In recent decades, the public policy presence of social work in Italy has been consolidated thanks to Act No. 84 of 23 March 1993 and the consequent foundation of the Consiglio dell’Ordine degli Assistenti Sociali (CNOAS, Council of the Association of Social Workers). According to the new rules established by this legislation, social workers must register with the association to practice their profession. This chapter analyzes how this body representing social workers has positioned itself through the 87 press releases put out over the last 3 years (from January 2019 to September 2021), particularly in terms of proposals for European policy. It is clear that these releases have exerted considerable influence in formulating key measures in Italy; at the same time, Italy has also exercised an increasingly important role in specific sectors of European policy-making, such as migrant reception, the fight against poverty, protecting children, and taking emergency measures during the pandemic. This research finds that social workers can maintain high levels of advocacy for the categories of people they work with, manifesting preventative planning, critical capacity, respect for diversity, and care for the most vulnerable populations to formulate social policy.

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The Voice of Social Workers in Italy: Institutional Consolidation, Ability to Influence Policies, and Articulation of Proposals

  • Lluis Francesc Peris Cancio

摘要

In recent decades, the public policy presence of social work in Italy has been consolidated thanks to Act No. 84 of 23 March 1993 and the consequent foundation of the Consiglio dell’Ordine degli Assistenti Sociali (CNOAS, Council of the Association of Social Workers). According to the new rules established by this legislation, social workers must register with the association to practice their profession. This chapter analyzes how this body representing social workers has positioned itself through the 87 press releases put out over the last 3 years (from January 2019 to September 2021), particularly in terms of proposals for European policy. It is clear that these releases have exerted considerable influence in formulating key measures in Italy; at the same time, Italy has also exercised an increasingly important role in specific sectors of European policy-making, such as migrant reception, the fight against poverty, protecting children, and taking emergency measures during the pandemic. This research finds that social workers can maintain high levels of advocacy for the categories of people they work with, manifesting preventative planning, critical capacity, respect for diversity, and care for the most vulnerable populations to formulate social policy.