NASWU Programs

Advocacy for social work legislation

NASWU continues to advocate for the establishment of a Social Work Professionals’ Council to regulate the conduct and assure quality in the training and practice of Social Work and Social welfare professionals. This is being pursued through legislative means to have a law passed with support from the Ministry of Gender Labor and Social Development. The key milestones achieved so far include:

Production of the issues paper,
Development of a draft cabinet memorandum presented MGLSD and;
An attendant advocacy and communication plan that is being implemented.

Working with Min of Gender, UNICEF, and Global Social Service Workforce Alliance, NASWU has supported the process of drafting a National framework for strengthening social workforce in Uganda that will lead to the social work counsel.

Strengthening community structures to support OVCs

In partnership with donors, the Association conducts activities aimed at supporting the ongoing efforts of the MGLSD in strengthening and sustaining the work of Community Structures (PSWs). PSW play a critical role in the delivery of the critical social welfare services to vulnerable children. We continue to work with Government in our on –going efforts to mainstream PSW in the Local Government structure.

Strengthening child protection systems

We work with Ministry of Gender labour and Social Development and Development Partners to strengthen the role of the social work profession in child protection and practice Standards definition for child protection human resource. We work with National Child Protection Working Group to provide technical guidance, oversight, coordination and monitoring of key child protection responses and initiatives in the country.

Mentorship programme

We run a tripartite mentorship and placement programme involving NASWU, Training Institutions and social development agencies. Social work students and fresh graduates are mentored by Host institutions and directly supervised by NASWU and teaching institutions. We ensure that all the participants in the pragamme are well oriented and guided in social work practice. All parties in the partnership conduct continuous evaluations of the programme.

Capacity Building for Medical Social Workers

With support from our donors, we continue to work with government and non-government health facilities to further develop the capacities of Medical Social workers and ensure quality in service delivery built on the social work code of conduct.

Strengthening National Social Welfare Policies

The Association strongly advocates and participate in high-level policy forum aimed at developing policies that shape the social welfare and social development of Uganda.

Partnerships and Collaboration

The association continues to network and collaborate with different national and international institutions to further its vision and mission. We forge Memorandums of Understanding with our partners.

Promoting Social Work Practice

We administer training workshops in response to member requests. In addition to the workshops, NASWU also organizes quarterly breakfast meetings, annual Social work practitioner’s dialogues and undertakes projects to build the capacity of its members to provide quality services and responses to Social issues.

Support the National Child helpline

NASWU provides training to its members who are in a range of child centered organizations and the selection criterion is always very transparent. In line with Makerere University Department of Social Work and Social Administration the tailor- made hands- on training is intended to benefit professionals working in child protection in Uganda. The course aims at equipping professionalism child Protection with requisite knowledge and skills in Child Protection issues, to enhance their capacity to build a functional protective environment for children in their respective work areas and districts.

Mental Health & Psychosocial Support

A continuum of care and support that addresses the social, emotional, spiritual and psychological well-being of a person, and influences both the individual and the social environment in which people live. NASWU through her strategic plan and in partnership with technical organizations like REPSSI, TPO and Ministry of Health, target capacity building of frontline social force, community leaders and stakeholders to prevent and promote resilience of children, families and communities. Social workers play a critical role in advocating for policies that reduce health disparities and improve access to health care, especially for vulnerable populations. Get tools, information, and resources to enhance social workers’ capacity to improve the health of patients, families and communities