What is Social Work and why is it necessary?
This is not the long story. For social work has evolved from the beginings of mankind. While there is little written about the social efforts of nomadic society, I would imagine, even pre - Mesopotamia, man kind was trying to solve what it considered to be unnecessary suffering and injustice.
What is Social Work?
Social work is based upon the societal ideal of addressing the problems of poverty and inequality.
As early as 580 AD there are confirmed examples of charitable circulatory systems for redistribution of goods to the poor. Monasteries and churches have long since run their own community based social work agencies. From medical care, elderly care homes, orphanages and beyond.
For most of civilisation there has always been social work. For most of history, it has been fairly self regulatory as charity has been promoted and endorsed as a duty and a virtue.
It was the emergence of the industrial revolution and urbanization, when families and communities experienced great social changes that the system of church and family support was replaced by social welfare services. Coincidentally, this arose alongside compulsory education.
As the war on poverty grew, so too did the expectation placed upon the government to find a way to solve the problems that plagued the less fortunate and in response the governing bodies have taken more and more upon themselves in replacement of private bodies.
In the last century and half social work has changed, and it is notable that it has changed frequently and rapidly within that period. Government organised social work may be the most rapidly changing and variable of all the examples of social work in history.
Currently the International Federation of Social Workers says -
Why is social work necessary?
Social work is about protecting the most vulnerable members of society. It acknowledges that at any time, we need to invest effort in bringing increased equality. We must always continue to care for those in need. It recognises that there are those who suffer great injustice, whose lives are in serious risk and they need help.
Social work has the advantage of having greater resources, than the public, from which it can draw upon and creatively work to achieve better outcomes for those experiencing trauma, poverty, disability and family break down.
For a child who is genuinely abused and severely maltreated, social work is a lifeline that can change their world. Provide them with a place of safety, and should give them the full support to heal and achieve their potential.
For a child with disbility, social work can bring together services to ensure their lives are comfortable and rewarding.
For the elderly, social work can ensure they have the ability to remain independant and have the tools to live their lives safely.
My Concerns
Nonetheless, modern social work is heavily critisized, and in some ways it has absolutely earned it.
As the numbers of children in care soar and the social work system cries out that it is in crisis for the 5th year in a row, it is clear things are not working. High staff turn over, public views are very dim, and a back broken system is failing to meet the needs of its most vulnerable.
Alongside austerity measures, social work can seem almost like the government is punshing it's most vulnerable for their difficulty in surviving the previously inflicted punishments.
For many vulnerable people: children, adults and elderly, the resources to actually give them proper support, quality care and the services and therapy to heal and grow, are not being provided. Taking someone away for their familiar and their own, to be given poor care and no additional support, is not an advantage.
My next concern would be that promoting social change is as unavoidable as changing fashion. However, this is not always done well, nor is it always reflected upon as having been a positive change. We need to be careful when the head gardener (to use the insidious government named person metaphor) tends the garden that he does not rip out perceived weeds that were full filling a useful role. Some flowers may look like weeds and the integrity of the soil may have been reliant upon those plants. Equally, gardens are healthiest when they are diverse, and this needs to be reflected in the measures introduced.
Personally, I find the theory based approach slightly concerning, as theories change, and theories are disproven, and it would seem in application that theories sometimes are used not to protect and support human rights, but to over ride them. Theories are good, but medicine shows us daily how very unique people and their problems can be.
From the theory that supported segregation, to the magdalene laundries, to the medical child protection reports of Professor Meadows -There are countless theories that have been popular, accepted and implemented, and have had devastating effect.
I am not trying to suggest theories are without merit, but that we must take a personal approach in all cases, or we loose humanity and risk creating atrocity.
Last, but not least, we have a profession riddled with fear or persecution. The entire profession is so terrified of getting it wrong, they are doing more harm than good in some cases. There has to be a social acceptance of the role the media and the scaremongering of the public that is driving this problem. One social worker expressed to me that if he had to put 100 families through the extensive and traumatic investigation process, if he had to remove 100 children from their families to save just 1 child, he would do so. That is a lot of unneccessary harm. That is a lot of trauma.
He who fights monsters must see to it that in so doing he does not himself become the monster.
We as a society, must not abuse those that fight to protect us. Backing them into a corner, where they have become so abused, they can no longer determine friend or foe. Where they feel so certain that they are damned either way, they no longer feel they have the ability to work together or take a risk.
So, what are your views on Social Work?
Have I gotten this wrong?
The one thing I am sure of, is that we must work together to ensure that our most vulnerable are protected, our children are safe and that SUPPORT is the priority. That support and charity remain the foundation of social work.
What is Social Work?
Social work is based upon the societal ideal of addressing the problems of poverty and inequality.
As early as 580 AD there are confirmed examples of charitable circulatory systems for redistribution of goods to the poor. Monasteries and churches have long since run their own community based social work agencies. From medical care, elderly care homes, orphanages and beyond.
For most of civilisation there has always been social work. For most of history, it has been fairly self regulatory as charity has been promoted and endorsed as a duty and a virtue.
It was the emergence of the industrial revolution and urbanization, when families and communities experienced great social changes that the system of church and family support was replaced by social welfare services. Coincidentally, this arose alongside compulsory education.
As the war on poverty grew, so too did the expectation placed upon the government to find a way to solve the problems that plagued the less fortunate and in response the governing bodies have taken more and more upon themselves in replacement of private bodies.
In the last century and half social work has changed, and it is notable that it has changed frequently and rapidly within that period. Government organised social work may be the most rapidly changing and variable of all the examples of social work in history.
Currently the International Federation of Social Workers says -
"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."
Why is social work necessary?
Social work is about protecting the most vulnerable members of society. It acknowledges that at any time, we need to invest effort in bringing increased equality. We must always continue to care for those in need. It recognises that there are those who suffer great injustice, whose lives are in serious risk and they need help.
Social work has the advantage of having greater resources, than the public, from which it can draw upon and creatively work to achieve better outcomes for those experiencing trauma, poverty, disability and family break down.
For a child who is genuinely abused and severely maltreated, social work is a lifeline that can change their world. Provide them with a place of safety, and should give them the full support to heal and achieve their potential.
For a child with disbility, social work can bring together services to ensure their lives are comfortable and rewarding.
For the elderly, social work can ensure they have the ability to remain independant and have the tools to live their lives safely.
My Concerns
Nonetheless, modern social work is heavily critisized, and in some ways it has absolutely earned it.
As the numbers of children in care soar and the social work system cries out that it is in crisis for the 5th year in a row, it is clear things are not working. High staff turn over, public views are very dim, and a back broken system is failing to meet the needs of its most vulnerable.
Alongside austerity measures, social work can seem almost like the government is punshing it's most vulnerable for their difficulty in surviving the previously inflicted punishments.
For many vulnerable people: children, adults and elderly, the resources to actually give them proper support, quality care and the services and therapy to heal and grow, are not being provided. Taking someone away for their familiar and their own, to be given poor care and no additional support, is not an advantage.
My next concern would be that promoting social change is as unavoidable as changing fashion. However, this is not always done well, nor is it always reflected upon as having been a positive change. We need to be careful when the head gardener (to use the insidious government named person metaphor) tends the garden that he does not rip out perceived weeds that were full filling a useful role. Some flowers may look like weeds and the integrity of the soil may have been reliant upon those plants. Equally, gardens are healthiest when they are diverse, and this needs to be reflected in the measures introduced.
Personally, I find the theory based approach slightly concerning, as theories change, and theories are disproven, and it would seem in application that theories sometimes are used not to protect and support human rights, but to over ride them. Theories are good, but medicine shows us daily how very unique people and their problems can be.
From the theory that supported segregation, to the magdalene laundries, to the medical child protection reports of Professor Meadows -There are countless theories that have been popular, accepted and implemented, and have had devastating effect.
I am not trying to suggest theories are without merit, but that we must take a personal approach in all cases, or we loose humanity and risk creating atrocity.
Last, but not least, we have a profession riddled with fear or persecution. The entire profession is so terrified of getting it wrong, they are doing more harm than good in some cases. There has to be a social acceptance of the role the media and the scaremongering of the public that is driving this problem. One social worker expressed to me that if he had to put 100 families through the extensive and traumatic investigation process, if he had to remove 100 children from their families to save just 1 child, he would do so. That is a lot of unneccessary harm. That is a lot of trauma.
He who fights monsters must see to it that in so doing he does not himself become the monster.
We as a society, must not abuse those that fight to protect us. Backing them into a corner, where they have become so abused, they can no longer determine friend or foe. Where they feel so certain that they are damned either way, they no longer feel they have the ability to work together or take a risk.
So, what are your views on Social Work?
Have I gotten this wrong?
The one thing I am sure of, is that we must work together to ensure that our most vulnerable are protected, our children are safe and that SUPPORT is the priority. That support and charity remain the foundation of social work.
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