Is the social work profession dying out?

ANASIG comprises 150 members and stands as the sole association responsible for the professions of social workers, social hygiene assistants, and graduate nurses. The exact number of individuals working in these related fields remains unknown. President of ANASIG, Fabrice Mousel, explains, "Previously, employers were obligated to report to the ministry regarding their employed staff. However, with the introduction of new laws and data protection guidelines, employers are no longer required to do so. It is now the responsibility of the workers themselves. ANASIG finds this development surprising, as we were not adequately informed about these changes."

The Minister for Health overlooked informing the association about these changes. Another substantial issue is the shortage of social workers, particularly those working directly in the field. Fabrice Mousel highlights, "Additionally, the problem is that people in the administrative offices are overworked and don't have enough time or the capacity to go out into the field to reach people."

Furthermore, for vulnerable individuals facing challenging situations, it is crucial that they are not compelled to navigate from one office to another. It is essential that workers to be readily available for them. This is also the case for workers directly on the ground: “We are also the first point of contact for vulnerable people in distressing situations. We can discern when children are distressed, when people are over-indebted, and when individuals are grappling with difficult living conditions or immigration problems. We sense the current crisis affecting so many people. This is why we demand better opportunities, more workers with better education. We also demand a positive development of the workflow. We want people to have more opportunities to work directly on the ground.”

According to Fabrice Mousel, in addition to simplifying all administrative tasks, there is a crucial need to provide the University of Luxembourg with the necessary resources to enhance the training of interested individuals.