Moves are under way to raise the image of social work as a profession, and dispel public misconception that social workers are merely volunteers.
An effort is being made to set up a Council of Social Work Profession, to elevate the status of social workers by giving them the appropriate recognition, registering them and overseeing their practices.
Standards will be set and professional development support will be provided under the Social Work Profession Bill that women, family and community development minister Nancy Shukri said will be tabled for debate in the Dewan Rakyat later this year.
Two social workers told FMT that the assistance they provide is long-term, unlike what volunteers do.
They said many people often assumed that social workers merely lend a hand when someone needs help or is in some kind of trouble, and do not realise that social work is an occupation that requires the appropriate qualification.
While a volunteer may give a hungry child some food, a social worker would find out why the child has not been fed and would then recommend appropriate action.
Who are social workers and what do they do?
Social workers provide assistance and empowerment to various groups of people such as the poor, homeless, substance abusers, people living with HIV, vulnerable children, at-risk teens and victims of abuse.
They receive formal education that equips them with knowledge on human development and behaviour as well as social work skills, ethics, and laws to help them address complex issues.
Tina Yap, a community development worker at Malaysian Care, explained that social workers help to connect those in need to welfare assistance.
The person who needs proper support, usually referred to as a “client”, may not know how to get it and that is where the social worker steps in.
“We look into the case and start the process of connecting them to the help they need,” Yap said. “We collaborate with the welfare department, especially regarding welfare assistance.”
Yap said social workers do not force solutions on clients, but provide support and information to help them make their own decisions.
“When I work with villagers, I gather them together and encourage each one to participate and contribute to the discussion. What are their current needs? What are the issues? What resources are available in the village?” she said.
“If I weren’t a social worker, I might say, ‘I want to do something for the people.’ But as a social worker, it’s the other way around. I’m not the one leading the programme; the community should lead and tell us their urgent or pressing needs,” she added.
Unlike volunteers who usually only offer short-term solutions, social workers manage cases by going straight to the root of the problem, according to V Divaghar of the Malaysian Association of Social Workers.
While a volunteer will give a hungry child food or cash aid, a trained social worker would inquire about her background and try to find the child’s family. “If the child does not know where her parents are, we will try to do something about it,” he told FMT.
Why the new legislation is important
The Social Work Profession Bill will determine who can be categorised as a social worker by setting clear definitions and requirements.
“One can call himself a social worker if he is accredited by a specific university. One has to study for the relevant degree (to qualify as a social worker),” Divaghar said.
“I anticipate the bill will provide clarification on what social work is. It’s not volunteering, and it’s not community service,” he added.
The regulatory aspect of the bill is also important as it ensures that only qualified individuals are involved. This includes only allowing those who are qualified to work with children to reduce the risk of child harassment.
Yap anticipated that the bill would provide for the creation of a database to track social workers’ locations so that resources can be more efficiently allocated.
“There is no data now to show us how many social workers there are and where they are located,” she said, adding that proper allocation can benefit people in remote areas like indigenous communities.
Yap said a governing body would regulate social workers’ practices to ensure they deliver quality services and do no harm to clients.
“With regulation in place, there will be someone to supervise my practice. They don’t have to be from my organisation to help guide me,” she said. “How can I improve if I don’t know that I shouldn’t be working on something or that I could enhance my practice?” she added.
Yap said recognising social work as a profession can also reduce the brain drain and help alleviate the shortage of practising social workers in Malaysia.
“Many who hold social work degrees seek work in countries where the profession is better recognised, such as Singapore, Australia and the UK,” she added.
