The revised global definition for social work promotes the profession's commitment to social change and development, social cohesion and the empowerment and liberation of people. By reviewing the implications of this definitional shift and locating this within existing influential social work ontological models, the implications for social work within global and national contexts are critically reviewed.Findings: The changes to the global definition, along with recognition of the importance of strengthening knowledge and theory, encourage critical review of the implications of a shift from an emphasis on individual approaches to the importance of collective and macro perspectives in social work intervention. The location and exploration of these debates using existing key ontological frameworks and socio-economic contexts encourages critical reflection on the purpose, role and function of social work in society.Implications: Social work must critically review what it means by, along with the implications of, the profession's commitments. The profession needs to consider how theory, its academic discipline and social work interventions support these commitments. The critical examination of ontological frameworks, indigenous knowledge and social work interventions is vital to inform social work education and practice to enable a reinvigorated profession able to address the contemporary challenges of both society and individuals.

An emerging global consciousness and rising attention given to international social work development has seen the recognition of comparative research within the profession. Understanding the functioning and organisation of social work within various country contexts is critical in order to formulate knowledge around its overall impact, successes and challenges, allowing social workers to learn from one another and build professional consolidation. The profession is mapped out in 10 countries, reflecting on its structure, identity and development. Although the profession is developing globally, it is also experiencing significant challenges. Key insights, conclusions and recommendations for future research are presented.

While social welfare policy forms a cornerstone of the social work profession, economic policy and its interactions often remain distant and of academic interest only. In this paper the authors argue that understanding how economic policy is impacting upon the profession is important for its day-today practice. This has become ever more apparent in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has affirmed social work as an essential service. In particular, the authors argue that the global impact of neoliberal economics on the day-today practices of social workers is fourfold in terms of the marketisation, consumerisation, managerialisation and deprofessionalisation of social work.

The South African social work profession, which can be considered to still be in the early stages of rebirth post-apartheid, has been affected by neoliberal compromise. This paper reflects on the impact of neoliberalism on South African social work, particularly within the context of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), as perceived and experienced by front-line social workers and social work managers. The findings highlight some of the unseen struggles of South African social work practice, as the profession is caught between the demands of social development and neoliberalism. This study invites the voices of front-line social workers to join academic debate and offer on-the-ground insight which social work academics might not be able to identify. In doing so, the discussion around neoliberal impact on South African social work and NGOs is deepened, allowing for authentic reflection on the challenges for the profession within an environment of neoliberal and developmental conflict.

The concept of child well-being has been receiving growing attention within policy, academic research and literature. However, a precise definition of the concept of 'well-being' is problematic and continues to be debated and discussed within various scientific fields. A number of international studies and models have highlighted selected indicators as being necessary in the measuring of well-being in children, and have served as international definitions and standards for child and family policy development. Yet, these models show differences in the indicators, which they recognize as being significant. In this article, the authors will attempt to reflect upon the following questions: What indicators are the dominant international models of child well-being highlighting as important? What type of theoretical approaches do these models represent? Are there gaps between the indicators presented in these models and those raised as important in theory? The aim is to reflect upon and establish a critical dialogue around what are considered to be the most important indicators for measuring child well-being, and whether these indicators represent a holistic and multidimensional approach to child well-being, as outlined in literature. This will be done through an analysis of what the authors deemed as the dominant international models used to measure and define child well-being; the key indicators recognized through these models as being important; and reflections and discussions against a theoretical backdrop.