A Defence Against the Public? Aspects of Intake in a Social Services Department

Summary This paper looks at certain aspects of a social services department'sduty and intake systems in the light of the theory of institutionaldefence. This theory, which has to do with the way that organisationsdeal with anxiety provoking events, is described, and a numberof ‘defences’ are identified and discussed.     

Balancing Research and Action: Reflections on an Action Research Project in a Social Services Department

The relationships between social research, policy development and implementation are complex. External researchers are frequently employed by agencies to research their activities, with the expectation that the results will lead to organizational development. In some research traditions this takes place after the presentation of a final report. In the action research approach the two are integrated and action is a part of the inquiry process. Frequently, however, despite the best intentions of the commissioners and researchers, little action ensues. Influential factors, including issues arising from changes of key research personnel, shifts in organizational staff and roles, multiple agendas, and issues in presenting findings, dissemination and feedback dilemmas, are explored, using a case study of the introduction of care management in one local authority social services department. Finally, the usefulness of this type of research by an outsider in a context of very rapid change is assessed.     

Communications between General Practitioners and a Social Services Department

Summary Referrals from general practitioners to a social services departmentover a period of six months were analyzed with a view to assessingthe quality of communication. It was found that the referrals,predominantly related to ill health and practical problems,frequently lacked important background information, and manywere considered to be innacurate or inadequate. A high proportionof allocated referrals led to no contact, and there were significantdifferences between the various social services workers in thenature and extent of contacts made. General practitioners rarelycontacted the social services department during intervention.Social workers were the most consistent in involving G.P.s incase management, and the doctors, when contacted, were rarelyunhelpful, and frequently helpful. A wide variety of alternativeactions were discussed when contact was made, and there wasgenerally a high degree of agreement. Contact with G.P.s consideredto have a positive view of social services was more extensivethan with other G.P.s, and positive G.P.s were generally consideredmost helpful.     

Implementing Community Social Work from a Social Services Department: Some Issues

Summary The proposal in the Barclay Report on the role and tasks ofsocial workers for ‘community social work’ as astrategy for social services departments is assessed The writerargues that the voluntary sector has significant roles and prioritiesoutside the social services, that government priorities forencouraging the voluntary sector emphasise other areas of workand that involving voluntary groups in official initiativesmay be seen as going against the independence of some groups.The motivation of groups and individuals in the voluntary sectorwill be important, but various research and practice shows thatindividuals, informal groups and mutual aid groups may be difficultto involve in a substantial programme. The climate of opinionin the field of volunteering and the social background of clients'neighbours may provoke hostility. Experience of community worksuggests that official initiatives may lead to resistance andconflict rather than involvement, and there may be ethical problemswith compulsion.     

The Treatment of Enuresis amongst Child Clients of a Social Services Department

Summary The adoption of an ‘outpatient’ model of supervisingthe treatment of bedwetting amongst child clients of a socialservices department is described. The treatment technique usedwas the generally effective ‘enuresis alarm’, or‘bell-and-pad’. Fifteen out of a total of 25 concludedcourses of treatment were successful, with an average treatmentduration of 14.9 weeks. Both this outcome, and the rate of drop-outbefore completion of treatment (ten cases) are comparable withthose obtained with non social services clients, and the useof the enuresis alarm with children in care (including thosein residential establishments) was found to be quite practicable.A high relapse rate (43%) was, however, found for social servicesclients, relapse usually following a placement change or othermajor stress.     

Theory and Practice in Long Term Social Work: a Case-Study of Practice with Social Services Department Clients

Summary This study is based on empirical research into the practiceof 14 social services department social workers with 42 of theirlong term clients. The findings suggest that, contrary to expectation,this type of social work practice is not characterised by aproblem solving approach, but rather by a concern for the containmentof problems and the maintenance of stability. This leads toa restricted form of social work practice which is not linkedto any particular method of intervention. Reasons for this theory-practicehiatus are suggested along with a discussion of the issues surroundingtraining for long term social work of this kind in the future.     

The Psychiatric 'Caseness' of Clients Referred to an Urban Social Services Department

Correspondence should be sent to Dr. Peter Huxley, Mental Health Social Work Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Manchester University, Stopford Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT. Summary Of 158 clients referred to two area offices and six generalpractice attached social workers, 141 weré interviewedusing standardized social and psychiatric research interviews.The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) was completed by 138clients. Their social worker completed the Case Review Form.Scores of 5 or more on the PSE Index of Definition (for theclient) were used to indicate psychiatric caseness. Using IDscores of 5 or more, 53% of the sample were identified as ‘cases’.The GHQ (cut-off 4/5) identified 73% of the clients as cases;and the GHQ (cut-off 10/11) identified 51% cases. Morbidity was significantly greater in the general practicesetting. Social workers' judgement (about the presence or absenceof mental illness/emotional disorder) was not significantlybetter than chance in the identification of specific disorders,but was significant in relation to the whole sample. The results are discussed and further studies are being conductedusing more sophisticated judgements of ’caseness’,and extending the enquiry beyond an inner city population.     

社会工作介入肿瘤患者的行动研究

社会工作的专业介入是肿瘤患者康复的重要条件。本研究运用个案研究的方法,基于社会工作的优势视角理论、互动理论、群体动力理论、干预理论、预估理论以及标签理论等专业视角,探讨了个案工作、小组工作、社区工作介入肿瘤患者的行动模式。     

社会工作介入农村留守儿童问题的行动研究

农村留守儿童是在中国现代化进程中产生的一个特殊群体,运用社会工作专业方法为他们提供专业的服务会有效促进这一群体的健康成长。本文旨在通过行动研究,从优势视角出发,构建以儿童为本的社会工作服务模式。     

Decentralizing Social Services in Israel

This paper describes an attempt by the Israeli government to decentralize social services. Special attention is focused on the initiation of this planned effort of a highly centralized state. First, the Israeli culture is analyzed in terms of the delegation of authority and empowerment of citizens. Second, the principles of this planned change are summarized and results of two evaluation studies are presented. Several possible causes for the lack of success in decentralizing social services are suggested, followed by comments on the future of decentralization of social services in Israel.     

Team Building, Inter-agency Team Development and Social Work Practice

Correspondence to Paul Iles, Human Resources Strategy Lecturer, Open Business School, Open University School of Management, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK 76A Y Summary The need to improve the effectiveness of working teams in socialwork practice has often been recognized, and a variety of teamdevelopment techniques exist which aim to develop teamwork skills.Some of the more important techniques are reviewed, along withthe evidence for the effectiveness of team development strategies.Such approaches have however primarily been employed with teamsin single autonomous organizations, and their transferabilityto multi-disciplinary or inter-agency teams remains problematic.Drawing on an intervention with a Community Drug Team involvingsocial work, health and other professionals, and an action researchproject designed to promote better collaboration between hospitalsocial workers and nursing staff in a hospital maternity unitante-natal clinic, a framework for inter-agency team developmentis described and its relevance for social work practice discussed.     

社会管理视野中社会工作人才队伍建设的十大瓶颈

目前我国社会正处于一个空前变革时期,各种社会矛盾集中凸显,社会问题大量涌现,迫切需要建设一支高素质的社会工作人才队伍。但在我国社会工作人才队伍建设的过程中,存在着制度、价值、认同、岗位、教育、本土化、供需、管理、考评、激励等十个方面的瓶颈。如何突破瓶颈,是培养和造就一支职业化、专业化社会工作人才队伍必须解决的课题。     

Occupational Stress in Social Services: a Comparison of Social Workers and Home Help Staff

Correspondence to Jennifer Bradley, School of Health Sciences, University College Salford, Frederick Road, Salford M6 6PU. Summary An investigation of occupational stress among professional andsupport staff within a social services department in north-westEngland was carried out, with the aim of optimizing the useof resources in the planning of stress management interventions.A two-phased research design was used to collect qualitative(by interview) and quantitative data (by questionnaire). Theresults reported here are based on data from 63 social workersand 74 home helps, who were involved in ‘front-line’work with clients. Sources of stress, measures of individualwell-being, job satisfaction, rganizational commitment and absenteeismdata are described. Comparisons with other occupational groupsare included.     

Action as a Text: Gadamer's Hermeneutics and the Social Scientific Analysis of Action

This paper argues that Gadamer's hermeneutics offers a methodological perspective for social and political theory that overcomes the impasse created by the dichotomy between the positivist and humanist approaches to social action. Both the positivists'attempt to replace the actors'subjective concepts with the objective concepts of the social scientist and the humanists'attempt to describe meaningful action strictly in the social actors'terms have been called into question in contemporary discussions. Gadamer's approach, which is based on the hermeneutical method of textual interpretation, offers an alternative to both the positivist and humanist perspectives. Gadamer argues that understanding a text involves the fusing of the conceptual schemes of author and interpreter. Relying on Ricoeur's analysis of the parallels between actions and texts, it is argued that this understanding of the process of textual interpretation can be profitably applied to the analysis of social action. This application, furthermore, provides a means of analyzing social action that transcends the dichotomy between the positivist and humanist approaches. Gadamer's approach legitimizes the imposition of the observer's conceptual scheme without denying the constitutive role of the social actors'concepts.     

Health and Social Services Planning

The authors outline joint planning between health and social services since 1974, examining the joint planning meetings of two different types. They identify certain features of small group meetings which could ease joint planning arrangements.     

Primary and Secondary Social Services

Summary Against a background of discontent with some aspects of currentorganization of SSDs, a number of criteria for good organizationdesign are offered. Central to these is a questioning of currentassumptions that social workers should normally provide theirservices from generic area offices. In its place a notion ofPrimary (as being those which do demand local neighbourhooddelivery) and Secondary services (as being those which requirea specialized, more concentrated delivery, often in collaborationwith other disciplines) is offered. Detailed suggestions abouthow such a model would look in relation to different clientconditions are made.     

Social Work Knowledge of Community-Based Services for Older Adults: An Educational Model for Social Work Students

Social workers are often the key link between older adults, their families and community-based services. Thus, knowledge about older adults and community-based care is imperative for social work practice. Evaluation data are provided on a national multisite effort (N = 353) from 35 schools to assure graduate social work student's competency related to community services for older adults. Results suggest that the educational model as described in this article sets forth positive outcomes in the education of aging savvy social workers. Ongoing social work education is needed to meet the burgeoning needs of the geriatric population.