Social Service Workforce Strengthening

A strong social service workforce is critical to meeting the needs of children without adequate family care. From government policy-makers, local administrators, researchers and social workers, to educators, community workers and care providers, social service actors play a key role in protecting girls and boys and promoting their care.

The development of a skilled and well-supported social service workforce is particularly important as countries move toward reforming their care systems and work to reduce reliance on residential care, strengthen families, prevent separation and promote family and community-based alternative care options. This is a challenging undertaking that requires social service actors from national to community level who are competent and willing to make changes to the way they deliver care, and are able to establish and manage a new range of preventive and responsive care services to children and families.

Strengthening the social service workforce in any country is complex. It involves creating supportive legislation and policies; developing recruitment, selection, employment, supervision, support and registration procedures; establishing education and training programmes; improving working conditions, ensuring licensing and practice standards; recognizing the status of care professionals; and raising awareness to change mindsets on care.

All of this requires working with a wide range of actors involved in supporting children and families. Substantial allocation (or redirection) of financial resources is also required, to ensure that sufficient numbers of skilled social service workers are available to work directly with children and their families at the community level, as well as at a higher administrative level to oversee care services and regulations.

This section contains documentation of social service workforce development within the context of national care reform and child protection system strengthening, including guidance, lessons learned and training tools.

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Insight: Scaling Family Care Through Systems Strengthening

Changing the Way We Care (CTWWC), 01 May 2023

This Changing the Way We Care Insights Learning Brief describes how systems strengthening alone can lead to scaling of interventions, including interventions that already exist.

Learning Event: Strengthening the Social Service Workforce as Part of the Recovery Process to Support a Transformed Care and Protection System for Children in Ukraine

Better Care Network and Global Social Service Workforce Alliance, 26 Apr 2023

On 26 April 2023, the Better Care Network (BCN) and the Global Social Service Workforce Alliance (GSSWA) organized an event under the auspices of the Ukraine Children’s Care Group with child protection and care actors focused on strengthening the social service workforce as part of the recovery process in Ukraine to support a transformed care and protection system for children. The event brought actors practitioners, technical advisors, policymakers and donors together to better understand the impact of the conflict on the existing social service workforce, and to identify concrete recommendations for strengthening and reforming it as part of the recovery process to support a transformed care and protection system for children in Ukraine.

Strengthening the Social Service Workforce as Part of the Recovery Process to Support a Transformed Care and Protection System for Children in Ukraine

Better Care Network and the Global Social Service Workforce Alliance, 26 Apr 2023

On 26 April 2023, the Better Care Network (BCN) and the Global Social Service Workforce Alliance (GSSWA) organized an event under the auspices of the Ukraine Children

Moldova Insights: Role of Collective Impact in Workforce Strengthening

Changing the Way We Care, 01 Mar 2023

In March 2022, Changing the Way We Care in partnership with the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection (MoLSP) launched a Working Group focused on strengthening the social service workforce in Moldova.

Herramientas Para La Evaluación Participativa De Práctica

Family for Every Child, 01 Mar 2023

El nuevo conjunto de herramientas de evaluación participativa de Family for Every Child pone en el centro el conocimiento y la experiencia de las organizaciones de la sociedad civil (OSC) locales. Ofrece una alternativa a las dinámicas de evaluación tradicionales, aprovechando la fuerza de las soluciones locales.

Perspective din Moldova: Rolul impactului colectiv în consolidarea forței de muncă

Changing the Way We Care, 01 Mar 2023

În martie 2022, Changing the Way We Care, în parteneriat cu Ministerul Muncii și Protecției Sociale (MMPS), a lansat un grup de lucru axat pe consolidarea forței demuncă în domeniul serviciilor sociale din Moldova.

A Toolkit for Participatory Evaluation of Practice

Family for Every Child, 01 Mar 2023

Family for Every Child's new Participatory Evaluation Toolkit places the knowledge and experience of local Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) at its centre. It offers an alternative to traditional evaluation dynamics, by drawing on the strength of local solutions.

Learning Brief: The Importance of Integrating Family Strengthening, Reunification, Case Management and Workforce Strengthening

Changing the Way We Care, 01 Feb 2023

This learning brief was developed as part of the CTWWC 2021 annual report and shares learning from several contexts and is intended to share learning on how family strengthening, reunification, case management and workforce strengthening can be integrated in care reform.

Indigenous Services Leading the Way for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children in Out-of-Home Care

Sandra Creamera, Suzi Blairb, Maree Toombs, Claire E Brolan, 01 Dec 2022

This study aims to provide evidence and instruction to social work educators, policymakers and practitioners
in Australia’s child protection, wellbeing, and justice systems about why and how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander controlled organizations are best placed to lead out-of-home care service delivery for Indigenous children, their family and community.

Indigenous services leading the way for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care

Strengthening the Role of the Social Service Workforce in Social Protection Systems

Global Social Service Workforce Alliance, 04 Nov 2022

The social service workforce plays an important role within social protection systems by connecting children, individuals, and families with a range of social services across sectors. Despite the increasing challenge of poverty and vulnerability exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, conflict and climate change, as well as the increasing recognition of the role of social service workers, investments in strengthening the workforce remain low across most countries. This presentation aims to clarify the role of the social service workforce in the social protection system. It also outlines key considerations for strengthening the social service workforce in their integral role in delivering effective and efficient social protection programmes and services.