Welfare Reform on the Web (September 2005): Social Care - Overseas

Social work in China; guest editorial for the special issue

I. Chi

International Social Work, Vol. 46, 2005, p. 371 - 379

Introducing a special issue on social work in China, this editorial highlights challenges and opportunities, providing context with a look at contemporary change and 20 years of social work development in China, and a review of social work evolution in Asia. It covers:

• Growth in the number of social work programmes.
• Need to develop quality and professionalism in training and recruitment.
• Rapid development anticipated with opportunity to learn from other countries
• Freedom from any historical social work tradition.

Unravelling the rationale for a one-stop service under the Family and Child Protection Services Unit in Hong Kong

Y.C. Chan & G.L.T. Lam

International Social Work, Vol. 46, 2005, p. 419 - 428

The Unit has served battered spouses in addition to children since 2000. Article scrutinises the new initiative and its rationale for issues of concern. While the new initiative provides for multidisciplinary cooperation through case worker coordination, and avoids constant referrals and the need for victims to repeatedly recount traumatic events, the study argues that the merger owes little to any scholarship and theory establishing links between battered children and women, and that wife abuse cases will be marginalised.