Taking a moment out to reflect on World Social Justice (WSJ) Day, I realise how interwoven the concept of social justice is in my personal and professional life. As a social work student, you are taught that social justice is a cornerstone part of who you are as a practitioner. Moving from university, where social justice as a theory and value becomes a cornerstone of your practice framework into day-to-day practice can be confronting. The challenges of complex work cultures, different expectations and frameworks within multi-disciplinary teams and shifting organisational priorities can make holding social justice at the forefront of your practice difficult. You must make active decisions to hold true to your foundational commitment to social justice, particularly if your value does not align with organisational values.
That’s why I am proud that social justice is a key tenet, not just for me personally in my practice, but for each and every one of the SCS team whom we hire or contract. It drives whether we say 'yes' to work that is available to us and where we choose to invest our energy as an organisation. In an ideal world, all human service organisations would truly strive to embed social justice at the core of their decision making. While we know of the pressures faced by organisations, who operate in a complex, often bureaucratic environment, our focus must be on those who receive services, who we walk alongside and who the reason we hold the value of social justice so closely. Truly holding social justice up as the most important organisational measure by which all decisions are made, will see change; in staff retention, in targeting resources and ultimately, in the lives of the people we work with and for.
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