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The role of the social worker
The social worker's role - a tiered approach
The tiers of the pyramid represent the distribution of social workers time. Intervention increases between the tiers as need increases. Social workers never work in isolation and are always part of multidisciplinary approaches. At tier 4 the social worker is lead professional, fulfiling roles that only a social worker can do, negotiating a balance between care and control. This may be where the local authority is under statutory obligation, or the nature of the situation is complex. The focus of social worker's efforts and time should be spent at tiers 3 and 4 which maximise the use of their professional expertise. Other services will focus their efforts primarily at tiers 1 and 2. All social workers have a significant contribution to make at tiers 1 and 2, supporting and informing the delivery of services both within social work and across partner agencies.
Reserved functions of the social worker
Social workers should assess, plan, manage the delivery of care and safeguard the well-being of most vulnerable people and children, in particular, those who:
- are in need of protection; and/or
- are in danger of exploitation or significant harm; and/or
- are at risk of causing significant harm to themselves or others; and/or
- are unable to provide informed consent.
To do this social workers must:
- carry out enquiries and make recommendations when necessary as to whether or not a person requires to be the subject of protection procedures; and
- be responsible for the development, monitoring and implementation of a plan to protect the person, in particular, identify and respond appropriately to any risks to the achievement of the plan and/or any need for the plan to be revised because of changing circumstances
(Reserved Functions of the Social Worker)
What do social workers do?
Statham et al (2005) identified three main functions that define what social workers do. They:
- intervene between the state and the citizen - assessing and determining eligibility for publicly funded services and assessing risks which determine the need for statutory intervention;
- maximise the capacity of people using services - enabling individuals as far as possible to become 'expert clients' or informed clients'; and
- contribute to policies and practice that support social and personal well-being - building the platforms from which personalised services can be developed and through which individuals can promote their own well-being or manage long term conditions.
Developing therapeutic relationships
Common elements in successful interventions which lead to behaviour change or reduction in problem behaviours:
- accurate empathy, respect or warmth and therapeutic genuineness;
- establishing a therapeutic relationship or working alliance (mutual understanding and agreement about the nature and purpose of intervention); and
- an approach that is person centred, or collaborative and client driven (taking the client's perspective and using the client's concepts)
What are social workers especially equipped to do?
Common elements in successful interventions which lead to behaviour change or reduction in problem behaviours:
- accurate empathy, respect or warmth and therapeutic genuineness;
- establishing a therapeutic relationship or working alliance (mutual understanding and agreement about the nature and purpose of intervention); and
- an approach that is person centred, or collaborative and client driven (taking the client's perspective and using the client's concepts)
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