Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Course: Human rights of Social Workers and their Human Rights Responsibilities for Service Recipients

Background and Rationale 

Social workers work daily at the frontline of human rights. They support individuals and communities while navigating complex systems, legal frameworks, and institutional expectations. In doing so, social workers areboth holders of rights—including the right to decent work, safety, and professional autonomy—and professionals with responsibilities to respect and protect the human rights of service recipients. 

Social workers often face difficult dilemmas linked to their multiple roles: as professionals guided by ethics, as employees paid by the state or public institutions, and as actors expected to improve and reform statesystems. High expectations from governments, institutions, and communities, combined with limited resources and restrictive policies, can place social workers in situations where their own human rights are at risk and where the rights of service recipients may be compromised. 

This CPD provides a space for reflection, learning, and exchange, enabling social workers to better understand and apply human rights and labour rights standards in their everyday practice. 

Objectives 

The CPD aims to: 

• Strengthen social workers’ understanding of their own human rights and labour rights; 

• Clarify human rights responsibilities towards service recipients in complex practice settings; 

• Support practical skills for analysing and addressing real-life professional dilemmas; 

• Identify shared advocacy and policy priorities at national and global levels.
   

Target Audience 

Practising social workers, members and representatives of national social work associations, educators, and other professionals engaged in social work policy and advocacy. 

Programme Structure 

Session 1: Human Rights, Labour Rights, and Social Work Frameworks (1.15h)
This session will introduce key concepts and standards from human rights, labour rights, and social work perspectives. It will provide a common framework to help participants analyse professional dilemmas and casestudies. 

Sessions 2–4: Learning from Practice – Case Studies (1.15h)
Each session will begin with a case study shared by a national social work association or similar organisation. The cases will focus on: 

• The multiple roles and expectations placed on social workers; 

• Tensions linked to public employment, authority, and legitimacy; 

• Efforts to improve state systems while protecting human rights.
   

The three organisations OHCHR, IFSW, and ILO will analyse each case along their framework. Participants will jointly examine the cases, identify relevant rights and responsibilities, and discuss practical ways to addresschallenges and improve outcomes for both social workers and service recipients. 

Expected Outcomes 

Participants will  

• have a clearer understanding of their human rights and professional responsibilities; 

• feel more confident in applying human rights principles in daily practice and policy discussions;  

• contribute to identifying key areas for collective advocacy and policy action at the global level. 

Organisation 

Language: English, no translation available 

Platform: zoom, broadcasted to Youtube 

Certificate: a certificate of attendance will be provided.