1. Social work: the ‘people’ people (not the office people!) Name Job Title / Organisation Dr Ian Milligan International Lead Title / Organisation www.celcis.org

2. 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

3. www.celcis.org Social workers & social pedagogues The role of social work = tackling social problems & protecting children Focus on individual families and communities/neighbourhoods Collaborating with – Education - Health Foster-care & kinship care– social workers are essential UNICEF CEE/CIS Regional Child protection conference, Minsk 3

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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 placements UNICEF CEE/CIS Regional Child protection conference, Minsk 6

7. 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

8. www.celcis.org references Iarskaia-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, 4 th 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