NSCSW Strategic Plan: Navigating towards safe(R) social work practice

From 2018-2023, our first five-year strategic plan (Our Foundation for Growth) helped guide the profession of social work in Nova Scotia and strengthen the College’s voice for social workers and social justice. As the period for that plan came to an end, the College reviewed internal reports and invited feedback to help evaluate the success of the original strategic plan, and priorities for a new plan to guide our efforts over the next few years.

The NSCSW Strategic Plan for 2024-2027 was presented to members at the Annual General Meeting on May 23, 2024.

In our pursuit of safer social work practice, it is vital to understand that safety is a dynamic social construct with varied implications for Nova Scotia’s most vulnerable citizens and the dedicated social workers who support them. The College acknowledges that achieving safer practice involves advocating for social policies that enhance community well-being and upholding principles of justice. Furthermore, we recognize the significance of ethical praxis requiring practitioners to address unconscious bias and vicarious trauma in their professional endeavours.

Our Commitments

Strengthen Regulatory Mandate & Renewal of the Governance Framework

We pledge to renew the governance framework for the social work profession, ensuring an intersectional approach to strengthen regulation.

Outcomes:

  • Restructure the council, committee, and staff body to ensure a minimum of 30% representation from individuals who have directly experienced social work services, enhancing the diversity and inclusivity of our organization.
  • Design and implement an intersectional framework which acknowledges the intertwined aspects of identities like race, gender, class, and sexuality; seeks to understand the unique, multifaceted experiences of oppression and advantage in our regulatory practice; and strives to address their combined effects on discrimination and privilege.
  • Conduct quarterly dialogues with Indigenous social workers and organizations to incorporate Indigenous perspectives and practices into social work practice and regulation.
  • Integrate Afrocentric social work practices and establish a reparations program specifically aimed at ending anti-Black racism.
  • Develop and integrate a Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice that reflect our commitment to inclusivity, equity, and justice.
  • Proactively integrate and evaluate the clinical social work regulatory framework, and prepare for legislative changes.

Cultivate Ethical Social Work Practice Towards Safe(R) Services

We aim to foster a culture of well-being within the NSCSW and work towards safer systems where social workers operate.

Outcomes:

  • Advocate for social policies that enhance social conditions and move us closer towards social justice.
  • Implement ethical mapping to strengthen the ethical delivery of social work on micro, mezzo and macro level.
  • Revitalize the Candidacy Mentorship Program to better support emerging social workers towards ethical and safe practice.
  • Establish advocacy campaigns to strengthen the health, wellness, and professional identity of social workers.

Meaningful Dialogue

We are dedicated to facilitating meaningful and ongoing dialogue to ensure safety in the delivery of social work.

Outcomes:

  • Membership and public have a clear sense of of the role and responsibilities that the NSCSW holds.
  • Strengthen relationships with core collaborators and partners to enhance our collective impact in the delivery of social work.
  • Develop and facilitate a strategy for active engagement with employers in the social work sector towards safer social work services.
  • Actively engage with marginalized communities to understand their unique needs and challenges, and to enhance safe social work services.

Responsibility, Accountability & Transparency

We pledge to be responsible, accountable, and transparent in all our operations.

Outcomes:

  • Work to build greater trust among vulnerable Nova Scotians by demonstrating transparency, accountability, and commitment to their well-being.
  • Demonstrate accountability as a regulatory body by communicating with members on our core mandate and on the achievement of the Standards of Good Regulation, promoting transparency and trust.
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