scholarly journals Woolsheds, wet weather gear and the West Coast: Social work practice in Taranaki

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 39-47
Author(s):  
Lesley Pitt
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
West Coast ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
The West ◽  
Wet Weather

A paper presented to the ninth Biennial National Rural Remote Social Work Conference, ‘Rural Communities Inspiring Social Care’ held in Geelong, Australia, July 30 to 31, 2009. 

Rural Practice

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Stephen Cooper ◽  
Freddie L. Avant
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Rural Practice ◽  
Direct Result ◽  
Rural Social Work

Rural social work, the history of which stretches back more than a century, has been revitalized since the mid-1970s. The renewed interest in rural social work has led to an increase in scholarship on rural social work practice, much of which is a direct result of the efforts of the Rural Social Work Caucus and its annual National Institute on Social Work and Human Services in Rural Areas. Recent research endeavors have moved our understanding of the differences between rural and urban communities beyond the common definitions, which are limited to population and population density. We have also come to realize that there are many different types of rural communities, all of which have different characteristics, needs, etc. Specifically, the concept of rural is not monolithic. Rural practitioners and researchers have also reached a better understanding of the following: rural culture and lifestyles, the importance of approaching rural communities from a strengths perspective rather than a deficit or problem focus, and the challenges to rural practice presented by the characteristics that are common across rural communities (e.g., lack of anonymity, dual relationships). Not surprisingly, the increase in research on rural social work practice has been accompanied by an interest in preparing social workers for rural practice and growth in the number of graduate programs focused on such. The importance of these programs lies in the unique nature of the challenges faced by rural communities. For example, many rural communities are experiencing sharp population declines while at the same time seeing substantial increases in adults who are 65 years of age and older. Other common trends include: economic decline and subsequent increase in social issues; substantial issues with substance abuse, especially methamphetamine and opioids; lack of technology infrastructure; concerns related to the environment and/or conversation of natural resources; and lack of services for veterans. The key to successfully addressing these issues in rural communities is involvement from social workers who are prepared to practice in the rural context.

Social work as a moral and political practice

2009 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 287-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
William C.K. Chu ◽  
Ming-sum Tsui ◽  
Miu-chung Yan
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
The West ◽  
Justice Sociale ◽  
Global Standards ◽  
The Social ◽  
Travail Social ◽  
Trabajo Social ◽  
And Training

English In their efforts to promote the Global Standards for the Education and Training of the Social Work Profession, the authors discovered the withering of the moral and political bases of social work practice in the West. The revitalization of the roots of social work is important to the promotion of social justice. French Dans leurs efforts pour promouvoir les Standards Mondiaux pour l’Enseignement et la Formation aux Professions Sociales, les auteurs découvrent le déclin des bases morales et politiques de la pratique du travail social en occident. La revitalisation des racines du travail social est importante pour la promotion de la justice sociale. Spanish En su esfuerzo para promover los Estándares Globales para la Educación y el Entrenamiento en la Profesión del Trabajo Social, los autores descubrieron el marchitar de las bases políticas y morales de la práctica del trabajo social en occidente. La revitalización de las raíces del trabajo social es importante para la promoción de la justicia social.

Challenges of Social Work Students from Historically Disadvantaged Universities during Placements in Semi-Rural Areas in South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Varoshini Nadesan
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Undergraduate Study ◽  
Historically Disadvantaged ◽  
The University

This study highlights the challenges faced by social work students during their fourth-year field placements. The research was conducted among social work students at two historically disadvantaged universities in South Africa. The aim of the study was to understand the field experiences of final-year Bachelor of Social Work students from historically disadvantaged universities. It was anticipated that these students were placed at rural or semi-rural communities that were close to the university. Students in the fourth and final year of their undergraduate study are expected to receive training that would generate advanced field practice experience in specialised settings to prepare them for the reality of social work practice in the workplace. A qualitative study was undertaken among current and past social work students. The findings highlighted issues pertaining to limited placements, poorly managed student placements, access to communities, and supervision challenges. However, the key findings indicate that once placed, the students felt abandoned by their training institutions and left to rely solely on their field supervisors for academic, administrative and developmental guidance. The study recommends that universities be more adept at fulfilling the needs of students and providing comprehensive support. The study also recommends that a suitably administered system of communication between the university, student and placement agency be implemented as part of the comprehensive support to students.

scholarly journals The Role of Gender Power Imbalances in the Spread of HIV among Women in Intimate Relationships: Guidelines for Social Work Practice

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 1489-1498
Author(s):  
Goitseone Emelda Leburu-Masigo ◽  
Nathaniel Phuti Kgadima
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Intimate Relationships ◽  
Risky Sexual Behavior ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Hiv Infections ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
North West ◽  
Gender Power

Gender power imbalances and HIV are concerns that affect women globally. Social workers are ethically committed to help people affected with HIV and thereby promote gender equality. Although the literature has documented the nexus between gender imbalances and HIV, scant research explores these problems concurrently within the social work profession. Drawing on the resource theory and gender and power theory, this article undertook a qualitative exploratory to gain insights into women's perspectives on gender power imbalances as a risk factor for HIV transmission in rural communities of Ngaka Modiri Molema District, North West Province. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants while data was collected through semi-structured interviews. The findings demonstrate that unequal power relations between men and women in intimate relationships negatively affect women’s lives in diverse ways. This gendered impact of HIV infections for women remains intact due to the rooted gender norms that limit their ability to protect themselves against risky sexual behavior by their male partners. Disclosure of one's status remains a complex stigma attached to HIV. Social work empowerment interventions that seek to enhance equality in intimate relationships are recommended.

scholarly journals Making person-centred assessments

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 431-447
Author(s):  
Jon Symonds ◽  
Caroline Miles ◽  
Mike Steel ◽  
Sue Porter ◽  
Val Williams
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Local Authority ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Critical Importance ◽  
Care And Support ◽  
The Social ◽  
Care Assessment

Summary The social care assessment is a ‘key interaction’ between a person and the local authority with ‘critical’ importance for determining a person’s needs for care and support. In order to achieve this, the guidance requires that assessments must be ‘person-centred throughout’. The concept of person-centred practice is now routinely invoked, but there remains little empirical evidence on how it gets put into practice. Findings This paper draws on interview data from 30 practitioners about their experiences of conducting social care assessments in England. While there was widespread support for the principles of a person-centred approach, tensions emerged for practitioners in three ways: the way in which ‘chat’ was used to build a relationship or conduct the assessment, whether to conduct the assessment via a conversation or by following the sections on the agency form and the extent to which the assessor should involve and negotiate the contributions of family members. Applications We argue that each of these dilemmas represents an occasion when a commitment to person-centred practice is negotiated between professionals and service users and sometimes compromised as a result. We consider the possibilities for and constraints on achieving person-centred assessments in a post-Care Act environment and discuss the implications for social work practice and research.

scholarly journals Contemporary Social Work Practice: The struggles of transforming yesterday’s professional skill set

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Barbara Neale
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Political Regime ◽  
The Social ◽  
Vulnerable People ◽  
The Government

Social work is a practice-based profession that is underpinned by the principles of social justice and the promotion of empowerment. It has two key aims; to enhance the wellbeing of vulnerable people through the application of relationship-based practice and to carry out the government commissioned safeguarding duties of local authorities that are informed by law. In order to meet these dual aims, social workers need to apply a body of knowledge, skills and qualities to their work that will enable them to meet the diverse needs of vulnerable people living within the local authority urban and rural communities. Within this study, I argue that the knowledge, skills and qualities have become compromised and this has subsequently impacted on the social work profession. I consider the tensions that have arisen between the values and duties of the social work profession and successive government agendas since the 1970s, in respect to the standards and expectations of statutory social work practice. These tensions relate to both the substantial cuts to the funding of the services in which the social work profession is expected to carry out its duties and responsibilities and qualifying and practicing social workers being deemed as “ill-equipped” with the necessary knowledge, skills and qualities to carry out their statutory duties. I argue that the sequence of government interventions and the findings within more recent serious case reviews such as the tragic loss of life of Victoria Climbie (2000) have failed to consider the political regime in which social work is practiced. I consider, that as a consequence of this, relationship-based practice has been compromised in favour of a government-led administrative processes as a result of a growing culture of fear and blaming social workers for failings in practice. I argue that social workers are victims of "epistemic injustice", a concept of prejudicial injustice that rises against someone in their capacity as a knower. Through the application of qualitative methodology, I will draw on the voices of 12 social workers from a range of qualifying pathways in order to explore how social workers themselves understand these tensions and what knowledge, skills and qualities they consider are critical to carryout out contemporary statutory social work practice.

scholarly journals Finding the way forward

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-63
Author(s):  
Jean Gordon ◽  
Moira McGeoch ◽  
Audrey Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
The West ◽  
Combination Of Methods ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Work Education

Locating sufficient student practice learning opportunities (PLOs) has been a long-standing challenge in social work education. This article highlights key findings of a study carried out in the West of Scotland to inform a move from a reactive approach to regular crises in PLO provision towards the development of a long term strategic plan for social work practice learning in the region. The study involved a combination of methods, including literature review, local audit, focus groups and consultation with individuals and organisations in the West of Scotland and the rest of the UK. The study found local and national evidence of innovation in developing new models of practice learning to meet the demands of 21st Century social work in Scotland as well as a growing concern that an emphasis on finding sufficient PLOs should not compromise the quality of the learning opportunities available to social work students. Some of the study’s implications for practice learning in the West of Scotland and further afield are explored.

scholarly journals Kaunseling Dalam Masyarakat Islam: Penelitian Terhadap Hadis Nabawi

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Nik Yusri Musa ◽  
Ruzaini Ijon
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Interaction Process ◽  
Muslim Community ◽  
The West ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Social Work Theory ◽  
The Social ◽  
Separate Discipline

Meskipun setiap sarjana memberikan definisi yang berbeza antara satu sama lain, namun pada asasnya mereka bersependapat bahawa kaunseling merupakan suatu proses interaksi yang bermotifkan memberi khidmat bimbingan, pertolongan serta bantuanoleh seseorang yang mempunyai kelayakan tertentu iaitu kaunselor sebagai pembimbing kepada individu yang menghadapi masalah yang disebut sebagai klien. Kaunseling merupakan satu proses interaksi bersemuka dalam bentuk membimbing, menolong dan membantu antara dua pihak. Bidang kaunseling dan kerja sosial mempunyai sejarahnya yang tersendiri. Kedua-dua bidang ini bermula dan berkembang sebagai satu disiplin ilmu di Barat. Kompetensi pengamal kedua-dua bidang ini juga dipantau oleh badan yang dibentuk. Teori kerja sosial dan kaunseling berkongsi laluan pembangunan yang sama iaitu daripada bidang psikologi dan sosiologi. Selain mejadi satu bidang disiplin ilmu yang tersendiri, kaunseling juga digunakan dalam praktis kerja sosial. Penulisan ini adalah merupakan suatu usaha untuk melihat kaunseling dari aspek hadith Nabawi. Meskipun bidang kaunseling merupakan suatu bidang yang diperkenalkan oleh para sarjana Barat, namun asas-asas pemikiran kaunseling dapat dilihat dan diteliti melalui beberapa hadith Rasulullah s.a.w. Perbezaan pandangan jagat terhadap sumber ilmu juga merupakan perkara pokok wujudnya perbandingan antara kaunseling yang diamalkan dalam masyarakat Barat dengan kaunseling yang diamalkan dalam masyarakat Islam. Penelitian secara umum dapat dilihat dalam penulisan ini. Penulisan ini merumuskan bahawa Islam bukan hanya melihat kaunseling sebagai kerjaya semata-mata akan tetapi ia adalah sebagai suatu ibadat yang perlu dilakukan oleh individu-individu yang berkelayakan.ABSTRACTAlthough there are a number of definitions given, it is essentially agreed that counselling is a process of interaction that is motivated to providing assistance by a person who has certain qualifications such as counsellor as a guide to an individual who has a problem namely a client. Counselling is a face-to-face interaction process in the form of guiding, helping and giving advice between two parties. The field of counselling and social work has its own history. Both fields started and grow as a discipline in the West. The practitioners' competencies of these two fields are also monitored by the established bodies. Social work theory and counselling share the same path of development that is from psychology and sociology. In addition to being a separate discipline, counselling is also used in the social work practice. This writing is an attempt to see the aspects of counselling in hadith of Nabawi. Although the field of counselling is introduced by Western scholars, however, the foundations of counselling ideas can be viewed and studied through some of the hadith of Rasulullah s.a.w. Differences in the universal view about the source of knowledge are also a central point of comparison between the practices of counselling between the Western and Muslim community. This article concludes that Islam not only looks at counselling as a mere career but also as an act of worship that needs to be done by qualified individuals.

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