New Zealand Social Work Education Review Authors: S . McKinley & J. Duke

1. New Zealand Social Work Education Review Authors: S. McKinley & J. Duke

2. The New Zealand Social Workers Registration Board (SWRB) has legislated responsibility for social work programme qualification recognition. Initial standards for recognising programmes were developed in 2005. In 2011 the SWRB resolved to review these standards to ensure graduates are work ready for local, national and international practice and have a transferable qualification. Major discussions in the change process included: • length and structure of the qualification; • balance between theoretical and practical content; • specificity of curriculum content and graduate outcomes; and, • requirements for fieldwork education. This presentation will discuss the draft outcomes of the programme standards review to date.

3. Outcomes to date: • Review of the graduate attributes to provide more explicit focus on practice in Aotearoa New Zealand society, anti-oppressive practice, practitioner resilience and a broadening of the previous focus on cultural backgrounds to include indigeneity. • In addition to graduates being able to demonstrate the ability to implement the joint IASSW/IFSW global standards into their practice, they have specific Graduate attributes as follows: • Demonstrate the ability to work in a bi-cultural context and acknowledge the centrality of Te Tiriti o Waitangi to practice. • Apply anti oppressive social work values, knowledge and skills to complex situations to stimulate personal and social change in a range of work and social contexts. • Have the ability to work with individuals, families or whanau, communities and groups from diverse ethnic, cultural and indigenous backgrounds. • Demonstrate resilience and the ability to manage interpersonal conflict and challenges that arise in the context of social work practice. • Understand Aotearoa New Zealand social work’s origins, purpose and development within a global context.

4. Outcomes to date: Continued • Demonstrate professional literacy and numeracy, critically evaluate scholarship, critique and apply diverse knowledge and research to social work practice. • Demonstrate an ability to think critically, and effectively analyse, synthesise and apply information. • Demonstrate the ability to work autonomously and make independent judgments from a well informed social work position. • Demonstrate the ability to work collaboratively with others in multi-disciplinary teams, organizations and communities. • Demonstrate a critical reflective approach to individual social work practice through supervision, peer review and self-evaluation. • Demonstrate an ability to recognise own learning needs and participate in continuing professional development.

5. Outcomes to date: Continued • Demonstrate an ability to utilise ongoing professional supervision and a commitment to continuing professional development. • Demonstrate understanding of and ability to integrate contemporary social, political, psychological, economic, legal, environmental, cultural and indigenous issues within Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally into both social work as a profession and practice. • Demonstrate an awareness of the level of skills, knowledge, attributes and abilities of a new social work graduate.

6. Length of the qualification.The initial feedback supports a 4 year undergraduate degree or a 2 year master level qualification. The masters is already the level for a postgraduate qualification but to date there has been variability in the undergraduate degree qualification between a 4 year (mostly University) degree and a 3 year (polytechnic degree). Note however before the Board’s decision in 2005 to require a degree qualification (level unspecified) the level had been either a university 4 year degree or a range of applied social science degrees with a social work stream or a 2 year diploma. Arguments for the 4 years include • the current range of qualifications is often described as confusing giving an impression of different tiers of qualification; • the greater academic rigour possible; • students better prepared to meet industry needs; • preparation for postgraduate study; and • the proportionate amount of time taken up by practicums.

7. Staffing of programmes. It has been challenging, in a voluntary registration environment, for Education providers to ensure appropriate academic staffing. However, as the Board has legislative responsibility for recognising degrees that lead to eligibility to apply for registration, they have required that the programme leader, placement/practicum co-ordinator and staff teaching in the core social work theory, practice and skills courses are registered social workers. The review addressed the level of qualification and determined that staff teaching in the social work theory skills and practice components in the undergraduate degree are masters qualified or have a plan in place to complete a master’s qualification within 2 years of appointment. Staff teaching in the social work theory skills and practice components in the postgraduate degree are at least research masters qualified

8. Placement / Practicum Supervisors.In New Zealand there is currently no funding for placement supervision. Most support was given to placement supervisors having a tertiary qualification in Professional Supervision or a tertiary qualification in Professional Supervision with a minimum of 4/5years social work practice. There was limited support for only a Social work qualification or only being a Registered Social Worker.Further it was suggested that reciprocal arrangements between educational institutions and agencies taking SW students need to be strengthened. For example, Social Work educational institutions could be offering some basic supervision training (or other training opportunities) as part of the acceptance of an organisations responsibility in taking a student/studentsStill to be considered is the minimum number of staff required per programme to ensure a research culture will be sustained.

9. Practicum Placements/placement skills. There was some discussion around increasing the placement days from 120 to 140. However, the reality of finding placements is such that any increase would be almost impossible for the sector to manage. The placement requirement is left at 120 – to be completed across years 3&4 in the Undergraduate degree – a minimum of two placements one of which must be at least 60 days (up from 50). There is now an additional requirement for 20 days of pre-placement skills workshops that address interpersonal skills, reflective practice, supervision, risk assessment.The Board is still working on requirements for overseas placements and reviewing their policy on placement in a place of employment (whether or not this should only be allowed for a final placement).

10. Additional compulsory curriculum requirements. The curriculum must be designed to ensure graduates will be competent to practice with vulnerable children and families, mental health service users, alcohol, drug and addiction service users and the elderly as specific areas of practice. • Entry requirementsThese now include a face to face interview, police check and English language test for any person for whom English or Maori is not their first language, or who did not do their secondary schooling in English. Still to be finalised are the pre-requisites for entry into a Masters qualifying programme and distance education requirements.