What_Is_Social_Work

For the purposes of confidentiality, all names and identifying features in the following piece of work have been removed or changed. In considering what social work can be, I thought it important to start with a currently accepted definition given by the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW). This definition is widely used in social work literature and gives a broad yet concise description of a social worker's responsibilities and wider motivation: “The social work profession promotes social change, problem solving in human relationships and the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance well-being. Utilising theories of human behaviour and social systems, social work intervenes at the points where people interact with their environments. Principles of human rights and social justice are fundamental to social work” (IFSW, 2000). Social work developed primarily for the purposes of social change, when groups such as the Charitable Organisation Society (COS) were formed in the latter half of the 19th century in order for predominantly middle-class women to co-ordinate charitable efforts for those less fortunate. Here, we first see the concept of 'deserving and undeserving poor', which interestingly is in the forefront of our minds in these days of economic recession. This week, The Sunday Telegraph featured an article detailing government plans to launch a White Paper creating Work Activity Placements for those claiming Jobseeker's Allowance. If claimants choose not to work, a 'significant financial sanction will be imposed' (Kite, 2010). It is easy for society to see those who choose not to work as undeserving, but we must look beyond initial prejudices, as some of those with whom we work will be long-term unemployed and yet should still have equal rights as a service user. It is worth mentioning that poverty is not the only social change in which social works have participated. Feminism, for example, has been a key debate in social work since the 1970s, as have race and disability. Social change remains vitally important to social work across the world. The IFSW definition then mentions problem solving in human relationships. When shadowing a social worker in a child protection team we visited a 13 year old girl who has been a young carer for her mother for the last few years. Her mother had a psychotic break and at times has been incapable of caring for her daughter at all, but their relationship remained extremely close – in fact so close as to make the daughter extremely isolated from other contact. The social worker's responsibility within this unusual relationship was to work in a way which valued the positives but highlighted the damage that could be done to the child. The social worker used practical techniques to tackle each obstacle at a time. The girl's poor school attendance was addressed and this had an immediate affect on her well-being, as she began to make friends. Then, the worker organised social activities in order to give her confidence. This process is ongoing as the mother and daughter continue to isolate themselves to some extent and still share a bed. However, the problem-solving the worker has done has had an instant impact on the life of a vulnerable person. Problem-solving is essential, but it is clear that external influences will always have an influence on the social worker, especially in these troubled economic times. The 2010 Government Spending Review failed to 'ringfence' social work funding, meaning that cuts are possible in the future. BASW Chief Executive Hilary Dawson expressed concern about the planned 7.1% yearly cuts to Local Authority budgets, feeling that they would be “intolerable, dangerous and riddled with long-term consequences” (BASW Website, 2010). With limited resources, the creativity of social work may be restricted and certain solutions may become unavailable. It concerns to me that in reducing the worker's remit, the worker may be undermined in the eyes of the service user. As well as problem-solving, the social worker is involved in the empowerment of service users. The concept of empowerment is based on the premise that the service user should ideally have control over their life choices (Wilson et al, 2008) and is widely linked with radical approaches and anti-oppressive practice (Banks, 2006). In her 2002 work, American author Judith Lee provided case studies detailing the successes of practising social work in an empowering way. In the UK, part of the Personalisation: Putting People First policy from 2008 was aimed at giving service users choice, flexibility and control of their own lives, for example with individualised budgets. However, there is some controversy around the idea of empowerment, as some theorists argue about how it is defined and whether it is even with the scope of the social worker's responsibility (Trevithick, 2009). The debate about empowerment and autonomy is at the root of social work, as it addresses the issue of 'care versus control'. At present, there is a focus on managing risk, partly as a result of high-profile child protection cases. In the 1990s the term 'risk society' (Beck, 1992) was coined – describing our modern way of organising society in terms of minimising risk – and as a result, social work has become more evidence-based and has been measured far more in terms of outcomes than processes (Cree, 2002). When entering the social work profession, what concerns me most is the possibility of making a mistake, or failing to act in a situation which leads to the serious harm of a service user. This must lead us to work in a way that errs to the side of control, over care. For example, while shadowing a social worker I visited a teenage girl with learning difficulties who had one baby of nine months and was expecting her second child. There was some doubt about her capacity to look after either baby, although she was keen to keep them. The worker was there to assess whether this was possible. Although her relationship with the service user was very caring, ultimately both parties are aware that at some point the worker has the power and the authority to act in the best interests of the child. Thus the care that the worker shows is over-ruled by the control that may have to be exercised in the future. The IFSW definition states that we work with the service user to 'maintain well-being', and as students this is a specific focus. In order to understand what well-being is, we need to have some grounding in psychological and developmental theories. One of the most commonly used principles in social work is attachment; the theory of which was expounded initially by John Bowlby but can be well defined by Aldgate (1993): 'Attachment is a protective mechanism which enables young children to explore their environment knowing that they can return to the safety of significant adults'. I first read about Attachment Theory when having concerns about my son, as he seemed to have little emotional connection to me. When pregnant I planned to give him up for adoption due to my young age and financial situation and I was worried that this had an adverse affect on him which would be difficult to overcome. He has since been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, but I am still not sure whether the lack of attachment in his early development is relevant. I think this experience helps me to see the value of a strong bond between primary care-giver and child, but has also made me aware that situations involving children can be very complex. There are many other theories used by social workers. I do not have sufficient space to discuss them here but what is vital is that we recognise how important theory is to good practice in social work. Oko (2008) writes that theories help us to interpret what is happening in a situation, what the problem is and what we can do to help. The social worker I shadowed mentioned attachment theory several times when I was with her, and used her knowledge of it to make decisions in a case involving adoption. Similarly, social workers might use Ecosystems Theory in working with individuals, their families and their wider environments (Mattaini, 2008). Using theories also encourages us to be reflective in our practice. Reflection can help us to assess our practice and therefore enhance our future interactions in order to become better social workers with new understandings of the individuals and situations we may encounter (Boud et al, 1985). The reflective process can also help us to focus on individual tasks and spend time thinking solely about them without distraction. One of the learning goals I have identified is focus and I believe reflection will help me to achieve this. The IFSW definition describes 'intervention' as being part of the social worker's role and we can see each contact we have with a service user as an intervention of some kind. Sometimes an intervention is welcome but at other times it may be greatly resented, depending on the situation. When it comes to interventions, we may find ourselves back in the debate about care and control and questioning whether our involvement is becoming oppressive. We may also have to make decisions based on the capacity of the individual with whom we are working. Questions of right and wrong are prevalent in the social work occupation, which is why we need to give great consideration to our values, attitudes and beliefs. It is crucial that we are aware of who we are; what our prejudices may be and what we feel is right and wrong. Knowing ourselves enables us to prepare for contact with vastly different individuals and to measure our responses, checking them for any discrimination. The final sentence of the IFSW definition is concerned with human rights and social justice. If we don't feel these are important it could be argued that we won't be able to fulfil the role of social worker. In the UK human rights are fairly well protected by various pieces of legislation (for example, Human Rights Act 1998, Children Act 1989, Race Relations Act 1976) but in other countries this may not be the case. The legal context in which workers are employed is of huge significance. We are bound by law and influenced by policy in all we do and although this may be constricting it is also important for our protection. If we work outside the law it leaves us open not only to public criticism but also to prosecution. Brayne and Carr (2010) describe social workers as 'the creation of government' and go on to say that as such, the government is responsible for regulating their work and must account to the society for it. Even if we don't work in a statutory setting there are many laws that regulate our conduct, as well as the GSCC Codes of Practice. I find this more reassuring than restrictive as it gives us some clear insight into how to do the job. To conclude, social work is work with people and thus will always be complex. We may work with children, vulnerable adults, offenders, people in later life and many others who, for whatever reason, need some intervention into their lives. This brings with it both power and responsibility, so we have a duty to keep learning and to be professional and reflective within organisations that will be constantly changing and may be subject to external pressure and fierce scrutiny. It is naive for us to feel we can change society on our own, so I keep in mind American anthropologist Margaret Mead, who said: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has”. I have high hopes for us as social work students that, despite the challenges and obstacles we will undoubtedly face, if we work together we can make a real difference.