Public social work in change The organizational accountability of public social workers and their ability and opportunities to exercise professional ethics and responsibility in social work practice. Organizational accountability: the aspect of social work accountability where the emphasis is on organizational budget control, organizational efficiency and efficiency demands placed on social workers, and job control and evaluation almost 40% of the social workers felt their ability and opportunities to exercise professional ethics and responsibility in social work practice had been compromised. (Mänttäri-van der Kuip 2013)

25 Emerging of structural social work The awareness of structural issues In the profession of social work there is no tradition to radical or critical methods, although there is rising action among social workers to influnce to society via Research, media, social media, developmental social work, even also political influencing (Tiitinen 2014; Year book of social work research 2014: Structural social work (eds Pohjola & Laitinen & Seppänen)