” Social workers in healthcare frequently manage overwhelming workloads, which is mostly not related to the subject matter of the social work”
1 Describe your journey in social work — what inspired you to enter the profession, and how have your experiences across community development, research, and academic leadership influenced your practice today?
I am currently working as the Academic Quality Coordinatorat the School of Social Work, IHM Australia, where I help tomaintain academic standards and curriculum integrityin social work education. My professional andacademic experiences in social work have beenshaped by a strong commitment to communitydevelopment, rights-based advocacy, andsocial justice. I have a Postgraduate Degreein Social Work with a Specialisation inCommunity Organisation and DevelopmentPractice from the Tata Institute of SocialSciences (TISS) in Mumbai, one of India’sleading social science institutions. Duringmy early years as a social worker, I activelyparticipated in non-governmental organisations(NGOs), contributing to projects centred on forestrights, sustainable livelihood initiatives, women’sempowerment, rural infrastructure development,and the preservation of tribal culture and practices. Theseexperiences not only broadened my understanding of grassrootsrealities, but also helped me improve my skills in participatorydevelopment and rights-based activism.
Expanding my involvement in the development sector,I became a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Officer, where I worked to bridge the gap between corporate initiatives and community needs, resulting in sustainable and inclusive development outcomes. My professional experience also includes collaborative research with reputable institutions such as the University of Michigan, the Periyar Tiger Reserve, and the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO). Through these research initiatives, I had the opportunity to investigate topics such as sustainable agricultural practices, public health interventions, and conservation-linked livelihoods, all of which contributed to evidence-based policymaking and programme development. Internships in flagship initiatives such as the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), and Kudumbashree, Kerala’s renowned poverty eradication and women’s empowerment programme, have also provided me with valuable experience working within government-led welfare programmes. These experiences gave me insights into state-driven social welfare systems, participatory governance, and community mobilisation strategies. My diverse professional experiences, which include community development, corporate social responsibility, public health research, and academic leadership, demonstrate a consistent commitment to advocating for marginalised communities and contributing to the changing landscape of social work practice and education in India and around the world.
2. What specific barriers have you observed or experienced that impact job satisfaction and retention among social workers in healthcare settings?
About 90% of Social workers across the globe works in the field of medical sciences. The social workers in the medical field encounter various obstacles, that can influence job contentment and employee retention. Social workers in healthcare frequently manage overwhelming workloads, which is mostly not related to the subject matter of the social work. In the medical settings often the Social workers are assigned the task of the assisting the medical practitioners, which doesn’t fall to the work expertise of the social workers, they often struggle with understanding the medical terminologies and struggle hard to take up the work. Insufficient Pay: Numerous social workers believe that their wages do not correspond to the degree of skill, responsibility, and emotional strain their roles demand, resulting in discontent. Limited options in career advancement within the job setting: Career development may be constrained, offering few routes for elevation or expertise, which results in long-term employee retention, especially the social workers in the medical settings. Administrative and Bureaucratic Hurdles: Overly extensive documentation demands, policy limitations, and bureaucratic procedures can diminish the time allocated for patient care, resulting in annoyance. Insufficient Support and Acknowledgment: Social workers might perceive themselves as unappreciated in multidisciplinary healthcare teams, where their input toward patient welfare is occasionally disregarded.
Elevated Emotional Strait – Frequent encounters with trauma, emergency scenarios, and moral challenges can adversely affect mental well-being, raising the likelihood of compassion fatigue. Staffing Shortages. A lack of adequate staff can result in overwhelming workloads and increased stress, reducing job satisfaction and prompting employees to look for other positions. Tackling these obstacles necessitates systemic structural reforms, including enhanced pay, workplace assistance initiatives, refined staffing regulations, and acknowledgment of social workers’ essential roles in healthcare.
2 From your professional vantage point, how well are current policies addressing the realities of frontline social work practice?
Existing policies related to frontline social work practice features some advancements alongside persistent challenges. Gap Between Practitioners and Management and complex hierarchical ladder: Numerous frontline social workers experience a disconnection from upper management, resulting in policies that may not accurately mirror the realities of everyday practice. Since they are placed towards the end in the hierarchy of work, their concerns regarding the work in often unaddressed. Plans for Strategic Enhancement: Certain organisations are developing long-term strategies to improve regulation, safeguarding, and professional growth, intending to close the gaps between policy and implementation. Factors like systemic racism, cooperative efforts among agencies, and interventions rooted in the community are still aspects where policies must advance to more effectively assist frontline workers. Action oriented policies are to be implemented to ensure that there is a systemic support to the social workers, hence creating a professional outlook to the work.
3 Why do you think recognition—both institutional and policy-level—is still lacking for social workers despite their essential contributions
There are numerous factors contributing to the lack of institutional and policy-level acknowledgment that social workers rightly deserve. Initially, social work tends to be unnoticed. In contrast to careers that have evident financial or industrial results, social workers function in the background, enhancing lives in manners that are hard to measure. The effectiveness of their efforts assisting individuals in achieving stability, security, and wellness seldom captures the news. Secondly, there is a continued underappreciation of care work. Sectors such as healthcare, education, and social work are often viewed as altruistic instead of professional, resulting in reduced salaries, limited policy safeguards, and diminished institutional regard. In addition there is the division within the field itself. Social work encompasses various sectors healthcare, child welfare, mental health, legal assistance, etc. and this interdisciplinary approach of the job complicates the pursuit of collective acknowledgment. There is also an absence of uniform policy structures that promote the profession on a national or international level.
Unseen Influence: Unlike physicians or technicians, the achievements of social workers are frequently abstract—assisting people in managing emergencies, healing from trauma, or rejoining the community. Since their efforts do not consistently lead to measurable results, it becomes more challenging to evaluate and present.
Insufficient Funding & Low Salaries: Numerous social workers function within nonprofit entities or government bodies facing financial limitations. This results in reduced wages and limited advocacy resources to advocate for improved institutional acknowledgment.
Gender & Historical Views: Traditionally, caregiving and social support functions have been linked to women and have been underestimated in professional environments. This societal prejudice leads to the absence of official acknowledgment. Splintering of the Profession: Unlike disciplines like medicine or law, social work encompasses various sectors—child welfare, mental health, community development, advocacy—rendering it difficult to create a cohesive voice for policy reform.
Reactive Instead of Proactive: Social workers frequently react to emergencies instead of forming policies from the beginning. Since they address the outcomes of systemic failures, they are regarded more as remedial figures than as proactive agents | of change.
4. Have you come across any effective models— nationally or globally—where policy reform has led to measurable improvements in social worker retention or recognition?
Australia: Policy Reforms & Proposals (AASW National Policy Platform 2022) Australia, through the leadership of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW), has taken significant steps to strengthen the profession by advocating for:
- National registration of social workers — to regulate professional titles, ensure public safety, and elevate accountability.
- Parity for social workers in Medicare Better Access schemes alongside other mental health professionals.
- Workforce investment in aged care, schools, and disability services, with AASW credentials (e.g. in mental health, family violence, disability).
- Expanded student placement support and scholarships, particularly for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
- Embedding social workers in key roles under the NDIS, family violence services, and community mental health.
- Enhancing legal advocacy roles, embedding rights-based, culturally safe, and trauma-informed practices in aged care, child protection, and mental health policy.
- Increasing migration intakes of qualified social workers to meet national and regional workforce demands.
These reforms reflect Australia’s effort to formalise professional governance, enhance recognition, and build a sustainable, well-supported, and rights-based social work profession.
India: Policy Reforms, Gaps & Proposals (Governance of SWE, 2019).
In India, the profession remains unregulated at a national level, with governance fragmented across the UGC and NAAC for academic quality, but no dedicated regulatory council for social work practice and education. Key insights include:
- Absence of a National Council for Social Work: A long-standing recommendation dating back to the 2nd UGC Review Committee (1980) and reiterated in the 2001 review. The proposed National Council for Professional Social Work Practitioners Bill (2018) remains pending.
- Curriculum modernisation challenges: While a UGC Model Curriculum exists, many institutions continue to follow outdated, Western-centric syllabi, inadequately aligned to contemporary Indian socio-political realities. There’s a critical need for localized, community-focused curricula, with greater emphasis on community organisation and participatory development practice.
- Lack of accreditation and credentialing systems: Unlike Australia’s AASW, India lacks a body to accredit social work professionals or foreign-qualified practitioners, affecting employability and professional identity.
- Fragmented professional development and CPD systems:
No formal CPD or advanced credentialing frameworks exist nationally, limiting structured career progression pathways. - Legal advocacy and policy integration gaps: Despite India’s socio-legal complexities, legal advocacy skills are underrepresented in most social work programs, despite high demand in areas like child rights, disability law, forest rights, and gender justice.
- Need for better integration of social work education and social policy formulation, ensuring that grassroots learnings translate into national policy advocacy.
United States: Studies indicate that interventions targetingadministrative and organizational elements like establishedcareer trajectories, workload distribution, and leadership traininghave proven more effective in enhancing retention compared tostrategies centred on individual employees.
Business-Inspired Method, Certain social work agencies haveimplemented corporate-style retention tactics such as attractivesalaries, opportunities for promotion, and enhancements toworkplace culture, example recruitment of Social workersin Corporate Social responsibility program managementand implementation works. The accelerated opportunities inCorporate setting in CSR programmes helped in enhancing thejob satisfaction.
Local Government Initiatives. In different areas defined careeradvancement paths, higher pay, and enhanced administrativeassistance. have been recognized as crucial elements for keepingsocial workers. Initiatives such as the Assessed and SupportedYear in Employment (ASYE) in the UK offer organizedassistance for newly qualified social workers, which is helpingthe social workers in a large sense.
5. What changes would you make to improve professional development, credentialing, and career advancement policies for social workers in both developing and developed countries, such as India and Australia?
To enhance professional growth, credentialing, and promotion policies for social workers, various essential reforms could be enacted. Structured and Stratified Credentialing Establishing more defined routes for specialization and advancement can enhance social work as a formal profession. This involves outlining entry-level, mid-career, and advanced practice certifications along with the associated competency standards. Ongoing Education Obligations. Enforcing compulsory training initiatives guarantees that social workers remain informed about optimal practices, new research, and changes in policy. Training with subsidies and recognized courses can aid continuous education. Interdisciplinary Cooperation Fostering alliances among social services organizations, medical facilities, legal organizations, and educational institutions can assist social workers in acquiring diverse skills, expanding job prospects.
Organized Career Development Creating defined pathways for advancement ranging from entry-level employee to policy consultant, managerial positions, or research roles can offer incentive and enduring job security. Mentorship & Leadership Development. Establishing mentorship initiatives in which experienced professionals support newcomers can boost career advancement. Leadership training can equip seasoned social workers to move into advisory and policy positions.
Motivations for Specialization Providing scholarships, funding, or pay increases for skills in high-demand fields (like mental health, child welfare, elder assistance) can enhance workforce capability in essential sectors. Enhanced Advocacy & Professional Groups: Increasing the reach of international and national social work entities can strengthen lobbying initiatives, resulting in improved pay, acknowledgment, and job safety. These modifications would enhance social work as a valued and fulfilling profession.
To improve professional development, credentialing, and career advancement for social workers worldwide, it is critical to address both systemic gaps and localised challenges through structured reforms and collaboration.
In developing countries such as India, the most pressing need is to establish a National Council for Social Work to oversee professional standards, credentialing, and accreditation of social work education. Despite several UGC reviews and the proposed National Council for Professional Social Work Practitioners Bill (2018), the lack of a formal regulatory body jeopardises professional identity and workforce mobility. India must also improve continuous professional development (CPD) frameworks, formalise field education standards, and implement structured credentialing systems in specialised fields such as legal advocacy, disability services, and community mental health. Expanding career paths through policy advocacy, leadership training, and directly connecting education to government welfare programmes will improve job retention and recognition.
While professional governance is provided by the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW), ongoing reforms should focus on expanding advanced credentialing frameworks and leadership development opportunities in high-demand areas. Most importantly, Australia benefits from collaborative platforms such as ANZSWWER (Australian & New Zealand Social Work & Welfare Education & Research), which strengthens research partnerships, knowledge sharing, and education policy development throughout Australasia. Similarly, the National Field Education Network (NFEN) is instrumental in improving field education standards, developing best practice frameworks, and advocating for student placement funding, all of which have a direct impact on workforce preparedness and retention.
Further investment in rural and remote scholarships, CPD programmes for Indigenous and CALD practitioners, and interdisciplinary career paths would help to fill emerging gaps, particularly in the aged care, disability, and mental health sectors. Australia could also use ANZSWWER and NFEN’s collaborative models to form transnational partnerships with Indian institutions, fostering mutual learning in fields such as community-led legal advocacy, social policy development, and participatory research.
In both cases, promoting bilateral exchange programmes, mutual credentialing agreements, and international research collaborations through networks such as ANZSWWER and NFEN would strengthen global social work standards while respecting diverse socio-cultural environments.
6.How can social work educators and academic institutions in developing and developed countries, such as India and Australia, influence policy to better align social work training with workforce sustainability and job retention objectives?
Educators in social work and academic institutions significantlyinfluence the development of policies that connect training togoals of job retention. 1 Curriculum Enhancement: Educationalinstitutions can incorporate practical retention techniquesinto their programs, equipping students to face professionalchallenges. This encompasses classes on burnout prevention,leadership growth, and advocacy. 2 Policy Advocacy:Universities and educators can work alongside policymakersto advocate for increased funding, organized career pathways,and enhanced workplace protections for social workers, inaddition collaborating with the government schemes shallalso help the social workers to work with the society ina community development oriented activities. ImprovedField Placements: Strengthening internship and practicumexperiences through mentorship initiatives can enhance jobpreparedness and professional development. Research &Evidence-Based Policy: Academic institutions can carry outlongitudinal studies on social worker retention, offering data-driven recommendations for policy enhancements. Cross-Sector Collaboration: Collaborating with governmental bodies,non-profits, and medical providers can guarantee that training matches industry requirements and retention plans.