scholarly journals Non-problematic Situations in Social Workers’ and GPs’ Practice

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Devin Rexvid ◽  
Lars Evertsson
Keyword(s):  
Social Workers ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Professional Knowledge ◽  
Intervention Process ◽  
Problematic Situations ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Professional Intervention

This study aims to describe and analyze written accounts of non-problematic situations by 28 social workers and 24 general practitioners (GPs). The results show that non-problematic situations were connected to professionals’ control of the intervention process. Non-problematic situations were described by social workers as situations where they had control of the relationship with the client either by the use of coercive means or by the client’s active cooperation. GPs referred to non-problematic situations as situations where they had control of the intervention process mainly by the use of professional knowledge. One main conclusion is that the ability to control the intervention process through control of the relationship with the client may be of significance to those professions where a central part of the professional jurisdiction involves changing clients’ behaviors. This conclusion means that professional knowledge is not the only way to control the professional intervention process.

Can complexity in welfare professionals’ work be handled with standardised professional knowledge?

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lars Evertsson ◽  
Björn Blom ◽  
Marek Perlinski ◽  
Devin Rexvid
Keyword(s):  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Expert Knowledge ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Professional Knowledge ◽  
Welfare States ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Professional Body ◽  
Problematic Situations ◽  
Use Of Knowledge

Complexity in professional work is often discussed in relation to the professional body of knowledge. There is a tendency to relate professional success, problems and shortcomings to flaws and limitations in the professions’ expert knowledge or use of knowledge. To reduce complexity, overcome problematic situations and achieve best practice, welfare states invest considerable resources in raising professional groups’ level of knowledge and use of evidence-based knowledge. Non-medical professions such as social workers are expected to adopt and implement the principles that underpin evidence-based medicine. However, based on two empirical studies of social workers within Swedish social services, this chapter argues that problematic situations and complexity in social work can have sources other than lack of knowledge or insufficient use of knowledge. The chapter argues that these complex and problematic situations cannot be solved by standardised professional knowledge about interventions and results.

Social workers as state and citizen-agents. How social workers in a German, Dutch and Flemish public welfare organisation manage this dual responsibility in practice

2021 ◽  
pp. 146801732110097
Author(s):  
Michelle van der Tier ◽  
Koen Hermans ◽  
Marianne Potting
Keyword(s):  
Social Workers ◽  
Public Welfare ◽  
National Study ◽  
Front Line ◽  
Line Managers ◽  
Daily Work ◽  
Line Manager ◽  
Cross National Study ◽  
The Relationship

Summary Professional standards state that social workers in public welfare organisations should act as state and citizen-agents. However, the literature provides little insight into how social workers navigate this dual responsibility in their daily work. To address this gap, we used Maynard-Moody and Musheno’s theory on state and citizens-agent narratives to analyse street-level practices of social workers in three local welfare organisations in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. This article explores how three specific organisational mechanisms (decision-making authority; the role of the front-line manager and the degree of specialisation) affect the ways social workers navigate both agent narratives in public welfare organisations. The data were gathered by a mixed method design of in-depth interviews and focus groups. Findings Our study shows that social workers struggle with the tensions that intrude between the state and citizen-agent narrative. We found that the extent to which both narratives are adopted by social workers is affected by a complicated interaction between the beliefs of social workers about social justice and responsiveness and the selected organisational mechanisms. Moreover, we found that critical reflection and a supportive attitude of front-line managers can help social workers to manage their double responsibility in practice. Application Our cross-national study contributes to a deeper understanding of the relationship between organisational mechanisms and the moral deliberations of social workers regarding their dual responsibility. It provides in-depth insights into the tensions and conflicts social workers in different contexts face daily on account of their dual responsibility.

scholarly journals Evaluation of a mental health website for teenagers

2006 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 175-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sukru Ercan ◽  
Andrew Kevern ◽  
Leo Kroll
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
School Nurses ◽  
The Self ◽  
Clinical Implications ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Perceived Need ◽  
Screening Questionnaires ◽  
Assessment Questionnaire

Aim and MethodRu-ok.com is a recently developed website that includes a self-assessment questionnaire. The aim of this study was to evaluate the website and compare the self-assessment questionnaire with established screening questionnaires. A total of 105 teenagers from schools completed three paper-based questionnaires and the online ru-ok.com questionnaire.ResultsThe website receives 730 visits a week. Visits to the advice section and stories about mental health and relationships account for 35% of activity. Of the returned questionnaires, 80% were positive about the website. There were modest and expected correlations between the website questionnaire (RU–OK) and the Mood and Feelings (MFQ) and Strength and Difficulties (SDQ) questionnaires.Clinical ImplicationsInternet-based self-assessment is feasible and acceptable to teenagers. Self-assessment of perceived need by teenagers may be a useful tool for tier one professionals, including teachers, general practitioners, school nurses, social workers and learning mentors.

scholarly journals Key Determinants of a Mother's Decision to File for Child Support

2002 ◽  
Vol 83 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janice Hassebrock Laakso
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Child Support ◽  
Family Influence ◽  
Significant Source ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Decision To File

About one-third of custodial mothers choose not to pursue a child support award even though it can be a significant source of income. A qualitative study was conducted with 43 mothers who have each had at least one child in a nonmarital relationship, to learn more about how mothers make the decision to file or not file for child support. The findings indicate that a key determinant in a mother's decision is the quality of her relationship with the father: a mother is less likely to file when the relationship is good and more likely to file when the relationship is poor or has ended. Other key determinants are family influence and availability of information about filing. Visitation was not found to influence these decisions. Unfortunately, mothers are often making their decisions without access to accurate and timely information. Social workers frequently are employed in settings that serve families faced with decisions about child support, and have numerous opportunities for intervention by providing both information and guidance about the decision.

Who is viewed as client by social workers and general practitioners?

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Devin Rexvid
Keyword(s):  
Social Context ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Professional Practice ◽  
Medical Problem ◽  
Theoretical Understanding ◽  
Rational Process

This chapter examines whom social workers and general practitioners regard as a client, and how they gather information about a client. These professions have two very different approaches. For example, an applicant and a client do not need to be the same person for social workers, and social workers put clients in a broad social context to examine whether there are other clients such as a partner or children who could be affected by the problem. General practitioners concentrate mainly on the medical problem and consider social relationships to clients as less important. The chapter argues that the “traditional” theoretical understanding of professional practice as a linear and rational process consisting of diagnose, inference and treatment, reflects general practitioners’ practice as a mono-client profession, but not social workers’ as a multi-client profession.

scholarly journals The Relationship of Job Type to Burnout in Social Workers at Social Welfare Offices

2005 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fumi Takeda ◽  
Naoko Ibaraki ◽  
Eise Yokoyama ◽  
Takeo Miyake ◽  
Takashi Ohida
Keyword(s):  
Social Welfare ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Job Type ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

scholarly journals Das Verstehen des Pädagogischen Dialogs als Bedingung der Kriminalitätsbekämpfung

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ferdinand Potgieter ◽  
Hannes van der Walt ◽  
Charl Wolhuter
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Basic Principles ◽  
The World ◽  
Language Communication ◽  
The Relationship

The authors of this article investigate the possibility that the absence of pedagogical dialogues between educators and students can explain aspects of the incidence of crime, in particular acts of crime committed by young people. Based on this thesis and on basic principles of education, the relationship between language, communication and dialogue, as well as on the etiology and essential meaning, of the concept of „dialogue“, the authors demonstrate that education is fundamentally an act of dialogue. The acknowledgement of this ontological fact will not only promote acceptable relationships and behaviour among the youth, but will also assist educators and social workers in their venture against the wave of criminality which is threatening to overpower the world.

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