Practice Matters is provided for general information. Managing this delicate process has been conceptualised as maintaining professional distance, premised on the belief that a psycho-social separation will encourage rational scientific objectivity. Nor does such a presumption reflect the importance that social work places on care and concern in relationships (Tsui and Cheung, 2004). Underlying this reconceptualisation is the belief that the social work relationship is unique: it has qualities in common with other associations such as friendships, but it is a distinct relationship that cannot be extended in the same realms as family or intimate relationships (Turney, 2010). 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. Its about the interaction between people, not data.. Hi there! 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's mission extends well beyond clinical domains and into political and social spheres, all within the confines of the social workerclient relationship. A power imbalance is an environment, relationship or interaction where one party has far more social power than the other. Clients are often viewed as the sole recipients in the social work relationship. Power imbalances exist in a social setting, that is, when there are asymmetrical relations of power among persons, institutions or states. One of the responses to managing these demands has been the construction of professional boundaries. This includes a common understanding of the reasons for the relationship. This may invoke greater discussion with clients about how the relationship might differ from their experience with other professionals. Shibboleth / Open Athens technology is used to provide single sign-on between your institutions website and Oxford Academic. This power imbalance can impede therapy when societal power dynamics, such as race, socioeconomic background, sexual orientation, and HIV status are taken into consideration. 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. Hence, the encompassing boundaries, depicted in Figure2 as circles, can expand or contract, depending on how the characteristics of the boundaries are configured in each unique instance. The editors to Understanding Power: An Imperative for Human Services begin the book with a thorough overview of power dynamics and theories of power relations, targeted toward human services practitioners across disciplines (that is, social workers, psychologists, counselors, occupational and physical therapists, and medical professionals). 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. Needless to say, practices that are unethical, discriminatory or exploitative can do much more harm than good. Social workers often experience psychological distress when they hear about a client's trauma. And certainly not after the referendum, which saw 71% of ethnic minorities reporting racial discrimination, compared with 58% in January 2016 before the EU vote. Power operates as a dynamic force that leaves no area of life untouched, influencing individuals, families, communities, and institutions. The outer circle of the model encompasses those aspects of professional relationships that are unethical, non-negotiable and consequently located outside of the relationship boundary. 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). The social graces align with the BASW 80:20 campaign, which champions relational practice, with the desire to reverse the ratio of social workers spending 80% of the time at their desks, and just 20% with service users. 14, No. In social work, therefore, one is always dealing with power relations. By closing this message, you are consenting to our use of cookies. After teaching English around the world, she obtained her MSc in Social work from the University of Brighton in 2019. This term should be taken to include collective clients such as families and communities. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more. Social workers are often proponents of specific models, claiming that they are highly effective and closely compatible with the aims of social work. Social workers rely on power of expertise, which is derived from their access to and command of specialized knowledge. For librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. In all professional relationships, there are power imbalances and the potential for discrimination and exploitation. As a professional, their power is developed from their expertise, knowledge and ascribed powers. 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). Register, Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. The social graces remind us that we are like fingers which, whilst moving independently, are connected. The default assumption is that these boundaries refer to the traditional model of separation from clients. Social work is a profession that involves relationships with individuals, between individuals, with individuals in groups, with individuals and organisations, and between organisations (Arnd-Caddigan and Pozzuto, 2008; Kadushin, 1972; Perlman, 1979; Petr, 1983; Richmond, 1899; Wilson et al., 2011). 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. Current research on the social work relationship will help to inform the construction of the boundaries of the social work relationship that are transparent, considered and acceptable. It is this exclusive and implicit model of boundary setting that we are seeking to reconfigure. But there is something inherently problematic about labelling and stigmatising. The imbalance of power in the CPS-parent relationship is a central aspect of the relation- ship. Professional associations might use the model to better elucidate the distinctiveness of the professional boundaries in social work relationships. He has published 105 items of research works, including eleven books and forty-five journal articles. 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. This conceptualisation is more compatible with contemporary theoretical developments within the profession. 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. 3099067 If you believe you should have access to that content, please contact your librarian. Its focus must encompass both the individual therapeutic purpose and the collective consciousness to bring about both individual well-being and social change. 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). Reflective Practice can enable practitioners to learn from experience about themselves, their work, and the way they relate to home and work, significant others and wider society and culture. I like this concept, because it removes the urge to pin down the blame on one individual; social work is rife with blame culture. Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine. Ethical codes reiterate that social workers must have professional boundaries in their relationships with clients (BASW, 2002; NASW, 2008; AASW, 2010; HKSWRB, 2009). Psycho-dynamic perspectives located at the individual end of the theoretical continuum have been pivotal in defining social work relationships as primarily therapeutic in nature (Sudbery, 2002). View your signed in personal account and access account management features. In a similar vein, developments in personalisation policy in adult social care in the UK are shifting the process of decision making and creating greater client autonomy in their relationship with social workers and care workers (Leece and Peace, 2010). In this essay, I reflect on my experiences of the ethical issues arising from an imbalance in power dynamics both between myself and a service user and between myself and another professional. Having feelings of "not coping" can feel, well, pretty disastrous. These necessities and constraints have led to competing humanistic and ethical constructs of the social work relationship. 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. Well, thats simply not true. The tendency to resort to distancing behaviours, and in the scenario above for example, to adopt a boundary that excludes rather than includes and connects with the partner, and, in so doing, possibly implying that the female client should act similarly, is a common professional response. emancipatory social work practice. Re-conceptualisation of the Professional Social Work Boundary. A personal account can be used to get email alerts, save searches, purchase content, and activate subscriptions. Understanding Power: An Imperative for Human Services. For example, it may be entirely appropriate in some cases for personal disclosure to be excluded from the professional relationship whilst, in other contexts, it may be beneficial. Taken far enough, this lack of professional reflexivity turns into management Equally, when boundaries have been set, social workers need to be aware of the importance of regularly reviewing them with clients to ensure they remain relevant and appropriate to the prevailing circumstances. '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. As human beings, we feed off the energy and discourse of others. 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). Such a stance underestimates the place of inter-subjectivity and unconscious dynamics inherent in all relationships (Ruch, 2010). Power dynamics play a key role in problems and innovation. 1. An anti-oppressive (AOP) framework encourages social workers to critically analyze systematic oppression, individual bias and beliefs, and oppression which occurs between service users and oppressors. To separate challenging or problematic behaviours from the individual (whilst not absolving them of responsibility). 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. Uncertainties are likely to arise in social work relationships that will require social workers to reflect on the viability of the boundaries in place. Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. 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. These disciplinary practices are ways by which power is exercised throughout society, often manifesting in social relationship. In this case, it is possible that the client becomes the main actor. 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. conflict. Anti-Oppressive Practice in Mental Health. Anti-oppressive practice is a concept, a theory, and an approach used in practice in the social work field. 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. This book attempts to provide curriculum and pertinent information to create opportunities for human services professionals to grow and learn in a variety of settings, such as continuing education units, job trainings, supervision, and undergraduate and graduate classrooms. Developing the skills to identify and articulate these unconscious dynamics that shape a social worker's relationship with a client is an important aspect of a reflective mindset. 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. 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. For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription. Unsurprisingly, boundary issues, in a variety of international contexts, are often difficult to negotiate. It is vital that . Within the fields of family therapy and counselling, Bird (2000) and O'Leary (2004) have suggested an alternative model for professional boundaries. These experts highlighted the discrepancies they see in regard to who has access to power . They should also analyze the underlying social structures that contribute to social problems, such as . In addition, post-structural and feminist theorists have challenged the various epistemological assumptions of social work (Mandell, 2008). 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. At the same time, it recognises, embraces and works with the ethical complexity inherent in social work practice. Practice ways to reduce stress and increase mindfulness, such as meditation, yoga, or . Defining the social work relationship: political, therapeutic, participatory or mutual? 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. not give sufficient attention to asymmetrical power imbalances between actors nor the structural contradictions curtailing the expression of individualized . Download Free PDF View PDF Marcel Koper MSW thesis: The effectiveness of clinical supervision Marcel Koper Download Free PDF View PDF 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. By critically examining the professional boundaries of the social work relationship, we propose an alternate approach to the creation of such boundaries. The earlier reference to Beresford et al. Needless to say, such a reconceptualisation does not negate the importance of establishing limits based on clear values and ethical considerations. Moreover, the model itself requires research to evaluate its effectiveness in order to refine the methods for negotiating relationships in specific contexts. It could be said that, in the course of its development, social work research has been mindful of the distinctive position and contribution of clients and has endeavoured to adopt an approach that is inclusive and endorsing of connections rather than separations in the research process. The concept can helpfully underpin teaching about relationship building and boundary setting. There are numerous contested terms (client, service user, consumer) used to describe the people with whom social workers work. Reflect on why this is this is something you can share vocally, through writing, or any other creative outlet. Sometimes, it seems impossible to maintain a strictly professional separation from clients and avoid any social and personal exchanges. 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 . In developing a model that focuses on connection, social workers need to develop their expertise in understanding what facilitates connections and what inhibits them. This paper examines professional boundaries and presents an alternative conceptualisation of boundaries in social work relationships. All rights reserved. It is the quality of relationship between the social worker and the client rather than the specific model of practice that has been proven to be a strong predictor of outcomes (Coady, 1993; Howe, 1998). The book then elaborates further on the various ways that power relations manifest and present in clients seeking care across human services settings. Social workers and clients may decide to position particular types of behaviour or attitudes outside the boundary of their relationship. Applying this to the example above, the Social Graces can help us to understand the child in the context of their relationships. And what of power? I'm Angy. The briefing identifies empirical studies that report on the association between the process of supervision and outcomes for service users, workers and organisations. Setting the ethical parameters of the social work relationship, Reconceptualising the boundaries in the social work relationship, Implications for social work theory, practice, education and research, Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW), 2010, Hong Kong Social Workers Registration Board (HKSWRB), 2009, Receive exclusive offers and updates from Oxford Academic, Copyright 2023 British Association of Social Workers. The context for sharing information and the commitment on completing agreed-upon tasks also affects the boundary of the relationship. Historically within the Western context, social work's theoretical basis has been understood as being on a continuum. Choose one of the graces you are drawn toward. It is argued that, in most instances, the effectiveness of social work . Despite its great influence on society, professionals working in human services are often oblivious to their own power and privilege, their impact on the therapeutic relationship, and how the lack of acknowledgment and dialogue contributes to the marginalization of certain individuals and groups. . 5 Howick Place | London | SW1P 1WG. The noteworthy aspect of this reconceptualisation is that the boundary surrounds and connects the social worker and client, rather than separates the two parties. In general terms, social workers need to ensure that they act in the best interests of service users. Here, the quality of the relationship is shaped by the care and consciousness that the social worker both explicitly and implicitly displays. 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. 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. But is it a central part of good practice or an empty word? Yet, at the same time, social workers must always remain conscious of their professional role. As it is a broad concept . This point is reinforced by clients' appreciation of cross-boundary behaviour as an expression of personal concern (Turney, 2010). This will require the expertise of the social worker to facilitate the participation of the client within their mandate. Don't already have a personal account? Naming power differences can invite service users, colleagues or even friends to share the social graces which they feel can hold them back, or even cloud their judgement of others. As the minutes passed by, George reverted to system of hierarchy, to appease his killers. They must limit the personal disclosure, expectations, extent, duration and focus of the relationship; there must be some terminal points to the engagement (Turney, 2010). See below. Developing psycho-dynamic reflective skills that can address the conscious, unconscious and reciprocal aspects of professional relationships is critical for effective, sensitive boundary management and professional well-being (Fook, 2002; Ruch, 2010).
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