February 2007

Editorial : And… (once again)… "Who are you"?

By Merle Allsopp

The month of February will see a series of very important consultative meetings taking place in each of the provinces. The child and youth care field should hope that colleagues in the provinces will represent us all very clearly and articulately in these meetings. For the South African Council for Social Service Professions (not the professional boards) has, with funds from the national Department of Social Development, commissioned a research project into "the demarcation of social services".

What this means is that a researcher has been contracted to figure out a lot of very important things relating to our field - as well as our sister social service professions. These important things include working out what determines that a group is indeed an autonomous profession; what in fact determines whether an occupational group is indeed a profession, and which groups are in fact specializations of social work rather than professions in their own right. The "scope" of each profession will be investigated to ensure that we are able to say exactly what each does and where their responsibilities begin and end.

In addition to the consultative meetings, other key persons will be approached to offer perspectives on the research questions, and one would obviously expect the researcher to conduct a thorough literature review.  But we are (probably without even knowing it) relying on colleagues selected by provincial departments of social development in each of the provinces to input very strongly in the provincial meetings. Once again, we are being asked to answer the question "Who are you?" And if we as child and youth care workers cannot collectively answer, we may be in a spot of trouble!

It must be remembered that this research is being undertaken against a backdrop - a backdrop of an established and entrenched social service profession (social work) which has served the country over time, and which is now under threat. It is no secret that strong currency countries are attracting South African social workers, that the morale in social work is low, and that the Department's 'recruitment and retention strategy' has resulted in mayhem at service delivery level as practitioners vie for personal advancement (see letter to the editor on page XX). These circumstances add intensity to the debates and discussions that will be held.

And, buried in these circumstances is the reality that child and youth care work is still fighting for recognition, still having in some way to justify its existence, and still prove its professional status. Judging by the way in which child and youth care workers have stood up to be counted in the provincial hearings on the Children's Bill, our field will be well represented by colleagues in the provinces.

And hopefully this research process will finally clear up the confusion about who we are, and create the circumstances for a broader recognition of what child and youth care work has to offer into the delivery of effective social services in South Africa - as a profession with a clear and acknowledged identity.