The emergence of post-structural approaches to social work has led to a more critical appraisal of the complex nature of relationships with people who are oppressed or marginalised and has contributed to a concerted effort to challenge reductionist understandings of professional relationships to better cope with the diversity and uniqueness of people's individual circumstances (Ruch, 2005). After teaching English around the world, she obtained her MSc in Social work from the University of Brighton in 2019. Many clients do not voluntarily enter into their relationship with a social worker, but have been legally obliged to participate. Under such conditions, it is easy to see how a model based on the principle of separation is attractive, as it is compatible with, and legitimates, what are often defensive responses that emerge in anxiety-provoking situations and when acting under pressure. Presented at BASW's Student Social Worker and NQSW Conference 30th June 2012. In addition, many social work profes- Not after a decade of austerity, which saw poverty skyrocket to 1.2 million up from 41,000 in 2010. in the form of the authority or the office. In attempting to reconceptualise the boundaries of professional social work practice, there are clearly tensions operating that need to be thoughtfully responded to. As the previous paragraph highlights, a distinctive feature of the model is its acknowledgment of the permeable and dynamic nature of professional boundaries. I explore the use of power and professional authority, value dilemmas resulting from my role as both a social work student and a youth justice worker, and deontological and teleological issues arising from tensions between professionals with differing objectives. Social work aims to encourage self-determination and promote social justice and the relationship between the social worker and the client is the starting point for realising these goals. I have travelled around the world with no fear that I would be singled out for my skin colour; my dad, on the other hand, is too fearful to travel to America for the fear of being attacked. By adopting a connected, inclusive, reflective and participatory approach to the creation of boundaries, it is possible for the visible and invisible, individual and structural dynamics and dimensions of professional relationships to be held in a creative tension. Boundaries have been used to avoid conflicts of interests and to prevent exploitation or harm (Reamer, 2003). This inquiry is guided by social constructivism and symbolic interactionism perspectives. Social Work: Critical Theory and Practice, Practising Critical Reflection: A Resource Handbook, Teaching culturally competent social work practice through black and white pedagogical partnerships, Political critique of Kantian ethics: A contribution to the debate between Webb and McBeath, and Downie, Moral sources and emergent ethical theories in social work, Social Work Theories in Context: Creating Frameworks for Practice, International Social Work: Professional Action in an Interdependent World, Hong Kong Social Workers Registration Board (HKSWRB), Relationship-based thinking and practice in social work, Dual relationships and professional boundaries, Lessons for social work from the medical model: A viewpoint for practice, Therapists benefits from conducting psychotherapy: The case of social workers'. As a professional, their power is developed from their expertise, knowledge and ascribed powers. Needless to say, practices that are unethical, discriminatory or exploitative can do much more harm than good. These are often referred to as dual relationships, where the community context for social workers requires both a professional relationship as well as social contact (e.g. They could differ according to place, time and culture. Social work theorists have used Foucauldian theory to question the role of the expert and the nature of truth in social work relationships and the potentially disempowering effects of such concepts (Hartman, 2000; Healy, 2005). This led to the young people creating a micro project that resulted in the installation of security lighting. As a response, advocates of traditional social work relationships assert that boundaries that separate professionals from their clients guard against professional misconduct and prevent unhealthy dependence or close emotional attachment (Reamer, 2003). This power imbalance can impede therapy when societal power dynamics, such as race, socioeconomic background, sexual orientation, and HIV status are taken into consideration. The noteworthy aspect of this reconceptualisation is that the boundary surrounds and connects the social worker and client, rather than separates the two parties. More specifically, when used ethically and effectively, the power differential offers people in therapy, students, supervisees, and patients some important assurances: Confidence in their . Given these organisational constraints, it is surprising that social work's definition and description of the social workerclient relationship have remained so vague. True All students should be aware that social work practice is made up of a network of power relationships and as a student you too are in an unequal power relationship with your practice educator - you are being assessed. But in other situations, a younger person may have more power. Given that social work is both a local and an international profession (Dominelli, 2010; Healy, 2001), the bounds of its relationships need to be reframed to accommodate the wide range of geographical, socio-political, economic and cultural differences it embraces. The term Social Graces, Rowland explained, is a mnemonic to help us remember some of the key features that influence personal and social identity (see figure 1), as developed by John Burhnham, Alison Roper-Hall and colleagues (1992). For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription. The presumption that rational objectivity is achieved through the creation of professional distance or separation suggests that, somehow, relationships can be managed in such a way as to preserve discrete professional boundaries. Although I thought I understood at that time, my experiences as a qualified social worker has further emphasised the importance, and recently, I've been reflecting on it a lot. When a power imbalance at work harms an individual, a therapist can help them devise strategies for asserting their own needs in a professional manner. Over time, common metaphors have evolved to describe the violation of professional boundaries such as crossing the line or blurring the boundaries and there seems to be a general consensus that social workers must put a boundary between themselves and the client. Essential Theory for Social Work Practice is an engaging and readable text, with a distinctively realistic and honest approach to the realities of everyday practice. Social workers often grapple with difficult professional and systemic power dynamics with both service users and the other professionals they encounter in multi-agency working. Power imbalance The term 'Social Graces', Rowland explained, is a mnemonic to help us remember some of the key features that influence personal and social identity (see figure 1), as developed by John Burhnham, Alison Roper-Hall and colleagues (1992). Clients are often viewed as the sole recipients in the social work relationship. At the root of the problem is a system that places the primary responsibility for enforcing anti-discrimination laws on individual workers . However, accepting the offer of an alcoholic drink may violate certain ethical assumptions. Nor does such a presumption reflect the importance that social work places on care and concern in relationships (Tsui and Cheung, 2004). Click the account icon in the top right to: Oxford Academic is home to a wide variety of products. (Reflective practice student ) Reflection is a state of mind, an ongoing constituent of practice, not a technique, or curriculum element. as part of their professional training (p. xiii). Do not use an Oxford Academic personal account. Think about it for a second. This paper examines the sources of power of workers and clients, and, by using a power-dependence perspective, it explores the consequences of power on social work practice. Based on the thinking of the sociologist, Derek Layder, it comprises five domains that impact on the . Where the potential for boundary breaches is heightened, for example, in the case of dual relationships in small communities, the model encourages the social worker and the client to acknowledge the risks and to focus on how they can manage their connections rather than on how they can maintain their distance. View your signed in personal account and access account management features. Ethnicity, class, disability or gender hinder their progress from the first millisecond of the race. In fact, Howe (1998) suggests that the way social workers understand their clients and work with them is the best demonstration of the profession's capacity to connect and unite. Power imbalances and the international development architecture Conceptual Framework Power can be defined as "the ability of human agency to exercise control over its social and physical environment"i. This stance challenges the dominant discourse in relation to boundary setting that has been historically defensive and protective in nature. The most glaring example of the latter in Danish memory is the Strandvnget case of 2007 (Kirkebk 2017)3. It is the professional responsibility of social workers to take the lead in the formation of an effective and ethical relationship, but the development of boundaries needs to include client participation. In addition, post-structural and feminist theorists have challenged the various epistemological assumptions of social work (Mandell, 2008). I explore the use of power and professional authority, value dilemmas resulting from my role as both a social work student and a youth justice worker, and deontological and teleological issues arising from tensions between professionals with differing objectives. To safeguard against such violations, the concept of professional boundaries is advocated, yet the construction of these boundaries is presented as if it is rudimentary for everyone. Whilst successful protocols would ensure transparency in social workers' dealings with clients, their creation does not incorporate client negotiation. Human suffering is ubiquitous. In doing so, it is far easier to identify (and work on) our own prejudice, or indeed on our own privilege. If you are a member of an institution with an active account, you may be able to access content in one of the following ways: Typically, access is provided across an institutional network to a range of IP addresses. This is seen as a necessary requirement to protect both parties, but these codes mention only what boundaries should be maintained; they pay very little attention to why and how boundaries are set. It is vital that . In this way, issues arising from individual intervention may see a client and social worker working together within the community to protest and develop community action. Registered in England & Wales No. The model offers a process for negotiating the relationship between social work researchers and clients. The traditional notions of boundaries separating clients from professionals do not encompass the complexities of the political and moral practice that social work encompasses, nor do they take account of the cultural diversity and the mutuality in social work relationships. Recent reconceptualisations of these approaches, however, have addressed these criticisms (Ruch, 2010). When Does Resilience Become Epistemic Injustice? Society member access to a journal is achieved in one of the following ways: Many societies offer single sign-on between the society website and Oxford Academic. One of the responses to managing these demands has been the construction of professional boundaries. For most of us, it is people, not spreadsheets, which ignite our desire to become social workers. Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine. This may invoke greater discussion with clients about how the relationship might differ from their experience with other professionals. This is important as it begins to deconstruct the power relationship between supervisor and social worker, and social worker and family members. For example, the British Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics (BASW, 2002, p.6) states that social workers have a duty to set and enforce explicit and appropriate professional boundaries. Whilst the ability to forge good interpersonal relationships is desirable, but often not essential for highly developed professions such as medicine and law, it is an absolute precondition of effective social work practice (Chu and Tsui, 2008; Chu et al., 2009; Proctor, 1982; Ward et al., 2010). Yet, the creation and management of the boundaries of the social work relationship have received little attention: these boundaries are usually assumed and are modelled on more general conceptions of professional boundaries. Contemporary social work theory already is aligned to the dynamic model that we have proposed. How to use the Graces as a time-pressed social worker. Topics discussed include: social work powers in working with children and families; the changing role child care social work and the crisis of confidence about the role; increasing policy shift towards social control; the tensions and contradictions inherent in the helping process; the role of social workers in the school environment; whether For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription. And what of power? This resonated with me on a number of levels; I only began to understand the self-centric nature of Western culture when I lived in Chile, where the first question asked to a stranger was not the typical What do you do for a living?, but Tell me about your family. I'm Angy. To purchase short-term access, please sign in to your personal account above. In order to be clear about how professional boundaries might most appropriately be configured, it is necessary to understand the nature of the professional social work relationship. It is the foundation for successful outcomes of intervention but is a skill that is difficult to exercise effectively. Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. This toolkit is meant for anyone who feels there is a lack of productive discourse around issues of diversity and the role of identity in social relationships, both on a micro (individual) and macro (communal) level. While the medical model has been heavily criticised by social work theorists (Tower, 1994; Warshaw, 1989), this approach remains influential in the formulation of boundaries in the social work relationship (Ramsay, 2003). There is a balance between recognising that some students will have had limited experience of working in organisations or with the particular service user group, so will be nervous and anxious, and assessing whether a student might not be appropriate for the team or agency. Clients often entrust very personal information and feelings in the process of the intervention. Unsurprisingly, boundary issues, in a variety of international contexts, are often difficult to negotiate. Choose one of the graces you are drawn toward. 1. To learn about our use of cookies and how you can manage your cookie settings, please see our Cookie Policy.
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