Left to right: Céline Lembert, Eva Ponce de Leon, Pascal Rudin, Sandra Domenge, Frédérique Sylvain, Simon Bounoure. Online in the background: Hafsa Belayachi
On 18 September 2026, IFSW President Eva Ponce de Leon and Interim Secretary-General Pascal Rudin visited the Association Nationale des Assistants de Service Social (ANAS) in Paris. The meeting with ANAS President Céline Lembert and colleagues provided an opportunity for an in-depth exchange on the realities facing social workers in France, developments in social work education and professional recognition, and opportunities for collaboration towards the 2028 Joint Conference on Social Work, Education and Social Development in Paris.
A central part of the discussion focused on the professional identity and recognition of social work in France. Unlike in some countries, “social worker” is not a single professional title in France but encompasses a range of professions and educational pathways. ANAS highlighted the particular position of assistants de service social, including their professional responsibilities and legal duty of confidentiality.
The discussion highlighted the importance of clearly defining social work and maintaining rigorous skills base for education and practice. France introduced a legal definition of social work in 2017, while ongoing reforms to professional education continue to generate debate about educational quality, professional identity and the preparation of future practitioners.
These discussions connect directly with IFSW’s global work on social work education and the importance of ensuring that professional standards remain grounded in the social work values, knowledge and skills necessary to serve people and communities.
Social workers under increasing pressure
ANAS representatives described growing pressures on social workers in France. Reductions in resources, shortages of social housing and increasing demands on services can leave practitioners facing difficult decisions about how limited support can be allocated. Concerns were also raised about burnout and the reduction of professional and psychological support available to social workers themselves.
The exchange highlighted a fundamental principle: social workers should not simply be expected to serve organisational systems or institutions, social workers are to serve the people that need support. Organisations and public services need to create the conditions that enable social workers to fulfil their professional responsibilities towards people, families and communities.
Despite these pressures, participants emphasised the creativity, resourcefulness and commitment of social workers. Practitioners continue to develop responses based on professional experience and local knowledge, advocate for people whose rights may otherwise be overlooked, and bring the realities experienced by supported people to the attention of policymakers and the wider public.
Left to right: Simon Bounoure, ANAS Vice President; Eva Ponce de Leon, IFSW President; Céline Lembert, ANAS President; and Pascal Rudin, IFSW Interim Secretary-General
Eva Ponce de Leon, IFSW President, said:
“Our discussion with ANAS showed once again that strong social work depends not only on committed professionals, but also on the conditions that allow them to practise according to their values. Social workers need adequate resources, quality education and professional support if they are to stand alongside people, families and communities. These are challenges we see in many parts of the world, and they are challenges we need to address together.”
Céline Lembert, President of ANAS, said:
“Social workers in France remain deeply committed to supporting people, defending their rights and upholding the values of social work. At the same time, professionals are increasingly being asked by institutions to respond to complex situations with fewer resources and less time. Our exchange with IFSW was an important opportunity to connect these realities in France with the experiences of social workers internationally, and to explore how we can strengthen our profession together.”
Social work, migration and France’s colonial history
The exchange also addressed migration, cultural identity and the continuing effects of colonial history. Participants reflected on the experiences of migrant communities and their descent as well as people from France’s overseas territories, including the historical impact of policies of assimilation and acculturation.
The discussion highlighted the importance of social work approaches that recognise identity and cultural diversity while challenging structures that contribute to exclusion. It also connected with wider international conversations about decolonising social work and ensuring that professional practice recognises knowledge, histories and experiences that have too often been marginalised.
Connecting the global profession with Paris 2028
The meeting also looked ahead to the 2028 IFSW World Conference in Paris. ANAS expressed its willingness to contribute to preparations. One particularly promising contribution concerns the history of social work in France. The discussion explored how the conference could highlight the important role played by women in the emergence and development of the profession. Early generations of women social workers not only contributed to the creation of professional social services but also challenged prevailing expectations that defined women primarily through marriage, family and domestic responsibilities.
Participants also discussed ways of connecting international delegates with social work as it is actually practised in France. This could complement the formal conference programme by creating opportunities for dialogue between visiting delegates and French practitioners and supported communities.
The exchange recognised that Paris 2028 should therefore be more than an international conference physically located in France. It offers an opportunity to connect the global profession with the distinctive history, debates, values and present-day realities of French social work.
The visit concluded with a shared commitment to continue the dialogue between IFSW and ANAS and to work together on the journey towards Paris 2028. With the global social work community coming to Paris, the conference provides a unique opportunity to bring international perspectives together with French professional experience and to ensure that the voices of practitioners are at the heart of the conversation.