Understanding and Using Theory in Social Work (Transforming Social Work Practice)

146 Pages·2008·3.49 MB·English

by  Juliette Oko

Understanding and
Using Theory in
Social Work
Transforming Social Work Practice – titles in the series
Applied Psychology for Social Work ISBN-13 978 1 84445 071 8
Collaborative Social Work Practice ISBN-13 978 1 84445 014 5
Communication and Interpersonal Skills in Social Work ISBN-13 978 1 84445 019 0
Courtroom Skills for Social Workers ISBN-13 978 1 84445 123 4
Effective Practice Learning in Social Work ISBN-13 978 1 84445 015 2
Groupwork Practice in Social Work ISBN-13 978 1 84445 086 2
Introducing International Social Work ISBN-13 978 1 84445 132 6
Loss and Social Work ISBN-13 978 1 84445 088 6
Management and Organisations in Social Work ISBN-13 978 1 84445 044 2
New Directions in Social Work Practice ISBN-13 978 1 84445 079 4
Practical Computer Skills for Social Work ISBN-13 978 1 84445 031 2
Proactive Child Protection and Social Work ISBN-13 978 1 84445 131 9
Reflective Practice in Social Work ISBN-13 978 1 84445 082 4
Research Skills for Social Work ISBN-13 978 1 84445 179 1
Safeguarding Adults ISBN-13 978 1 84445 148 7
Service User and Carer Participation in Social Work iSBN-13 978 1 84445 074 9
Sexuality and Social Work ISBN-13 978 1 84445 085 5
Social Work and Human Development (second edition) ISBN-13 978 1 84445 112 8
Social Work and Mental Health (third edition) ISBN-13 978 1 84445 154 8
Social Work and Mental Health in Scotland ISBN-13 978 1 84445 130 2
Social Work in Education and Children’s Services ISBN-13 978 1 84445 045 9
Social Work Practice: Assessment, Planning, Intervention
and Review (second edition) ISBN-13 978 1 84445 113 5
Social Work with Children and Families (second edition) ISBN-13 978 1 84445 144 9
Social Work with Children, Young People and their Families
in Scotland (second edition) ISBN-13 978 1 84445 156 2
Social Work with Drug and Substance Misusers ISBN-13 978 1 84445 058 9
Social Work with Looked After Children ISBN-13 978 1 84445 103 6
Social Work with Older People (second edition) ISBN-13 978 1 84445 155 5
Social Work with People with Learning Difficulties ISBN-13 978 1 84445 042 8
Sociology and Social Work ISBN-13 978 1 84445 087 9
Studying for your Social Work Degree ISBN-13 978 1 84445 174 6
Thriving and Surviving in Social Work ISBN-13 978 1 84445 080 0
Using the Law in Social Work (third edition) ISBN-13 978 1 84445 114 2
Values and Ethics in Social Work ISBN-13 978 1 84445 067 1
What is Social Work? Context and Perspectives
(second edition) ISBN-13 978 1 84445 055 1
Youth Justice and Social Work ISBN-13 978 1 84445 066 4
To order, please contact our distributor: BEBC Distribution, Albion Close, Parkstone, Poole,
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Understanding
and Using Theory
in Social Work
JULIETTE OKO
Series Editors: Jonathan Parker and Greta Bradley
First published in 2008 by Learning Matters Ltd
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording,
or otherwise, without prior permission in writing from Learning Matters.
ß 2008 Juliette Oko
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 978 1 84445 139 5
The right of Juliette Oko to be identified as the Author of this Work has been asserted by her in
accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
Cover and text design by Code 5 Design Associates Ltd
Project management by Deer Park Productions, Tavistock
Typeset by PDQ Typesetting Ltd
Printed and bound in Great Britain by Cromwell Press Ltd, Trowbridge, Wiltshire
Learning Matters Ltd
33 Southernhay East
Exeter EX1 1NX
Tel: [phone]
Contents
Introduction vii
1 Introduction to understanding social work theory 1
2 The relationship between theory and practice in
social work 16
3 Values and ethics in social work 39
4 Social work and its organisational context 66
5 Putting theory into practice 93
Conclusion 119
Glossary 121
References 127
Index 133
v
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Dedication
To my parents and Evie
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Introduction
Understanding and using theory in social work is written for student social workers
who are beginning to develop their skills and understanding of the requirements for
practice. While it is primarily aimed at students in their first year or level of study, it
will be useful for subsequent years depending on how your programme is designed,
what you are studying and especially as you move into practice learning. The book will
also appeal to people considering a career in social work or social care but not yet
studying for a social work degree. It will assist students undertaking a range of social
and health care courses in further education. Nurses, occupational therapists and
other health and social care professionals will be able to gain an insight into the
new requirements demanded of social workers. Experienced and qualified social work-
ers, especially those contributing to practice learning, will also be able to use this book
for consultation, teaching, revision and to gain an insight into the expectations raised
by the qualifying degree in social work.
Requirements for social work education
Social work education has undergone a major transformation to ensure that qualified
social workers are educated to honours degree level and develop knowledge, skills
and values which are common and shared. A vision for social work operating in
complex human situations has been adopted. This is reflected in the following defini-
tion from the International Association of Schools of Social Work and International
Federation of Social Workers (2001):
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.
While there is a great deal packed into this short and pithy definition it encapsulates
the notion that social work concerns individual people and wider society. Social work-
ers practise with people who are vulnerable, who are struggling in some way to
participate fully in society. Social workers walk that tightrope between the margin-
alised individual and the social and political environment that may have contributed
to their marginalisation.
Social workers need to be highly skilled and knowledgeable to work effectively in this
context. In 2002, the then Minister for Health, Jacqui Smith, was keen for social work
education and practice to improve. In order to improve the quality of both these
aspects of professional social work, it is crucial that you, as a student social worker,
ix