In recent CIF meetings our exchanges often focused on the new trends in professional practices, where the relation to the person is no longer a priority.

This evolution is based on New Public Management which  has inspired public policies in Europe and most countries in the world since 2000, following experiments in the U.K. and the U.S. A. in the 80s, when cuts in and even withdrawals of state-funding in social policies were initiated.

Initially, New Public Management in the social field was considered as a more democratic practice, whereas  the welfare system could be  considered as  a paternalistic relation based on charity

The goal of NPM is  to focus on case management with  better service  at a lower cost. Consequently, the efficiency of the social service becomes the main objective and we can observe how gradually the field of social work has been facing new standards which came to change the nature of social work. The focus on the relation with a person or a group has been  replaced by  good practice procedures sustained  through an assessment of the implementation of the protocol.

Ken Loach’s movie  « I Daniel Blake » offers a good picture of this policy, and a debate around the film will be organized.

Considering the evolutions of social services in different countries we will ask which alternatives are possible, with examples of present practices. This is to say that the ideological basis of NPM will be questioned  since it was introduced as a democratic evolution.

If you wish to make a presentation during one of the conference workshops in relation with the general theme and devoted to

• Creativity and social work;
• Social service users involvement;
• New public management and impacts on evolution of the social professions in Europe and in the world;
• Empowerment practices;
• Social work: heritage and transmission*;
• Peace project.

Please write few lines about your proposal and send it to congres2019@cif-france.org before January 30th.

A workshop will be dedicated to the Peace project.