Month: November 2011

I am a Social Work Student on placement in a statutory agency. I was recently invited to take part in some ‘training’ about the Personalisation Agenda for which I was very grateful. However, this training would have been better described as ‘marketing’ as there was no ‘training’ element involved in the short presentation that was given. It was a very good presentation, as far as presentations go.

When attendees of the ‘training opportunity’ posed valid and reasonable questions and made specific evidence-based queries, the trainer called them ‘Cynics’. Firstly, I found this a bit rude and also inaccurate, the spirit of enquiry in the questions and queries posed was, if anything, in the Skeptical Tradition; but being branded a ‘Cynic’ did silence all the enquirers.

(One of the points raised was about the link in Psychology between ‘outcome led thinking’ and ‘Consequentialism’, which seems a very relevant point to raise when dialogue has been invited upon the subject)

Secondly I thought this was a simple example of how a Language Game works in practice. It is real Power Play, Social Control if you will, and not “Just Semantics” as I am often told.

Occupy LSX outside St Pauls Cathedral is growing stronger every day not just with increased numbers and support but with ideas and discussions that are uniting people from all walks of life.

A poster at Occupy LSX outside St Paul’s Cathedral in London, declares ‘Our Democracy is broken, and we are staying here until it is fixed.’ It invites the public to become involved by sharing ideas, staying at the camp or by bringing views for discussion to a people’s assembly where everyone’s view is valued and equal.

Every time I go down to the Occupation the thing that sticks out in my mind is the amount of people gathering in small groups having discussions and debates. People from all walks of life talking about anything from the cuts, the financial meltdown, to the recent riots or about religion, and in particular and the role it should have within society.  You get the sense that people are quite clear they want to live in a different kind of society where people come before profit. Occupy LSX has become a beacon for many people who have been affected in a multitude of ways by a capitalist system that is run for the benefit of the richest 1% at the expense of the 99%, us!

On the 3rd of November Occupy LSX put out a call for help with the development of a Welfare Centre at the camp. Occupy LSX recognises that in order to create a better society, the society needs to include and support its most vulnerable members. The aim of the welfare centre is to provide advice and signpost people towards, for example, mental health advice services, drug and alcohol services, and housing and homeless peoples services. They are appealing for professionals like social workers, counsellors, housing officers, and mental health practitioners to volunteer their time to help develop the Welfare Centre.

As a social work student I will be sparing whatever time I can to volunteer and I will be encouraging other students to do the same. We hear so much rhetoric on a social work degree about empowering services users, Occupy LSX is about real empowerment for everyone. This to me is a real role for social work, not just one of tick box assessments, or sitting behind a computer screen for hours on end trying to understand the RAS (Resource Allocation System), or trying to present a service user as more ‘vulnerable’ and in ‘needy’ in order make them eligible for an ever decreasing pool of services.

I encourage anyone who is able and has an occupation where they live to visit it and get involved. It is truly an inspiring experience and one that certainly gives me the hope that another world is possible.

(Posted 7/11/11)

The Hungarian Parliament is expected to pass the law on 14 November and the legislation will mean that rough sleepers face 60 days in prison.

 At a rally on 8 October Mr Ferencz spoke out against the new law and the attempt to criminalise ‘dumpster diving’ [i.e. raking bins for food]. He called for peaceful protest against the new law. As a result local prosecutors have moved to charge him with incitement.
 
SWAN has launched a petition in support of Mr Ferencz which will be presented as part of his defence. Speaking on behalf of SWAN National Coordinator Michael Lavalette said:
 
“Norbert is a fine example of an activist social worker, one who shows, in his actions, what social work for social justice looks like. He clearly operated within the IFSW definition of social work and the Hungarian Codes of Ethics – it is an outrage that he is being dragged before the courts for doing his job.”
 
SWAN’s International Officer Iain Ferguson added:
 
 “An injury to one is an injury to all, so this is not simply a Hungarian issue. This is something that all social workers should be concerned about. It is vital that we all voice our concern over how Norbert is being treated.”
 
In Budapest SWAN Steering Committee member Rea Maglajlic said:

“The Hungarian parliament is due to discuss and vote on a draft law that would punish ‘residing habitually in public space’ by up to 60 days of imprisonment or up to 150.000 HUF fine, an amount that is almost three times the net minimum wage in Hungary.  

This proposal is both unconstitutional and inhumane, since it punishes homeless people for not having appropriate housing. Criminalisation of poverty stands against the principles of our profession and Norbert Ferencz was solely enacting the Code of Practice for our profession. Neither the most oppressed in any given society, including Hungary, nor people who stand up for the rights of the oppressed like Mr. Ferencz, should be criminalised. On behalf of all members of SWAN, we demand for the charges against Mr. Ferencz to be dropped, as well as all plans to criminalise homelessness in all Budapest Districts and across Hungary. Instead, support should be extended to address structural causes that lead to homelessness and ensure affordable, safe and healthy housing for all Hungarian citizens, some of whom are unfortunately homeless.”
 
Mr Ferencz is clear that he was working within the guidelines of the Hungarian Social Work Code of Ethics which requires social workers to speak out against injustice. Mr Ferencz’s defence will also make reference to the International Federation of Social Work’s definition of social work as a profession committed to social justice.
 
Mr Ferencz is due in court on 4 November 2011.
 
 
For news rooms:
 
1. The petition is available on line at http://swan.epetitions.net/
 
2. More details of Mr Ferencz’s case are available from the SWAN website https://www.socialworkfuture.org/index.php/articles-and-analysis/news/170-defend-norbert
 
3. For further information contact Michael Lavalette 07739729214

This movement has now spread from New York around the world with demonstrations of over a million people globally on 15th October representing the biggest co-ordinated global protests since the movement against the Iraq war in 2003. These actions have drawn crucial attention to the economic and social injustice and massive levels of inequality that characterise the current economic system.

In social work we are seeing massive cuts to services and their negative impact on people’s lives and livelihoods. Social workers face cuts to their pension provision, a pay freeze and attempts to privatise services or replace paid workers with volunteers. Attacks on the welfare state and benefits are disproportionately impacting on those in greatest need with social work service users facing ever greater poverty, distress, and a return to charity not rights. However, while ordinary working people face redundancy and pay, pension and benefit cuts, the directors of companies on Britain’s FTSE 100 index of top companies saw their salaries increase by 49 percent last year, and tax avoidance and evasion by large corporations and wealthy individuals cost the UK government £95 billion last year in lost revenue.

SWAN welcomes the attention that the Occupy movement has drawn to the injustices perpetrated in the interests of this tiny minority of the rich at the expense of ordinary working people. We also welcome the support of Occupy London for the November 30th public sector strikes against austerity cuts to pensions that will involve tens of thousands of social workers around the UK. SWAN condemns any attempt to forcibly remove the Occupy protesters from outside St Paul’s in London or any of the other camps, and urges SWAN members to support Occupy actions and events and build the wider movement for equality, democracy and social justice.

While SWAN welcomes today’s news that the City of London Corporation and St Paul’s have suspended their legal action against Occupy LSX in London, SWAN expresses its outrage that such action has been considered against peaceful protesters and also condemns Glasgow Council for proceeding with legal action against Occupy Glasgow.

SWAN National Steering Committee (1st November 2011)

See also a statement from social workers involved in Occupy Ljubljana in Slovenia here.

We will shortly be posting reports from SWAN activists who have joined Occupy protests around the UK – watch this space.