Professional Processes in Social Work Practice - Case Study Example

Professional Processes in Social Work Practice (UK) Faculty I. Critical Analysis of Service Information II. “Being Assessed” – A Reflective Account III. Critical Analysis of a Generic Model or Framework for Assessment IV. Using Assessment Tools – Production of a “Genogram” and an “Ecomap” V. Barriers to Practice VI. Video analysis: “Bad Behaviour” VII. Professional Processes Questionnaire Marketing Criteria Number: 2,5,6,7 I. Critical Analysis of Service Information (401) The service information leaflet is of “Sharing Family Care” for its ‘Children and Family resource Centre Short break Fostering Scheme’. It is a foster care services. The target reader for the leaflet is parents and guardians of children. The services are offered to the children. Since children are not the decision makers for their foster care services, the target reader for it is parent or guardian of the children. The tone of the language used in the material is interactive. It includes the questions that may arise in the minds of parents and guardians before opting for any foster care service. The information provided is user friendly and telephone numbers and contact address have been given for further queries. The information is available in the larger print, audio form and Braille. The information clearly conveys the messages and objectives of the organisation. The pictures used in the informational and promotional material shows the emotional bonding in family. It has included many photographs of children of approximately age group of eight to eleven. The layout, colour scheme and pictures used are effective but still there are areas which can be worked upon. a. Activity Chart It should include activity chart along with some photograph of children participating. This will increase the enthusiasm and motivation of the child and parents to opt for the service. The photograph will give a rough idea about the safety measure, fun and educative environment for child. b. Age Group and Activity Chart It should also mention the age group of children, which would be served by the organisation. Various age groups of children will have varying needs. Parents might have a question of activities their child will fit into. c. Pictures The large picture used in it includes picture of mother-daughter and a family with two children. The info-commercial can have picture of children in the centre involve in activities. In any service intangibility is one factor that poses challenges for any communication process. Factors like hygiene, space, activities and safety can be done very well with pictures. Testimonials of children and parents are another way to communicate about the services received by children. One of the important factors of anti-oppressive practices is engagement of client.1 Client centeredness is the basis of this approach. Incorporating the above-mentioned factors the client centeredness approach will be more obvious. These will help in creating an impact that will promote client involvement. Marketing Criteria Number: 2,3,5,6,7 II. “Being Assessed” – A Reflective Account (654) My last assessment was with a social care services group, which was handling the case of my grand mother. I was young during that period aged about thirteen years old. My grandmother was facing a problem of Alzheimer disease. The assessment was done to understand if her condition is impacting me or not. Initially I was reluctant to talk to the social worker. I was never very comfortable with strangers during that period. The social worker had come along with other social worker handling my grand mother’s case. They made me feel comfortable. Then the social worker came to visit me started her conversation. She told me that she would like to ask few questions about me and my grand mother and also told me that I could say ‘no’ if I did not want to reply. She had a list of questions on her file and she used to look at them in between. She started with the question whether I know what have happened to my grand mother. My grand mother was a sweet lady filled with love for children. She aged 74 at that time. It was last few moths that her condition got worse. The only thing I knew was that my grand mother is not well and she forgets my name at times and remembers only my mother’s name. I felt bad about her condition that time. She asked many questions including “do you like your grand mother?’ It was my mother who taught me to look after our elders and I loved my grand mother. There was no adverse effect on my brother or me. The only thing was feeling of change in grandmother’s behaviour and environment of house. On the basis of that report my parents were taught how to handle children and prepare them for such situation. The assessment process was friendly and supportive for me. It was fully on the impact of my grand mother’s health on our psychology. It helped me to understand my grand mother’s condition better. The overall attitude of the social worker visited us was very supportive and friendly. It had a great influence on me. My grand mother died at the age of eighty-one. I had seen social workers and other professionals coming home for her. I grew up with that. The social worker told me that my grand mother’s condition was not very good and she may forget my name very often. From than onwards I never felt bad even when my grand mother did not recognise me or call me by my name. If children and members of the family know about challenging situations they can make informed decisions. This assessment was very much depended on the personality, attitude and knowledge of the social worker. The questions asked were both open ended and closed. The answers were being recorded on the sheet of paper in descriptive and bullets points. Today when I compare the practice followed by social wore in my case I feel the anti oppressive practices were practiced in the case. My (client’s) welfare was centre of the assessment. Empathy was the starting point to it. It was based on values and relationship building approach. The practitioner had very well integrated her understanding on three levels2: Emotional Intellectual Practical The questions asked by social workers varied in tone according to the seriousness of the question. She was practical. She was referring to the set of questions from the questionnaire. She was noting down my responses in a sheet of paper. She looked prepared and experienced. She tried to place herself in my condition where my grandmother was not recognising me. I think it was an approach with empathy for client. She built up relationship, she used common senses, psychological tools, build her relationship with client and tried to help clients to improve the condition client was living in by educating and supporting him. Marketing Criteria Number: 1, 2,4,5,6,7 i. Critical Analysis of a Generic Model or Framework for Assessment (601) Any model of assessment of child has a common goal of child welfare. All the information collected through the initial assessment or various assessments are organised and analysed with the help of various models developed by experts. These analyses are done to understand child’s situation. This helps in identifying vulnerabilities if any. The information regarding child’s situation helps in planning for child. This also provides input to design the action plan for the child. This way these help securing best outcomes for child. The analysis framework discussed here was extensive research and practice knowledge that is outlined in the practice guidance (Department of Health, 2000a)3. It has three important factors are the: - Developmental needs of children; Capacities of parents or caregivers to respond appropriately to those needs; Impact of wider family and environmental factors on parenting capacity and children. Figure: The Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and Their Families This framework is totally based on the individual child’s need assessment. It covers all the important factors of child’s life; school, home, emotions, parenting and development and others. However this model does not states anything about the collaborative multi-organisational work environment. It was in the case of Victoria Climbie and some other child abuse and death cases. Indeed the inquiry heard of 12 missed opportunities - 12 instances when professionals not only could but also should have acted to save Victoria.4 (BBC, 2002) In these cases one of the factors responsible for the death of child was lack or coordination among various organisations and staffs. There were also evidence of negligence and failure within a similar organisation. The restriction this model poses is in the cases of critical interventions. Victoria spent some 308 days in England. For 211 of them, and in response to a clear child protection referral, she had an allocated social worker from the North Tottenham District Office (NTDO) of Haringey Social Services. Their single responsibility to Victoria throughout this period was to safeguard and promote her welfare in accordance with the Children Act 1989.5 Still this model is effective enough to give the indications of vulnerability of child. In the initial analysis of child’s family and relationships it will not be difficult for any social worker or organisation to identify the problem areas. Further to this analysis the support from various other agencies can be taken. In the report of Victoria Climbie, Ms. Lisa Arthurworrey was assigned with Victoria’s case. She was neither trained in the Memorandum of Good Practice nor eligible to take Section 47 Child Protection inquiry. Since most of the professionals involved in her case were black including her and her murderers. So it was not a case of racial discrimination but a special case of child abuse and death. The basic factors of anti-oppressive practices were ignored and her needs were not taken as a need of child. It was included in the housing need of her aunt Kouao. This model accesses developmental needs of children. In this need assessment it looks at the factors like relationship, emotional and behavioural development, health and other factors important to the child’s developmental needs. It also analyses capacities of parents or caregivers to respond appropriately to those needs. If child is not attending school or foster care services a valid and logical replies are expected. This was one of the areas missed in the case of Victoria Climbie. She was not attending any school or day care services but her guardians were never asked about the way she was spending her days. The third factor is impact of wider family and environmental factors on parenting capacity and children. Marketing Criteria Number:1, 2,3,4,6,7 III. Using Assessment Tools – Production of a “Genogram” and an “Ecomap” (306) Genogram: It gives a detailed and quick referral tool to understand child’s relationships and family background. It gives rough idea about family environment of the child i.e. drug addicted family members increases vulnerability to child’s emotional and physical condition.  2. Ecomap: This helps in understanding more about the client and his/her interaction with environment. It is addition to the information of genomap. It gives more detailed account of the external bodies to the household and their possible impact on client.  Genogram is a visual representation of the family history and ecomap is a visual representation of the family in relation to the community. Genogram shows the relationship of the members of one family and their family tree. It helps understanding family history that is useful in the assessment and analysis process.6 Ecomap shows the relationships between family members and external systems. The external systems include school, college, health system, work, and spiritual community church and others. It also gives information on the pattern of time spent on various activities i.e. getting to health care, buying food and other goods for the family, access to transportation and safety of family members. The ecomap is addition to the information learned from the genogram, family circles and family trees. The genogram clears the picture of my family. It can be detailed by writing age, profession of the members of the family history that gives more detail about the education and status level of each member compared to other. The ecomap gives more idea about my household and my details. It gives my present mental status and stress that I am facing due to the examination season and fight with my best friend. This also gives details about other ecological components with which I am interacting. I spend my time with my extended family, visiting church, dance classes and friends. Marketing Criteria Number: 2,4,5,6,7 i. Barriers to Practice (604) There are various barriers to practice, which a social worker encounters during his/her work. These barriers can be related to service users, individual to social worker or situation specific. Potential barrier can be result of some kind of dilemma. Dilemma can be faced in each of them, which can be result of lack of knowledge, experience, values and ethics, motivation or wrong interpretation of policies. Individuals are responsible for determining whether to attempt to surpass the conditions they construe around them or to accommodate themselves to them.7 Potential barriers to the professional process of assessment can include: ii. Conflicts of role Sometimes there are situations when it is difficult to make decision. These decisions can be related to Care and Control or Caring or Policing. iii. Barriers to collaborative working with other professionals In most of the child abuse cases these kinds of barriers are found. This barrier is complex and difficult to judge. iv. Difference/diversity of the service user These factors include race, colour, sex, gender, age, race, disability and/or sexual orientation etc factors influencing social workers and overall work environment. v. Resource limitations/gate keeping Due to lack of proper resources, empowerment and authority sometimes servicing the member in need becomes difficult. The frontline staff should get timely support and directions for the cases they handle. Regular supervision and discussion will help them understanding complications of particular case. vi. Value base of self and other professionals Working with reluctance and/or difficulties in engaging with Service Users. vii. Improper case allotments to the social workers viii. Poor human resource practices adopted in the organisations ix. Poor communication x. Lack of leadership qualities and accountability. xi. Poor case allotment system without taking care of work load on a particular staff xii. Bad or no supervision xiii. Improper record management xiv. Data Sharing Proper supervision with a set agenda to discuss issues like frequency of visits, suspected situations, service user’s need, direct conversation with them, understanding living condition and others help in overcoming individual barriers. Any suspecting aspect should be discussed with supervisors. Every social service organisation should have a risk assessment tools. With the help of these they should assign the cases to experienced or inexperienced workers and keep track of it. The frontline worker should be given an opportunity to talk about any issue, which is creating hindrance in their work. Clear and define objectives, proper case allocation, proper training to the frontline staff, provision of sharing experiences, standardised procedure and regular supervision can help the frontline workers and organisations to achieve their objectives. There are several moments where social workers can face ethical dilemma. The values like moral, motivation, interpretation of code of conduct and other behavioural issues are complex and differ from person to person. The working conditions and cases handled are usually very different. All these factors have impact on the action of an individual social worker. Ethical dilemma arises when the right answer to any course of action is not obvious. There may be values, which contradict with each other. A social worker should consult to all the parties related to the case to identify the best way course of action in a given situation. According to the Code of Ethics of National Association of Social Workers8: These core values, embraced by social workers throughout the professions history, are the foundation of social works unique purpose and perspective: Service Social justice Dignity and worth of the person Importance of human relationships Integrity Competence. Any situation where decision will lead to the ignorance of the above mentioned values would be a situation of dilemma. Marketing Criteria Number: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 xv. Video analysis: “Bad Behaviour” (454)9 The video of bad behaviour included a tough situation faced by a mother in her children behaviour. The mother is a divorcee. Her 13 years old boy uses abusive language. He does not go to school. His behaviour is unacceptable. He is also influencing his 10-year-old sister. Sally (mother) herself used the similar language on the children. She used to lose her temper and patience to control her son. She got support from child behaviour expert. The expert told her that her son is suffering from two behavioural disorders and all he does is to get attention and be a centre of the attraction. It was apparent that he had not lost till that moment. Sally was getting consultation by the expert over the phone. Now the overall process can be divided in three phases:10 Phase 1: Visit of Learning Support Teacher and Child Behaviour Expert Mother’s consultation with child behaviour expert explaining son’s behaviour and her wish that he could restart school. Situation assessment and plan discussed with mother to help the child. Phase 2: Changes in children behaviour Mother encounters problem which was sorted out with the help of expert The consultant not only provided a proper guidance in a proper way but also became a listening booth. Mother can share her problem with him with trust and get proper support. Mother also got an opportunity to retrospect. The overall environment of house improved along with the relationship. Phase 3: In the last phase Social worker visits Ban. He meets her properly and gives response to her questions. The strategy adopted here was to help the child understanding himself. Father who was living separately was encouraged to spend time with children. Mathematics teacher finds him intelligent and encourage him to concentrate. At the end of the case and 9 months of duration the boy starts his school and improves a lot in behaviour. Identification of the Elements of the ASPIRE Model: AS-Assessment: Assessment was done by social worker on first visit where boy uses abusive language. The case was referred to child behaviour expert from there. He also visits and assesses child’s behaviour. P-Planning: Child behaviour expert educated mother about his disorder and prepared a plan to help him along with the mother. I-Implementation: The plan was quickly implemented after evaluating each and every factor. RE-Reviewing: Every day mother used to call up the behaviour expert to explain him reactions and the next step decided on the basis of that. The anti-oppressive practice was prevalent through out the video where the child (client) was the centre of the social work practice and his needs has been well addressed throughout the process with therapeutic approach. TOTAL WORD COUNT FOR PORTFOLIO IS 3084 WORDS. It includes the questions and name of figures. Marketing Criteria Number: 2,5,6,7 IV. Professional Processes Questionnaire 1. What does the acronym ASPIRE stand for? Briefly describe one of the stages. The acronym ASPIRE was given by Sutton (1994) to help workers to follow a systematic approach: AS-Assessment: This is the stage when the case and service user is assesses with help of various tools available like questionnaire, genogram, ecomaps and others. P -Planning: Based on the analysis of assessment data planning is done to help the service user. I-Implementation: The plan is implemented carefully. RE-reviewing: Reviewing and controlling process helps to understand whether the plan is going according to the planning. It gives the opportunity to change the plan according to situation specific requirements. 2. Who might make a referral for an assessment and why might they make a referral? The person himself, anonymous person, relative can do friends, referral for assessment, another professional and expert. This is done to help someone live in a better way and aims at improving service users life. 3. What skills do you require to carry out an assessment? Why? The skills required for the assessment is behavioural skills, listening skill, questioning skills, patience, proper training, ability to use various tools of assessments, communication, positive attitude and friendly behaviour. 4. List some of the principles that underpin a framework for assessment. There are several frame work of assessments like child-centred, rooted in child development, ecological in approach, ensure equality of opportunity, involve working with children and families, build on strengths, inter-agency in approach, continuing process; not a single event, carried out in parallel with other action and grounded in evidence-based practice. 5. List some ways that you can creatively involve service users in the planning of reviews. Proper communication is the best way to do that. Talking to the service user based on structured questionnaire his or her inputs can be taken. If the case is not very complicated and s/he can be told about the situation the inputs can be taken directly from her/him. 6. Describe an assessment tool (other than a Genogram or Ecomap) that has been referred to during the course and identify the reasons you might use it. Questionnaires and scales can be used as they are evidence-based tool and can be used with both children and adults. It helps to identify and explore needs, to confirm views and to aid understanding of the nature and extent of difficulties. The other methods are HOME and FAME. Here the families own views can be collected, strengths and weaknesses can be identified, can be used to inform support plans and can be used to measure changes. 7. Name two types of practice approaches to intervention and briefly describe them. Client-centred approach of intervention helps in understanding issues specific to the client. The Psychodynamic or psychosocial model helps in understanding the psychological aspect of the service user and developing plan to help him accordingly. 8. Describe a barrier to working in partnership with a service user and briefly describe how you might overcome this. Culture, disability, age, gender, sexuality, race, class, power and perceived power, dilemmas and others are factors acting as barrier in the performances. The best way to overcome these barriers is follow the social workers guidelines, organisational guidelines, and government guidelines for it. Talking with superiors, co-workers and experienced social workers can also help. 9. Briefly outline the advantages to working in partnership with other agencies. The inputs from other agencies can help in the assessment of the client. Various inputs from health, education, voluntary sector, private Sector, service User and Carer Groups and housing societies can help in formulating a best suited plan for the client and quickly responds to his needs. 10. Give two examples of anti-oppressive practice in carrying out a review. According to Dominelli (1998) anti-oppressive social work is a form of social work practice that addresses social divisions and structural inequalities in the work that is done with ‘clients’ (users) or workers. The term anti-oppressive practice and social justice go along with each other. Anti-oppressive practices are concerned with the client. This practice addresses special issues, dilemma and controversies. The society is diverse in race, age, economic statutes, gender, condition of living and many other issues. In such diverse conditions social workers are expected to work within the harsh realities of the client’s life and help the client to improve his/her conditions. There have been various laws made for the anti-discrimination. The main three statutes dealing with sex, race and disability discrimination are as follows11: 1. The Sex Discrimination Act 1975(SDA 1975) 2. The Race Relations Act 1976 (RRA 1976) 3. The disability Discrimination Act 1995(DDA 1995) Anti-oppressive practice covers the topics from helping clients to preparing social workers and professionals who can help them. All the issues under this topic have one objective of helping those who are in need. 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