As a professional, their power is developed from their expertise, knowledge and ascribed powers. 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. Some uses of power in social work not only demonstrate bad practice, but also are regarded as immoral and illegal. Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members. 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. I have always been referred to by my first name at work; my dad, on the other hand, has been called by racist nicknames which have stuck. Within the fields of family therapy and counselling, Bird (2000) and O'Leary (2004) have suggested an alternative model for professional boundaries. Think about it for a second. The book then elaborates further on the various ways that power relations manifest and present in clients seeking care across human services settings. This places accountability on the stronger party to act ethically such that they don't take unfair advantage of their position. . This will have a substantial influence on intervention outcomes. Enter your library card number to sign in. No. If the tendons in one finger are strained, and it becomes less mobile, there is likely to be an impact on the others. Rate the graces on a linear scale of 1-10, 1 being that they impact you only a little, 10 being that they impact you significantly. And few can, no matter the amount of hard-work, realistically, close that gap. Cultural competence in social work practice refers to the fact that social workers: Should develop behaviors, knowledge, skills, and attitudes to work effectively across cultures False Institutional services focus on addressing the current problems that people face in their lives. As human beings, we feed off the energy and discourse of others. Essay, Pages 18 (4426 words) Views. in the form of the authority or the office. The following are illustrative examples. It is intended that this resource will generate ethical dialogue and enhance critical thinking on issues that impact social work practice. Whilst these various approaches are important developments in the theorising of social work practice, they do not focus on how the social work relationship and its boundaries are constructed and maintained. Deciding how to establish, on the spot, for example, an appropriate professional boundary when unexpectedly encountering a male partner in the course of a home visit to conduct a child protection assessment is such an instance. The Social Graces is one of the tools which can help us to achieve this. This inquiry is guided by social constructivism and symbolic interactionism perspectives. With the main mission of social workers being the enhancement of well-being and helping to satisfy fundamental human needs of persons who are poor, vulnerable, and oppressed, they can improve their practice effectiveness significantly by understanding and becoming sensitive to cultural diversity and uniqueness. A definition of the specific nature and boundaries of the social work relationship is absent in social work literature (Chu et al., 2009; Coady, 1993; Petr, 1983; Proctor, 1982). Copyright 2023 National Association of Social Workers. Social workers rely on power of expertise, which is derived from their access to and command of specialized knowledge. Register, Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. The Yo-Yo Effect: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Social Workers Experiences with Job Flexibility during the Pandemic, Social Workers Perspectives on Extreme Risk Protection Orders, Am I the Only One Who Feels Like This?: Needs Expressed Online by Abortion Seekers, About the National Association of Social Workers, Subscription prices and ordering for this journal, Purchasing options for books and journals across Oxford Academic, Receive exclusive offers and updates from Oxford Academic. . As Chu et al. We need tangible tools we can use to fight against prejudice, to acknowledge privilege, and to redistribute power. In particular, these dynamics are associated with the significance of gender and ethnicity on professional relationships, with female social workers, for example, establishing boundaries with male clients that are informed by their own early and recent experiences of men in their lives and vice versa for male social workers. Leah McComb graduated with a BSc in History from the University of Texas at Tyler. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide, This PDF is available to Subscribers Only. The boundaries stipulated in the social work code of ethics and literature are referenced as if they possess a universal meaning. 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. Professional boundaries: Crossing a line or entering the shadows? This intermediate self-study activity consists of 1.0 clock hours of continuing education instruction. 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. But there is something inherently problematic about labelling and stigmatising. To complicate matters further, consideration must be given to variables such as gender, class, culture and sexuality that shape the complex dynamic of the social work relationship. But just because I might conform to privilege, it doesnt mean Ive had it easy. Power imbalances exist in a social setting, that is, when there are asymmetrical relations of power among persons, institutions or states. No matter what platitudes we learn about equality and diversity at school, or in the workplace, it is clear that not everyone begins the marathon of life on the same footing. The aspects of relationships identified in the central circle of the model are crucial ingredients of all relationships and will be specifically negotiated in each unique case. Search for other works by this author on: You do not currently have access to this article. The study of ways that professional power is perceived in social work practice is limited. I was always encouraged to achieve my full potential at school; my dad wasnt, and was bullied and humiliated by teachers. Our proposed model acknowledges that social workers bring particular expertise to the relationship. The model outlined here draws on and adapts these ideas to reconceptualise professional boundaries in social work. In a similar vein, social work practice needs to be premised on the principle of connection within professional relationships, recognising that how this is negotiated will be unique to individuals and their social, political and cultural settings. Registered in England & Wales No. There are numerous contested terms (client, service user, consumer) used to describe the people with whom social workers work. These disciplinary practices are ways by which power is exercised throughout society, often manifesting in social relationship. There is room for reflection and correction. Building a Research Community to Bring Evidence into Practice: Case Study, Safeguarding Young People beyond the Family Home: Responding to Extra-Familial Risks and Harms, Carlene Firmin, Michelle Lefevre, Nathalie Huegler and Delphine Peace, The Philosophical Foundations of Social WorkSecond Edition, Frederic G. Reamer, Problematising Fused Principles in Discourses of Preventative Social Care: Interpreting the Implementation of National Social Services Legislation in Wales, UK, Social Exclusion in the UKThe Lived Experience, Edited by Mel Hughes, About the British Association of Social Workers. not give sufficient attention to asymmetrical power imbalances between actors nor the structural contradictions curtailing the expression of individualized . Erin Roark Murphy, LMSW, Understanding Power: An Imperative for Human Services, Social Work, Volume 62, Issue 4, October 2017, Pages 373375, https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/swx039. It is argued that, in most instances, the effectiveness of social work . Ethnicity, class, disability or gender hinder their progress from the first millisecond of the race. In all professional relationships, there are power imbalances and the potential for discrimination and exploitation. 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). This paper examines professional boundaries and presents an alternative conceptualisation of boundaries in social work relationships. Cultural differences, leading to disparities in moral and political outlooks, further complicate the relationship. This can be the state, which socially legitimizes the power, or directly the client, who gives power through . Uncertainties are likely to arise in social work relationships that will require social workers to reflect on the viability of the boundaries in place. This model attempts to capture a more authentic representation of social work relationships. The graces in the figure about are not an exhaustive list, and can be adapted. Practice ways to reduce stress and increase mindfulness, such as meditation, yoga, or . Anti-Oppressive Practice in Mental Health. This is particularly important in non-Western societies such as the Middle East and Africa, where professional socialisation may create barriers to social work practice (Al-Krenawi and Graham, 2001). Or a supervisor/supervisee. Social work seeks to address social injustice by challenging the processes of discrimination and oppression which create barriers to inclusion and lead to social exclusion; it seeks to address power imbalances and to empower people to develop and connect to networks and services to improve health and well-being. the key learning areas - SOCIAL WORK Learning Area 1: Values, Ethics and Professionalism I aim to be accountable for my actions demonstrating that the values of social work are integral to my practice and that I uphold ethical and professional responsibilities. To assist this, social work education needs to embrace the concept of connection as an integral dimension of social work values. Originally, the pneumonic was arranged as disgraces to highlight the fact that such inequalities were disgraceful, but it was feared this could be rather off-putting. In this case, it is possible that the client becomes the main actor. 2 - page 7 A Relational Approach to Practice: An Ethical Alternative to Working With Parents in Out-of-Home Care Processes have had their children removed are an important stakeholder group involved in out-of-home care processes. Further developments in humanistic psychology and structuralism have led to the introduction of client-centred approaches (Rogers, 1980) and the systems approach to social work represents an attempt to combine these different perspectives (Petr, 1983). Facilitate a constructive discussion on power conflicts and imbalances in placement settings. In Hong Kong, senior citizens in elderly homes often give red envelopes of money to young front line social workers in Chinese New Year because they regard social workers as friends of the younger generation. Additional complexity is generated by the inherent tensions, both ethical and political, that social work embodies, such as self-determination versus social control and differences in the epistemological outlooks of the social workers themselves. To avoid falling into such traps, our reconceptualisation of professional boundaries takes into account the broad spectrum of contemporary theoretical influences. Recent serious cases, such as Baby Peter Connelly, have highlighted the importance of close, yet purposeful, relationships and the crucial role they can play in a child's safety or even survival. Codes of ethics for professional bodies refer to boundaries but place the power of boundary setting with the social worker and simultaneously do not offer guidance as to how boundaries can be set, other than clearly situating obvious boundary violations such as sexual relations as unethical. This is also an exercise which can be done with service users, both adults and children, to learn more about the way in which they see the world. Such a stance underestimates the place of inter-subjectivity and unconscious dynamics inherent in all relationships (Ruch, 2010). 's (2008) research in the field of palliative care highlighted how clients most valued the friendship of their social workers and underlines how important the use of self is for effective practice. 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. Clients have no role, or a very minimal role, in the formulation of these professional codes of ethics even though they are the group most affected. 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. When applied to social work practice, Marxist theory offers several implications. Integral to these traditional models are professional boundaries that separate the professional from the client and concentrate on what the boundary is, rather than why it is needed and how it is created. Power hierarchies can create an imbalance in patient-provider relationships. View your signed in personal account and access account management features. 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. Through a reflection into parallel practice, power, control, boundaries, and responsibilities, this paper emphasizes the significance of Self in supervisory moments to effectively engage in competent supervision. One of the responses to managing these demands has been the construction of professional boundaries. Psycho-dynamic and post-structuralist perspectives conceive the social work relationship as a process in which both clients and workers are affected by developments and clients observe that social workers have a greater emotional influence when they are truly present and understood. The findings of research conducted with families engaged in the child protection system endorse the importance of transparency and reciprocity in the boundary-setting process. Keywords co-operative power emancipatory practice empowerment oppression power Over recent years, a dening feature of social work has been a concern with issues of power, particularly in relation to processes of oppression and empowerment (Adams, 1996; Karban and Trotter, 2000). Implications for social work research, education and practice are also examined. There are many seminal texts that are intended to guide practitioners through the ethical quandaries that can arise within the domain of professional practice (Banks, 2006; Loewenberg et al., 2000). The briefing identifies empirical studies that report on the association between the process of supervision and outcomes for service users, workers and organisations. Its focus must encompass both the individual therapeutic purpose and the collective consciousness to bring about both individual well-being and social change. 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. Authority Moreover, the model itself requires research to evaluate its effectiveness in order to refine the methods for negotiating relationships in specific contexts. The Social Graces challenge the idea of a fixed personality. Anti-Oppressive Practice primarily traces its roots back to the realm of social work where it has been applied at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels in order to do things like mitigate power imbalances between social workers and their clients as well as the power imbalance between their clients and society at large. As well as recognising power issues and imbalances, as the social worker l would also need to undertake a risk assessment. 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. There is no question that the coronavirus has widened the schism between the rich and the poor. This includes a common understanding of the reasons for the relationship. It is important to translate this 'competence' into professional practice, so that all social groups are treated with respect and in recognition of their diversity. 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. 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). KEYWORDS: Social work power authority Disclosure statement The creator of Social Work Haven. These exchanges are marked by the complex interaction of personal and broader environmental factors. For the most part, they relied on an assumption of the traditional notion of separation. 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 The centrality and importance of the social work relationship have been consistently emphasised in the profession's literature for over a century. (Edited publisher abstract) Subject terms: As Thompson (2000) highlights, to assess the degree and nature of any risk to which Ms. Evans and her family could be exposed to. It is often the immediacy of boundary-setting decisions that perturbs practitioners, with professional encounters frequently requiring swift reactions. (2009) assert, social work is a moral and political practice and decisions regarding the setting of boundaries are inherently subjective. As the model illustrates, the successful resolution of professional boundary issues is a skilled and multifaceted activity and can depend on achieving a balance between personal privacy, the safety of vulnerable individuals and the protection of the wider public (Doel et al., 2010, p.8). In general terms, social workers need to ensure that they act in the best interests of service users. Professional associations might use the model to better elucidate the distinctiveness of the professional boundaries in social work relationships. Social workers are often proponents of specific models, claiming that they are highly effective and closely compatible with the aims of social work. For most of us, it is people, not spreadsheets, which ignite our desire to become social workers. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more. But do you dare to ask yourself the following? As the previous paragraph highlights, a distinctive feature of the model is its acknowledgment of the permeable and dynamic nature of professional boundaries. Suggestions to minimise, challenge and overcome such issues. If you see Sign in through society site in the sign in pane within a journal: If you do not have a society account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your society. Because we fear the potential consequences should things go wrong. Alongside these developments, there has been a proliferation of models of practice, such as cognitive behavioural and solution-focused therapy, associated with the burgeoning What works? and evidence-based agendas (McNeish et al., 2002). It also assesses the quality of the evidence and its relevance for social work and social care practice in the UK. (Reflective practice student ) Reflection is a state of mind, an ongoing constituent of practice, not a technique, or curriculum element. Ethical codes reiterate that social workers must have professional boundaries in their relationships with clients (BASW, 2002; NASW, 2008; AASW, 2010; HKSWRB, 2009). Do not use an Oxford Academic personal account. Contemporary therapeutic approaches that draw on humanistic, post-structural and critical theoretical paradigms advocate transparency and the deconstruction of power relations (Healy, 2005). No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s). The child is not problematic. Click the account icon in the top right to: Oxford Academic is home to a wide variety of products. This paper sets out a framework to structure reflexivity in social work practice. Power operates as a dynamic force that leaves no area of life untouched, influencing individuals, families, communities, and institutions. Gillian Ruch is a senior lecturer in social work in the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences at the University of Southampton. The same could also be said for interprofessional relationships where the sources of power differentials, including the broader social, cultural and professional systems, produce and reinforce the power imbalances . If your institution is not listed or you cannot sign in to your institutions website, please contact your librarian or administrator. Anti-oppressive practice is a concept, a theory, and an approach used in practice in the social work field. In addition, many social work profes- 14, No. Collaborating with the client in the setting of professional boundaries is likely to have a positive impact on the quality of the relationships we have with clients, itself an important factor in successful outcomes. The model emphasises connection rather than separation, advocating a process that encourages mutuality. 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. Power dynamics play a key role in problems and innovation. This authentication occurs automatically, and it is not possible to sign out of an IP authenticated account. Whilst some race forward in streamlined running shoes, unaware of the privilege lurching them forward, others are glued firmly to the starting line. In 1990 in the UK the case of 'The Pindown Experience', which occurred in the county of Staffordshire, came to the public and media attention. The articulation of unconscious behaviours, if sensitively done, can be liberating and emancipating for individuals who gain insight into how they configure relationships with others and, particularly in the case of statutory work, with those in positions of authority. In the hierarchy of health professions, doctors have traditionally defended their professional autonomy and independence and . Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. And this is true. ( 2006) 'Understanding Power and Powerlessness: Towards a Framework for Emancipatory Practice in Social Work', Journal of Social Work 6(1): 33-51. In social work, therefore, one is always dealing with power relations.