Conference Programme

Sunday, September 15th 1993
17.00 Welcome Speeches: Verena Hufschmid, coordinator ENOS Switzerland; Jan Uri, European Secretary ENOS; Opening Speech by Yvette Jaggi, Syndique de Lausanne,
19.00 Dinner

Monday, September 6th 1993
9.15 Introducton to the day' s programme by Yvnne Sturzenegger, Conference Organiser
9.30 "U emergence d'une veritable politi-que sociale en Europe" by Charles Ricq, professeur &. 1'universite de Geneve, expert aupres du Conseil de 1'Europe et de la Communaute Europeenne
10.30 Coffee break
11.00 "Reorganisationen und ihre soziale Auswirkungen in Industrie und Verwaltung" by Luzian Ruch, Unternehmensberater, Zurich
12.15 Lunch
14.00 "Keiner gewinnt und viele verlieren" Ueberlegungen zum Scheutern von Reorganisationen Christof Baitsch, Arbeits-und Organisationspsychol Dozent an der Handelshochschule St. Gallen
15.15 Workshops: "Comment mobiliser ses resources personnelles en periode de crise" Jeannie Arnould, formatrice en techniques de communication, Geneve
"Listening for empowerment" Samuel Merhav, Business and organisational coach, Tel- Aviv "Unser Beitrag als Sozialtatige bei Reorganisationen" Anselm Christen, Personalberatung Genossenschaft Migros, Bern
19.00 Formal dinner followed by entertainment

Tuesday, September 7th 1993
08.45 Introduction to the day's programme by Yvonne Sturzenegger
09.00 Continuation of Workshops
11.45 Individual presentations by participants on their own experience with reorganisation
13.00 Lunch
14.30 Round Table on Training Possibilities for Occupational Social Workers in Europe
15.30 Coffee break
16.00 ENOS meeting: Review of year's activities
17.00 Recommendations and conclusions; Verena Hufschmid, Coordinator ENOS Switzerland
18.00 Optional sight-seeing tour

Wednesday, September 8th 1993
Morning Optional sight-seeing tour

Summary
"Maelstrom" is a word that can be found in a number of languages such as English, Sweden and Dutch. Literally it is a stream constantly moving, never coming to a stable situation, with each element continuously taking a new position to the other element. This requires a flexible way of acting to others and to the whole. An osw needs to adopt an equally flexible approach to meet the ever changing needs of the task.. The conference committee has formulated this in a concise way: "
Occupational social workers have to be prepared to contribute in an imaginative, constructive and professional manner by taking appropriate action."

It is clear that organisations experiencing 'maelstrom' changes will create a consequent shift in the role of osw. The following is an issue which must be considered at such times:
Major reorganisation impacts on the entire organisation, affecting those from the bottom to the top. Therefore the whole company is the client system for the osw. From this perspective it is important that the osw remain in close contact with those initiators of the change process in order to anticipate areas of difficulties for the workforce.

In the course of reorganisation the osw must pay special attention to groups of workers which may be more vulnerable: older workers, young workers with little experience, unskilled workers or those with a disability.

The conference focussed on issues of practice faces by the osw in the ever changing world of today's work environment. While the needs of the individual have always been the cornerstone of osw, attention must now be given to other organisational functions such as signalling, advising liaising with other disciplines and contributing to social policy.

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