Whiting & Birch (E-Journals)
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Neoliberal managed care and the changing nature of social work practice: Exploring the relationship between authoritarianism and burnout among US social workers
Get PDFSocial workers are currently caught in a “structural bind” in which the field’s original normative mission, rooted in social justice and social change, is increasingly at odds with the reality of working in a hierarchical neoliberal managed care setting. While most practitioners are at risk of burnout under these strained conditions, not all will respond in the same way. This article considers the possibility that some practitioners will exhibit authoritarian character traits (e.g., submission to and unquestioned compliance with institutional rules) in conformity with the institutional setting of neoliberal managed care. Using the Maslach Burnout Inventory for Health Services Occupations (MBI-HSS) and Dunwoody and Funke’s Aggression-Submission-Conventionalism (ASC) authoritarianism scale, the authors explore the previously unexamined relationship between authoritarianism and burnout among a sample of 532 social workers in the US. As hypothesized, correlations between each of the MBI-HSS subscales and ASC subscales yielded an inverse relationship between authoritarianism and burnout
Enhancing the benefits of group involvement in research
Get PDFResearch can facilitate mutual learning, allow participants’ voices to be heard, increase practical usefulness of studies and foster empowerment. This paper discusses ways that groups can take part in research, outlines advantages and limits of each and explores strategies for enhancing benefits. This content is illustrated with brief examples from recent research publications and from two longer case studies. Groups and members can be involved as participants or co-producers of research. As participants, they either act as research subjects by contributing data, or as collaborators who are consulted at various times to help keep a study relevant to community issues. Being a subject offers an opportunity to reflect and share views, while collaborators and researchers can learn from working together. Though collaborators can exert influence, they have little control over decisions around focus, design, methods or dissemination of a study. Co-producing knowledge offers community groups more power, learning and empowerment but requires high levels of mutual trust, commitment and persistence. Potential gains and risks increase as involvement intensifies. However, researchers can enhance benefits at any level, by keeping this goal in mind when planning studies
Learning capacity- How professionals learn about mental capacity on post qualifying education programmes
Get PDFThe focus of this paper is the way in which learning on a post graduate professional academic training module is developed and articulated via processes of shadowing and the production of two assignments (a written case study and a reflective piece). The context is learning about key aspects of Mental Capacity legislation and the data for the study came from work submitted by fifty students on four successive iterations of a 'best interests assessor' (BIA) training course in England. We sought evidence of the use of key elements including specific sections of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) as well as case law; professional values; practice guidance; and classroom education. Moreover we were interested in the ways in which a brief shadowing of a practicing BIA helped to make sense of these disparate elements in practice. Practice guidanc from expert bodies such as SCIE and NICE, the formal legal test of capacity, and certain relevant pieces of case law were not referred to as much as expected, but most candidates showed the ability to deftly navigate the tensions and challenges which arise when trying to meld case law, statute law, codes of practice, and classroom learning and ensure that this is used to safeguard the rights of vulnerable adults
Utilising a Virtual Community to practice Community Work theory during COVID-19 lockdown in South Africa
Get PDFIn this practice note, I highlight the challenges social work practice lecturers overcame during a national lockdown midst the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa whilst converting face to face teaching on community work to the online environment. I discuss how a fictitious virtual community was created, enabling students to apply the theoretical knowledge on community work from the practice module. I share the practical application on how students were able to ‘do’ community work in a virtual community and what we as a team of social work practice educators learned as a result
Community/Social Action Groupwork in Indigenous and Rural Communities Zimbabwe Summer 2019
No full textIn June 2018, I was fortunate enough to attend and present at the IASWG Symposium at Kruger National Park in South Africa. It was a truly amazing experience. However, in July of 2019 I was once again able to return to the African continent. This time to visit Zimbabwe. For the past four years, my friend and School Principal Chris Labbe, had been visiting and working with the IMVELO organization to raise funds for the following three schools: Ngamo Primary School, Mlevu Primary School and St Joseph’s Primary School.These three schools are located in the indigenous and rural rural villages of Hwanga National Park. During the course of the visits to these three Schools, my wife Peg McGovern and I were able to observe the incredible work that was being done between IMVELO and the local communities. The overarching theme of the IASWG 2018 symposium had been “Groupwork in Communities.” On my visit to Hwanga, I witnessed the impact of Groupwork in these indigenous and rural communities. On my return home, I reviewed the Groupwork literature, and it reinforced what I observed and encountered in Zimbabwe. The wonderful sense of community, sustainability, cooperation, integration of programs, social action and empowerment. It truly was an amazing experience and a trip of a lifetime
Assessing Social Work Students On Practicum at the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU): Challenges and Implications.
Get PDFAssessing Social Work Students On Practicum at the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU): Challenges and Implications. Dr. Taghreed M. Abu Sarhan¹ (Director of Field Education)Dr Prospera TedamSocial Wellbeing Dept. UAEUContact: [email protected] Social Work program at the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) is the first and the only program-training students for Masters in Social Work (MSW) in the United Arab Emirates. MSW students are required to undertake 500 hours of practice in the field MSW while Bachelor in Social Work (BSW) students are required to complete 400 hours of practicum.This paper outlines both BSW and MSW practicum courses and examines the assessment tools and methods that contribute to their readiness for practice upon qualifying. The authors explore the framework in practicum settings in the UAE and critically reflect on the challenges of the current assessment methods in preparing professional social workers for practice upon graduation. The absence of service user contribution in the assessment process is considered a major disadvantage to the holistic development of social workers in the UAE and will be examined. Significantly, the two authors who are both female address the issue of gender within the context of assessment due to gender segregation in field practicum linked to the cultural and religious requirements in the UAE. The paper concludes with a number of recommendations to improve the assessment of social work students at both BSW and MSW levels at the United Arab Emirates University.Keywords: Social Work, Practicum, UAEU, Assessment methods, BSW and MSW.
What can co-design contribute to Social Work with groups?
No full textIn this article, we present the basic features of co-design methodology and its application to group dynamics with the aim of broadening the theoretical debate in the field of social work with groups. In both self-help and goal-oriented groups, the group design and communication dynamics that emerge from within it are key elements to ensure their correct functioning and effectiveness. To this end, we propose ten recommendations for implementing co-design that could be useful in direct social work practice
Strength in Numbers: Findings from a National Survey of Groupwork and Irish Social Work Practice
No full textThis article presents findings from a national survey of social workers in Ireland in which information was gathered on social work practice with groups. This article sets out the background to the survey, a review of relevant literature, the methodologies employed to conduct the national survey, and a selective set of findings from the research. The analysis reveals that groupwork is used across all practice fields in Ireland and is more widely used than previously recognised