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Professionalization of Social Work in China: The Shenzhen Model

Professionalization of Social Work in China: The Shenzhen Model. Joe Leung. Introduction. Thriving Development in social work education – 211 schools and 10,000 graduates each year Outstanding issues – under-developed curriculum and lack social work social positions/ jobs

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Professionalization of Social Work in China: The Shenzhen Model

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  1. Professionalization of Social Work in China: The Shenzhen Model Joe Leung

  2. Introduction • Thriving Development in social work education – 211 schools and 10,000 graduates each year • Outstanding issues – under-developed curriculum and lack social work social positions/ jobs • 2006 Party document (under Party Construction) to develop a strong social work workforce – a Party campaign • Shenzhen was chosen as the national key pilot city todevelop social work positions (2008), with the strong back up from Hong Kong (benchmarking Hong Kong as the model). • What is the Shenzhen model? What happens? Implications for future? Role of Hong Kong?

  3. Debates • International Journal of Social Welfare 2007-08: • Global standards on social work education and social work practice can or 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 values and knowledge in facilitating the development of the discipline in China.

  4. Indigenization (Gray, Coates, and Bird, 2008) The concept of “indigenization” (a process of adapting Western social work to non-Western contexts) is challenged as it is associated with “professional 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 develop and deliver services in an effective, acceptable and culturally appropriate manner. Often such efforts have been embedded in dominant Western paradigms and the results have proved inadequate in meeting the needs of diverse groups.

  5. Key Issues for Social Work in China? Gray (2008: 401):What model of social work does China need, if indeed it needs one at all? What model of social work education and practice is China developing and to what extent will Western knowledge and standards be uncritically appropriated into China? Wang Sibun: “in China, the biggest difference from Western countries is that social workers act as assistants for the Party to provide social work and management”. Role of Western-based SW knowledge and relationships with the government

  6. Recent Development Pre-1978 under socialist China – use of administrative procedures and ideological education by grassroots cadres.to solve problems and change people’s lives. Rapid development of welfare services after 1990s, providing care to the disabled, older people, young people with behavioral problems/ drugs/ delinquency (Massive social problems emerged) Government-centred welfare services, under-development of NGOs. Regulations to employ social workers fail to be enforced.

  7. Slow Professionalization Movement The Regulations on the Occupationalization of Social Workers (2004) and the Regulations on the Social Workers Occupational Standard System (2006) both described the functions of professional social work as implementing social policy, mitigating social stability, promoting social justice and building a harmonious society. These regulations attempted to define social work practice, scope and objectives for the first time. In theory, social work has been included as a specialized and formal profession

  8. Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, 2006 The construction of socialism and the harmonious society urgently requires the building up of a rational and quality social work workforce. Establishment of a healthy system of training, assessment, application, and incentives is essential to confirm the professional scope and standards, and enhance professional levels and quality. The government should conduct manpower planning and strengthen social work education in universities so as to ensure the abundant supply of the necessary professional social workers. There is a need to re-structure public service departments so as to include social work in their job classification. Through the establishment of social work positions, more social workers can be recruited and professional standards enhanced.

  9. Breakthrough in 2007-8 Public examinations for registration of social workers; courses - June 2008 - 111,720 persons participated, 32,000 passed (28,000 assistant 助理社工 and 4,000 social worker 社工司) Classify different levels of social work positions and requirement. Shanghai has a better developed profession, social work education and NGOs – legal social work 司法社工 (three government-established NGOs to provide services for the marginal youth, ex-prisoners, and drug addicts.

  10. Party and Government Campaign Facing rising social tensions, social workers as lubricant 潤滑剂and shock absorber 吸震器 . Social doctor 社会医師, social engineer 社会工程師 2007 pilot sites (75 city districts and 90 units) – positions, salary, operations. Evaluation of civil affairs units - 36 units (universities, government departments); 63 topics; 14 topics related to Sichuan earthquake. Sichuan earthquake provides an opportunity to publicize the contribution of social work(therapy and counseling for victims)

  11. Issues Still lack government job positions. Most social work graduates fail to get social work positions. SW courses disbanded because of poor employment of graduates. Lack clear-cut support from Government (Civil Affairs Department inadequate to push for generic social work development Poor public understanding of social work/ confused work boundaries – bare-foot social workers Waiting for the results from pilots to develop social work positions

  12. Social Work Education 1923 Beijing University programme; all programmes disbanded in 1952 (Pseudo-science). Social work programmes re-intated in four Universities in 1988 (20th anniversary in 2008). The China Social Work Association (in 1991) and the China Association for Social Work Education (CASWE) (in 1994) 2001, 36 social work education programs, increased to 172 in 2003.

  13. Issues Western/ Hong Kong-based curriculum design – variations across programmes, with no central mechanism for accreditation Clincial practice rather than macro-practice – policy intervention, social planning and community practice Lack teaching innovations (lecture-centred methods) Multiple roles and poorly-equipped teachers – teaching, superise placement, and marketing social work – lack capacity to develop locally-based evidence-based practice

  14. Quality social work references limited/ translated publications and general social work texts/ well-developed websites. Fieldwork practice under-developed. Uncertain student motivations

  15. Shenzhen Pilot: Preparation • “SW originates in Shanghai, and generates expectations in Shenzhen” 起源于上海, 創新寄望于深圳. 廣東: 中央给予 “特殊政策, 靈活措施.” “科學發展, 先行先试 (珠江三角洲地區改革规划綱要 2008-2020年). • No social work graduate; no NGOs; poorly developed welfare service • Wealthy city with the political and financial commitment to develop social work • Policy commitment in 2007 « 1 + 7 policy documents » - action plans, social workers provisions, salary scale.

  16. 1 + 7 Policy Documents 1 + 7 policy documents: 關于加強社會工作人才队伍建設推进社會工作發展的意見 + 7 个配套文件 views on strengthening the building of social work - 深圳市社會工作者职业水平評价实施方案 (professional standard assessment) - 深圳市社會工作人材教育培訓方案 (education and training) - 深圳市社會工作專業岗位設置方案 (SW positions) - 深圳市社會工作人材專業技朮职位設置及薪酬待遇方案 (salary) - 深圳市叐揮民間组织在社會工作中作用佔实施方案 (NGO) - 深圳市財政支持社會工作發展实施方案 (Finance) - 深圳市, 社工, 义工联動工作实施方案 (volunteer) Social workers with salary ranges from 3000 to 5000 a month. 13 grades (high: 10%; middle, 30%)

  17. Model: Principles • Government purchase services from NGOs 購買服務 (Party unified leadership, government promotion, private operations, and mass participation 党委统一领导, 政府主导推動, 民間组织运作, 公众廣泛参與); large society 大社会/ 社會化. Social workers will not be civil servants – maintain neutrality, no government image. • Benchmark learning from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Shanghai 全方位學習 • We have to transfer the Hong Kong social work system to here first. Based on learning, we indigenize the local social work system“我们就是要把香港的社工制度先搬過來, 在學習的基础上, 推进社工的本土化建没 (Shenzhen CAB Director 劉潤华)

  18. Buying services from Hong Kong 1 + 2 + 3 • 1st year - HK supervisors supervise social workers (assistant supervisors – 助理督导) • 2nd year – Hong Kong supervisors supervise new assistant supervisors and practicing supervisors 見習督导; practicing supervisors supervising social workers • 3rd year – supervisors supervise social workers

  19. 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);.

  20. 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 coverage of social work news Hong Kong system: Service Quality Standard manuals/ Funding and Service Agreements/ performance indicators/ HK system of financial, case records, programme statistics, staff appraisal forms

  21. Publications of case books, selection of excellent social workers, and good practice/ training programmes for social workers (Hong Kong tours/ sharing programmes with HK social workers) Rating of NGO performance by stakeholders

  22. Job classifications Among the 455 social workers: 77 education, 60 rehabilitation, 61 legal, 128 community, 92 civil affairs, 9 labour. 2009, recruit 300 more social workers mainly in hospitals, petition office上訪, people’s mediation 人民调解, drug treatment and bangjiao (legal SW services), and family planning. labor disputes 勞動爭议, enterprises, army 部队,

  23. Social Workers Recruited all over China. New to Shenzhen. Ill-equipped, fresh graduates, no working experiences Lack macro- and political skills to work through the system, coordinating departments, and gain credibility 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

  24. 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 a month (ISSD charges administrative fees) • Unfamiliar with the China/ Shenzhen policy and practice • 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

  25. Issues Shenzhen model is too difficult to be transferred to other cities. It is rich, and is close to Hong Kong. “拔苗助長” NGO too new, lack capacity, and competency (see Guangzhou model). Accountability issues. Local social work training can’t provide the support (over-reliance on Hong Kong for knowledge) salary of social workers remains low (3000 yuan; no bottom line; high cost of living in Shenzhen), no household registration

  26. conflicts between social workers and traditional grassroots cadres (competing for recognition) welfare units leadership lack understanding of social work; something imposed from the top; use social workers for administrative work (School use SWers as substitute teachers/ file management). District variations. Communication essential

  27. Diversified models in districts: • Yantian – employ 3 FT HK social work supervisors to supervise 25 social workers. • Nanshan – directly employed over 100 social workers • conflicts of work culture – leadership centered; difficult to coordinate government departments and mass organizations • implications for other cities – Guangzhou, Dongguan

  28. Prospects Against this background, social work, under the sponsorship of the Party will thrive – social work positions will come (The spring of social work) NGO development to provide social work positions Social work practice dominates by clinical/ individual intervention/ lack macro-intervention training and experiences (policy intervention) Heavy reliance on Hong Kong experienes and social welfare system – opportunity for jobs, NGO development, and exchanges. Social work education becomes more attractive, with more graduates. Better training for teachers, and more opportunity for importing western knowledge.

  29. Websites http://sw.mca.gov.cn Ministry of Civil Affairs http://www.szmz.sz.gov.cn Shenzhen civil affairs bureau http://www.szshegong.org/index.shtml shenzhen social workers’ association http://www.socialwork.cn China Association of Social Work http://www.chinaswedu.cn China Association for Social Work Education http://shsw.cn Shanghai Social Work

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