16.11.2018 The Social Workers’ Association organized an annual conference

July 2, 2019 socialWEN Actualities

Video is available in Latvian version of the website here.

16.11.2018 Social Workers Association organized the annual conference, which theme this year was “Social work in the institution.” Conference with reports spoke of social work professionals in the field and the heads of social service organizations.
The conference was opened by Linda Ozola, chairwoman of the Social Workers Association.
The first speaker was the Head of the Department of Temporary Care of Chronic Patients, Social Worker from Riga 1st Hospital Rita Rindza, who spoke about the topic “Social work in a medical institution”.
Chief Inspector of the Prison Administration Mudīte Kruvese spoke about the topic “Social work in prison”.
The Social Workers Association was created for social workers and for the development of professional social work practice, therefore, member of the Association Oksana Krastiņš shared her personal experience and knowledge with the report “I, Social Worker! Personal experience in social work ”.
Elvis Kisel, Director of the State Social Care Center “Riga”, spoke about the topic “Social Work in the State Social Care Center”.
During the conference, a panel discussion on the topic “customer-oriented social work: how to reduce the time for paperwork and increase contact with the client” was held, with the participation of social work specialists: Rita Rindža, Oksana Krastiņa and Social Worker of Salaspils Municipal Social Service Inese Leitāne. In the panel discussion, issues were discussed:

1. The time spent on documenting is considered to reduce the ability to work directly with the client. As participants in the discussion, have they tried to reduce the “paperwork” or documentation time?
2. Not all the time we spend on documentation can be called something that is not used in the customer’s interest. When “paperwork” or documentation is necessary and justifiable as a social worker’s working time consumption?
3. What characterizes client-oriented social work? How to achieve client oriented and on needs-based approach in both – micro practice and social work administration?

In the second part of the conference, the Heads of the Institutions delivered presentations: Andris Bērziņš, Member of the Board of the Association of Latvian Samaritans, spoke about the topic “Why A Care Planning System (APSis)? – reducing bureaucracy by digitizing social work.

Mārtiņš Moors, Deputy Director of the Social Administration of the Welfare Department of the Riga City Council, spoke about the topic “Social work with the elderly”.
Head of Riga Social Service Erwin Alksnis talked about the topic “Social work in municipal social service agency”.
At the end of the conference there were panel discussions “Customer-oriented Social Work: How to Reduce Time for Paperwork and Increase Contact Work with Customer”, the second part was attended by heads of institutions: Gunta Gumbina, Head of Social Services of Salaspils County, Andris Bērziņš and Ervins Alksnis. The participants of the discussion were asked the same questions as social work specialists during the first panel discussion.
During the conference, live video was broadcasted on the website and on the Facebook account of the Social Workers’ Association. There was also the opportunity to send questions to conference participants and this opportunity was used by participants with pleasure.

The meeting of the Ministry of Social Welfare Working group with agenda ‘Review of Social Worker’s Code of Ethics’ Latvian Social Workers’ Association Opinion on Targeted Grants to Social Workers who work with families with children (11.02.2019.)