University social work staff cuts could do 'real damage'

Proposed restructuring and likely staff cuts at the University of Otago social work department risk doing "some real damage" to Otago's social work teaching programmes, Massey University Associate Prof Mike O'Brien warned yesterday.

The Otago University Council will tomorrow consider a recommendation from the university senate to restructure the social work and community development department.

The move would bring social work together with sociology and gender studies in a new department called sociology, gender studies and social work to improve social work's "limited research ethos" and make it more financially viable, according to agenda papers prepared for the council meeting.

Some eventual Otago University social work staff cuts seem likely, given a previous $300,000 operating deficit for the department and some suggested "streamlining" of courses.

Social Workers Registration Board chief executive Sean McKinley said that the South Island, and other parts of the country, already faced a big shortfall in the number of registered social workers required both in government areas, including the Ministry of Social Development, and in other non-government caring agencies.

Hundreds of social work posts were unfilled and more registered social workers were clearly needed, Mr McKinley, of Wellington, said in an interview.

He acknowledged that New Zealand faced serious social issues, including involving child poverty and family violence, and he voiced concern about any possible reduction in the number of social work graduates.

If changes took place in the Otago University social work education programmes, the board would also need to ensure its registration requirements were still met, he said.

Prof O'Brien, of the social policy and social work programme at Massey's campus at Albany, Auckland, said the Otago social work department and its graduates were highly regarded for professional competency and academic ability, both in New Zealand social work education circles and abroad.

The Otago department was also viewed as an innovator, including in its distance teaching programmes and had also successfully attracted many Maori and Pacific students to its programmes, he said.

Approached for comment, Otago University officials said it was premature to comment on the social work restructuring proposals and no final decision had been taken.

Teaching of social work would continue, and it was aimed to strengthen social work research, officials have said.

Prof O'Brien, who has taught and researched social policy and social work for 30 years, said the mooted Otago staff cuts risked "the loss of some really competent staff" in the department.

The wider risk was "doing some real damage that takes an enormous amount of time to rebuild", he said.

Social work education was historically underfunded.

Its arts-level funding did not cover higher professional development costs, including for on-the-job training.

He believed that Otago University, working with other universities, should take a national leadership role in lobbying to have that funding increased, given the importance of social work education, he said.

john.gibb@odt.co.nz