Empowering Social Workers: Virtuous Practitioners

212 Pages·2017·1.88 MB·English

by  Manohar Pawar

Manohar Pawar
Richard Hugman
Andrew Alexandra
A.W. (Bill) Anscombe Editors
Empowering
Social Workers
Virtuous Practitioners
Empowering Social Workers
Manohar Pawar Richard Hugman
(cid:129)
Andrew Alexandra A.W. (Bill) Anscombe
(cid:129)
Editors
Empowering Social Workers
Virtuous Practitioners
123
Editors
ManoharPawar AndrewAlexandra
Schoolof Humanities andSocial Sciences Department ofPhilosophy
CharlesSturt University TheUniversity of Melbourne
WaggaWagga,NSW Parkville, VIC
Australia Australia
Richard Hugman A.W. (Bill)Anscombe
Schoolof Social Sciences Schoolof Humanities andSocial Sciences
University of NewSouthWales CharlesSturt University
Sydney,NSW WaggaWagga,NSW
Australia Australia
ISBN978-981-10-3808-2 ISBN978-981-10-3809-9 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-981-10-3809-9
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2017930406
©SpringerScience+BusinessMediaSingapore2017
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Acknowledgements
We have greatly enjoyed researching social workers’ practice and have learned a
good deal from the insightful and inspiring life stories, qualities and practice
wisdom of the practitioners presented in this book. For frankly sharing their per-
sonal and professional life experiences, we immensely thank ten social workers
whokindlyagreedtoparticipateintheproject,whichrequiredlonganddemanding
interviews. We specially invited six colleagues, whose names appear at the head
of their respective chapters, to join us in conducting interviews and co-authoring
chapters with us, and we really appreciate their time for this research project.
In addition to all authors, we invited Prof. Tom Campbell, Prof. Mel Gray, Dr.
Graeme McLean, Dr. Rose Melville and Mr. Arif Rehman to participate in a
two-day workshop to thoroughly discuss each chapter and, based on that high
quality discussion, the writing was further refined. We are grateful for their gen-
erosityinprovidingtheirtimeandthoughts.WealsothankMs.NarrelleIngoldfor
heroutstandingassistanceinorganisingtheworkshopandMs.NikkiScottandMs.
Debra Noy from the Institute for Land, Water and Society for providing excellent
administrative assistance. We thank Ms. Heather Kelly for editing the final
manuscript.
ThisresearchwassupportedundertheAustralianResearchCouncil’sDiscovery
Project funding scheme (DP140103730; project title, Virtuous Practitioners:
Empowering Social Workers) and we are grateful to all those who have offered
comments and suggestions on the grant application, and contributed to this deci-
sion. We are also grateful to Charles Sturt University’s Human Research Ethics
Committee for approving the research proposal (protocol no: 2014/057).
v
vi Acknowledgements
We would also like to thank peer reviewers of the book proposal. At Springer,
we greatly appreciate the work of Ms. Ilaria Walker, Mr. Nick Melchior and their
teaminfacilitatingthecommissioningprocessandtheircommitmenttopublishing
it.ThanksalsotoRomanMr.AshokKadamforhisefficientcopyeditingandtoMr.
Henry Pravin Arokiaraj for successfully managing the production of the book in a
professional and friendly manner.
In essence, this book is a product of excellent teamwork. However, for any
shortcomings and limitations in it, we are responsible.
Manohar Pawar
Richard Hugman
Andrew Alexandra
A.W. (Bill) Anscombe
Contents
1 Introduction—The Role of Virtues in Social Work Practice .. .... 1
Manohar Pawar, Richard Hugman, Andrew Alexandra
and A.W. (Bill) Anscombe
2 Voice to the Voiceless—Sue Ash, AO.... .... .... .... ..... .... 17
Christina Fernandes and Richard Hugman
3 But You Can Push and Push and Push—Diana Batzias ..... .... 37
Manohar Pawar
4 Empower People to Take Control of Their Own Lives—Tom
Calma, AO.... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 53
Andrew Alexandra and Manohar Pawar
5 Respect and Integrity—John Gavaghan . .... .... .... ..... .... 77
A.W. (Bill) Anscombe and Emma Rush
6 What Can We Do to Make Changes?—Virginia (Ginni)
Hall, AO.. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 87
Emma Rush and A.W. (Bill) Anscombe
7 A People World, Rather Than a Paper
World—Bronwyn Hyde . ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 101
Manohar Pawar and Wendy Bowles
8 ICannotGiveup,ICannotGiveupontheChildren—Bernadette
McMenamin, AO... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 123
Manohar Pawar and Linda Briskman
9 You Roll up Your Sleeves and You Help, and Work
with People—Robyn Miller.... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 139
Manohar Pawar and Sharlene Nipperess
vii
viii Contents
10 Hunger for Movement and Action—Sue Vardon, AO .. ..... .... 157
Manohar Pawar and Sue King
11 What You Know Plays Out in Action—Jill Wilson, AO ..... .... 179
A.W. (Bill) Anscombe
12 Virtue-Led Social Work Practice... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 193
Manohar Pawar, Richard Hugman, Andrew Alexandra
and A.W. (Bill) Anscombe
Editors and Contributors
About the Editors
Manohar Pawar is Professor of Social Work at the School of Humanities and
Social Sciences, Charles Sturt University and is the President of the Asia-Pacific
branch of the International Consortium for Social Development. He has over 30
yearsofexperienceinsocialworkeducation,researchandpracticeinAustraliaand
India. He is the lead chief investigator of research funded by the Australian
Research Council’s Discovery project that focuses on virtues and social work
practice. Manohar has received a number of awards, including Citation Award for
OutstandingContributionstoStudentLearning(2008,fromtheAustralianLearning
and Teaching Council); and Quality ofLifeAward (2001, from the Association of
Commonwealth Universities). His interests and recent publications include Future
Directions in Social Development (Palgrave Macmillan 2017); Reflective Social
Work Practice: Thinking, doing and being (Cambridge University Press 2015);
Water and Social Policy (Palgrave Macmillan 2014); Social and Community
Development Practice (Sage 2014); International Social Work: Issues, strategies
and programs (2nd edition, Sage 2013); and Sage Handbook of International
Social Work (Ed., Sage 2012).
RichardHugman iscurrently Professor of Social Work attheUniversity ofNew
South Wales and has practised, taught and researched in Australia and the United
Kingdom.From2002to2008,hewasamemberoftheInternationalFederationof
Social Workers ethics committee and subsequently chaired the committee from
2008to2014.Richardhaspublishedwidelyonethics,includingRethinkingValues
andEthics inSocial Work(PalgraveMacmillan 2016); Culture,Values andEthics
inSocialWork:Embracingdiversity(Routledge2013);NewApproachesforEthics
for the Caring Professions (Palgrave Macmillan 2005).
ix
x EditorsandContributors
AndrewAlexandra isSeniorResearchFellowintheAustralianResearchCouncil
SpecialResearchCentreforAppliedPhilosophyandPublicEthicsattheUniversity
of Melbourne, with research and teaching interests in political philosophy and
professionalandappliedethics.Amonghismanypublicationsintheseareasarehis
co-authored books Reason, Values and Institutions (Tertiary Press 2002), Police
Ethics(Allen&Unwin2ndedition2006),EthicsinPractice:Moraltheoryandthe
professions (UNSW Press 2009), Integrity Systems for Occupations (Ashgate
2010), and Media, Markets, and Morcals (Wiley-Blackwell 2011), and his
co-edited book, Private Military and Security Companies: Ethics, policies and
civil-militaryrelations(Routledge2008).Andrewhasengagedinconsultanciesand
collaborative research projects with a range of professional groups, including the
Australian Association of Social Workers, Victoria Police, the Safety Institute of
Australia, the Consumers Health Forum, the Professional Standards Council (New
South Wales) and the Australian Anthropological Society.
A.W. (Bill) Anscombe is Adjunct Associate Professor of Social Work at Charles
SturtUniversity(CSU).Priortoretiring,hehad21yearsatCSUandbeforethat20
yearsinCorrections,whereheheldtraineetoseniormanagementpositions.Hewas
seconded from the university to be the Director for Child Protection (Western) as
part of the then New South Wales Department of Community Services, with
responsibility for 70% of the state geographically. He also operated in a joint
appointmentbetweenCSUandtheDepartmentofCommunityServicesfor4years.
He is currently a voluntary director of four not-for-profit small/medium human
service companies or associations. He has an active, committed Christian faith.
Bill’s research interests and projects have been broad, including in the areas of
Indigenous housing and governance, multicultural Australia, rural social services
and numerous service evaluations. His doctoral studies were on “Consilience in
socialwork:Reflectionsonthinking,doingandbeing”.Hismostrecentpublication
is Reflective Social Work Practice: Thinking, doing and being (Cambridge
University Press 2015).
Contributors
Wendy Bowles is Professor of Social Work and Human Services at Charles Sturt
UniversityandActingHeadofSchoolofHumanitiesandSocialSciences.Wendy’s
mainpracticeareaandherPh.D.researchareinthedisabilityfieldandprofessional
practice, working from citizenship and relational perspectives. Her teaching and
research interests also include professional practice, ethics, eco-social work, field
educationandruralpractice.Wendyisco-authoroftwobooks:ResearchforSocial
Workers: An introduction to methods (3rd edition, Allen & Unwin 2012) and
Ethical Practice in Social Work (Allen & Unwin 2006). She has published
numerous book chapters and refereed journal papers, enjoys working with and
supervising research students and practitioners, and has participated in several