ASSESSMENT COVER SHEET
| Family Name: | Given Name(s): |
| Student ID: | Course: Bachelor of Community Service |
| Unit Code: SAP203 | Unit Name: Developing social policy |
| Lecturer: | Assessment Number/Title: 3 |
| Semester/Trimester and Year: Trimester 3, 2022 | Word Count: 2000 |
1 |Page
Introduction
Community service work practice encompasses policy practice. The professionals have to understand the policy and also contribute to the social change and enable policy development. The community service work professionals work on the ground and therefore, they are more likely to encounter the gaps in the policy and therefore, suggest the required change. This helps in bringing policy changes which enhances the quality of the community service work. further, intervening in the policy process is an important part of the professional responsibility and it is expected that the professionals will intervene beyond their personal level of work experience. The professionals in this field are required to identify gaps, problems in implementation, framing, identification or in policy consultation. They have to make recommendations and ensure that the service users get the best quality of service.
In this assessment therefore, an overview of the relevant theories of policy change is considered for guiding the work. A brief scan of the responsible government departments, research organizations, peak institutions and non-government organizations are considered which are working in the given policy area. Policy considered for this paper is related to refugees in Australia, a change is proposed in the existing policies required is described and justified.
Theories of policy change
An overview of relevant theories of policy change that could guide your work. The policy practice requires policy analysis as well as advocacy for the needed change. There are multiple activities and methods of arguments and inquiry which are required in policy action and analysis. This results in the production and transformation of the policy relevant information which are used in the political area and in the bureaucratic settings for resolving the identified policy issues.
During the 19050s, 1960s and 1970s, the government focused on the formulation of policies for the betterment of the communities. Policy making and changing was seen as a science which combined the social science and the political science, knowledge of the working of the political organization and how these could be influenced (Birkland, 2015). It was the rational theory which established that good process is equal to good policy. Therefore, a rational approach was taken in the policy formulation and modifications. Later in the 1980s, there was a rise of neoliberals, and conservatives who argued that the rational approach was not sufficient in addressing the issues faced by the public. Therefore, there was more focus on the evidence-based approach during the 2000s. Policy making and changing is therefore noted to contain aspects which are rational but the processes are based in public discourses, ideology and politics (Sabatier, 2019). It has been argued that the policy should be considered as rational and as a political dimension. The governments are required to solve the issues and take decisions which are made in the existing formal process.
The rational policy approach is advantageous as it provides legitimacy to the decisions made by the government. The political approaches allow the attention of the policy makers on the range of players, ideological assumptions and the multitudes of the problems which are identified, developed and argued in the policy processes. Therefore, policy change has to be both political and rational (Howard, & Miller, 2020).
Australia has been a welcoming nation to the refugees for decades. It has welcomed thousands of refugees and has helped them in resettling to the country (Robinson, 2014). It provides for a legal route through which the refugees can enter and resettle their lives in this country. The country has received refugees from many countries across the world from where the people have fled to save their lives and property. The application for a refugee visa is easy for these people but the country does not entertain the illegal immigrants who often come to the country on boats. The country has the refugee policy in which it accepts the refugees who have entered legally. They are provided with a multitude of services so that they are able to resettle in the country. However, there are still many changes which are confronted by the refugees and therefore, there is a need to change the refugee policy of the country.
Range of players
The policy formulation or modification requires the consultation as well as participation of a variety of actors. They have to be informed of the identified issues and recommended solutions. They have to be involved in discussion so that their stakes could also be understood and considered while the policy changes are being identified and developed.
In the chosen policy area, the main government department is the immigration department of the country. There are government and non-government organizations like Refugees and Detainees (CARAD) Refugee Council of Australia, Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network (MYAN) Coalition for Asylum Seekers, Legal Aid NSW-refugee service, Refugee Advice and Casework Service (RACS), Refugee council and Refugee and Immigration Legal Service (RAILS). These organizations are working to enable the refugees to settle in the country (Shergold, 2018). However, there are gaps which are identified and these can be addressed with the changes in the policy.
Aspect of the policy worth changing and justification for that change
The refugee policy in the country is found to be effective in allowing the legal settlement of the refugees in the country. An important aspect of the refugee settlement is that of employment (Nunn et al., 2014). Employment opportunities allow the refugees to settle well in the country. This helps them in adapting to the culture of the country and establish themselves with dignity. The lack of employment opportunities also creates many difficulties for the refugees as they are not able to start their lives as it used to be in their country of origin. The provision of employment opportunities is found to be supported by the government however, there are many inherent factors which create barriers for the refugees in seeking employment in the country. Therefore, in this area of refugee policy some changes are needed.
There are a number of challenges which are faced by the refugees when seeking employment in the country (Fozdar, & Banki, 2017). The first challenge they face in understanding the local market of labor. They are not aware of the methods of job search for getting the type of jobs which they want. They are not aware of the local referees and the social networks which could help them in getting the right job. Additionally, the highly-skilled refugees and the ones who have recognized degrees are not found eligible for the jobs because they are overqualified (Abur, & Spaaij, 2016). The refugees with high levels of professional expertise and education are confronted with many challenges in getting the right job. They are often underemployed where their skills and expertise are not utilized. This happens because their qualifications are not recognised by the employers in the country (Rajendran et al., 2020). The refugees often flee their country of origin without having their educational degrees and professional expertise documents (Fleay et al., 2016). This creates difficulty for them to prove their educational and professional value to the employers in the country. Further, the foreign degrees and qualifications are sometimes not recognized in the country. In the case when the country of origin is facing a war like situation then the institutions are closed and the refugees are not able to retrieve the copies of their professional documentation.
There are refugees who want to pursue higher education but the ones who are on temporary protection visas are ineligible for higher education and therefore, they are liable for international student fees. There are other problems which create difficulties for the refugees in getting employment. Many of the refugees are not well-versed in the English language (Abdelkerim, & Grace, 2012). English proficiency is seen as the main barrier in poor employment attainment amongst the refugees. They also face issues like discrimination when they try to enter the labour market of the country or are employed in the organizations (Smith et al., 2020 and Cain, et al., 2021).
Therefore, there is a need to change the policy stand of the country in this regard. The refugees are welcomed by the government by giving them legal entry. It is therefore required that during the period of stay of refugees they must be supported with proper employment. This will ensure that they are able to use their expertise, skills and educational qualifications. This will help them in resettling in the country and they would be able to support their lives successfully.
A beginning plan for policy change
There is a need to change the current policy on refugees so that the government bodies, non-government organizations and other peak bodies in the country are able to work in this regard in a directed fashion. The policy change is focussed on giving employment opportunities to the refugees so that they are able to start their lives over in this country.
It is recommended that the government must make plans for providing incentives and support to the employers for helping the refugees through a variety of alternative strategies of recruitment (Nunn et al., 2014). Career counseling can be provided by the government and the non-government organizations during their period of transition. There are alternative strategies of recruitment which can be adopted by the employers in the country and these are internships, voluntary work, post-employment follow-up programs, access to placements and mentoring programs. These alternative modes of employment opportunities will support the refugees in gaining and maintaining their employment.
Employment services in the country have to be supported through government and non-government bodies action to raise awareness of the employers for helping the refugees gain and maintain employment (Fleay et al., 2016). Awareness has to be created for preventing discrimination, abuse, and racism. They have to be promoted to take action for the injustices and the inequitable outcomes of the employment given to the refugees.
The immigration department of the country has to improve the process of accreditation and ensure accessibility to education and training opportunities. Innovative strategies have to be developed by the peak bodies, non-government organizations and government organizations for supporting the recognition of the refugees’ qualification (Rajendran et al., 2020). They have to help in improving the coordination of the professional registration boards, employment agencies and the accreditation bodies. These actors have to create provisions for the refugees who have arrived with the temporary visa status for gaining access to higher education just like domestic students. The policies and practices of the other developed nations and the OECD countries can be reviewed for getting ideas about accreditation of the international qualifications and in giving support to the refugees for helping them in their labor market integration.
The policy advocacy plan has to be maintained and implemented by the community service workers in order to bring the required change in the refugee’s settlement in the country. The above given recommendations shall form the basis for actions to be taken in this advocacy plan. Social media shall be used for initiating an awareness campaign for this identified issue. Social media platforms like Instagram where the government organizations, departments, non-government organizations and the other peak bodies are present will be used for initiating this awareness campaign. The identified issue will be showcased and shared with the important stakeholders of this policy. They will be made aware of the situation on the ground with the instances of personal narratives of the refugees. Further, the above given recommendations shall be provided to them for bringing in the required changes in the refugee policy as well as practice of the country.
Conclusion
It is therefore concluded that the government of Australia has been known to welcome the refugees. However, it is also important to ensure their proper settlement in the country. The refugee policy is incomplete if the people are not resettled properly in the country. An important aspect of the settlement is employment. There are many barriers which are faced by the refugees in seeking employment in the country. An advocacy plan has been made which will help in highlighting the current situation in this regard. This will enable the important organizations to consider the barriers faced by the refugees and hence, the recommended actions can be implemented by them. Therefore, the refugees will be supported through this advocacy plan and their proper resettlement can be ensured.
References
Abdelkerim, A. A., & Grace, M. (2012). Challenges to employment in newly emerging African communities in Australia: A review of the literature. Australian Social Work, 65(1), 104-119.
Abur, W., & Spaaij, R. (2016). Settlement and employment experiences of South Sudanese people from refugee backgrounds in Melbourne, Australia. Australasian Review of African Studies, The, 37(2), 107-128.
Birkland, T. A. (2015). An introduction to the policy process: Theories, concepts, and models of public policy making. Routledge.
Cain, P., Daly, A., & Reid, A. (2021). How refugees experience the Australian workplace: a comparative mixed methods study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(8), 4023.
Fleay, C., Lumbus, A., & Hartley, L. (2016). People seeking asylum in Australia and their access to employment: just what do we know?. Cosmopolitan Civil Societies: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 8(2), 63-83.
Fozdar, F., & Banki, S. (2017). Settling refugees in Australia: Achievements and challenges.
Howard, C., & Miller, R. (2020). Social policy, public policy: From problem to practice. Routledge.
Nunn, C., McMichael, C., Gifford, S. M., & Correa-Velez, I. (2014). ‘I came to this country for a better life’: Factors mediating employment trajectories among young people who migrated to Australia as refugees during adolescence. Journal of Youth Studies, 17(9), 1205-1220.
Rajendran, D., Ng, E. S., Sears, G., & Ayub, N. (2020). Determinants of migrant career success: A study of recent skilled migrants in Australia. International Migration, 58(2), 30-51.
Robinson, K. (2014). Voices from the front line: Social work with refugees and asylum seekers in Australia and the UK. British Journal of social work, 44(6), 1602-1620.
Sabatier, P. A. (2019). The need for better theories. In Theories of the policy process (pp. 3-17). Routledge.
Shergold, P. (2018). Helping refugees build new lives: from consultation to collaboration. Public Health Res Pract, 28(1), 2811801.
Smith, L., Hoang, H., Reynish, T., McLeod, K., Hannah, C., Auckland, S., … & Mond, J. (2020). Factors shaping the lived experience of resettlement for former refugees in regional Australia. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(2), 501.
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