social work professionalization

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Professionalization of SocialWork in China: The Shenzhen

Model

Joe Leung

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Debates

International Journal of Social Welfare2007-08:

Global standards on social workeducation and social work practice canor cannot be applied to China(Hutchings and Taylor, 2007, 2008; Jia,2007; Leung, 2007; Cheng, 2008; Gray,2008). Such debate centres on the role

of Western-based social work valuesand knowledge in facilitating thedevelopment of the discipline in China.

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Indigenization (Gray, Coates,and Bird, 2008)

The concept of indigenization (a process ofadapting Western social work to non-Westerncontexts) is challenged as it is associated withprofessional imperialism and colonization(against having a universal or global model of

social work) Social work education and practice, in regard to

non-Western cultures, has struggled to developand deliver services in an effective, acceptableand culturally appropriate manner. Often such

efforts have been embedded in dominantWestern paradigms and the results have provedinadequate in meeting the needs of diversegroups.

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Key Issues for SocialWork in China? Gray (2008: 401):What model of social work

does China need, if indeed it needs one atall? What model of social work education andpractice is China developing and to what

extent will Western knowledge and standardsbe uncritically appropriated into China?

Wang Sibun: in China, the biggest differencefrom Western countries is that social workersact as assistants for the Party to provide

social work and management. Role of Western-based SW knowledge and

relationships with the government

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Recent Development

Pre-1978 under socialist China use ofadministrative procedures and ideologicaleducation by grassroots cadres.to solve problemsand change peoples lives.

Rapid development of welfare services after 1990s,

providing care to the disabled, older people, youngpeople with behavioral problems/ drugs/delinquency (Massive social problems emerged)

Government-centred welfare services, under-development of NGOs.

Regulations to employ social workers fail to beenforced.

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Slow ProfessionalizationMovement The Regulations on the Occupationalization of

Social Workers (2004) and the Regulations onthe Social Workers Occupational StandardSystem (2006) both described the functions ofprofessional social work as implementingsocial policy, mitigating social stability,promoting social justice and building aharmonious society.

These regulations attempted to define socialwork practice, scope and objectives for thefirst time. In theory, social work has beenincluded as a specialized and formalprofession

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Central Committee of theChinese Communist Party,2006 The construction of socialism and the harmonious society

urgently requires the building up of a rational and qualitysocial work workforce. Establishment of a healthy systemof training, assessment, application, and incentives isessential to confirm the professional scope and standards,and enhance professional levels and quality. The

government should conduct manpower planning andstrengthen social work education in universities so as toensure the abundant supply of the necessary professionalsocial workers. There is a need to re-structure publicservice departments so as to include social work in their

job classification. Through the establishment of social workpositions, more social workers can be recruited andprofessional standards enhanced.

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Breakthrough in 2007-8 Public examinations for registration of

social workers; courses - June 2008 -111,720 persons participated, 32,000passed (28,000 assistant and

4,000 social worker ) Classify different levels of social work

positions and requirement.

Shanghai has a better developedprofession, social work education and NGOs

legal social work (threegovernment-established NGOs to provideservices for the marginal youth, ex-prisoners, and drug addicts.

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Party and GovernmentCampaign Facing rising social tensions, social workers as

lubricant and shock absorber . Socialdoctor , social engineer

2007 pilot sites (75 city districts and 90 units) positions, salary, operations. Evaluation of civil

affairs units - 36 units (universities, governmentdepartments); 63 topics; 14 topics related toSichuan earthquake.

Sichuan earthquake provides an opportunity to

publicize the contribution of social work(therapy

and counseling for victims)

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Issues

Still lack government job positions. Most socialwork graduates fail to get social work positions.SW courses disbanded because of pooremployment of graduates.

Lack clear-cut support from Government (CivilAffairs Department inadequate to push forgeneric social work development

Poor public understanding of social work/confused work boundaries bare-foot socialworkers

Waiting for the results from pilots to developsocial work positions

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Social Work Education

1923 Beijing University programme; allprogrammes disbanded in 1952 (Pseudo-science).

Social work programmes re-intated in

four Universities in 1988 (20th anniversary in 2008).

The China Social Work Association (in1991) and the China Association for

Social Work Education (CASWE) (in 1994) 2001, 36 social work education

programs, increased to 172 in 2003.

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Issues

Western/ Hong Kong-based curriculum design variations across programmes, with no centralmechanism for accreditation

Clincial practice rather than macro-practice policy intervention, social planning andcommunity practice

Lack teaching innovations (lecture-centredmethods)

Multiple roles and poorly-equipped teachers teaching, superise placement, and marketingsocial work lack capacity to develop locally-based evidence-based practice

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Quality social work references limited/translated publications and generalsocial work texts/ well-developedwebsites.

Fieldwork practice under-developed.

Uncertain student motivations

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Shenzhen Pilot:Preparation SW originates in Shanghai, and generates

expectations in Shenzhen , . : , . , ( 2008-2020 ).

- No social work graduate; no NGOs; poorlydeveloped welfare service

- Wealthy city with the political and financialcommitment to develop social work

-Policy commitment in 2007 1 + 7 policydocuments - action plans, social workersprovisions, salary scale.

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1 + 7 PolicyDocuments 1 + 7 policy documents:

+ 7 views on strengtheningthe building of social work

- (professionalstandard assessment)

-

(education and training) - (SW positions)

- (salary)

- (NGO)

- (Finance)

- , , (volunteer)

Social workers with salary ranges from 3000 to 5000 amonth. 13 grades (high: 10%; middle, 30%)

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Model: Principles

Government purchase services from NGOs (Party unified leadership, government

promotion, private operations, and massparticipation , , , ); large society /

. Social workers will not be civil servants maintain neutrality, no government image.

Benchmark learning from Hong Kong, Taiwan andShanghai

We have to transfer the Hong Kong social

work system to here first. Based on learning,we indigenize the local social work system , , (Shenzhen CABDirector )

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Buying services fromHong Kong 1 + 2 + 3

1st year - HK supervisors supervisesocial workers (assistant supervisors )

2nd year Hong Kong supervisorssupervise new assistant supervisorsand practicing supervisors ;practicing supervisors supervisingsocial workers

3rd year supervisors supervisesocial workers

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Action Plan

Planning ratio of 1 social worker for each social work station, school and

homes. One social worker for 70 drug addicts, 70 ex-prisoners, 70 marginal

youth, 5,000 families, and 10,000 migrant workers, 200 social assistance

recipients, 500 older people, 50 mildly disabled persons. (HK of 1 supervisor to

8 social workers)

By 2009, 19 NGOs, 600 social workers (850 by end of 2009). Received 60,000

yuan per social worker a year (66,000 yuan in 2009) for social worker salary

and operational expenses);.

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Some NGO with 120 social workers, others with 10

social workers. NGO headed by single person (CEO/

chairperson), usually business persons

2010, 5,000 social workers

Publicity plan newspaper and TV coverageof social work news

Hong Kong system: Service Quality Standardmanuals/ Funding and Service Agreements/performance indicators/ HK system of

financial, case records, programme statistics,staff appraisal forms

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Publications of case books, selection ofexcellent social workers, and goodpractice/ training programmes for socialworkers (Hong Kong tours/ sharing

programmes with HK social workers) Rating of NGO performance by

stakeholders

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Job classifications

Among the 455 social workers: 77education, 60 rehabilitation, 61 legal,128 community, 92 civil affairs, 9labour.

2009, recruit 300 more social workersmainly in hospitals, petition office , peoples mediation , drugtreatment and bangjiao (legal SW

services), and family planning. labordisputes , enterprises, army ,

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Social Workers

Recruited all over China. New to Shenzhen.

Ill-equipped, fresh graduates, no workingexperiences

Lack macro- and political skills to work throughthe system, coordinating departments, and gaincredibility from work units and other professions.

Difficult to market social work profession image.

More focus on individual case and group work.

Social work identity not strong

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HK Supervisors

33 PT supervisors from Hong Kong (27 from ISSD/12 NGOs and 6 from HKCS)

Expect to increase to 40-50 by the end of 2009

20,000 yuan a month PT, working 10 days amonth (ISSD charges administrative fees)

Unfamiliar with the China/ Shenzhen policy andpractice

Supervisory ratio:

1 PT supervisor to 12-14 new social workers

1 PT supervisor to 1 practicing supervisors and 2

assistant supervisors 35 social workers

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Issues

Shenzhen model is too difficult to betransferred to other cities. It is rich, and isclose to Hong Kong.

NGO too new, lack capacity, and

competency (see Guangzhou model).Accountability issues.

Local social work training cant provide thesupport (over-reliance on Hong Kong forknowledge)

salary of social workers remains low (3000yuan; no bottom line; high cost of living inShenzhen), no household registration

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conflicts between social workers andtraditional grassroots cadres(competing for recognition)

welfare units leadership lackunderstanding of social work;something imposed from the top; usesocial workers for administrative work(School use SWers as substitute

teachers/ file management). Districtvariations. Communication essential

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Diversified models in districts:Yantian employ 3 FT HK social work

supervisors to supervise 25 socialworkers.

Nanshan directly employed over 100social workers

conflicts of work culture leadershipcentered; difficult to coordinate government

departments and mass organizations implications for other cities Guangzhou,

Dongguan

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Prospects

Against this background, social work, under thesponsorship of the Party will thrive social work positionswill come (The spring of social work)

NGO development to provide social work positions

Social work practice dominates by clinical/ individualintervention/ lack macro-intervention training andexperiences (policy intervention)

Heavy reliance on Hong Kong experienes and socialwelfare system opportunity for jobs, NGO development,and exchanges.

Social work education becomes more attractive, withmore graduates. Better training for teachers, and more

opportunity for importing western knowledge.

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Websites

http://sw.mca.gov.cn Ministry of CivilAffairs

http://www.szmz.sz.gov.cn Shenzhencivil affairs bureau

http://www.szshegong.org/index.shtmlshenzhen social workers association

http://www.socialwork.cn ChinaAssociation of Social Work

http://www.chinaswedu.cn ChinaAssociation for Social Work Education

http://shsw.cn Shanghai Social Work

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