Revisiting the Esoteric Question: Can Non-Social Workers Manage and Supervise Social Workers?

Abstract

A dilution, and eventual denigration, of the social work profession, such as through the practice of social workers being managed by non-social workers, can increasingly be traced to neoliberal utterances and resultant managerial discourses. Social workers may unwittingly be contributing to the handover of management practices to non-social workers. This paper outlines the reasons for the tension between general management and social work management, presents a conceptualisation of social work management and supervision, and examines the impact of the global neoliberal discourse and resultant managerial tenets on social work in the South African context.

Challenges of Statutory Social Workers in Linking Foster Care Services With Socio-Economic Developmentprogrammes

“…Moaisi (2003) emphasises that support for social workers is essential in rendering social services. Engelbrecht (2014) points out that supervision of social workers in South Africa should be guided by the Social Services Professions Act, 110 of 1978 as amended, and the Policy Guidelines for the Course of Conduct, the Code of Ethics and the Rules for Social Workers (SACSSP, 2007). However, studies (Chiwara, 2015;Ntjana, 2014) not only show the lack of supervision, but also reflect a gap in adequate guidance of social workers by supervisors in rendering developmental social services.…”

The Fourfold Neoliberal Impact on Social Work and Why This Matters in Times of the Covid-19 Pandemic and Beyond

“…The assumption underlying the neoliberal concept of managerialism is that organisations, social work services and in fact all operations would be most effective if they functioned by implementing business principles. According to Engelbrecht (2015), this assumption predominantly includes the introduction of managerial norms, a preoccupation with procedures and standards, and the employment of efficiency and cost-effectiveness as the yardsticks by which organisational and social work objectives are identified.…”

“…The only concern in such a case is whether social work interventions employed the most efficient use of time, resources and finances, rather than a focus on the holistic, complex and often long-term outcomes of social work practice. Engelbrecht (2015) points to this escalating emphasis on evidence-based practice as an example of managerialistic influence, whereby only those practices with high quantitative success rates, standardisation potential, and promotional value are regarded as worthy of replication. The impact of this on social work is that for the views and opinions of the profession to be legitimised, there is a need for efficient and quantified knowledge over and above subjectively based human interpretations, which can often be important in the intervention process.…”

“…Of importance for social work practices is the development of a critical awareness of the use of neoliberal discourse and narrative to construct (or rather cloak) the meaning under the guise of what can appear to be more human-orientated concepts. For example, managerialisation is often introduced under the banner of accountability, transparency, fiscal austerity and public legitimacy (Clarke, 2004;Engelbrecht, 2015;Spolander, 2019), all of which can be considered to be reasonable and necessary considerationsspecifically in times of a pandemic. However, a notion of managerialisation which holds as its key objective the cutting of costs regardless of social justice or human impact does not align with the core values of the profession and has drastic consequences for the socioeconomic wellbeing and resilience of communities.…”

“…The notions of key authors such as Howe (1996), Jones (2001), Harris (2003; and Harvey (2014) will be used to describe the relationship between neoliberalism and social work, and this will be complemented with the few relevant contemporary social work studies on the topic. Although South African case studies, such as those by Engelbrecht (2015) and , are referenced to substantiate some of the arguments in this article, broader comparative international studies such as those by Ornellas, Engelbrecht, Martínez-Román, Tortosa-Martínez, Casanova and Das Dores Guerreiro, (2017), Ornellas et al (2019) and Spolander et al (2014)will also be used to highlight the fact that the impact of neoliberalism on social work is a universal phenomenon.…”