Fundamental shift in social policy

The internal working paper published today by the Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband (Parity Welfare Association) by the federal government, federal states and local authority umbrella organisations is not only alarming because of its individual proposals for cuts. Its actual explosiveness lies deeper: it shows with rare candour that social policy priorities are shifting. Individual assistance, legal entitlements and tailored support are coming under pressure, while cost containment, standardisation and greater administrative control are gaining in importance. This is precisely where the danger lies for children and young people, people with disabilities and their relatives.

But the paper is not simply a list of cuts. It reveals a basic political logic that has long since appeared in other reforms. This includes the draft bill for a first law on the structural reform of child and youth welfare. It presents itself as a reform and inclusion project, but at the same time significantly consolidates help planning, needs assessment, documentation and management responsibility.

The same direction is also evident in schools and early education: a comparative analysis comes to the conclusion that defects are not eliminated, but rather organised in a procedural manner. The debates surrounding a new federal law on quality development in children's day-care facilities, in which procedures, data and controllability are being prepared much more concretely than better staffing conditions, show a similar trend.

Comparable shifts can also be seen in current debates about the citizen's income and how to deal with poor families. This shows: The logic visible here extends beyond child and youth welfare, schools and children's day-care facilities. It affects the socio-political approach to the need for help as a whole.

If this direction prevails, then children and young people, people with disabilities and their relatives will not only be affected by individual cuts. It will fundamentally change how help is thought of and provided in this country.

The risks are considerable. This is because existing studies on working conditions in social work have long shown that practice is already characterised by overwork, unstable teams, inadequate infrastructure and missing spaces for reflection. The situation is described as structurally overstretched and professionally autonomous. Under such conditions, additional requirements for diagnostics, documentation and coordination do not automatically procure better help.

Defects do not disappear simply because they are better documented, more accurately diagnosed or translated into new procedures. If staff are missing, teams are unstable and there is not enough time for relationships, then additional procedures do not automatically lead to better help.

It is therefore about much more than a single paper: this policy has an impact on people, families and society as a whole. If tailored assistance is weakened, individual entitlements are relativised and support is organised more according to cost, then this not only affects those directly affected. It also damages social cohesion.

At the same time, this development reveals something about the governing coalition's view of humanity: the paper reflects a view of humanity that is not based on concrete need and reliable support, but on controllability, cost limitation and mistrust of individual entitlements. This is precisely where its political harshness lies.

Individual legal entitlements, the right to wish and choose and needs-based assistance must not be placed under a blanket reservation of cost containment. Anyone who is serious about inclusion, participation and quality must start with the conditions: reliable funding, better staffing ratios, stable teams, professional qualifications, supervision and well-developed regular services.

The central question is not how to administer defects more efficiently. The key question is how to reduce it.

Contact:
Prof. Dr Nikolaus Meyer
Fulda University of Applied Sciences, Department of Social Work
nikolaus.meyer@sw.hs-fulda.de