NZ First call for Social Worker registration won't solve problem of poor client outcomes, says Social Service Outcomes Researcher

"Registration, or even belonging to a Professional Association, is not the answer to fixing the fact that over half of the New Zealand Social Worker workforce are unqualified, and Ministry of Social Development Minister Anne Tolley would be fool-hardy and naïve to think that registration, or membership to a professional association is the answer to her workforces woes" says Steve Taylor, Director of 24-7 Ltd www.24-7.org.nz , and a Social Services Client Outcomes Researcher.

"NZ First MP Darroch Ball is being disingenuous to suggest that consumers would have no-one to complain to if they received poor Social Work service. The Office of the Health & Disability Commissioner, and the Office of the Children's Commissioner are able to receive complaints about poor Social Work practice. What is needed is an independent Social Service Complaints Authority that Social Service consumers would feel comfortable approaching, far and away from any self-selected membership quango, such as ANZASW" says Mr Taylor.

"The Social Service client outcome research is very clear: professional registration, licensure, model of intervention, length of service, type of qualification, or type of practice discipline make absolutely no difference to achieving positive client outcomes, however privileging the clients voice, via the regular measurement of client outcomes makes a huge difference in client outcomes.

In the United Kingdom, a recent report by the Centre for Social Justice revealed an 85% client failure rate of Government funded Social Services in Counselling and Psychotherapy, and in the 33 years of the Family Courts existence, no-one has ever measured client outcomes for the $137 million of services currently being provided to Consumers - there is a theme in each of these examples, but the powers-that-be keep missing the blindingly obvious: if one wishes to know how successful a Social Service intervention actually is - simply ask the client" says Mr Taylor.

Until the Social Services Industry gets over it collective fear of being assessed on outcomes by the very people the industry is claiming to help, and until Social Services policy makers are able to distinguish the difference between "throughput" and "outcome", then we are consigned as a nation to throw good Social Service money after bad" Says Mr Taylor.

"The outcome evidence reveals that Professional Registration and belonging to a Professional Association is both is a gigantic red herring, and a corporate hoax, and will solve nothing".

ENDS

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