The role of social workers revisited

Msekiwa Makwanya Our Children Our Future
As Zimbabwe focuses on the social protection agenda that arises from the myriad social challenges such as poverty, domestic violence, toxic and dysfunctional families; an increase in the number of orphans and vulnerable children, the role of social workers is brought into sharp focus and the

qualities of social work practitioners appears a top priority.

The Minister of Labour, Public Service and Social Welfare Prisca Mupfumira made it clear at the recently held Council of Social Workers’ breakfast meeting at the Rainbow Towers that, “All practising social workers in Zimbabwe should be registered in terms of the Social Workers Act, and issued with a valid up to date practising certificate. This is so that suitability to practise is ascertained. . . ”

Many Zimbabweans are not aware of what social workers do and this has resulted in many potential service users being deprived of a key social work service that is as important as that of doctors, lawyers and physiotherapists.

The Social Workers Act (Chapter 27:21 of 2001) does specify who can be called a social worker in Zimbabwe. A social worker has to hold a qualification (recognised Diploma or Degree) in social work and qualify for registration by the Council of Social Workers. A person cannot practise as a social worker if they are not registered with the council.

It is important that all employers, service users or professionals who interface or interact with anyone calling himself or herself a social worker, ask for proof of registration from the Council of Social Workers. The reason is simple and Minister Mupfumira summed it up well at the said recent breakfast meeting; “You do not want to employ a de-registered social worker who could be a rapist, or child and woman abuser to protect vulnerable children or women for example. . . ”

In Section 39, the Social Workers Act makes it a criminal offence for any person who is not a registered social worker to hold himself or herself out to be such or to practise as such without the (implied) authority of Council of Social Workers. There is a real risk that many NGOs and Government departments such as health, prisons and city councils (local authority) employ unregistered social workers and it is a major breach of the law which needs to be formalised without delay in the best interest of the clients.

UNICEF as government’s technical partner recognising the importance of the good social work practise standards and quality of service delivery for the children and families has been working with the Council of Social Workers and the Ministry of Labour, Public Service and Social Welfare to ensure that social workers regularise their practise in terms of the law. To this end, it will be possible for Zimbabweans to know how many social workers are registered to practise and what they specialise in and in which parts of the country.

Generally, a social worker’s main function is to help or restore an individual’s social functioning capacity so that they can be able help themselves.

This can be a child who has been abused and needs protection from a toxic environment, a hospital patient whose social needs are overwhelming, an employee who has lost his or her functioning capacity, or child who needs to be adopted or, in cases of divorce, the courts need a social worker’s assessment report to determine who is the appropriate parent to grand custody and what contact arrangements are appropriate. The courts should be encouraged to consider working with the Council of Social Workers in complex cases where they need expert social workers for advisory services.

However, not all social workers can deal with every case; some specialise in family court proceedings on matters of child custody, adoption, child protection, while other specialise in community development in organisations like Plan International.

While most Zimbabweans know social workers in the traditional role in what was known as the Department of Social Welfare, very little is known about social workers outside government. If anyone needs to know more about social work practice in Zimbabwe and the various social work experts specialising in various areas of social work practice, they can visit the Council of Social Workers website.