Social Work Practice Strategies and Professional Identity within Private Fostering: A Critical Exploration

2010 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna Woodcock Ross ◽  
Charlotte Crow
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Professional Identity ◽  
Social Worker ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Cultural Stereotypes ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Core Practice ◽  
The Impact

Johanna Woodcock Ross and Charlotte Crow explore the professional identity and practice strategies of the new role of private fostering social worker. A case study approach is used to reflect on the practice required to support private fostering. The perceived role of the private fostering social worker and the practice strategies adopted are affected by confusion and stereotypes about what constitutes private fostering and which children can be considered as privately fostered. Significantly, in addition to professional practice, private fostering social work has to cope with critical attitudes and negative cultural stereotypes among professional colleagues, many of which are reinforced by social and political arguments, media and organisational scrutiny, and resulting low staff morale. The core practice strategies of the private fostering social worker involve working against oppressive labelling, communication and engagement with ‘sofasurfing’ teenagers and developing skills for working with conflict. While it is relatively easy to understand the confusion, conflict and cultural stereotyping as representing defence mechanisms to ‘taking in’ the pain and complexity of the situations of these young people and their carers, the impact upon the professional identity of the social workers involved exacerbates feelings of being maligned, isolated and undervalued.

MANAGERIALISM AND STATE SOCIAL WORK IN BRITAIN

2002 ◽  
Vol 36 (01n02) ◽  
pp. 27-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
STEVE MORGAN ◽  
MALCOLM PAYNE
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
New Right ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Daily Experience ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

Two forms of managerialism are distinguished: generalist managerialism, that which affects the daily experience of social work practice and policy managerialism, that which affects the development of policy. The development of social work in Britain led social workers to adopt the role of bureau-professionals, mitigating the inflexibility of the bureaucratic provision of welfare in state social services. However, through case studies of local government social services and probation services, the impact on this conception of social work managerialism through its adoption by new Right governments during the 1980s and 90s is demonstrated. It is argued that distinguishing the impact of inflexibility in services through bureaucratisation from the impact of policy managerialism, the inclusion of a wide range of stakeholders and ensuring advocacy for the voices of service users and the community mitigates the effects of managerialist bureaucratisation. 作者认为管理主义普遍理论对社会工作日常运作的影响有别于管理主义理论应用于公共行政的范畴上。作者以英国的地区社会福利服务及感化工作的展为案例，指出社工专业需要对管理主义对不同服务的影响，先作检视，然后作出适当的回应。 总的来说， 社工可以联系著不同背景及业的人士，与服务使用者一起去倡导及争取他们的权益。 积极参与公共政策的厘订， 来减低管理主义对社工服务的不良影响。

scholarly journals Enabling others in social work: reflexivity and the theory of social domains

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 245-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stan Houston
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Social Settings ◽  
Economic Forces ◽  
Unique Experience ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Impact

This article sets out a framework to structure reflexivity in social work practice. It comprises five domains that impact on the individual and social life, namely (a) psychobiography – referring to a person's unique experience throughout the lifecourse; (b) situated activity – highlighting the impact of everyday social interaction; (c) social settings – addressing the role of organisations in social life; (d) culture – covering the influence of attitudes, beliefs, tastes and ideas on symbolic meaning; and (e) politico-economy – alluding to the ramifications of political and economic forces on people's lives. It is contended that power circulates throughout each domain as an enabling and constraining force. The article then outlines a process for using the reflexive framework in 'enabling' activities such as practice learning, supervision, mentoring and coaching. By applying the framework in these contexts, it is argued that social workers can reflect critically on their role and develop emancipatory forms of practice.

Motivational tools in social work. Practice of implementing social work after separating it from administrative proceedings

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 65-90
Author(s):  
Barbara Kowalczyk ◽  
Adam Białas
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Worker ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Administrative Proceedings

In the empowerment-based social work, a particularly important element on the effectiveness of helping is the willingness of the assisted person to introduce changes. The presented article aims to help a social worker in building such readiness for people who are not determined to change, by acquiring the ability to motivate them. It discusses the role of motivation in the process of helping and presents practical tips for a social worker on how to effectively motivate, including incentive tools for use in social work.

scholarly journals The Social Worker in the Nursing Home: A Systematic Review of the Literature from 2010 to 2020

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 960-960
Author(s):  
Vivian Miller ◽  
Tyrone Hamler ◽  
Susanny Beltran ◽  
Jacquelyn Burns
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Home ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Worker ◽  
Nursing Home Residents ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Rapid Review

Abstract Social workers have an integral role in health care and a long-standing history in nursing homes. The novel pandemic, COVID-19, has disproportionately adversely affected nursing home residents, bringing to the fore the importance of practice in this setting. However, the role of the nursing home social worker is often ambiguous. The objective of this study is to (1) identify existing research studies that discuss the role of social work and nursing facilities, (2) synthesize findings to determine what is most often reported in the literature, (3) present recommendations for practice and implications for research and policy change. This rapid review used the PICO framework and PRISMA guidelines to systematically search for articles published in English between 2010 and 2020 across 11 databases. A final sample of 23 articles met inclusion criteria. Relevant details were extracted from these articles, and the following 3 categories emerged as broadly describing the literature: (1) elements of social work practice in NHs, (2) social worker responsibilities, (3) policy impacts on practice. Findings highlight that the literature on NH social workers is limited and outdated, despite the 2016 federal rule requiring increased consideration for resident quality of life, quality of care, and behavioral health, all features of social work practice. The nursing home social work role warrants greater attention, with an emphasis on how to support residents during the current pandemic to ensure the development and implementation of person-centered care. The literature points to research priorities including involving families and residents in data collection efforts.

scholarly journals Emotional intelligence as a part of critical reflection in social work practice and research

2021 ◽  
pp. 147332502110247
Author(s):  
Mari D Herland
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Intelligence ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Critical Reflection ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Emotional Reactions ◽  
Social Work Research ◽  
Emotional Aspects

Social workers often experience higher levels of burnout compared with other healthcare professionals. The capacity to manage one’s own emotional reactions efficiently, frequently in complex care settings, is central to the role of social workers. This article highlights the complexity of emotions in social work research and practice by exploring the perspective of emotional intelligence. The article is both theoretical and empirical, based on reflections from a qualitative longitudinal study interviewing fathers with behavioural and criminal backgrounds, all in their 40 s. The analysis contains an exploration of the researcher position that illuminates the reflective, emotional aspects that took place within this interview process. Three overall themes emerged – first: Recognising emotional complexity; second: Reflecting on emotional themes; and third: Exploring my own prejudices and preconceptions. The findings apply to both theoretical and practical social work, addressing the need to understand emotions as a central part of critical reflection and reflexivity. The argument is that emotions have the potential to expand awareness of one’s own preconceptions, related to normative societal views. This form of analytical awareness entails identifying and paying attention to one’s own, sometimes embodied, emotional triggers.

Using Anticarceral Feminism to Illustrate the Impact of Criminalization on the Lives of Individuals in the Sex Trades

Affilia ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 088610992097856
Author(s):  
Moshoula Capous-Desyllas ◽  
Deana Payne ◽  
Meg Panichelli
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Los Angeles ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Policy Research ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Economic Security ◽  
Sex Trade ◽  
Intersecting Identities ◽  
The Impact

This research study is informed by anticarceral feminism to understand and highlight the experiences of violence and oppression that individuals in the sex trade experience as a result of police stings, raids, and incarceration. We present findings from 23 in-depth, qualitative interviews with men, women, and trans individuals who were arrested in the Los Angeles sex trade. More specifically, we explore experiences of violence that occurred interpersonally, systemically, and institutionally. Such experiences examine police violence, arrest and incarceration, coercion, and client violence. The findings from this research shed light on the impact the criminalization of sex work has had on research participants in terms of their physical health and mental health, economic security and opportunities for growth and education, and their sense of freedom and autonomy. We also attend to the role that intersecting identities might have played during their encounters with the police. This study explored these aspects while being mindful that the policies and procedures followed by the police are born out of a carceral state. We conclude with antioppressive and antiviolent implications for social work practice, policy, research, and education as we imagine the next decade of social work in relation to sex trade.

scholarly journals Opportunities to “Make Macro Matter” through the Grand Challenges for Social Work

2021 ◽  
pp. 104438942097248
Author(s):  
Samantha Teixeira ◽  
Astraea Augsberger ◽  
Katie Richards-Schuster ◽  
Linda Sprague Martinez ◽  
Kerri Evans
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Grand Challenges ◽  
Macro Practice ◽  
Societal Challenges ◽  
The Social ◽  
Macro Social Work ◽  
Instrumental Role

The Grand Challenges for Social Work initiative, led by the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare (AASWSW), aims to organize the social work profession around 12 entrenched societal challenges. Addressing the root causes of the Grand Challenges will take a coordinated effort across all of social work practice, but given their scale, macro social work will be essential. We use Santiago and colleagues’ Frameworks for Advancing Macro Practice to showcase how macro practices have contributed to local progress on two Grand Challenges. We offer recommendations and a call for the profession to invest in and heed the instrumental role of macro social work practice to address the Grand Challenges.

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.

Digital social work practice through social networking sites. Case study with users of Social Services Community Centre from Malaga (Spain) on Facebook

Groupwork ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joaquin Castillo de Mesa ◽  
Antonio López Peláez ◽  
Paula Méndez Domínguez
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Community Empowerment ◽  
Social Networking Site ◽  
Mutual Help ◽  
Digital Skills ◽  
The Impact

Isolation is a clear indicator of social exclusion. To tackle it, we wondered if it would be possible to improve digital skills and strengthen bonds through online groups on a social networking site. This paper presents the results of an experimental study carried out in Malaga (Spain) with unemployed users of social care services. From the perspective of social work practice with groups, this study aims at strengthening bonds and mutual help through improving digital skills. This was carried out using a Facebook group as a shared space for community empowerment. To know the impact of these interactions, netnography and social network analysis were conveyed, as well as algorithms to identify communities and assess cohesion. Results showed that Facebook groups may be effective tools to promote active learning and mutual support and which can be used effectively by social workers.

The Call of the Faithful: The Integration of Spiritual and Social Work Practice in the Time of COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 379-392
Author(s):  
Shirley Newton-Guest ◽  
Claudia Sofia Moreno ◽  
Marla Coyoy ◽  
Roxanna Najmi ◽  
Tonia Martin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Interpersonal Violence ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
The Public ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Unaccompanied Children ◽  
The Impact

This has been a season of change worldwide. It has become virtually impossible to ignore distressing news about the state of our world. COVID-19 has changed the way we live, work, how we think, and even how we grieve. Every day, Americans are bombarded with reports of rising death tolls, massive unemployment, economic turmoil, and dismal foreseeable predictions. This health crisis has put an enormous amount of pressure on the global community, and this is especially true for our clients who are new immigrants. This pressure has manifested in mental health challenges. Social workers have reported that for many clients the uncertainty and pressure are becoming too much to handle. Typically, clients are experiencing anxiety, depression, substance use disorder, and in some cases interpersonal violence (Brodhead, 2020; Endale et al. 2020; Saltzman et al.,2020). Now imagine the impact on unaccompanied minors arriving at our borders. Prior to the pandemic, the unaccompanied children were dealing with three crises simultaneously: 1) parental and home country separation; 2) trauma from a harsh journey; and 3) language barrier and cultural shock. These issues alone are overwhelming and cause powerful emotions such as anxiety in these children. So how can these emotions be managed, coupled with the dangers of COVID-19? How can social workers provide comfort and support when they may be experiencing the same emotions? This article brings this hidden reality into the public view and enrich the existing social work body of knowledge by demonstrating the restorative power of faith, spirituality, and self-care.      

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