SOCIAL POLICY

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.

• 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 “Are you with us? COVID-19 confirms the need to transform Nova Scotia’s social safety net.” 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 certainly has some questionable policy choices that stem from dogmatic free-market thinking, the vision it presents is transformative, and the PCs deserve credit for putting forward a bold plan. As we head into the provincial election this year the NSCSW hopes to conduct a similar analysis on party platforms on key issues such as poverty, mental health, and child protection.

Finally, in December 2020 the NSCSW utilized the social policy framework to write a submission for the Children and Family Services Act (CFSA) Review Committee. A review of the CFSA was completed, as mandated by the Act. However, the Department of Community Services (DCS) chose to conduct the review in a manner that both limited the scope and engagement process, and has excluded core stakeholders such as frontline staff, families involved in the system, and children and youth in care. The CFSA Review Committee chose three of the least problematic areas of the Act to review.

The challenges that have emerged in the provision of services to vulnerable children and families through the amended Act have remained far too problematic for such a narrow review. The lack of public engagement also seemed counter to the current political climate, which demands more government transparency and accountability. As well as the many calls from racialized and marginalized communities to fundamentally shift the focus of the child protection services away from intrusive and controlling forensic and investigative activities that drain resources away from services that might better support families, towards structural changes that will contribute to the well-being of communities and families. Given the narrow scope, the NSCSW chose to provide a more comprehensive review of the Act (although still limited, due to a lack of available data), evaluated the Act using the Social Policy Framework, and concluded that the CFSA has contributed to greater inequity.

We will be offering more workshops of the social policy framework, and encourage members to download our workbook and start to apply the framework to their areas of practice.

Visit nscsw.org/social-policy-framework to get started.

2020 COMMITTEE MEMBERS:

Patricia Auchnie, Cheryl Hebert, Laurette McGaughey, Alicia Nolan, Janet Pothier, Alec Stratford (staff), Jennifer Van Kessel.