Empowerment of the social worker

Social Work in the Netherlands

International Seminar on Social Work Update 2022

Issues of Contemporary Social Problems and Intervention

Margriet Braun, Professor Social Work

23 November 2022
Saxion – University of Applied Science

Twelve schools

• Bachelor Social Work

School of Social Work • Master programme Health Care & Social Work
• German bachelor programme Social Work

2 general years

• Youth
2 specific profile years • Well-being and society
• Care

2000 students in school of

Social Work
Research group Social Work

Start of research groups in 2001

Social Work: Contribute to the social quality of society

We do this by improving the quality of social work

Three research lines:

- Youth
- Wellbeing and society
- Care
Societal themes

- Poverty

- Opportunity inequality

- Performance pressure

- Loneliness
Challenges for social
work in the Netherlands
- Extremely high costs for
health & well-being

- Decrease in number of
health care & social work
professionals

- Technology as solution?
 Social work is a practice-based profession and
Definition Social Work an academic discipline that promotes social
International Federation of Social Workers (2014) change and development, social cohesion, and
the empowerment and liberation of people.

Principles of social justice, human rights,

collective responsibility and respect for
diversities are central to social work.  

Underpinned by theories of social work, social

sciences, humanities and indigenous
knowledges, social work engages people and
structures to address life challenges and
enhance wellbeing. 
Challenges for social
work in the Netherlands
- Highly specialized care
(expensive) should be
replaced by earlier
support (prevention)

- Not enough early

support for families

- Self-reliance

- Social cohesion is under

pressure
Possibilities social
work

- Strengthen the social of

the society

- Interprofessional
approach

- Technology offers many

opportunities
Knowledge basis of Social Work

- Rich knowledge base from several disiplines

- Need for knowledge about working factors

- Need for ‘evidence’

- Need for underpinning

- Inquisitive
Expedition youth care

- Youth care
- Working factors
- Guidelines
- Quality registration Youthcare
Small exercise

Imagine a family or child in youth care

You have done research / taken some tests and found out what
family wants to work on

Now indicate which sources you use to decide what to do with the
family
Sources

1. Your intuition about what should work in this situation

2. Your own experience with a similar case
3. Information you have received in informal contacts with colleagues
4. Your own ‘track record’ of succesfull cases
5. Your own personal style
6. Systematically retreived information of former clients about what worked
7. The usual programs in your organisation
8. Results from randomized controlled trials
9. The program you have the most confidence in
10. What you know from critically reading journal articles
Small exercise - 2

Image yourself having a serious health problem

You go to a hospital to get a diagnosis and treatment

Which sources would you prefer the specialized doctor to use?

Sources

1. Your intuition about what should work in this situation

2. Your own experience with a similar case
3. Information you have received in informal contacts with colleagues
4. Your own ‘track record’ of succesfull cases
5. Your own personal style
6. Systematically retreived information of former clients about what worked
7. The usual programs in your organisation
8. Results from randomized controlled trials
9. The program you have the most confidence in
10. What you know from critically reading journal articles
Ladder of effectivity (Veerman & Van Yperen)

4 Evidence based. Scientifically proven to be effective

3 Practice based. Good results in everyday practice

2 Theoretically effective. Good theoretical underpinned

1 Potentially effective. Intervention is written down

0 Implicit. Not written down.

Research approach

- Evidence-based
- Three sources of knowledge

- Action research

- Participative

- Practical knowledge

- Close to the social worker’s everyday practice

Empowerment of the social worker
Social Work in the Netherlands

International Seminar on Social Work Update 2022

Issues of Contemporary Social Problems and Intervention

Margriet Braun, b.m.braun@saxion.nl