Forum [Invited Papers]: 'Competence' In Neoliberal Times. Defining the Future of Social Work

The authors take a critical view of the Canadian Council of Social Work Regulators' (CCSWR) recent project to develop a competency profile for Canadian social workers. They argue "the 'competent' social worker implied in the project's design is much more a job-ready employee trained to work in compliance with current constraints and agency procedures than a critical professional educated to exercise judgment and skill and to question constraints in the service of clients and communities." The authors summarize their concerns about the project and then raise more fundamental questions about its implication in the wider and incremental erosion of social work and social welfare. Adapted from the source document.