Helen and Terry are international trail blazers

For any professional, the opportunity to work overseas in environments more challenging and different to their own is an experience not to be passed over. But thanks to international links forged by members of the social work team, such opportunities are ready for the taking at the University of Teesside.

The trail is being blazed by placement co-ordinator Helen Woolley and Dr Terry Murphy, who earlier this year acted as consultants to the national social work organisation in the Republic of Uzbekistan – a country lying in the heart of Central Asia with a population of 28m people, made up of different ethnicities including Uzbek, Tajic and Russian heritage.

Both already have considerable overseas work experience. Helen has worked in a number of Commonwealth of Independent States countries as a trainer and social work consultant, while Terry set up the first multidisciplinary child protection team in Mauritius. He has also consulted to first nation and community social work teams in North America.

Over the course of the summer Helen and Terry worked in the capital Tashkent on a number of social work projects. For Helen it meant focussing on developing practice teaching and an understanding of placement organisation within the Republic’s four universities that teach social work. Terry meanwhile produced the first Russian language training DVD to incorporate problem-based learning scenarios.

As a result of the work, which was funded by UNICEF, new teaching methods including using poetry and other artistic methods have been incorporated into the curricula of all four universities.

It’s hoped that a longer-term relationship between the University and Uzbekistan’s national social work organisation will develop. As part of this, the University is helping to produce a Russian language code of ethics for the social work profession within the Republic, as well as promoting the development of the National Association of Social Workers.

‘As an international profession, social work benefits from such international links. They offer mutual learning between social workers in different societies and different stages of development of the profession,’ said Terry.

‘For social workers looking to develop a wider and cross-cultural understanding of their profession, I thoroughly recommend looking at volunteering and professional opportunities. They are available in a wide range of charitable and non-governmental organisations and international bodies, which promote social work internationally.’

The first port of call for anyone interested in volunteering is the International Federation of Social Workers. It could be the beginning of some fascinating new experiences.

---

International Federation of Social Workers website