Social work registration and professionalism: Social justice and poverty – fellow travellers or discarded passengers?

Abstract

Poverty is a central focus for social work and social workers, but has received much less attention over recent times. While the ANZASW Code of Ethics and SWRB Code of Conduct differ in their expectations of social workers on social justice issues, it is the impact of managerialism and neo-liberalism and their incorporation of postmodern language of difference and diversity that is much more significant in this comparative neglect. Social workers need to reassert their collective voice on issues of poverty to meet their ethical obligations for competent practice.