Unit 6
Text A Insights into Social Work
By Sally Robinson
What does it mean to be a social worker in 2017? Social work should be more than a system or process; it is a skill and expertise developed over a long period through training and continuing professional development, always being built upon, used and refined.
But too often, it is regarded as a process to be followed-a single track which, once started, trundles along a predetermined path, usually of escalation. Despite much talk about reducing the excessive bureaucracy in social work, new processes have been added instead of releasing social workers to build relationships, understand how a family functions and work with the family to agree, develop and implement a program of support that will help them to overcome their difficulties.
Social work is not a process, it is an art, a skill, a way of working with people in crisis to help them to see their way through it and strengthen their future. I am concerned that the real purpose and art of social work is becoming lost, and there is a workforce struggling to identify what being a social worker really means.
The profession has an incredibly strong value base. This is not a career someone finds themselves in accidentally, but one of positive choice based on a desire to support people who are finding life difficult. We should be proud of the description of our profession set out by the Social Work Task Force1 in 2009:
Social work helps adults and children to be safe so that they can cope and take control of their lives again. Social workers make life better for people in crisis who are struggling to cope, feel alone and cannot sort out their problems unaided.
However, I am concerned that the complexities and demands of the role are leaving social workers feeling overwhelmed, lacking confidence in their skills and expertise, and feeling uncertain about what they can and should do.
Social workers have become care managers2. They are no longer the agents of change, but coordinators of care plans. Social workers rarely deliver the intensive package of support families often need, despite being the most skilled professionals at doing so. Instead, they look to external resources to deliver an intervention or package of support. The role of the social worker is often unclear and frequently not articulated within a support plan.
During more than 25 years in social work I have seen children's lives become more difficult, complex and traumatized, requiring a wider range of social work skills. But training has not kept pace. Social work graduates are not equipped with the skills to respond to the needs of vulnerable children and do not know how to implement their theoretical learning in practice.
Sarah Gillinson's perspective: relationships are key to good social work
The foundation of social work is relationships. Social workers need to be given the time and skills to develop relationships with children and their families.
How often do social workers take the time to simply listen, reflect and let people know that there are things they can do to help? Instead, we expect children and families to provide us with private information, often on first meeting them, under the guise of preparing an assessment. We need to rethink how we do this, to understand better what life for this family looks, feels and sounds like.
We need to build relationships with individual family members, get to know and understand them, help them to develop trust and know that our aim is to help them deal with their problems. By doing this we might be able to help them be safe, feel they can cope and take control of their lives again.
When talking to our frontline students recently I have been heartened to learn that their course is ensuring those qualifying through this route are receiving training on social work interventions. Frontline students are being provided with a range of skills and interventions they can use to help and support a child and family, and undertaking this work themselves. They were able to tell me how they were putting their learning into practice; there is much to be learned from this approach.
Social work leaders should champion the art of our profession, to ensure the workforce has the skills, knowledge, tools, time and encouragement to be social workers rather than simply observe, instruct, record and monitor.
We must encourage social workers to have confidence in their professional skills and to use them creatively. I want social workers to be proud of their profession, have an unwavering belief in the value of what they do, and take every opportunity to develop and refine their skills-spending their time, efforts and expertise with children and their families to make a difference to their lives.
Notes:
1. Social Work Task Force：社会工作工作小组／社会工作特别小组
2. Care managers：医疗护理管理人员
New words:
续表
Useful expressions:
an expertise developed over a long period 长期培养的一项专长
refine a skill 让技艺更精湛
a predetermined path 设定好的路线
a track of escalation 上升的轨迹
excessive bureaucracy 过多的官僚做法
implement a program of support 实施支持项目
see one's way through crisis 走出危机
strengthen one's future 让明天更好
strong value base 牢固的价值基础
set out sth. 设定……着手做……
take control of 控制，取得对……的控制，控制住，掌管
sort out problems unaided 解决问题时无人协助
the complexities and demands of the role 角色的复杂性和高要求
lack confidence in… 在……缺乏自信
external resources 外部资源
care managers 医疗护理管理人员
an articulated role 明确的职责
be traumatized 受到心理创伤的
a wider range of skills 更全面的技能
keep pace 跟得上形势，并驾齐驱
implement the theoretical learning in practice 理论运用到实践中
under the guise of 假借，以……为幌子
develop trust 建立信任
frontline students 在一线的学生
social work interventions 社会工作干预
champion sth. 支持拥护……
unwavering belief 坚定的信念
champion sth. 大力支持，拥护……
take every opportunity to develop skills 抓住一切机会发展技能
make a difference to 对……产生影响
Questions for comprehension:
1. Why is social work more than a system or a process?
2. What is the strong value base of social work?
3. What is the author's concern about social work?
4. What is the key to good social work? Explain.
5. What should frontline students, social work leaders and social workers do to address the challenges of social work?
Discussions:
1. What role do you think social work should play?
2. What contradictions do you encounter in the study of social work?
3. In your opinion, what are the difficulties in the development of social work in China?
4. What might be the reason if you become a social worker?
E-C Translation:
We must encourage social workers to have confidence in their professional skills and to use them creatively. I want social workers to be proud of their profession, have an unwavering belief in the value of what they do, and take every opportunity to develop and refine their skills-spending their time, efforts and expertise with children and their families to make a difference to their lives.
C-E Translation:
1. 社会工作不应该仅仅是一个制度或过程；这是一种技能和专业知识，经过长期培训和持续的专业发展，总是在不断地加强、使用和完善中。
2. 社会工作不是一个过程，它是一种艺术、一种技能，这种技能可以与陷入危机中的人一起寻找出路并让他们的明天更美好。
3. 相反，我们期望儿童和家庭为我们提供私人信息，通常在第一次会面时以准备评估为假设得到这些信息。
4. 最近，当我们与一线学生交谈时，我感到很欣慰，得知那些通过这种方式合格的学生，有课程能保证他们得到社会工作干预培训。
5. 社会工作领袖应支持我们的职业艺术，以确保工作人员得到技能、知识、工具、时间，鼓励他们成为社会工作者，而不是简单地观察、指导、记录和监控。
Using the appropriate phrases to fill in the blanks:
A. an articulated role
B. excessive bureaucracy
C. a wider range of skills
D. champion
E. under the guise of
F. keep pace
G. external resources
H. sort out problems unaided
I. refine skills
J. see…way through crisis
1. Most governments in the world________________tech solution to environmental protection.
2. Despite much talk about reducing the_________________in social work, new processes have been added instead of releasing social workers to build relationships, understand how a family functions and work with the family to agree, develop and implement a program of support that will help them to overcome their difficulties.
3. Individuals should upgrade skills and knowledge in order to_______________and stay in the race.
4. Social workers should have an unwavering belief in the value of what they do, and take every opportunity to develop and________________
5. Instead, they look to__________________to deliver an intervention or package of support.
6. Social workers would take every opportunity to utilize the possible resources to help children and their families to________________their_______________.
7. Some frauds talk people into their traps__________________getting rich quickly.
8. Social workers make life better for people in crisis who are struggling to cope, feel alone and cannot________________.
9. By knowing________________, the workforce can know how to.
10. Frontline students are expected to receive intensive training so as to acquire________________.