Welfare Reform on the Web (March 2009): Social care - overseas

(Re)shaping social work: an Australian case study

C. MacDonald and L. Chenoweth

British Journal of Social Work, vol. 39, 2009, p. 144-160

The transformation of post-Second World War advanced welfare states into 'workfare' regimes is set to have a significant impact on the social work profession. This paper explores the impact of welfare reform on a group of generalist social workers employed by Centrelink, the Australian agency providing income support to the country's most vulnerable groups.

Social work and the shift from 'welfare' to 'justice'

L. Bradt and M. Bouverne-De Bie

British Journal of Social Work, vol.39, 2009, p. 113-127

It has become increasingly clear that the role of social work is changing from client emancipation and empowerment to imposition of social control. Several scholars link this change to the influence of neo-liberal ideas and 'Third Way' thinking, which emphasise autonomy, responsibility and community. It has also recently been argued that social work is not only the victim of these influences, but is also very adaptable and not very critical of its role in these changes. The paper further develops this critique through a case study of the role of social work in the Belgian youth justice system.