NSCSW Lunch & Learn: Parenting & decision-making assessments (part 1 of 4)

The NSCSW has recently released Guidelines for Parenting and Decision-Making Assessments for social workers engaged in child welfare and wellness.

This is the first in a series of four professional development sessions that outline these new guidelines and support the mobilization of knowledge, skill, and values for social workers who are engaged in work with families in Nova Scotia.

This series of lunch and learns will be grounded in approaches that emphasize eliminating biases and advancing anti-oppressive, trauma-informed, anti-colonial, and anti-racist approaches in social work. Given the profession’s colonial and racist history, ethical practice must actively pursue anti-racist and anti-colonial methods. These guidelines play a critical role in fostering a more equitable, inclusive, and compassionate approach to social work in Nova Scotia.

These guidelines work alongside NSCSW's Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice and must be followed by all social workers. All social workers in Nova Scotia have a responsibility to uphold the NSCSW’s Code, Standards, and Regulations, and the Nova Scotia Social Workers Act in every aspect of their work.

Series schedule (save these dates)

1. Session 1 (Feb 9, 2026) focuses on Part I & II of the guidelines, including theory and concepts related to how social workers can consider assess while considering impact of violence, past conduct of parents, parenting time, what knowledge is required to provide assessments, cultural safety and significance of race and culture, intersectionality, Africentric and Indigenous approaches, knowledge of disabilities, coercive control, and the importance of understanding the law. There will be an opportunity for attendees to ask questions.
2. Session 2 (Mar 9, 2026) will focus on Clinical Skills and Part III, IV, V of the guidelines including special issues of sexual violence, IPV, coercive control, race and culture, etc.
3. Session 3 (Apr 13, 2026) will focus on Part VI & VII of the guidelines including: Values, Formulation, & Ethical Considerations.
4. Session 4 (May 11, 2026) will be a practitioners circle, supporting attendees in applying the core concepts and ideas into their social work practice.

Objectives

• Knowledge: Identify and understand root theory and concepts within assessments of families and parenting; identify and understand promising practices grounded in socially just and equitable assessments of families and parenting.
• Skills: Apply critical, ethical, and socially just approaches to parenting and decision-making assessments in families; critically reflect and analyze the ways dominant practices in social work have contributed to marginalization and exclusion and how to strive to move beyond these practices.
• Values: Examine and shift beliefs, worldviews, and ideologies related to ethical social work and helping practices specific to parenting and decision-making assessments with families..

Speaker

Robert Seymour Wright is a queer, African Nova Scotian Social Worker and Sociologist whose 35-year career has spanned the fields of education, child welfare, forensic mental health, trauma, sexual violence, and cultural competence. He recently completed terms of service as the founding Executive Director of both the Peoples’ Counselling Clinic (Nov. 2017 - March 2024) and the African Nova Scotian Justice Institute (Fall 2021 - March 2024) and currently continues at the Peoples’ Counselling Clinic as Director Emeritus, Consultant and Therapist. Robert’s identity and work are grounded in his integrated and activist spirituality.

Robert has served in developmentally critical and notable positions throughout his career. He was the first Race Relations Coordinator for the Dartmouth District School Board, the Executive Director of Family and Children’s Services of Cumberland County and the Executive Director of the Child and Youth Strategy of Nova Scotia. He was an early practitioner of what has come to be known as Equity, Diversity and Inclusion work and he pioneered the introduction of Impact of Race and Culture Assessments (IRCAs): A specialized, forensic, clinical presentence report for people of African descent. This latter work has received national attention. In August of 2021 the Government of Canada funded to expand the implementation of IRCAs nationally. Robert is the chair of the NSCSW Council. To learn more about Robert, his background, and his accomplishments you can visit his website here.

Eligibility

This event is only for members of the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers (NSCSW). All active, associate, retired associate, and student members are welcome to attend; our professional development programming is part of our member services funded by annual registration fees. There are no other prerequisites for this session.

There are no prerequisites for this webinar, however, it is strongly recommended that attendees of later sessions in the series either attend the previous ones or review the session recordings before attending.

Foundations

The Guidelines for Parenting & Decision-Making Assessments are grounded in the NSCSW Code of Ethics & Standards of Practice (2025). The guidelines incorporate and uplift each value and guiding principle, with a priority on values, guiding principles, and standards that strive to embed a socially just and ethical practice with service users who have faced barriers due to systemic oppression, marginalization, and exclusion.

• Value 1: Respecting the Dignity and Worth of All People
• Value 2: Promoting Social Justice
• Value 3: Pursuing Truth & Reconciliation
• Value 4: Valuing Human Relationships
• Value 5: Preserving Integrity in Professional Practice
• Value 6: Maintaining Privacy and Confidentiality
• Value 7: Providing Culturally Responsive Competent Professional Services

Professional development tracking

Members of NSCSW, may choose to track this as formal professional development, and use the registration confirmation email or PDF ticket as a verification document.

Visit nscsw.org/pd for more information about the updated professional development requirements for Nova Scotia social workers.

Questions?

If you have questions about our professional development program content, please contact the College's Professional Development Consultant, Tyler Colbourne, at tyler.colbourne@nscsw.org.