Social Work
Content
Skills – Combining thinking and the senses
Knowledge
Giving and receiving constructive feedback
Definition
Communicating and receiving information about the impact of behaviour on others.
Its use in social work
Skills Combining thinking & senses
Social workers are constantly required to give feedback, both to colleagues and to service users, and to receive it themselves. One way of approaching this is to reflect on your own experiences of getting feedback, and what makes it possible to ‘hear’ or not. The ability to give feedback that others can hear, accept and make use of is enhanced if it is: • specific: describing actual behaviour in some detail (e.g. ‘when Jill brought you her paintings you smiled and leaned forward, which seemed to make her relax’, rather than ‘you were friendly to Jill’); • constructive: relating to matters within the control of the other (e.g. ‘when you walked into the room it wasn’t clear to the group members if you were the leader or not’, rather than ‘you crept into the room like a mouse’). In addition, there is a general rule about feedback, which is that it is helpful if any negative comment on behaviour and its impact can be accompanied by a suggested alternative. For example, ‘when you tried to stop Danny hitting Mike with his toy tractor, he wasn’t aware at first that you were talking to him.You could try saying his name first, or calling his name and holding his arm at the same time, so that you are sure you have his attention.’ The skill of receiving feedback is equally important and involves: • listening carefully • avoiding a defensive response • seeking clarification if you are unclear • being prepared to try any alternatives with an open mind. Feedback is likely to be more successful if it is as close in time as possible to the occurrence of the behaviour to which it refers. Of course, tact is required and we should avoid criticising others in front of peers. In a sense, giving this type of feedback is about being assertive, particularly if
65
Values and Ethics The Social Work Process
we are giving feedback on the impact the other person has on us. For example, when working with children who have been sexually abused, we need to be aware that they may be used to touching adults on intimate parts of their body and it is important to give feedback to them about this, and to assert our own rights not to be touched in ways we do not want. Instead of saying ‘don’t touch me there!’ we could say,‘George, I don’t want to be touched there; if you want a cuddle, come and hold my hand first.’ Of course, we convey as much in the way we say such things as in the words themselves.The example above could be said in a punishing way, or in a firm but clear way. Such skills apply when we are negotiating with our managers. Being able to assert our own wishes, and being clear about what we mean is essential if we are to avoid being overloaded with work. Many social workers find it difficult to say no because they believe that they should always be obliging and helpful. There are of course times when we need to confront and challenge the behaviour of others.Wherever possible, the purpose of confronting and challenging should be to enable others to realise the effect they are having and to give them the opportunity to change with as much dignity as possible. It is important to uphold agency policies by challenging racist, sexist or disablist remarks or behaviour, but this should be done in a way that enables people to grow rather than pushing them into corners or labelling them. Some people continually deny aspects of their behaviour; substance abusers often do this, and child abusers frequently deny or play down the impact their behaviour has on children. In some situations, social workers have to challenge such behaviour and hold on to strong beliefs, or uphold the law.We have to be careful that in our efforts to be tactful and kind we do not collude with intolerable discriminatory or seriously illegal behaviour.
66
Skills – Combining thinking and the senses
Knowledge
Inter-professional working
Definition
Inter-professional working, also known as partnership working, takes many forms. It may involve working across agencies or with different specialist teams in the same agency or work with other professionals in multidisciplinary teams or joint projects. Partnership working also includes the involvement of service users and carers and links with the local community.
Skills Combining thinking & senses
Its use in social work
Successive governments since the 1970s have urged social care and health care professionals towards greater collaborative working. Since 1997, partnership working has been a key policy of New Labour.The push towards joint working comes from research studies showing that people do not understand the different roles of professionals and feel that obvious needs either slip through the cracks between services or are not met because of split responsibility and haggling over resources.This research echoes the findings of numerous inquiry reports in all four countries into child deaths and other abuses that demonstrate the extreme dangers of the lack of communication and the failure to share information. Social workers are involved in partnership at all stages of the social work process.At each stage social workers need knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of other agencies and professionals.At referral stage social workers are key players in deciding both what work to accept and what to refer elsewhere. Clarity is important in explaining to others why work does or does not fall within the agency remit and also what will happen to a referral and within what time scale. Assessment and care planning involves the input of many agencies both in gathering information and in deciding on care plans and time scales. Each agency brings its own agenda to meetings and is concerned to fulfil different responsibilities and achieve different targets. It is important to be aware of these and not to assume that social work goals are pre-eminent or that a social worker’s way of working is the only way of doing things. Much can be learned from the contribution of other professionals, for example an occupational therapist’s assessment of the activities of daily living or a health visitor’s understanding of child development.At the same time social workers
Values and Ethics The Social Work Process
67
should be clear about their understanding of the service user’s social circumstances and the importance of their own contribution to multidisciplinary assessment. Care plans are constructed through interprofessional collaboration and the contribution of each agency needs to be spelled out.A detailed work plan can be devised for joint work with targets and time scales, so that each worker is clear about mutual accountability and also knows what resources the agency will commit. This then makes it possible to monitor and evaluate the work and learn for the future. There is a clear imperative to work in partnership but in practice this can be difficult to implement. Some of the difficulties arise from differences in power and status between agencies and different professional language and ideology. Shared training and informal contact can help to build trust and cut down on assumptions and negative stereotyping. Everyone can then seek clarification on the meaning of terms and find ways of cutting down on the use of jargon. Service users and community groups often feel belittled in meetings by ranks of professionals talking a strange language. So organisations should consider whether improved inter-professional working is setting up new barriers between professionals and users and take steps to counteract this. Each agency has its own hierarchy and ways of reporting and allocating resources. In order to work effectively an inter-professional meeting or project needs to clarify the organisational roles and structure of all participants and understand what power the members have to commit resources including staff time.The same understanding of organisational roles is essential in joint teams set up to implement particular programmes. Such initiatives are often funded by targeted government finance or by joint funding between health and social care and have defined objectives and a short time scale. Unless a clear focus on the desired outcomes is maintained, the project risks becoming bogged down in divergent agendas and unfulfilled expectations.
68
Skills – Combining thinking and the senses
Knowledge
Interviewing
Definition
Often described as a conversation with a purpose, this is a verbal exchange between two people (or within a group) in which one person usually has a role in directing the process towards specific outcomes.
Its use in social work
Interviews are used for a variety of purposes in social work (including appointing social workers – we have all experienced being interviewed). Any interview may have a range of purposes, but they usually fall into four categories: seeking information, giving information, persuasive and therapeutic. Any particular interview may combine two or more of these categories. Seeking information The main aim here is to get information, for example a social worker finding out about the background of a potential foster parent, or ascertaining the wishes of a child about to be ‘looked after’ in a children’s home. Giving information Here the main aim is to share information which the interviewer has and the interviewee does not have. For example, about how to go about finding your birth parents if you were adopted, or about community care services and your rights to get access to them. Persuasive Although some would object to this term, one function of interviewing is to secure acceptance by a person of a decision in which – realistically, if unfortunately – they have had little or no say. For example, a social worker may have to persuade a service user that the Benefits Agency will not provide additional money, and that the alternative may be a loan or an application to a charity. Therapeutic Unlike persuasive interviews, therapeutic interviews should make no attempt to impose change.They enable the other person to develop alternative understanding of their feelings or circumstances and to make choices, and/or achieve change.
69
Skills Combining thinking & senses
Values and Ethics The Social Work Process
Good interviews involve the ability to listen and to talk, to observe and empathise, and to analyse.The interviewer must be skilled in the use of time and be aware of a sense of process in the interview (a beginning, middle and end). Preparation for an interview can involve several stages: 1 Who arranged the interview, for what purpose, and who will be there? 2 Where will it take place and what facilities are required? What are the aims, and are they achievable? 3 What type of interview (or combination) will it be? 4 What issues might arise relating to confidentiality, recording and storing the information?
70
Skills – Combining thinking and the senses
Knowledge
Leading
Definition
Leadership is closely associated with authority.Authority can come through something like an election, i.e. being given authority to act by others, or because a particular role is regarded as having authority because of the knowledge or skill that we believe such people hold, such as doctors, lawyers, teachers and social workers.Authority may also be associated with power, the power to do or not do something. For example, police officers have the power of arrest. Leaders often have such power. However, the power to coerce others is contrasted with the kind of authority that combines the role with the personal qualities of the leader. The quality of leadership that comes because we choose to trust another’s judgement is qualitatively different from the leadership that relies on force, or the threats of force. Leadership can be formal, as in the examples above, or informal, for example when a group of people are stuck in a lift and leadership qualities emerge as the group strives to decide what to do.
Skills Combining thinking & senses
Its use in social work
Social work demands both formal and informal qualities of leadership; for example, leading teams or work groups, or contributing to a discussion. In most of such roles, the approach to leadership is ‘facilitative’, i.e. making the best use of the qualities of the other participants, and conducting the business of the group or meeting in an organised and fair way.When leading in such situations it requires decisiveness on the part of a leader (for example, bringing a discussion to an end despite strong, unresolved issues), and it should be seen as the legitimate use of the authority of the leadership role, rather than the arbitrary use of power.This is the difference between being authoritative and being authoritarian. Social work often requires the use of power, sometimes even coercion. Most research on service user perceptions of social work suggests that social workers should be clear and unambiguous about the power they hold, and not pretend that they are benign and only there to help. Some situations involving serious risk to individuals require decisive leadership, and the exercise of power and authority within sets of rules or laws which are widely seen as legitimate – for example, taking steps to stop the threat of violence by a man on his partner by threatening to use the law, and if necessary, actually doing so.
71
Values and Ethics The Social Work Process
Like so much of social work, using the skills of leadership is about judgement and learning from experience. Often to be an effective leader we have to put ‘being respected’ above ‘being liked’!
72
Skills – Combining thinking and the senses
Knowledge
Negotiating
Definition
Purposeful efforts to reach agreement about conflicting views. It requires a clear view of the legitimacy and authority of the negotiators and the extent to which they can concede ground, bargain and seek compromise. Negotiation often requires patience, persistence and stamina.
Skills Combining thinking & senses
Its use in social work
Social workers will often find themselves negotiating with, or sometimes on behalf of, service users. Such negotiations may directly involve the social worker’s agency or the social worker may be negotiating ‘on behalf of’ one party with another. For example, social workers arranging the discharge of a patient from hospital may negotiate with a health service manager for a speedy home assessment by an occupational therapist in order to meet the service user’s wish to return home while at the same time seeking funding for intermediate care. Social workers may negotiate on behalf of a community group to use premises in return for guarantees of rent and good behaviour. Social workers may ‘negotiate’ a non-custodial sentence for a young person with the appropriate court through the offer of guaranteed alternatives to custody, such as group work, residence requirements, etc. Success in negotiation is more likely if participants are: • clear about issues/disagreements • • • • • • • • clear about boundaries (who is responsible for what) prepared to listen with an open mind able to act with tact and forethought prepared to compromise able to assert their own needs, wishes, and feelings aware of differences in values and cultural traditions clear about outcomes and agreements reached; and able to carry out commitments made.
Values and Ethics The Social Work Process
Many other skills are relevant to negotiating, and much will depend on the ability to use them well, for example, listening and talking, observing, reflecting and analysing.
73
Negotiation often results in the need for a written agreement on what has been negotiated, and who will do what, when, where and how. It should also involve review of the agreement. Finding an acceptable form of words often focuses negotiation away from argument and on to solutions.
74
Skills – Combining thinking and the senses
Knowledge
Supporting
Definition
Giving encouragement, time and practical help to others.
Its use in social work
This can apply to colleagues (and ourselves) as well as service users. In many ways it has always been the ‘stock in trade’ of social workers, who offer such help to those whom society abandons, or believes to be ‘undeserving’. Being available to offer an ear or a hand over a period of time, and appearing to that person as if, for that moment in time, they have your full attention, is at the heart of being supportive. If you think about the word, it is analogous to offering an arm to lean on when someone has hurt their leg, and needs assistance to walk. It is not the same as bodily lifting or holding the whole weight of the person.This is when being a support becomes being a prop – when a prop falls, everything comes down on top of it! Support can take the form of: • practical help – for example, helping with arrangements for a funeral when someone is bereaved, or accompanying a person to a hospital appointment when they are afraid to go on their own • emotional support – in this case, good communication skills are essential, and the social worker aims to give encouragement and strength so that others can fulfil their needs. It is important to realise that the service user’s objective may not always be one with which we can agree. Support does not always mean sympathising and agreeing; it can mean challenging, to enable the other to have choice, or to develop in some way. Support helps to sustain others to stay motivated and to achieve their objectives, and gives value and respect to others. For some service users, the experience of such support may be enough to enable them to sustain their own efforts.When offering support to someone over a long period of time, it is important to reflect on the changing needs of the service user and on how the relationship between supporter and ‘supported’ changes. It is probably true to say that social workers, perhaps like most people, like to feel that they are of help to others. Most of us like to feel that there is some reciprocity in our relationships, i.e. we give help and support to
Skills Combining thinking & senses
Values and Ethics The Social Work Process
75
each other.This can be difficult in professional helping relationships. However small the contribution, even if it is only offering the helper a cup of tea, we must respect the desire to offer something back.
76
Working with an interpreter: Checklist for interviews
This checklist has been taken from Shackman, J., Reynolds, J., Greenwell, S. and Chin, R. (1995) The Right to be Understood,Video Training Pack on Working with Community Interpreters, 2nd edn, published by Jane Shackman, 96/98 Grayton Road, London NW5 3LJ.
Skills – Combining thinking and the senses
Knowledge
Skills Combining thinking & senses
Practical things to do
• • Check that the interpreter and client speak the same language or dialect. Allow time for a pre-interview discussion with the interpreter in order to talk about the content of the interview and the way in which you will work together. Encourage the interpreter to interrupt and intervene during the interview when necessary. Use straightforward language. Actively listen to the interpreter and the client. Allow enough time for the interview. At the end of the interview check whether the client has understood everything and wants to know or ask anything else. Have a post-interview with the interpreter. the pressures on the interpreter the responsibility for the interview is yours your power – as perceived by the interpreter and the client to be patient and show compassion in a demanding situation to be aware of your own racial attitudes.
• • • • • • • • • • •
Values and Ethics
Things to remember
Points to check if things seem to be going wrong
• • • Does the interpreter speak English and the client’s language fluently? Is the interpreter acceptable to the client (same sex, similar age)? Is your client prevented from telling you things because of his/her relationship with the interpreter?
The Social Work Process
77
• • • • • • • • • •
Are you creating as good a relationship as possible with your client? Is the interpreter translating exactly what you and your client are saying, or is she putting forward her own views and opinions? Does the interpreter understand the purpose of the interview and what her role is within it? Have you given the interpreter time to get to know your client and explain what is going on? Does the interpreter feel free to interrupt you when necessary to point out problems or ask for clarification? Are you using simple jargon-free English? Is the interpreter ashamed of or embarrassed by your client? Are you asking too much of the interpreter? Are you allowing the interpreter enough time? Are you maintaining as good a relationship with the interpreter as you can?
Shackman et al., 1995
78
Knowledge
Giving and receiving constructive feedback
Definition
Communicating and receiving information about the impact of behaviour on others.
Its use in social work
Skills Combining thinking & senses
Social workers are constantly required to give feedback, both to colleagues and to service users, and to receive it themselves. One way of approaching this is to reflect on your own experiences of getting feedback, and what makes it possible to ‘hear’ or not. The ability to give feedback that others can hear, accept and make use of is enhanced if it is: • specific: describing actual behaviour in some detail (e.g. ‘when Jill brought you her paintings you smiled and leaned forward, which seemed to make her relax’, rather than ‘you were friendly to Jill’); • constructive: relating to matters within the control of the other (e.g. ‘when you walked into the room it wasn’t clear to the group members if you were the leader or not’, rather than ‘you crept into the room like a mouse’). In addition, there is a general rule about feedback, which is that it is helpful if any negative comment on behaviour and its impact can be accompanied by a suggested alternative. For example, ‘when you tried to stop Danny hitting Mike with his toy tractor, he wasn’t aware at first that you were talking to him.You could try saying his name first, or calling his name and holding his arm at the same time, so that you are sure you have his attention.’ The skill of receiving feedback is equally important and involves: • listening carefully • avoiding a defensive response • seeking clarification if you are unclear • being prepared to try any alternatives with an open mind. Feedback is likely to be more successful if it is as close in time as possible to the occurrence of the behaviour to which it refers. Of course, tact is required and we should avoid criticising others in front of peers. In a sense, giving this type of feedback is about being assertive, particularly if
65
Values and Ethics The Social Work Process
we are giving feedback on the impact the other person has on us. For example, when working with children who have been sexually abused, we need to be aware that they may be used to touching adults on intimate parts of their body and it is important to give feedback to them about this, and to assert our own rights not to be touched in ways we do not want. Instead of saying ‘don’t touch me there!’ we could say,‘George, I don’t want to be touched there; if you want a cuddle, come and hold my hand first.’ Of course, we convey as much in the way we say such things as in the words themselves.The example above could be said in a punishing way, or in a firm but clear way. Such skills apply when we are negotiating with our managers. Being able to assert our own wishes, and being clear about what we mean is essential if we are to avoid being overloaded with work. Many social workers find it difficult to say no because they believe that they should always be obliging and helpful. There are of course times when we need to confront and challenge the behaviour of others.Wherever possible, the purpose of confronting and challenging should be to enable others to realise the effect they are having and to give them the opportunity to change with as much dignity as possible. It is important to uphold agency policies by challenging racist, sexist or disablist remarks or behaviour, but this should be done in a way that enables people to grow rather than pushing them into corners or labelling them. Some people continually deny aspects of their behaviour; substance abusers often do this, and child abusers frequently deny or play down the impact their behaviour has on children. In some situations, social workers have to challenge such behaviour and hold on to strong beliefs, or uphold the law.We have to be careful that in our efforts to be tactful and kind we do not collude with intolerable discriminatory or seriously illegal behaviour.
66
Skills – Combining thinking and the senses
Knowledge
Inter-professional working
Definition
Inter-professional working, also known as partnership working, takes many forms. It may involve working across agencies or with different specialist teams in the same agency or work with other professionals in multidisciplinary teams or joint projects. Partnership working also includes the involvement of service users and carers and links with the local community.
Skills Combining thinking & senses
Its use in social work
Successive governments since the 1970s have urged social care and health care professionals towards greater collaborative working. Since 1997, partnership working has been a key policy of New Labour.The push towards joint working comes from research studies showing that people do not understand the different roles of professionals and feel that obvious needs either slip through the cracks between services or are not met because of split responsibility and haggling over resources.This research echoes the findings of numerous inquiry reports in all four countries into child deaths and other abuses that demonstrate the extreme dangers of the lack of communication and the failure to share information. Social workers are involved in partnership at all stages of the social work process.At each stage social workers need knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of other agencies and professionals.At referral stage social workers are key players in deciding both what work to accept and what to refer elsewhere. Clarity is important in explaining to others why work does or does not fall within the agency remit and also what will happen to a referral and within what time scale. Assessment and care planning involves the input of many agencies both in gathering information and in deciding on care plans and time scales. Each agency brings its own agenda to meetings and is concerned to fulfil different responsibilities and achieve different targets. It is important to be aware of these and not to assume that social work goals are pre-eminent or that a social worker’s way of working is the only way of doing things. Much can be learned from the contribution of other professionals, for example an occupational therapist’s assessment of the activities of daily living or a health visitor’s understanding of child development.At the same time social workers
Values and Ethics The Social Work Process
67
should be clear about their understanding of the service user’s social circumstances and the importance of their own contribution to multidisciplinary assessment. Care plans are constructed through interprofessional collaboration and the contribution of each agency needs to be spelled out.A detailed work plan can be devised for joint work with targets and time scales, so that each worker is clear about mutual accountability and also knows what resources the agency will commit. This then makes it possible to monitor and evaluate the work and learn for the future. There is a clear imperative to work in partnership but in practice this can be difficult to implement. Some of the difficulties arise from differences in power and status between agencies and different professional language and ideology. Shared training and informal contact can help to build trust and cut down on assumptions and negative stereotyping. Everyone can then seek clarification on the meaning of terms and find ways of cutting down on the use of jargon. Service users and community groups often feel belittled in meetings by ranks of professionals talking a strange language. So organisations should consider whether improved inter-professional working is setting up new barriers between professionals and users and take steps to counteract this. Each agency has its own hierarchy and ways of reporting and allocating resources. In order to work effectively an inter-professional meeting or project needs to clarify the organisational roles and structure of all participants and understand what power the members have to commit resources including staff time.The same understanding of organisational roles is essential in joint teams set up to implement particular programmes. Such initiatives are often funded by targeted government finance or by joint funding between health and social care and have defined objectives and a short time scale. Unless a clear focus on the desired outcomes is maintained, the project risks becoming bogged down in divergent agendas and unfulfilled expectations.
68
Skills – Combining thinking and the senses
Knowledge
Interviewing
Definition
Often described as a conversation with a purpose, this is a verbal exchange between two people (or within a group) in which one person usually has a role in directing the process towards specific outcomes.
Its use in social work
Interviews are used for a variety of purposes in social work (including appointing social workers – we have all experienced being interviewed). Any interview may have a range of purposes, but they usually fall into four categories: seeking information, giving information, persuasive and therapeutic. Any particular interview may combine two or more of these categories. Seeking information The main aim here is to get information, for example a social worker finding out about the background of a potential foster parent, or ascertaining the wishes of a child about to be ‘looked after’ in a children’s home. Giving information Here the main aim is to share information which the interviewer has and the interviewee does not have. For example, about how to go about finding your birth parents if you were adopted, or about community care services and your rights to get access to them. Persuasive Although some would object to this term, one function of interviewing is to secure acceptance by a person of a decision in which – realistically, if unfortunately – they have had little or no say. For example, a social worker may have to persuade a service user that the Benefits Agency will not provide additional money, and that the alternative may be a loan or an application to a charity. Therapeutic Unlike persuasive interviews, therapeutic interviews should make no attempt to impose change.They enable the other person to develop alternative understanding of their feelings or circumstances and to make choices, and/or achieve change.
69
Skills Combining thinking & senses
Values and Ethics The Social Work Process
Good interviews involve the ability to listen and to talk, to observe and empathise, and to analyse.The interviewer must be skilled in the use of time and be aware of a sense of process in the interview (a beginning, middle and end). Preparation for an interview can involve several stages: 1 Who arranged the interview, for what purpose, and who will be there? 2 Where will it take place and what facilities are required? What are the aims, and are they achievable? 3 What type of interview (or combination) will it be? 4 What issues might arise relating to confidentiality, recording and storing the information?
70
Skills – Combining thinking and the senses
Knowledge
Leading
Definition
Leadership is closely associated with authority.Authority can come through something like an election, i.e. being given authority to act by others, or because a particular role is regarded as having authority because of the knowledge or skill that we believe such people hold, such as doctors, lawyers, teachers and social workers.Authority may also be associated with power, the power to do or not do something. For example, police officers have the power of arrest. Leaders often have such power. However, the power to coerce others is contrasted with the kind of authority that combines the role with the personal qualities of the leader. The quality of leadership that comes because we choose to trust another’s judgement is qualitatively different from the leadership that relies on force, or the threats of force. Leadership can be formal, as in the examples above, or informal, for example when a group of people are stuck in a lift and leadership qualities emerge as the group strives to decide what to do.
Skills Combining thinking & senses
Its use in social work
Social work demands both formal and informal qualities of leadership; for example, leading teams or work groups, or contributing to a discussion. In most of such roles, the approach to leadership is ‘facilitative’, i.e. making the best use of the qualities of the other participants, and conducting the business of the group or meeting in an organised and fair way.When leading in such situations it requires decisiveness on the part of a leader (for example, bringing a discussion to an end despite strong, unresolved issues), and it should be seen as the legitimate use of the authority of the leadership role, rather than the arbitrary use of power.This is the difference between being authoritative and being authoritarian. Social work often requires the use of power, sometimes even coercion. Most research on service user perceptions of social work suggests that social workers should be clear and unambiguous about the power they hold, and not pretend that they are benign and only there to help. Some situations involving serious risk to individuals require decisive leadership, and the exercise of power and authority within sets of rules or laws which are widely seen as legitimate – for example, taking steps to stop the threat of violence by a man on his partner by threatening to use the law, and if necessary, actually doing so.
71
Values and Ethics The Social Work Process
Like so much of social work, using the skills of leadership is about judgement and learning from experience. Often to be an effective leader we have to put ‘being respected’ above ‘being liked’!
72
Skills – Combining thinking and the senses
Knowledge
Negotiating
Definition
Purposeful efforts to reach agreement about conflicting views. It requires a clear view of the legitimacy and authority of the negotiators and the extent to which they can concede ground, bargain and seek compromise. Negotiation often requires patience, persistence and stamina.
Skills Combining thinking & senses
Its use in social work
Social workers will often find themselves negotiating with, or sometimes on behalf of, service users. Such negotiations may directly involve the social worker’s agency or the social worker may be negotiating ‘on behalf of’ one party with another. For example, social workers arranging the discharge of a patient from hospital may negotiate with a health service manager for a speedy home assessment by an occupational therapist in order to meet the service user’s wish to return home while at the same time seeking funding for intermediate care. Social workers may negotiate on behalf of a community group to use premises in return for guarantees of rent and good behaviour. Social workers may ‘negotiate’ a non-custodial sentence for a young person with the appropriate court through the offer of guaranteed alternatives to custody, such as group work, residence requirements, etc. Success in negotiation is more likely if participants are: • clear about issues/disagreements • • • • • • • • clear about boundaries (who is responsible for what) prepared to listen with an open mind able to act with tact and forethought prepared to compromise able to assert their own needs, wishes, and feelings aware of differences in values and cultural traditions clear about outcomes and agreements reached; and able to carry out commitments made.
Values and Ethics The Social Work Process
Many other skills are relevant to negotiating, and much will depend on the ability to use them well, for example, listening and talking, observing, reflecting and analysing.
73
Negotiation often results in the need for a written agreement on what has been negotiated, and who will do what, when, where and how. It should also involve review of the agreement. Finding an acceptable form of words often focuses negotiation away from argument and on to solutions.
74
Skills – Combining thinking and the senses
Knowledge
Supporting
Definition
Giving encouragement, time and practical help to others.
Its use in social work
This can apply to colleagues (and ourselves) as well as service users. In many ways it has always been the ‘stock in trade’ of social workers, who offer such help to those whom society abandons, or believes to be ‘undeserving’. Being available to offer an ear or a hand over a period of time, and appearing to that person as if, for that moment in time, they have your full attention, is at the heart of being supportive. If you think about the word, it is analogous to offering an arm to lean on when someone has hurt their leg, and needs assistance to walk. It is not the same as bodily lifting or holding the whole weight of the person.This is when being a support becomes being a prop – when a prop falls, everything comes down on top of it! Support can take the form of: • practical help – for example, helping with arrangements for a funeral when someone is bereaved, or accompanying a person to a hospital appointment when they are afraid to go on their own • emotional support – in this case, good communication skills are essential, and the social worker aims to give encouragement and strength so that others can fulfil their needs. It is important to realise that the service user’s objective may not always be one with which we can agree. Support does not always mean sympathising and agreeing; it can mean challenging, to enable the other to have choice, or to develop in some way. Support helps to sustain others to stay motivated and to achieve their objectives, and gives value and respect to others. For some service users, the experience of such support may be enough to enable them to sustain their own efforts.When offering support to someone over a long period of time, it is important to reflect on the changing needs of the service user and on how the relationship between supporter and ‘supported’ changes. It is probably true to say that social workers, perhaps like most people, like to feel that they are of help to others. Most of us like to feel that there is some reciprocity in our relationships, i.e. we give help and support to
Skills Combining thinking & senses
Values and Ethics The Social Work Process
75
each other.This can be difficult in professional helping relationships. However small the contribution, even if it is only offering the helper a cup of tea, we must respect the desire to offer something back.
76
Working with an interpreter: Checklist for interviews
This checklist has been taken from Shackman, J., Reynolds, J., Greenwell, S. and Chin, R. (1995) The Right to be Understood,Video Training Pack on Working with Community Interpreters, 2nd edn, published by Jane Shackman, 96/98 Grayton Road, London NW5 3LJ.
Skills – Combining thinking and the senses
Knowledge
Skills Combining thinking & senses
Practical things to do
• • Check that the interpreter and client speak the same language or dialect. Allow time for a pre-interview discussion with the interpreter in order to talk about the content of the interview and the way in which you will work together. Encourage the interpreter to interrupt and intervene during the interview when necessary. Use straightforward language. Actively listen to the interpreter and the client. Allow enough time for the interview. At the end of the interview check whether the client has understood everything and wants to know or ask anything else. Have a post-interview with the interpreter. the pressures on the interpreter the responsibility for the interview is yours your power – as perceived by the interpreter and the client to be patient and show compassion in a demanding situation to be aware of your own racial attitudes.
• • • • • • • • • • •
Values and Ethics
Things to remember
Points to check if things seem to be going wrong
• • • Does the interpreter speak English and the client’s language fluently? Is the interpreter acceptable to the client (same sex, similar age)? Is your client prevented from telling you things because of his/her relationship with the interpreter?
The Social Work Process
77
• • • • • • • • • •
Are you creating as good a relationship as possible with your client? Is the interpreter translating exactly what you and your client are saying, or is she putting forward her own views and opinions? Does the interpreter understand the purpose of the interview and what her role is within it? Have you given the interpreter time to get to know your client and explain what is going on? Does the interpreter feel free to interrupt you when necessary to point out problems or ask for clarification? Are you using simple jargon-free English? Is the interpreter ashamed of or embarrassed by your client? Are you asking too much of the interpreter? Are you allowing the interpreter enough time? Are you maintaining as good a relationship with the interpreter as you can?
Shackman et al., 1995
78
