Social work services is expected to be tabled throughout the following parliamentary session

PUTRAJAYA – The proposed Social Workers Act geared toward improving the quality of social work services is expected to be tabled throughout the following parliamentary session, said Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.

She said the ministry was gathering feedback from stakeholders and non-governmental organisations in drafting the bill.

The next spherical of discourses can be held in the northern and southern regions and east coast in April and Might before the draft is finalised and submitted to the Attorney-General’s Chambers, he told reporters once opening a discourse on the bill here nowadays.

Shahrizat said the enactment of the Social Employees Act would enable social work profession to be regulated as competent and knowledgeable social workers were needed to accommodate rising social problems.

It will additionally enable social work profession to be changed into a promising career, she said, adding that several native universities were already offering social work studies in a trial to upgrade the profession.

National Joint Consultative Council on Social Work Education chairman Dr Azlinda Azman said the council was revising and streamlining existing modules in public establishments of higher learning in a shot to produce competent social staff.

“If social employees are not economical, they could put elderly and physically challenged folks, and children underneath their care at risk,” she in a very paper entitled “Social Work Education and Training in Malaysia.”

Malaysian Association of Social Staff president Teoh Ai Hua said that among constraints faced in social work were recruitment unqualified workers, lack of monetary incentives, serious workload and non-existent of support system.

“Hence, it is tough to retain experienced social workers as they modify jobs once training because of a misconception that there is no future within the profession,” he said in a paper entitled “Social Services Quality Improvement Through Social Employees Competency Enhancement.” – BERNAMA