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Five The experience of transnational social workers in England: some findings from research

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Abstract

This chapter is based primarily on the findings of a qualitative study conducted over 2011/12, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, which investigated the post-arrival integration, professional practice and development of transnational ‘Social workers’ (TSWs) that is, social workers who trained and qualified outside the UK, but who are now involved in delivering statutory child protection/safeguarding services in London and SE England. These workers are used primarily as a reserve labour force by local authorities to ‘plug gaps’ in statutory child protection services which are frequently characterised by high levels of staff turnover. The experiences of these TSWs are relatively under-researched and, despite austerity measures severely affecting the public social care sector, England remains a receiving country for TSWs, although more frequently now from inside the European Union. The wider national policy context, as presented in the literature, is described and reference is made to relevant findings from other research regarding the experiences of TSWs themselves. Evidence from this study demonstrates the challenges associated with entering a professional environment characterised by a far higher degrees of formalism, regulation and, risk-aversive practice than TSWs have encountered in their home countries. Findings will be discussed thematically and conclusions will be drawn to address how, for TSWs, regulation has come to illustrate the salient feature of statutory child protection social work in England

Abstract

This chapter is based primarily on the findings of a qualitative study conducted over 2011/12, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, which investigated the post-arrival integration, professional practice and development of transnational ‘Social workers’ (TSWs) that is, social workers who trained and qualified outside the UK, but who are now involved in delivering statutory child protection/safeguarding services in London and SE England. These workers are used primarily as a reserve labour force by local authorities to ‘plug gaps’ in statutory child protection services which are frequently characterised by high levels of staff turnover. The experiences of these TSWs are relatively under-researched and, despite austerity measures severely affecting the public social care sector, England remains a receiving country for TSWs, although more frequently now from inside the European Union. The wider national policy context, as presented in the literature, is described and reference is made to relevant findings from other research regarding the experiences of TSWs themselves. Evidence from this study demonstrates the challenges associated with entering a professional environment characterised by a far higher degrees of formalism, regulation and, risk-aversive practice than TSWs have encountered in their home countries. Findings will be discussed thematically and conclusions will be drawn to address how, for TSWs, regulation has come to illustrate the salient feature of statutory child protection social work in England

Chapters in this book

  1. Front Matter i
  2. Contents iii
  3. Acknowledgements v
  4. List of tables and figures vi
  5. List of abbreviations vii
  6. Notes on contributors viii
  7. Transnational social work: opportunities and challenges of a global profession 1
  8. Setting the transnational context
  9. Opportunities and challenges of a global profession: an international perspective 19
  10. New Public Management, migrant professionals and labour mobility: possibilities for social justice social work? 35
  11. Practitioner perspectives
  12. A complicated welcome: social workers navigate policy, organisational contexts and sociocultural dynamics following migration to Canada1 55
  13. The experience of transnational social workers in England: some findings from research 73
  14. Transnational social workers in Australia: naivety in the transnational professional space 89
  15. Transnational social workers in Aotearoa New Zealand 107
  16. Employer/stakeholder views
  17. In search of better opportunities: transnational social workers in the UK navigating the maze of global and social mobility 125
  18. Transnational social workers and the Australian labour market 139
  19. Pōwhiri: a safe space of cultural encounter to assist transnational social workers in the profession in Aotearoa New Zealand 155
  20. Consistency and change: internationally educated social workers compare interpretations and approaches in Canada and their countries of origin 171
  21. Policy challenges, professional responses
  22. Readiness and regulation: perspectives of Canadian stakeholders on the labour mobility of internationally educated social workers 189
  23. Will she be right, mate? Standards and diversity in Australian social work 205
  24. Recognising transnational social workers in Australia 223
  25. Social work mobility in Europe: a case study from Ireland 241
  26. Conclusion 261
  27. Index 269
Transnational Social Work
This chapter is in the book Transnational Social Work
https://doi.org/10.56687/9781447333371-009

Chapters in this book

  1. Front Matter i
  2. Contents iii
  3. Acknowledgements v
  4. List of tables and figures vi
  5. List of abbreviations vii
  6. Notes on contributors viii
  7. Transnational social work: opportunities and challenges of a global profession 1
  8. Setting the transnational context
  9. Opportunities and challenges of a global profession: an international perspective 19
  10. New Public Management, migrant professionals and labour mobility: possibilities for social justice social work? 35
  11. Practitioner perspectives
  12. A complicated welcome: social workers navigate policy, organisational contexts and sociocultural dynamics following migration to Canada1 55
  13. The experience of transnational social workers in England: some findings from research 73
  14. Transnational social workers in Australia: naivety in the transnational professional space 89
  15. Transnational social workers in Aotearoa New Zealand 107
  16. Employer/stakeholder views
  17. In search of better opportunities: transnational social workers in the UK navigating the maze of global and social mobility 125
  18. Transnational social workers and the Australian labour market 139
  19. Pōwhiri: a safe space of cultural encounter to assist transnational social workers in the profession in Aotearoa New Zealand 155
  20. Consistency and change: internationally educated social workers compare interpretations and approaches in Canada and their countries of origin 171
  21. Policy challenges, professional responses
  22. Readiness and regulation: perspectives of Canadian stakeholders on the labour mobility of internationally educated social workers 189
  23. Will she be right, mate? Standards and diversity in Australian social work 205
  24. Recognising transnational social workers in Australia 223
  25. Social work mobility in Europe: a case study from Ireland 241
  26. Conclusion 261
  27. Index 269
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