A FRAMEWORK FOR CHANGE A report from the Social Policy Committee
On March 11 2020, the day the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic and 11 days before a state of emergency was declared in Nova Scotia, the Social Policy Committee of the NSCSW released a Social Policy Framework for Nova Scotia, in partnership with the Nova Scotia branch of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA-NS). This Social Policy Framework was introduced at a critical time in Nova Scotia. We have continued to see our governments, at all levels, implement policies and programs that have resulted in greater inequity. Our political systems have failed to develop an economy and public services that are inclusive of all Nova Scotians. Governments have continued to mark their success on the growth and expansion of the economy with hopes that a growing economy will benefit for all.
This approach has led our political leaders to ignore the indicators that the overall well-being of our population continues to deteriorate, which leads them to put their heads in the sand when it comes to creating public policy that would positively impact our health, climate and economy.
Our Social Policy Framework aims to create a fundamental paradigm shift in our political goals. As Nova Scotians, we need to ensure that the goal of increasing well-being is equal to the goal of a developing a strong economy. The social policy framework is designed to nourish the roots of this change. It creates a vision and a road map for Nova Scotians that: ⢠Addresses inequality through public policy aimed at redistributing wealth and building an economy that works for everyone, creating a society where political decisions are made in the interest of all, not for an elite few.
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⢠Addresses the need to work for the public good through public policy that focuses on climate justice, investments in health and social services, the decolonization of public service and that values professional care. ⢠Addresses the need to build public policy through collaborative decision-making embedded in an intersectional lens. Through this process, we can support participatory communities in which all voices are heard. ⢠Addresses systemic oppression through public policy that leads to transformative change. Policy that supports all of us to acknowledge oppressive attitudes and assumptions by allowing us to share our stories and heal the hurts imposed by our conditioning, to act in the present in a humane and caring manner, to rebuild our human connection. The College has continued to utilize the framework to help mobilize public discourse, and has provided trainings on how to use it through the Dalhousie School of Social Work, as well as the IWK. The first application of the policy framework occurred in May of 2020 when the College again partnered with CCPA-NS to write âAre you with us? COVID-19 confirms the need to transform Nova Scotiaâs social safety net.â This report focused on how the pandemic has proven just how fragile our current social systems are, and why we must fundamentally shift our political and economic system to become a sustainable, fair, and just province. The report called all Nova Scotians to consider how to shift course to make the province a better place to live, work, and care for each other. Using the social policy framework, CCPA-NS and the NSCSW outlined what should guide us to develop those practical policy solutions that will put us on the right course. The second application of the report was in November of 2020 when the Progressive Conservative Party of Nova Scotia introduced their new vision for mental health services. Using the framework, the College developed an analysis of the PC mental health plan to help inform public discourse. Our analysis demonstrated that while the plan
