MADRID SEMINAR

IFSW-E Regional Project’s Workshop
Standards in Social Work Practice Meeting Social and Economic Rights
November 2008, 29th-30th

The last Seminar on the IFSW Europe Project took place in Madrid 29th, 30th November 2008 at the Madrid‘s Delegation of the General Council of Social Work, Gran Vía 16, with the following participants of these countries:

Denmark: Nicolai Paulsen (President of IFSW Europe)
France: Michele Chaumeau
Ireland: John Brennan and Monica Egan
Italy: Angela Verrillo
Malta: Anthea Agius (Executive Member of IFSW Europe) and Theresa Micallet
Norway: Randi Reese
Portugal: Cristina Martins (Executive Member of IFSW Europe)
Spain: Ana Isabel Lima Fernandéz, Mónica Hernandéz and Montserrat Bacardit
UK: Marjut Kosonen

The Spanish Association of Social Workers hosted the seminar.
Ana I. Lima Fernández, President welcomed all the participants to Spain.

Anthea Agius was chairing as Executive Member of IFSW Europe and responsible for the IFSW-E Project.

Monica Egan, John Brennan and Marjut Kosonen helped on the minutes.

The workshop started on Saturday 9.30am and ended on Sunday 13.00 pm.

AGENDA
1. Demographic and organisation information
- Presentation of country questionnaires
- Presentation of country information table

2. Discussion and sharing of Legislation and Regulatory Frameworks that support good standards of social work practice

3. Discussion on Conditions of Work in the various countries that support good standards of social work practice

4. Creating a template which could be the basis for good social work practice – standards for practice

5. Focused discussion on confidentiality and information sharing


Due to the 25 anniversary of the General Council of Social Work, participants were invited to a special dinner on Saturday night where we enjoyed a traditional meal and a flamenco show.

The final report will be provided to all members at the next Delegates Meeting in Dubrovnik, Croatia, and there will be also a presentation during the Conference as follows:

Title: Standards in Social Work Practice Meeting Social and Economic Rights

Author: Anthea Agius
Co-authors: Siobhan Maclean, Tatjana Katkic Stanic, Veronique Barre
Organisation: International Federation of Social Workers, European Region
Mode of presentation: Symposium

Abstract: In 2007, IFSW Europe embarked in a project called Standards in Social Work Practice Meeting Social and Economic Rights. In the light of European related issues of professional and service user mobility the theme of this project arose from a felt need by member organizations for a common frame of reference for the profession to: Inform European services users about what they should expect of social work; Inform about the contribution, role and tasks of social work social cohesion within the broad European policy context; Support a good standard of social work education, training and regulation across European social work; Inform organisational settings on how conditions of work help to support good standards in social work; Promote the status of social workers and enable professional resources to be better used and Promote the links between social work and human/social/economic rights.
The project involved a preliminary survey of information about social work profession in each country. This was followed by seminars attended by representatives of member organisations. The seminars held in Sofia, Berlin, Vienna and Madrid, took place in October and November 2008.
This symposium intends to present and discuss this works in progress. The participants will share information about legislation, regulatory frameworks and conditions of work, with a view to clarifying and promoting standards for practice across Europe. At the heart of this work is the consideration of how such standards can best reflect service users’ rights, and how they can be involved as active participants.

We thank all members for the great work on the IFSW Europe Project.