International Federation of Social Workers in Europe (IFSW Europe) is joining the Polish Federation of Social Workers and Social Service Employees Unions (PFZPSiPS) and the social workers in Poland to strengthen Social Work Services and the Social Work Profession and to ensure that funding is allocated to effectively protect vulnerable people.
Unfortunately, the situation that occurred in Poland has its source in many years of neglecting the social sphere including disregard to the voice of practitioners. The Polish social policy is based on state law, so the way it works and how financial resources are divided depends on your decisions. Therefore, it’s imperious to make some steps forward.
PFZPSiPS, as a voice of practitioners, suggested to the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy of the Republic of Poland reasonable changes to make social politics more equal than it is nowadays. The prepositions pointed at the most important and overlooked social policy areas such as dignity, labour rights, safety, bureaucracy and wages.
A well-developed, financed and supported social service system and social work workforce is life-changing for people, families and communities by fostering active inclusion. Social workers are recognized as one of the key contributors enabling people to sustainably move out of cycles of poverty.
The situation on the ground gets much worse every day. Therefore, unless the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy in Poland decide to support the social services system with proper public funds, the process of decreasing employment in the social welfare system in Poland will not be stopped.
Delays might have consequences in the quality of support provided to people.
A society cannot progress economically when a large part of the country lives in social exclusion. Without social workers and without their skills a country cannot progress in term of social inclusion. Strengthening peoples’ resilience and enhancing their capability to react to risks of life require positive professional working conditions for social workers to provide the best services.
But those charged with the duty to protect socio-economic vulnerable people and to advocate on their behalf cannot meaningfully do so.
We need the decision of the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy in Poland to change the national protection system in the way that guarantees that security and mobilizing funds for social services and to invest and ensure quality social services as a foundation for sustainable economic and social development in Poland.
The Polish Federation of Social Workers and Social Service Employees Unions (PFZPSiPS) has presented The Government of Poland the possible solutions.
But until now all social workers prepositions were ignored.
I hope that the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy will listen to social workers for the best interest of people and to enforce the rule of law in Poland.
Ana Radulescu
President of IFSW Europe