Salvation Army report fully endorsed
The Salvation Army report, Striking a Better Balance, is fully endorsed by Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers, Tangata Whenua Social Workers Association and the Council for Social Work Education Aotearoa New Zealand.
The day to day reality of many of our members is responding to issues relating to child abuse, neglect, all forms of domestic violence and the impact of poverty.
It is well recognised that poverty contributes to poor long term outcomes in health, education and social participation. This is turn places significant pressures on a wide range of services most of which are funded directly or indirectly by Government.
Modern social work is about promoting choice and control, supporting people to live independently as active citizens in their communities. Strong, inclusive communities with resilient individuals living as part of them – and the emphasis here is significant – can contribute to the reduction of reliance on external supports and resources, whereas dysfunctional communities are a drain on it.
Social workers are in a unique position to work with individuals, family and communities to promote and support social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment of people.
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