Human rights and social work practice with refugees and asylums seekers: an Australian study Sharlene Nipperess Deakin University, Australia

Introduction The study The context The findings – Understanding of human rights – Human rights and practice – Human rights and social work education Conclusion

The study Human rights: a challenge to critical social work practice and education Two central research questions: How do social workers understand the concept of human rights and how is this translated into practice? How does social work education in Australia provide opportunities to explore and analyse the notion of human rights? Centre for Human Rights Education Curtin University of Technology Perth, Western Australia Supervisors: Professor Linda Briskman and Dr Caroline Fleay

The context Definition of torture: any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent of acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity (United Nations 1984). Definition of trauma: … the pain, distress and suffering that … clients experience relating to, or arising from, their forced-migration journey. This usually includes war or civil conflict, and/or human rights abuses or violence motivated by religious, ethnic or political reasons (Forum of Australian Services for Survivors of Torture and Trauma 2011, p. ii).

The context Australian torture and trauma services Australia is comprised of six states (Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia) and two territories (Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory) A specialist torture and trauma service is located in the capital city of each of the states and territories National network: Forum of Australian Services for Survivors of Torture and Trauma (FASSTT) International network: International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT) 11 social work practitioners were interviewed from 8 of the Australian torture and trauma services

The findings Understanding of human rights Understanding Understanding gained largely from lived experience The role of social work Practice context It gets very complex when I try to fit it together conceptually (participant) I think human rights is more … in my life than in my social work practice … social work practice, if it’s a paid position, then that part comes and goes but the human rights is embedded in the who I am … so I was an activist before I was a social work student, and even during the training I held those values of human rights and associated practice much more strongly than social work (participant)

The findings Human rights and practice Committed to idea Human rights equals advocacy Human rights in the everyday Human rights are complex and contested Perceived lack of skill, knowledge and confidence From my point of view it’s fundamental (participant) I guess it’s more micro level that I’m working at the moment, although I don’t lose track of the bigger picture I just don’t know if I’m really working in an effective capacity to try to work at the high levels (participant)

The findings Human rights and social work education Importance of human rights in the social work curricula How should human rights be included? What should be included? I think it is important because it is problematic. Because it is problematic … because we have a self-satisfied view of we already do that, it’s in our ethics, so we don’t need to worry about it … we can’t take it for granted (participant) Just maybe that it’s one of those really big conceptual headings that would benefit from being demystified. Like ethics you know, we did Law and Ethics so lets unpack terms like human rights in social work practice (participant) Well it should be embedded in the whole course (participant)

Conclusion International Federation of Social Workers and International Association of Schools of Social Work, International definition of social work: “… Principles of human rights and social justice are fundamental to social work” (2001) Australian Association of Social Workers, Code of ethics: “Commitment and aims of social work: Working to achieve human rights and social justice through social development, social and systemic change, advocacy and the ethical conduct of research” (2010, p. 7).

Contact details Sharlene Nipperess Lecturer - Social Work Deakin University School of Health and Social Development Deakin University Geelong Waterfront Campus 1 Gheringhap Street Geelong VIC 3217 Australia