The Use of Skills and Values in Social Work - Essay Example

Reflect Upon and Analyse the Use of Skills and Values in Social Work, From Observation of Others Within Practice. Written by Austin Mackenzie 20 January, 2006 Introduction What is Social Work What are the benefits of this area of specialisation to the communities and why is it needed Who is a social worker and what qualifies him/her for this particular job description These are some of the queries that would readily come to mind on contact with this topic. What are the relevance of these 'Social Engineers': their motives and challenges In this essay I will consider the significance of empowerment and partnerships within the purview of the Social Work practice. I will also examine the attitude of the social worker and how his/her professional values will impact the performance of his/ her duties. Also I will review the code of ethics and its impact on the practice of Social Work. Through the use of various literatures, I will examine the use of skills and values in Social Work practice as it affects service users, carers and other professionals. Definition Social Work has been defined by many a scholar and professionals. The International Federation of Social Workers and the International Association of Schools of Social Work explains that: 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. (Bolton, 2003:2). It applies to Social Work practitioners and educators in every region and country in the world. In a similar vein, Wikipedia Encyclopedia (2006) states that a Social Worker is a "professionally trained person employed in the administration of charity, social service, welfare, and poverty agencies, advocacy, or religious outreach programs". Social Workers are employed by health agencies or just work voluntarily with communities; however a large number of Social Workers are employed by the government. According to the United States Bureau of Labour Statistics (2004) there are three main types of Social Workers, these include I. Child, family, and school social workers: these are the workers who find foster homes for abused or neglected children. They also provide assistance to parents teaching them how to care for their children better. Most Social Workers in schools work as 'guidance counsellors' and offer students and teachers advice about learning, behavior and social problems, like bullying or shyness. II. Medical and public health Social Workers: these are the Social Workers who work in the health sector directly or indirectly helping people who are sick or who have had health problems for a long period of time. They give advice families about how to deal with their sick. III. Mental health and substance abuse Social Workers: clinical social workers as they sometimes called help people who are challenged with mental illness, upset feelings, or drug or alcohol abuse. They organize sessions involving talking- therapy with people in order to identify their problems and teach classes about how to make a budget, deal with anger, or get other life skills. No matter their focus, most Social Workers spend the day in an office and some are volunteers who have their own businesses or hold other job but have a passion for the work. Skills in Social Work. A skill is defined as the "ability to do something well and is usually gained through training or experience" (Encarta, 2005). Skills in Social Work can therefore be described as the relevant experience or ability needed to perform the functions of the profession. In her book Social skills, author Pamela Trevithick (2000) writes that "skills can be used in practice to enhance effectiveness and help bring about positive outcomes". She states that "students interviewed stated that there were too little Social Work skills training in their courses". She further writes that greater attention [needs to be] paid to the teaching of Social Work skills using concrete practice situations which should include better and more applied teaching of psychology, a sound theoretical and research base and plans of action appropriate to the circumstances encountered." This according to the writer will involve "understanding how experiences are perceived, understood and communicated by people, and how this impacts on behavior and life situations, both positive and negative". Trevithick (2000) continues that to improve practice skills, every intervention should have a purpose and, as much as possible, that purpose should be "clearly identifiable to service users (people who come within the remit of Social Work) and other key individuals and professionals involved". The emphasis on being clear and specific in areas makes our contact with service users more purposeful and also allows us to assess the appropriateness of specific Social Work methods, approaches, perspectives, interventions and skills in terms of their effectiveness in bringing about desired and agreed outcomes. Communication Skills in Social Practice. Social Work is located within some of the most complex and perplexing areas of human experience, and for this reason, Social Work is, and has to be, a highly skilled activity (Trevithick, 2000). One of the most important tools for effective social practice is good communication. In a recent review on the learning and teaching of communication skills, the authors revealed that: Little attention has been paid to the appropriateness of communication skills training for the contemporary Social Work environment". ---and expectations that social workers seek to understand and categorize individuals primarily through bureaucratic procedures, causes confusion and difficulty for students. As Social Work educators we face an ethical dilemma. Should we teach students to communicate in a way that conforms to the priorities and pressures of current practice Or should we retain the focus on inter-personal skills and on engaging with the worlds of service users (Richards et al, 2005: 409-422). In their paper they examined the disparity between Social Work as conceived within communication skills training and as practiced in the current UK context. In considering the implications for Social Work education they suggested "developing the teaching of communication skills in ways that would equip students to engage with the 'realities' of practice and to challenge the shortcomings encountered." (Richards et al, 2005: 409-422). Communication and the free flow of information between the numerous diverse partners or parties are key points as it will contribute to visibility and transparency and helps avoid misunderstanding or conflict. Information flow is often needed so that the partners do not become "strange bedfellows" due to lack of communication (El Ansari, 1999) states that "the partnership facilitator's role in promoting a culture of open communication is a pivotal point in the collaboration process so that a 'culture of silence' is not created". Study Skills Study skills can be defined as "the reading and thinking skills requisite to any study task": i.e. those necessary to define, analyse, solve and report on a problem in a disciplined and independent way (Tabberer, 1987). Hamblin (1981) lists the study skills to include Listening, reading, planning and target setting, note taking, motivation, raising aspirations amongst others. He submits that the purpose of teaching study skills is best summarised as the "reinforcement of active learning". Empowerment, Negotiation and Partnerships Skills. The importance of partnerships in the Social Work sector cannot be over-emphasized. The work of social workers most times intermingles with other agencies like nursing and generally in the public services. Partnership members should therefore be empowered with the necessary skills needed for their work. From his recently published study Dr El Ansari (1999), put forth some principles in an attempt to disseminate examples of good practice in building and fostering partnerships, he writes that: An up-front vision and clear understanding of concepts, roles, rules, procedures, and goals are imperative; articulating the concept and making sure that all participants [have] the same [understanding]. This could be done through consultations and numerous meetings. He continues that: Partnerships are not created overnight, but should proceed in a step-by-step fashion at the pace of the participating agencies. Time frames need be realistic to allow for the interaction of all these effects in a gradual evolutionary process. (El Ansari, 1999) Personal and Professional Values Social workers have obligations to the service users, to their employers, to one another, to colleagues in other disciplines. "The human resource development of the workers will help to "enhance employee quality, which --- is important for sustainability and --- help with the institutionalization of the [values] and, therefore, [promote] their continuity". (El Ansari, 1999) Professionalism is defined as "the skill, competence, or character expected of a member of a highly trained profession" (Encarta, 2005). One of the major hallmarks of a profession is an underlying knowledge base; a body of specialist knowledge which acts as a basis of the professional expertise. But a seeming mistrust of 'professionalism' has a number of effects, including a tendency to devalue theory. Thompson (2002) writes that "Social workers have ambivalence relationship with theory and the clear absence of a demarcated scientific knowledge base is a barrier to full professional status, relegating Social Work to the semi-professional status". Through the institutionalising of higher standards and principle, professionalism can be presented in more positive terms that will guide practice. Acceptance of personal and collective responsibility and the use of formal knowledge as part of the process of seeking to maximize effectiveness are some of the values that professionalism will produce in social workers. Professional Codes of Practice Ethical and Anti Oppressive Practice For most professions a code of practice and guidance is drawn up by the government in consonance with the various professional bodies in charge of regulating these professions to regulate and guide the professionals who will carry out various functions. This is important to ensure good practice and in order to protect both the service users and the practitioners from taking undue advantage of the system thereby ensuring standard and uniformity in service delivery. Bolton (2003) writes that the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) is the professional association for Social Workers in the United Kingdom. It has a duty to ensure as much as possible that its members discharge their ethical obligations and are afforded the professional rights which are necessary for the safeguarding and promotion of the rights of service users. He states that the primary objective of the Association's Code of Ethics is to express the values and principles which are integral to Social Work, and to give guidance on ethical practice. The Code is binding on all members and asserts that Social Work practice should both promote respect for human dignity and pursue social justice, through service to humanity, integrity and competence. To achieve these aims "collaboration between health and social services and interdisciplinary approaches to social care are essential." (Trevithick, 2000) Discrimination Traditional approaches to the human services take little or no account of issues relating to discrimination and oppression (Thompson, 2000). Forms of discrimination include Ageism, racism, sexism and disabilism. But in the UK the issues of sexism and racism have begun to make an impact on the social policy since the late 1980's. These has elicited responses from various stake holders and led to legislative changes on issues of discrimination, growing research and increase in equal opportunity policies etc. Thompson (2000:10) notes that "indeed the primary task is that of using theory to develop anti-discriminatory practice, because good practice must be anti-discriminatory practice". The major challenge of professionals is to ensure that good practice needs to be based both on theory and the reality on ground no matter the psychological or physiological condition of the person. All in all the issue of sensitivity is paramount to both service givers and service users. The concept of discrimination needs to looked at in all this areas rather than restricted to the most well established forms. Conclusion. Social Work practice "should both promote respect for human dignity and pursue social justice, through service to humanity, integrity and competence" (Bolton, 2003). Partnerships will be wiser to steer clear of issues alienate instead of building upon identified strengths and assets of the partnership. "A successful collaboration brings new solutions: a weaving of diverse viewpoints with new insights and direction for action agreed on by all stakeholders" (El Ansari, 1999). Also while relating theory to practice the potential dangers of discrimination have to be noted and steps to erase it have to be taken consciously. Merely changing the words we use, and introducing a climate of hope for a fresh start, cannot in itself ensure that we have "fundamentally altered the stigma and oppression of certain groups" (El Ansari, 1999). The eventual beneficiary of professionalism to both service users and workers is that both the level of practice and the quality of service delivery will be enhanced. It is here that integration of skill, theory and practice can be recognized as important parts of professionalism based not just on the 'elitist' notion of professionalism but on expertise and function. References BOLTON, J. 2003. British Association of Social Workers. (BASW). [Online] Available: http://www.basw.co.uk/articles.phparticleId=2 [16 January 2006] EL ANSARI, W. 1999. Critical components of successful partnerships cross countries. [Online] Available: http://www.cswe.org/partnership/feb99-1.htm#anchor1412641 [17 January 2006] ENCARTA. 2005. Encarta Online Dictionary. [Online] available: http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/dictionaryhome.aspx. [16 January 2006] HAMBLIN, D. H. 1981. Teaching Study Skills. Oxford: Basil Blackwell. RICHARDS, S., RUCH, G. & TREVITHICK, P., (2005). Communication Skills Training for Practice: The Ethical Dilemma for Social Work Education. Rout ledge, part of the Taylor & Francis group. Volume 24: Number 4, pg 409-422 TABBERER, R. 1987. Study and Information Skills in Schools: British Library R&R Report 5870. Windsor: NFER-Nelson. THOMPSON, Neil. 2000. Theory and Practice in Human Services. Buckingham. Philadelphia: Open University Press. TREVITHICK, P. 2000. Social Work Skills: a practice hand book. Buckingham. Philadelphia: Open University Press. U.S BUREAU OF LABOUR STATISTICS. 2004. Social Worker. [Online] Available: http://www.bls.gov/k12/help05.htm [17 January 2006] WIKIPEDIA CONTRIBUTORS. 2006. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. [Online]. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_work [19 January, 2006] Read More