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| Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Source: Wikimedia Commons |
As the Minister for Women and Community Development, I am writing to you as I wish to convey my observations and concerns regarding social work and the social care sector in our country. The main concern is on child protection and the protection of vulnerable adults.
I returned to Malaysia from the UK over 6 years ago and was very much hoping to contribute to the development of the professional social work service. I applied for my return through (and which was subsequently endorsed by) the Talent Corp “Returning Expert Programme.”
My entire working career in the UK was in social work, particularly in London Local Authorities (20+ years) ending up as Chief Officer/Principal Advisor and a Director of Social Services. I was a CEO of a “mental health and supported housing” Charity in South East London. I was also a Judicial Member of the Care Services Tribunal, set up to protect children and vulnerable adults and was an External Examiner for Universities programme for social work education and qualifications. Prior to returning to Malaysia, my own Government-approved UK Company provided services to children/young people with special needs and challenging behaviour (including child refuges or unaccompanied minors).
This letter is in some ways an appeal to you, to implement in my view, much overdue action towards the improvement of services for our fellow citizens, in particular those least able to care for themselves.
Perhaps you are aware that the Care Services sector (specialist day care and residential care) for children with disabilities/special needs and for “vulnerable” adults is variable in standards and quality and remains unrecognised and neglected. Apart from the few Government-run establishments, most of specialist provisions are within the private and the voluntary sector (NGOs).
It is the case that social care and support services currently provided are not formally “registered or regulated” over the way it delivers its services. Without any proper safeguards, there is a real risk that service users may not be adequately protected. As reported in the media there have been instances over the years of abuse and institutional neglect of residents in many of the care services establishments. Therefore, this is a public safety issue.
There is a need in my view to introduce “regulation” in order to instil not only public confidence, but also promote good services. If clinics, hospitals and schools are regulated why are social care provider-establishments exempt?
My next main concern is towards a professional service that is sadly (woefully) least understood and so far unrecognised in our country. I am referring to the current disappointing situation regarding mainstream professional “social workers”.
Social workers, although unqualified in this country are at best university degree-trained and at worst, untrained. This occupation involving “social care” needs to be accorded appropriate recognition by the country and this could come about through the draft Social Worker’s Act, currently going through its technical assessment process.
This proposed legislation sets up registration for those using the legal title of “social worker” and sets standards and competency for practice. To be called a social worker, one needs both the required academic qualification brought about through higher education and appropriate practice experience. In short, the country needs to professionalise the social work service, of which the Social Workers Act is only a necessary beginning.
In summary, a statutory agency, that is a “Care Services Commission” needs to be considered, whose regulatory duties embrace “fitness to practice (people) and fitness to operate (organisations)” criteria. We would benefit from enacting legislation to ensure there are suitably qualified and professionally trained social workers in this country. I hope therefore, that you are able to review the current draft legislation with the aim of expediting parliamentary approval. It has been delayed through endless bureaucracy for far too long.
In the longer term, the way which social work and welfare services are provided could benefit with further decentralisation and localisation “at the point of delivery” for greater accountability and transparency. This bold re-organisation could compliment PH’s longer term plans to restore local government elections and accordingly, give greater duties and powers to Local Authorities. In my view, local communities often know what they need and the best ways to provide for those needs.
I have attached an Appendix (see below) which provides some background and context around my concerns. I am a member of the Malaysian Association of Social Workers, an organisation that has been campaigning on the issues above although this letter is written in a personal capacity.
Finally, I would be delighted to provide further clarification and details if necessary.
Yours sincerely
Jim Lim Teik Wah
Read more about Jim here.
APPENDIX: Social Workers’ Act and social care services regulation
Social workers, despite years of trying to “be heard” have been unsuccessful in securing the previous government’s commitment to the required legislation to professionalise their status and the consequent steps towards regulating the social care sector.
Social work is a professional activity recognised throughout the world but unfortunately, the roles and functions appear least understood in our country. In addition, social workers often deal with complex problems affecting individuals and families and those problems, or its resolution or treatment can carry considerable social stigma.
There are six universities in Malaysia running undergraduate degree programmes in social work and a shorter Diploma in Social Work programme at a further education college in KL commenced a year ago.
In spite of this and despite international recognition for our local social work professionals, both in academia and in practice, there have been little progress achieved in terms of formal recognition or, in terms of “professionalising” the service, and with it, the standards, quality and regulation that follow.
What is the current state of play?
Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat (under the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development) is the statutory agency for a range of generic welfare services dispensing services and, intervening into the lives of individuals and families, principally “to protect, to assist and provide”. In addition, there are numerous voluntary organisations (NGOs) providing a wide range of services and to a many sections of the community. Malaysians are fortunate to have the many voluntary and charitable services evolving from its diverse religious and temperate societies.
However, there is a need to improve overall service delivery and this concerns public safety. How is the public to understand or be assured of a service which at the moment does not subject itself to inspection or regulation? For some services there is minimal registration for administrative purposes only but not regulation in terms of service standards and quality.
As social work services are often delivered by “people to people” directly, is it not reasonable that we understand the professional ethics which govern its practice and ensure there is appropriate regulation over their professional conduct and suitability or fitness for practice of the social work practitioner, in the same way of doctors, dentists, nurses and other Para-medical staff?
The draft Social Workers Act which I believe is currently undergoing its technical appraisal processes have been rigorously ‘peer-examined’ too. In my view, this important piece of legislation is long overdue.
The Act essentially legalises the job title of “social worker” and sets out mandatory standards for qualification as well as practice competencies. In line with many developed countries, it is time Malaysia join the wider community of social work.
There are numerous areas for improvements and existing social policies covering vulnerable adults, the elderly and children and families can benefit for an updated review and assessment as to its take-up as well as effectiveness. Some may require “replacement legislation” to reflect and accommodate the rapid social changes.
What is essentially the concern for social workers?
To simply put it, “social work intervention and social work services” fall under 2 distinct categories, warranting action and service provision.
The first covers services “safeguarding and protection” and,
The second is concerned with “maintaining dignity and enriching lives”
Safeguarding and protection services would be particularly relevant for children who are abused, families under stress, living with disabilities as well as vulnerable adults with disabilities.
Maintaining dignity and enriching lives would relate to people with severe handicaps, elderly people living with dementia and in some cases, marginalised communities.
At present, most social work intervention is effective when there is high quality practice or professionally competent services, supported by well managed teams and organisations. Social workers must be “competent” in undertaking assessments and formulating plans working with relevant multi-disciplinary agencies and client/user groups. Social workers can make a difference to people’s lives working in different settings, statutory (government, judicial, educational) and non-statutory (social, community, NGO).
The main concern of social workers throughout the country is formal recognition of the work they do or can do. They are operating without formal professional recognition and often, other public service agencies fail to appreciate their role. The public can be at risk if there is no formal register which bars those unsuitable to work with children or vulnerable people. The recent Sexual Offenders Act is a case in point although there has not been any evaluation published since.
The short-term: To urgently have the draft Social Workers Act passed by Parliament. Equal Consideration must be given to establishing the institutional resources to effectively fund and manage the implications and consequences arising from the Act. To introduce appropriate regulation to the social care sector to protect the public.
The longer-term: To reorganise current “institutional” welfare provision with the aim of decentralisation or localisation of services to the respective state level.
- I presented a paper on “social services planning” with the theme of decentralising services to local level at an ASEAN conference on Child Protection in KL in November 2012. Read here.
The longer-term may also focus on further education and training matters and the setting up of a working framework for inspection and regulation of establishments, centres and homes as well as statutory mechanism for vetting and barring schemes on suitability.
I know that this may appear a long wish list but as social work had been accorded scant attention in the past, the new Government must try to “catch up” in order to help raise standards and improve responses and services to all categories of vulnerable and disadvantaged citizens.
- There was a study by external consultants commissioned by Agensi Inovasi Malaysia with their findings report for consultation in March 2017, called Innovating Malaysia’s Social Sector. This study attempted to calculate financial costs in social interventions and services and my criticism is that it hardly mentioned social workers or to the many unsung heroes working in the social care sector. The results or outcomes of this study have so far not been shared.
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