Social workers play an important role in the communities they serve. They are a voice for people who aren’t being heard, and they confront serious social issues to enable both young and old to thrive. In short: they are committed to making the world a better place to live in.

With this onus on professional and integrated social service rendering, the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Department of Psychosocial Health in the Faculty of Health Sciences on the campus in Vanderbijlpark, recently hosted an oath taking ceremony for all second-year social work students.

This annual event sees members of the academic fraternity, representatives of several statutory bodies, professional social workers as well as the parents and peers of the students coming together to witness the undertaking of the solemn declaration.

The solemn declaration guides the students to honour the social work profession and to always adhere to the ethical code of the profession as stipulated in the Social Service Professions Act (Act 110 of 1978, as amended).

By means of the solemn declaration, the students undertook the following:

• At all times to conduct themselves in such a way that it will be to the benefit of the social work profession, clients, colleagues and practice organisations;
• To selflessly serve their fellow human beings and the community and at all times strive for the enhancement of their effective social functioning;
• To continually strive for the promotion of social justice;
• To always adhere to the ethical code of the profession; and
• To fully accept the consequences that may result from non-compliance with these provisions.

Keynote address

This year saw Dr Varoshni Nadesan, the president of the Association of South African Social Work Education Institutions (AWASWEI), deliver the keynote address.

ASASWEI is an association of schools of social work, other tertiary level social work educational programmes and social work educators. The association promotes the development of social work education throughout South Africa, develops standards to enhance the quality of social work education, encourages international exchange, provides forums for sharing social work research and scholarship, and promotes human rights and social development through policy and advocacy activities.

According to Dr Nadesan, ASASWEI’s mission emphasises the promotion of worldwide excellence in social work education. She concluded her address by congratulating and thanking the students for choosing to follow the social work profession.

Prof Hayley Walker Williams, deputy director of the School of Psychosocial Health, welcomes guests to the oath taking ceremony.

Dr Varoshni Nadesan, the president of the Association of South African Social Work Education Institutions (AWASWEI), delivers the keynote address.