“Social Work Roles”
This is my research from the book entitled " Social Work" introducing professional practice by Patricia Higman.
This chapter provides an initial understanding of what social work aspires to be, how the British social work degree is constructed, and why the caring services need professional social work.
There are competing views in society at large on the nature of social work and on its place and purpose. Social work practice and education inevitably reflect these differing perspectives on the role of social work in relation to social justice, social care and social order.
Social work ….evolves, adapts and changes in responce to the social, political and economic challenges and demands of contemporary social welfare policy, practice and legislation.
Social work distinctive quality is its holistic practice working with a range of situations and people, an ideal attribute for developing the multi-professional partnerships that are now seen as essential to better service provision. Professional social workers have to combine multiple roles that balance the empowerment and emancipation with protection and support. Balancing this dilemma is a challenge that is not easily resolved; sometimes there maybe no single choice of role that seems best. A further issue is how to balance generic roles with practice specialisms. Social Workers’ roles will change as people who use services and carers excercise more choice and take up self-assesssments of need and direct payments, with needs assessments becoming shared exercises in which the social worker adopts an enabling supportive role.
The concept of role is an important tool in the development of an understanding of the complexity of social work practice. The social worker selects, combines and carries out number of roles as part of their interaction with individuals, groups and communities.
to be continued…
