Rights-Based Social Work and the Named Social Worker for Adults with Learning Disabilities: A Policy Intervention 50 Years in the Making

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elaine James
Keyword(s):  
Learning Disabilities ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Worker ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Social Model ◽  
Wicked Problem ◽  
Social Model Of Disability ◽  
Adults With Learning Disabilities ◽  
Normative Reconstruction

Abstract There has been a renewed interest in professional and academic discourse in the reconceptualisation of social work with adults as a human rights-based approach. This is compatible with the social model of disability, which philosophically adult social workers make claims to align with. This was recently argued for when the Department of Health in England piloted a named social worker for adults with learning disabilities, whose behaviour challenged services. This paper discusses the conceptualisation of rights-based practice, its relevance and appropriateness for contemporary social work policy. Drawing on the recognition theory literature, it shall be shown that the meta-theory of rights-based practice may have relevance to contemporary social work practice with adults with learning disabilities. The paper shall also consider the renewed interest in normative reconstruction in social work practice and influencing factors such as drives towards individualism and marketisation. It will consider how these impacted on the adoption into UK policy of social work as a positive intervention to address structural inequalities, perhaps more accurately described as disablism, experienced by adults with learning disabilities, which ultimately is concluded to be a ‘wicked problem’.

scholarly journals Measuring parenting capacity for disabled children using a child protection assessment

2020 ◽  
pp. 146801732095749
Author(s):  
Susan Flynn
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Social Model ◽  
Capacity Assessment ◽  
Childhood Disability ◽  
Disabled Children ◽  
Social Model Of Disability

Summary Childhood disability can heighten risk of neglect and abuse and may also impinge upon the parenting task. Even so, a gross deficiency of published literature on social work parenting capacity assessment for disabled children is evident. This paper provides a critical commentary on approaches to assessments of the capacity of parents of disabled children. International review of literature on this subject matter is enacted across three themes. Findings Themes refer to limitations to the uptake of disability-specific parenting assessment tools, use of existing generic frameworks and supplementation of generic frameworks, respectively. Throughout, a composite conceptual frame is taken up, entailing the conventions of a seminal social model of disability, extended through an affirmative non-tragedy lens. The intention is to contest articulations of disability grounded in tragedy and melancholia, otherwise instantiated by links between disability with child maltreatment in this paper. Applications Application of insights from this paper within professional social work practice can enhance evidence-informed parenting capacity assessment.

Street-level bureaucracy revisited

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Monteiro
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Worker ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Specific Task ◽  
Simple Task ◽  
Street Level ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Way

In social work practice, keeping records of encounters with clients is a routinized practice for documenting cases. This paper focuses on the specific task of obtaining the prospective clients’ correct address for filling in a standardized personal report form. My analysis focuses in the way both the client(s) and the social worker cooperatively orient to the practice of writing addresses, showing how this apparently simple task is multimodally implemented within interaction, and how it can generate some complications and expansions. A special focus will be devoted to difficulties encountered by clients to give their address in an adequate way, as well as to the transformation of this activity from an individual to a collective task.

Art of Becoming a Social Work practice educator

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1-2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shabnam Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Worker ◽  
Doctoral Student ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Supervisory Relationship ◽  
Reflective Supervision

      Through this practice note, I share some of my reflections and learning of becoming a practice educator.  The experience has enhanced my skills as a social worker and team manager and now as a social work doctoral student.  Based on my observations of supervision as a practice assessor and my experience of having many different managers throughout my career, I have noticed when social workers move into management without a practice educator qualification, the supervisory relationship experience is a different one than that of a practice educator – turned manager.  I question why this is.  Is reflective supervision only reserved for students? I am suggesting that it should not be.  Each supervisor should be supported and enabled to connect with their Art, as supervision is a form of Art.   

3. Social work with individuals and families

2015 ◽  
pp. 34-57
Author(s):  
Sally Holland ◽  
Jonathan Scourfield
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Context ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Worker ◽  
Therapeutic Intervention ◽  
Case Manager ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Working Relationship ◽  
The Social

Much professional social work practice is carried out with individuals and their families. Social workers aim to attend to the person’s social context rather than only the specific problem being presented, and they work in a manner that is relationship-based. It is also generally accepted that using a strengths-based model approach produces a more productive working relationship. ‘Social work with individuals and families’ considers the origins of social work; the different ways of directly providing practical help or therapeutic intervention to individuals and families; how the social worker as case manager will be responsible for overall planning, co-ordination, and reviewing service provision; and how social work has become more client-centred and citizen-directed.

Generalist and Advanced Generalist Practice

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Virginia Rondero Hernandez
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Worker ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Complex Environments ◽  
Skill Sets ◽  
National Debate ◽  
Basic Competencies ◽  
Generalist Practice ◽  
Work Education

Generalist and advanced generalist practice evolved out of a century-long debate about what constitutes social work practice. Generalist practice currently refers to the practice of a bachelor level social worker who demonstrates basic competencies in multilevel, multimethod approaches. Advanced generalist practice refers to the practice of a master social worker who possesses advanced competencies in multilevel, multimethod approaches and is equipped to work independently in complex environments that may require specialized skill sets. The definition and educational content of generalist and advanced generalist practice are poised to be influenced by national debate once again, as the profession examines the merits of evidence-based practice and implementation science and their implications for social work education.

Bartlett, Harriett M.

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beatrice N. Saunders
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Functioning ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Worker ◽  
American Association ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Central Focus

Harriett M. Bartlett (1897–1987) was a social worker and theoretician who served as president of the American Association of Medical Social Workers from 1942 to 1944. She highlighted social functioning as a central focus of social work practice.

The Migrant Family: Some comments on Social Work Practice with non-English speaking migrants.

1976 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 35-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joan Snyder
Keyword(s):  
Social Change ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Worker ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Central Focus ◽  
The Social ◽  
Migrant Family ◽  
English Speaking

The description of the P. family — their anxieties, hardships and frustrations will be a familiar story to social workers working with non-English speaking migrant clients, regardless of whether the social worker is employed by ethnic or sectarian agencies or the wider general agencies such as government departments, municipal councils or independent organizations. This attempts to investigate some of the ways in which social workers can attempt to help and support the migrant client from a different ethnic group in his struggle to create a new life in Australia. The P. family's story will be used to illustrate some of the major areas of difficulty faced by a migrant family and a number of social work roles and strategies are suggested which might be employed in seeking to bring about social change. The implications of ethnicity for social work practice in a multi-cultural society form a central focus of concern. Finally, general comments and suggestions will be made about the role and responsibilities of the social worker in the multi-cultural society.

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