Our Scans · (ZY.4.25) Social Work · Weekly Summary

• [New] By 2028-29, health care and social assistance is expected to remain the Sunshine Coast's largest and fastest-growing industry, employing 20% of the regional workforce. Sandy Bolton
• [New] Effects of changes The revised framework will serve as a unifying structure for clinical governance across Ireland's health and social care system, enabling a culture of transparency, learning, and accountability that is responsive to the needs of patients, service users, and staff alike. BMJ Open Quality
• [New] By 2029, the United States will spend $3 trillion yearly - half its federal budget - on the medical treatment and social care of adults aged 65 or older. bioRxiv
• Key questions on the emerging social media bans are still outstanding, including which services will be within scope of the UK's ban and restrictions, how the EU's graduated approach will work in practice and how it will work alongside individual states' own ban plans. Passle
• Among sectors, the fastest business travel spending growth through 2030 is expected in Mining and Quarrying, Human Health and Social Work, and Education. Global Business Travel Association - GBTA
• Guided by HEC's refreshed 2026-2031 strategy, Care Forward continues to build momentum as health and social teams across Canada work together to strengthen access to safe, connected, high-quality care closer to home and community. LinkedIn
• The Ada Lovelace Institute has warned that AI transcription tools are being rapidly adopted across social work despite limited and light-touch approaches to ethics and evaluation. UKAuthority
• Social work graduates often remain to serve high-need communities through OPT or advanced research positions, helping to meet the projected 6% growth in social work jobs from 2024-34, which is expected to create over 74,000 new positions. Federal Register
• Australians with disabilities could have their access to work and social life stripped away under sweeping changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme. The Age
• Australia needs to continue developing and updating pandemic preparedness plans at national, state and territory levels, and work on social determinants of health, like access to health services and trust in health authorities. Nine.com.au
• German taxpayers and social security contributors are expected to pay higher pension contributions and work longer. Politico
• Chinamaxxing, is the new Gen Z trend that might look like a quirky social-media meme, but it reflects shifting attitudes about how we work and the appeal of simplicity in the workplace in terms of productivity, work-life balance, hierarchy and global cultural influence. Forbes

Last updated: 27 August 2026