“How To” Guide for Committee members of the New Social Worker Special Interest Group
Content
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Aims, Objectives and Vision Statement
Meetings
Roles on the New Social Workers Committee
Conference and Annual General Meeting (AGM)
New Ideas
Getting Members
Website
Email contact in the SIG
Peer Consultation
1. Aims, Objectives and Vision Statement
Vision Statement: Our Vision is to provide a forum of support for new social workers in Ireland
to promote the connection between academia and practice and to provide a high quality
service to clients.
Definition: We define new social workers as student social workers in a graduate or
undergraduate programme and professionally qualified social workers who have less than three
years experience.
Aims and Objectives:
- To provide support for new social workers in their learning and transition from being a student
social worker to a professionally qualified social worker
- To empower new social workers to help their voices be heard and help them share their
valuable opinions and knowledge
- To bring about awareness and change for issues that affect new social workers
- To help strengthen the relationship between social work in academic settings and in practice
settings
Why should people join?
- To be a responsible social worker, engaged in activism at the macro level
- To get support in their time as a new social worker
- To be able to have a voice on issues that directly pertain to them
- To help bring about awareness and change to improve the experiences of new social workers
and of clients
- To promote pride in social work
- To gain valuable experience in being a professional; useful in getting a job and being advanced
in work
- To connect theory and practice in their studies and work
- To promote reflexive practice and the development of professional social work
2. Roles on the New Social Workers Committee
No limit exists as to the number of people who can sit on the committee of the special interest
group, New Social Workers. However, the Chair, Secretary and Treasurer of the Special Interest
Group have to be members of the Association.
Four roles are key to have for the running of the group, as follows;
a. Chairperson: The chairperson’s role is to take the lead in running the special interest
group. The chairperson runs special interest group meetings and the annual general
meeting. It is the role of the Chair to set the agenda in advance of committee
meetings in consultation with the Secretary, to ensure that all actions and decisions
taken in the SIG are not in conflict with the stated aims and purposes of the
association and in to ensure all decisions made by the committee are acted upon.
b. Secretary: The secretary is in charge of the recording and communications for the
special interest group. The secretary will compose and send emails as needed, such
as reminders for meeting or calling for items for the agenda for meetings. The
secretary takes minutes for meetings. In consultation with the chairperson, the
secretary agrees and circulates the agenda for all committee meetings and will
ensure effective communication with members occurs. The secretary will also check
minutes with the chairperson and circulate them in a reasonable timeframe after
each meeting.
c. Treasurer: The treasurer is in charge of the money flow for the special interest
group. Money is normally spent for the annual special interest group conference,
such as to book a room and pay a speaker. Money is also taken in at the conference
from attendees, and usually the IASW will contribute money towards the
conference. Money can also be used for other things, if the special interest group
agrees. The special interest group’s bank account is under the overall bank account
of the IASW, and so the treasurer links in with the IASW office manager about
money. As part of their role, the Treasurer will keep a copy of the funding form and
the rules regarding applying for funding and will assist members in applying for
funding should the occasion arise. Again, as with all other officer roles, the Treasurer
must keep in regular contact with the chairperson in relation to their role. No
decisions regarding funances should be made without consultaiton between the
chaorperson and treasurer. Ideally, any financial decisions would be discussed at a
committee meeting first and then acted on by the Treasurer and Chairperson.
d. Webmaster: As the New Social Workers’ SIG has its own website, a webmaster is
essential to keep an eye on the website. The webmaster must review new people
signing up to the website and approve them to comment on the website if they are
members of the New Social Workers special interest group. The webmaster must
also approve any new posts or comments to the website, to make sure they are
appropriate. Again, as with all other officer roles, the webmaster must keep in
regular contact with the chairperson in relation to their role. No major decisions
(excluding the daily running of the website) should be made without discussion with
the chairperson of the special interest group first.
Other people may sit on the committee of New Social Workers, and could be in the following
categories;
e. Council Representative: This position is for someone from the special interest group
who will attend IASW council meetings 4 times a year. This person has to be a
member of the association. This person will bring information back and forth from
New Social Workers to the IASW, and from the IASW to New Social Workers. This
position is generally carried out by the chairperson but it is not set in stone. The
council meetings are generally 3-5pm, so the person would have to be able to get
permission from work to attend or have time off work then. If someone other than
the chairperson is the council rep then it is vital to ensure there is regular
communicaiton between the council rep and the chairperson of the SIG. This is
because if there are issues of interest/concern, the chairperson is the person that
the IASW will link in with.
f. General Members: People can be general members of the New Social Workers
committee. This role means that they attend meetings of New Social Workers and
may take on different pieces of work, such as research, drafting a letter, or running a
project, as they wish.
g. Specific Roles as appropriate: Different roles have been taken on by people in New
Social Workers who have a particular interest in certain work. For example, people
have acted as a ‘College Liaison Officer’- with a certain college in Ireland to recruit
members from that college and share information and links. Thus potentially, 4
college liaison officers could exist. People have also acted as a research officer for a
specific project, such as peer consultation.
3. Meetings
Frequency: Meetings should take place a minimum of four times per year. Regular committee
meetings are essential to the running of New Social Workers. We have found it useful to meet
every 6-8 weeks. Generally we have set the next meeting at the end of each meeting.
Agenda: An agenda is crucial for the meeting. As noted before, the secretary will call for items
for the agenda ahead of the meeting, liaise with the chairperson around this and then confirm
the final agenda for the meeting. All of this is carried out in regular consultation with the
chairperson. The chairperson will ensure the meeting follows the agenda. Generally, the
agenda for the meeting is to review what’s going on, plan for the future, and share information.
The agenda might include planning for a conference, sharing information on what’s going on
with registration for social workers, or reviewing a piece of work being carried out e.g. the
social workers panel process.
Venue: We have used the IASW offices in the past for meetings, as we are able to use it in the
evenings for free. However, the venue can be changed as suits the group. The venue will have
to be free however as special interest groups do not get funding for room hire!
Who attends: The meetings are generally for any members of the New Social Workers
committee. If there are a small number of committee members, co-opting new committee
members between AGM’s are fine.
4. Conference and AGM
Every year, each special interest group is requested to have a conference and an annual general
meeting (AGM).
The conference can be on any topic that is deemed relevant to the new social workers group. In
order to get funding they need to fill in the funding request form (attached as an appendix). The
funding form will be discussed by the Treasurer and Chairperson of the association and/or will
be discussed by the board at their monthly meeting. If the funding application is approved the
Treasurer of the new social workers committee will be notified and planning for the conference
and AGM can continue. It is therefore a good idea to ensure that the things that cost money
(e.g. venue, food, speakers) are organised well in advance of the conference date. It is
important to note that the IASW cannot fund a venue for a conference. However, the cost of
the venue could potentially be covered from the registration fees. The IASW CPD officer and
office manager are a brilliant resource during the planning of any events and conferences. They
are happy to talk over the phone or by email and can usually answer any and all questions you
have.
Choosing a topic that is relevant to new social workers is crucial for the conference. We chose
‘Supervision’ for our first conference and ‘Self-care’ for our second conference.
The conference is generally advertised for anyone who wishes to attend, and is not restricted to
new social workers, although of course the topic is relevant for new social workers. In fact, we
had principal social workers attend our conference. We generally advertise through the IASW
which sends out emails and also post it on our website and the IASW website. People are asked
to book ahead of time, and can do so through the IASW website. Generally, members of the
IASW pay less than others, and there can also be a lower rate for students or unemployed. The
number of people that have to attend the AGM is explained clearly in the IASW Rules and ByeLaws (link provided at the end of this guide).
The conference can be any time. We have tried to work it around colleges ending and the IASW
conference. We have previously had a half-day conference, but that is also flexible. The half-day
conference in the morning means we can end before lunch and people can return to work. As a
general rule of thumb conferences and AGM’s occur once per year with seminars or general
events occuring as often as a group likes.
The conference can take a number of different formats, and can depend on numbers. In the
past, we chose to have a keynote speaker, and then a tea break, followed by several shorter
more workshop-like presentations. We have tried to have a keynote speaker who is an
experienced social worker, and allow new social workers themselves to run the shorter
workshop-like presentations. Obviously this is all quite flexible.
It’s not too hard at all to set up a conference! The topic can be chosen first through meetings
and seeing what is relevant for new social workers. Generally, then people would think about
anyone who would be a good keynote speaker and others who would be able to do workshops.
The keynote speaker would be asked if they are willing to present on a certain topic ahead of
time and given a small amount of money or gift in return. The line-up for the day needs to be
set up before the advertising starts. The IASW can help with the advertising, signing-up, and
printing off of any materials such as a programme for the day and evaluation sheet. Generally,
some people need to be signing people in and ensuring payment, and giving out information for
the day, such as a small folder with the programme and blank sheets.
The location can depend on numbers. We have had our conferences in Dublin city centre in the
past and rented a room in the same building as the IASW. A hotel could also be used. Generally
for a certain fee, places will arrange tea and coffee at a certain time. This all ties into the
Treasurer’s role and the IASW funding application form which wil have to be filled out ahead of
any event or conference.
We have chosen in the past to do the AGM directly after the conference, to ensure maximum
numbers and to make it easier for everyone. While the conference is for anyone, we ask that
only new social workers stay for the annual general meeting. The chairperson runs the annual
general meeting, which should also have an agenda.
One item for the agenda is election of new members to the committee. Another item is any
motions for the year. For example, a motion might be that the special interest group looks into
a certain item of interest.
For anything to pass, such as a motion or election of a new member, one person must propose
and a second person must second it. Then the item is put up for an open vote with anyone
present voting for or against and the majority wins. Voting can generally be done just by raising
of hands.
The secretary of the committee will keep a copy of “Guidelines for Writing a Motion” and a
copy of the template used to write motions, for use at each AGM. These can be requested from
the IASW office manager at any time.
5. New Ideas
Having new ideas is essential to any special interest group. We hope that New Social Workers
always comes up with lots of new ideas to try. For example, we came up with ideas to look at
the panel system for HSE social work posts and to try peer consultation.
In having any new ideas, it is essential to get support from the IASW. As New Social Workers SIG
is part of the IASW, its activities need support from the IASW. Sometimes, the IASW may ask for
a proposal to be written, which is what happened with peer consultation. In that case, someone
must prepare information together for the IASW to review.
If the New Social Workers SIG wishes to write any letters for a new idea, these also must be
passed through the IASW board, and it will ensure that the letter has the full backing of all the
IASW, which is more powerful.
The chairperson of New Social Workers should ensure regular communicaiton and liaison with
the IASW such as through talking to the Chairperson of the IASW about new ideas. Obviously,
the New Social Workers council representative can also be very helpful here, in bringing new
ideas to the IASW council on behalf of the SIG.
6. Getting Members
As the cycle of a typical membership of the New Social Worker special interest group is three
years (see definition of the SIG at the beginning of this guide), actively recruiting members is
vital. It is also vital to have an enthusiastic and vibrant committee. A mixture of student social
workers, newly qualified one year and newly qualified two years social workers is ideal for the
committee make up. This means that there will always be someone new on the committee who
can learn from those who have experience and by the time the other committee members have
to leave (as they have three years experience) there will be people who can smoothly take over
the running of the special interest group. Joining the special interest group, and indeed the
committee, is not an all or nothing thing. Everyone in a special interest group is giving of their
time voluntarily. The special interest groups are meant to be a space where social workers find
support and common ground with others in a similar situation. Whether you can give 1 hour
per week or one hour per month to the special interest group is absolutely fine. Being clear on
your availability at the beginning is best as this saves hassle down the line.
Liaising with the IASW membership officer and the IASW Chairperson is important in respect of
keeping a substantial membership. Offer to go to colleges with the membership officer or IASW
Chairperson to talk about the special interest group. Type up a short presentation about the
special interest groups aims, objectives and vision. Offer to give the presentation at team
meetings (if working) or to your class (if a student). Consider drawing up a small leaflet and
asking the IASW for funding (through the Treasurer) to print it so that you can give this to
people. Use the IASW facebook page to regularly advertise the special interest group and to
draw attention to the website, any events you hold, talks you do and meetings you hold. It is
each committee member’s responsibility to recruit members and to explain to others why you
are in the special interest group, why it is beneficial to new social workers (e.g. students and
newly qualified social workers can join the IASW on reduced fees) and how people can get
involved.
7. Website
The New Social Worker special interest group has it’s own blog style website. It can be found at:
www.newsocialworkers.com. The IASW have funded this website since it was established two
years ago. The website costs approximately €80 euro per year. Funding is applied for in the
usual way – by filling out a funding request form and submitting it to the board of the IASW.
This can be done by emailing the filled in funding form to the office manager in the IASW office
at [email protected].
As already stated, ideally one member of the committee will volunteer to be the “webmaster”.
As well as being a general committee member and contributing at meetings etc, this person’s
responsibility will be to maintain the website. This entails:
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Adding new members who request to join the website – this includes assigning
usernames to new members.
Compiling and keeping an up to date list of website members and their email addresses
for correspondence. This list will be kept for the use of the chairperson, secretary and
webmaster only and will be mindful of data protection guidelines.
Moderating the website – adding posts to the website, accepting or declining comments
as per the website guidelines.
Maintaining the general website – updating the static pages (“About” page, “Guidelines”
page, “Links/Resources” page, “News” page, “Contact Us” page).
Ensuring there are regular and relevant posts to the website – this might include writing
short blogs and/or requesting committee members to do the same. The 2012-2013
committee took it in turns to write posts for the website to ensure it was updated and
to spread the workload.
Alerting all members of the website to a specific post e.g. the annual conference by
using the “notify all members” function of the website.
Alerting the Treasurer when the time to re-apply for funding for the website
approaches.
8. Email contact in the SIG
Using email is a requisite for the New Social Worker committee. Using email as a way of
maintaining communication between committee members enables more work to get done in
between meetings, facilitates decisions being made quickly and efficiently and allows new
social workers from around the country to be part of the SIG without necessarily having to
travel to Dublin where the meetings for the past few years have taken place. Email contact
between committee members can be used to make decisions such as when to hold meetings,
how to answer an email or query from the general membership or when working on a subgroup on a particular issue e.g. writing a position paper. The main committee members who
send emails to the membership are the secretary and the chairperson. If a committee member
wants an email to be sent to the general membership the idea is to inform the secretary or
chairperson who will then facilitate this process.
9. Peer Consultation
What: A new social worker special interest group initiative. This is a programme of structured
peer consultation based on research and experience. Two groups typically run simultaneously
throughout the year. The groups are actively evaluated as the sessions take place.
Why: The basic idea is that peer consultation will be an additional support, separate to the
managerial supervision that social workers receive in work and on placement. It is meant to
support new social workers in linking theory to practice, continuous professional development,
etc.
When: A cycle of peer consultation is usually eight sessions. The cycle generally runs from
October – May of each year. The groups meet once a month with each session lasting
approximately 1- 1.5 hours long on a weekday evening after work.
Where: The groups are free to meet wherever they decide. Until now however, the groups have
met in the IASW office as all members have been based in Dublin. However groups can arrange
to meet in other areas if it is more convenient for members, especially if people based outside
of Dublin decide to engage in the peer consultation process. Rooms will have to be free
however as funding for room hire cannot be sourced through the IASW.
Who: Peer consultation is open to all “new social workers” (see SIG definition). The aim is that
each peer consultation group has about 6-8 members of social workers from different areas of
work or with different experience to help the learning.
Facilitating peer consultation: Each year four people are required to co-facilitate the peer
consultation sessions. The aim is that two people from the previous year who have taken part
in the process will become facilitators as this means they are familiar with the process. The
facilitators will actively take part in the sessions as well as facilitating. At least one of the
facilitators in each group will also be a member of the New Social Worker committee. This is to
facilitate regular communication between the chairperson of the special interest group, the
committee members and the peer consultation process.
References
IASW Memorandum of Articles and Associations: http://www.iasw.ie/attachments/d01d9f0e9eaf-4d84-a6b4-02007aabf555.PDF
IASW Rules and Bye-Laws: http://www.iasw.ie/attachments/2b414ed3-31c4-4173-8e194f2124789555.PDF
© Kerry Cuskelly and Beth McGettrick (2013)