Jennifer  MSW – Leadership in

Human Service
Organizations
 Previous experience
› Residential youth
care worker
› Community mental
health worker
 A lifelong, and
continuing journey
 What is Social Policy?

 Influences of Social Policy

 The Left, the Center and the Right

 Examples of Canadian Social Policies

 Concerned with the  Values and beliefs
big picture of society about what society
 The big issues of should look like
society:  Based on notions of
 Human rights and humans, society and
freedoms they way humans
 Social equality and society interact
 Empowerment  Different interest
 Social justice groups have different
ideas
Historical Influences

Political Ideologies
Residual Approach
Institutional Approach
Market State Approach
Left Centre Right
 Communism

 Social democracy
 Liberalism

 Neo-conservatism
› Universal Programs
 Provide benefits to all individuals in a society who fall
into a certain category
 An individual’s level of need or economic status is not
considered

› Selective Programs
 Eligibility for benefits is determined based on a means
test
 Means test evaluates whether an individual actually
needs the particular program
 Old Age Security

 Health Care
 Guaranteed Income Supplement
 Spouse’s Allowance
 War Veterans Allowance
 Veterans’ Pension
 Workers’ Compensation
 Social Assistance
 Provincial Top-ups for the Elderly
Social workers work to develop social
policy
for…
social justice

Click here

for a 90 sec clip on social justice

(2010) by the International Labour Organization
Graham, J. R., Swift, K. J., & Delaney, R.
(2009). Canadian social policy: An
Introduction (3rd ed.). Toronto, ON:
Pearson/Prentice Hall.
Ismael, S. (2006). Child poverty and the
Canadian welfare state: From
entitlement to charity. Edmonton, AB:
University of Alberta Press.