Social Work in Italy

1. Social Work in Italy Prof.Annamaria Campanini Coordinator of EUSW Thematic Network President of EASSW

2. Contents • Social Work in Italy : challenges and problems in education and profession • Europeanization Process • What we can learn from Europe ?

3. Social Work Education • First schools in 40’s • Private schools vs. University • Process of academization: lights and shadows

4. Social Work Education in Italy according with Bologna process • 3 Years Bachelor Degree • 2 Years Master Degree • 3 Years PhD

5. Profession From 50s to 1985 • Social workers mainly employed in public sector • No status, no juridical recognition

6. Profession After the decision that social work education had to be offered only by the University (1985): • Law 23rd March 1993, n. 84, “Definition and regulation of the social worker profession and approval of a National Register “ • Ethical code

7. Europeanization process • Erasmus / Socrates projects (teachers and students exchange, Intensive Programs, Curriculum Developments) • 2002 EUSW- European Social Work Commonalities and differences Thematic Network

8. What Italian social work can learn from Europe?

9. In education Curricula more oriented to professionalization • Teachers “embedded” within educational institutions • Teachers in social work coming from profession • Pedagogical tools and a more active education

10. In research • more researches in social work: both theory and practice oriented • more focus on evaluation of professional behaviours, activities and results

11. Profession • Need to rethink the relation between different professions (eg. social pedagogue) under the same umbrella of “social workers” • Specialization Vs generalist approach • Therapeutic focus • Anti-oppressive practice • Advocacy • User’s participation

12. SOCIAL WORK IN EUROPE In July 2001, both the IASSW and the IFSW reached an agreement on adopting an international definition of social work and this is the starting point for the European social work

13. COMMONALITIES “the social work profession promotes change, problem solving in human relationships and the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance well-being. Utilising theories of human behaviour and social systems, social work intervenes at the points where people interact with their environments. Principles of human rights and social justice are fundamental to social work”.

14. COMMONALITIES • PRINCIPLES AND VALUES • MISSION • CHALLENGES • STRATEGIES

15. BUT ALSO…. • the feminin gender prevalence in social work profession • a not yet acknowledgment of an equal status to the one attributed to other professions • the involvement in Europe • the importance of research • the need to link social work with other disciplines

16. Differencies in the education • in the kind of institution which provides this education • in the duration of the training/education period • in the structure of the curricula.

17. Differencies in the intervention connected with • the historical and cultural background, • the social policy trends • the different national and regional structures in which social work is operating

18. New efforts…. • Document on “Global qualifying standards for social work education and training”, that identifies certain universals, to be used as guidelines to develop national standards with regard to social work education and training. • European Network for Quality Assurance for Social Professions (ENQASP)

19. Discussions and changes following the Bologna process (two cycles,ECTS,mobility, co-operation in quality assurance, competences and learning outcomes) • Tuning project

20. Concluding thoughts We are facing in Europe the same challenges: ageing, migrations, poverty globalization, social cohesion If we open our minds and develop an attitude to dialogue in social work We can learn from each other