SWAP Perspectives on Northern Irish Futures – 10th April 2008

Practitioners as agents of change

Mark Baldwin (Dr)

Senior Lecturer in Social Work

University of Bath

Aims of presentation

Social Work in its political contextDefinitions of social workHistorical perspective on social work and its

relationship to social justiceSocial work in contemporary organisational

settingsNote the gap – how it is – how it ought to beWhat are the choices facing social work? If promoting human rights means resisting

social injustice – what are the opportunities?

International Federation of Social Workers – definition of social work

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.

International Federation of Social Workers – values for social work

Since its beginnings over a century ago, social work practice has focused on meeting

human needs and developing human potential. Human rights and social justice

serve as the motivation and justification for social work action. In solidarity with those

who are disadvantaged, the profession strives to alleviate poverty and to liberate

vulnerable and oppressed people in order to promote social inclusion.

Social work as political activity

Politics as the manipulation of power to control access to resources

Social work can be seen as an aspect of state power in this sense

Social workers are the gate-keepers to scarce welfare resources

Increasingly assessment is of eligibility not needs?

What about social work as social inclusion and social justice?

History of developments – change and continuity

1970s • Poverty, class, racism and gender

inequality• Multiculturalism• “Old” social work values (Perlman 1957)

• Radical social work (Bailey and Brake 1975; Corrigan and Leonard 1978)

• Community development (Gulbenkian 1968; Twelvetrees 1982/1991/2002)

History of developments – change and continuity

1980/90s• Thatcherism, individualism,

privatisation and managerialism• DipSW and the value requirements• Anti-racism (Dominelli 1988/97)

• Feminist social work (Langan and Day 1992)

• Social model of disability (Oliver and Sapey 1983/1999)

History of developments – change and continuity

1990/2000s• Continued and increasing poverty gap • Racism and mental health (Fernando 2002; Bhui

2002)• Legislation – Human Rights, Race Relations,

Disability Discrimination, Age, Sexuality, duty to promote equality (Dalrymple and Burke 2006)

• Service user involvement (Beresford and Croft 1993; Kemshall and Littlechild 2000)

• General Social Care Council registration and Codes of Practice

• New SW degree - but the loss of value requirements

Contemporary problems for social work practice

Quotation from Chris Jones (Ferguson Lavalette and Whitmore 2005)

Target culture and perverse incentives – e.g. rough sleeper initiative

ASBOs and the criminalising of young people Focus on employment and social inclusion – poverty

gap widens for the rest 15 million below the official poverty line – this is

where most service users are Poverty and health inequalities – differences in life

expectancy in Glasgow at postcode level, 25 yrs for men and 15 yrs for women (NHS Health Scotland, Community Health

Profiles 2005).

Contemporary problems for social work practice

1960s – Cathy come home – care for children because of homeless parents

2007 – care for asylum seekers’ children because immigration law makes them destitute

Social work and direct payments – empowerment or individualisation/fragmentation?

Personalisation - empowerment or consumers of welfare?

Choice and empowerment – the dissonance experienced by social workers and managers

Individual budgets and the RAS tool – resource-led assessment and the end of social work values?

Social work on the cusp

Definition - social justice and liberationRequirements of the Codes of Practice for social

workers and their employersSocial work in organisations increasingly requires

social workers and managers to assess eligibility and ration resources

Service ‘choice’ is often limited to for-profit day and residential services

At its worst social workers are torn between legislation concerning children and immigration legislation

Assessing immigration status before needs

Social Worker choice:

In the face of continued inequality and social injustice:

Accept the status quo – (SW as resource manager)

Work to alleviate problems caused by poverty and discrimination through current organisations. (SW as helper)

Resist the status quo both in outcome and organisation (SW as changing the world)

• 3 part model for social work practice (Payne 2002)

Is it true for you?

A rhetorical approach – but is there an element of truth in your experience?

Do you have examples of clashes between expected practice and your values?

Do you feel comfortable discussing them?

Opportunities for resistance

On two counts:One to maintain the critical edge to our

practice so we can be more effective operating in the political climate of social work

Secondly so that we can build some resistance to the worst excesses of contemporary social welfare organisation

Opportunities for resistance

LegislationCodes of PracticeRestatement of valuesCritical reflective practiceAnti-oppressive practicesService user involvement Collective action

Legislation

‘Race’ relations, disability, gender, age, sexuality, religion – all discrimination areas now covered by legislation

Promoting equalityImpact assessmentSpecifically - promoting the interests of

children and adults in the face of challenge to their human rights

Codes of Practice

Employers to implement and monitor policies on equal opportunities

Ensure employees and service users and carers know of the codes

SWs to protect the rights and promote the interests of users and carers

Promote independence - protect from harmUphold trust/confidence in social care

services

Restatement of values

VR1. Identify and question their own values and prejudices, and their implications for practice.

VR2. Respect and value uniqueness and diversity, and recognise and build on strengths.

VR3. Promote people’s rights to choice, privacy, confidentiality and protection, while recognising and addressing the complexities of competing rights and demands.

VR4. Assist people to increase control of and improve the quality of their lives, while recognising that control of behaviour will be required at times in order to protect children and adults from harm.

Restatement of values

VR5. Identify, analyse and take action to counter discrimination, racism, disadvantage, inequality and injustice, using strategies appropriate to role and function.

VR6. Practise in a manner that does not stigmatise or disadvantage either individuals, groups or communities.

VR7. Work in alliance with service users and carers to ensure that their rights and interests are taken into account when planning and carrying out social work practice.

Critical reflection

Critical approaches see knowledge as situated in social, economic and historical contexts (Fook 2002)

Knowledge is subjective and reflects power relationships

Critical reflection then challenges dominant knowledge and social relations

What effect do they have in the practice context? Identifying legitimate and non-legitimate power Important in SW where professionals habitually work

with people whose voice is excluded due to – e.g. homophobia, racism, ageism, disability, class.

E.G. people with learning difficulties and independent living

Theory for anti-oppressive practice (how we understand things determines how we deal with them)

Marxism - the nature of capitalist societies to create and recreate unequal relationships (Ferguson and Lavalette 2004).

Empowerment requires a theory of power Anti-racist perspectives: assimilation, multi-culturalism,

structuralist approaches, black perspectives Social model of disability, normalisation, ageism Feminist theory; patriarchy - political, social, cultural and

economic domination of women in their social relationships with men, who are the ones who are empowered by the same relationships.

Anti-sexist or feminist practice – one that builds relationships with women (and men) that acknowledge women’s strengths and promote their voice in controlling their lives. Also one that acknowledges the tendency for social work to intervene in the name of the public good in the private domestic sphere, which is often the domain of women. Turning around the oppressive nature of social work.

Generic anti-racist practice (Mark Baldwin (1996) White Anti-racism…. S.W.Ed V15 No1)

Needs-led, service user-focused assessmentCritical analysis of services - what assumptions

about service users are being made?Who defines need? Professionals? Managers?

Individual service users? The community?Communication in assessment require needs to

have been understood across cultural dividesUnderstand people's responses to oppression -

aggression, apathy - logical not pathological

Generic anti-racist practice

Acknowledge your power - legitimate?Enabling criticism of services -

complaints and representationsAcknowledge strengths and needsProcess and skills of decision-making -

service user involvement, multi-disciplinary assessment, networking with formal/informal connections

Generic anti-racist practice

Note the power of recordingUnderstand the organisation. Policy,

procedure, decision-making structures. What part do we play in the organisational ethos?

Monitoring and evaluation - key to practice development

Assessing the needs of (black) service users (Bandana Ahmad – 1990)

Do you critically examine your views of (black) families? How do you avoid negative stereotypes of (black)

families? How do you respond to (black) service users criticisms? How do you involve (black) families’ in assessments? Does your assessment distinguish between (black)

families’ problems and structural disadvantage? Is your assessment sensitive to the culture of (black)

families? Is your assessment restricted by your understanding of

resource shortfalls for (black) families?

Service user involvement

Rationale - consumerist or democratic? (Beresford and Croft 1994)

• Participation, meaning and ownershipTypes of involvement

• Routine feedback on assessment etc• (Self) advocacy – ‘speaking up’• Providing forums for ‘voice’• Ensuring a continuous process not just

‘events’

Ladder of Involvement

Level 5: Working together in a partnership of equals

Level 4: Collaboration

Level 3: Consulted and informed

Level 2: Tokenism

Level 1: Manipulated

Individualism and Collectivism

Individualism• Diversity and difference – important for practice• Choice, standards and quality assurance• Failing to note collective needs/interests • Failing to see individuals in their community • Fragmentation of ‘voice’ and opposition

Collectivism• At least seeing collective needs• Choice, quality and user involvement• Alliances reflecting mutual interests• Strength in unity - working together – what about the

Union?• Speaking truth to power

Tony Benn May 1991 BBC Radio 4

Who are you?What power do you have?Whom do you exercise it over?By what authority do you hold your

power?To whom are you accountable?How do we get rid of you?

Are these practices feasible for you?

Codes in practiceValues in your practiceCritical reflectionTheories for anti-oppressive practiceModels for practiceService user involvementCollective resistanceThinking about your power

Social Work: a profession worth fighting for?

Third Annual Conference at Liverpool Hope University (Everton Campus)

Friday and Saturday 12th and 13th September 2008

Social work and social justice: a manifesto for a new engaged practice

http://www.liv.ac.uk/sspsw/Social_Work_Manifesto.html

Contact details

Mark Baldwin• 01225 385824• m.j.baldwin@bath.ac.uk• Department of Social and Policy Sciences

University of Bath

Claverton Down

Bath

BA2 7AY