Knowledge of Community Services Amongst The Aged

Knowledge of community services is clearly an important determinant of their use by the frail or disabled elderly. This paper describes the levels of knowledge amongst the aged in Sydney concerning such services, and explores the pathways by which information is disseminated. Awareness of community services was quite limited amongst the sample studied. The data suggest that many of the elderly may be inadequately informed of services which could serve as alternatives to institutional care.     

Treatment Barriers to Social and Health Care Services from the Standpoint of Female Substance Users in Finland

Abstract

This qualitative study discusses barriers affecting female substance user’s treatment access to welfare services. The study consisted of seven group discussions and three individual meetings with 13 women in Helsinki, Finland. Institutional ethnography was used as the theoretical framework for the study. The research questions are: (a) What treatment barriers do women face?, (b) What reasons are there for them not receiving services?, and (c) How do the ruling relations coordinate women’s experiences? Women faced multiple barriers affecting their access to services. They could be interpreted as being: determined by the service system, such as a difficulty in meeting the various criteria in order to be granted access to services; determined by the lack of trust; or determined by personal choices. The study suggests that the service system should be organized according to the needs of the service users. Future research is needed to address the questions such as how social and health care services could better co-operate, and how the different sectors of the service system could break down the institutional barriers.     

Accountability to Welfare Service Users: Challenges and Responses of Service Providers

Influenced by the consumerist sentiment in New Public Management,the last decades have witnessed a revival of the call for accountabilityto service users in the public service sector. As an act ofaccountability, social care and health care professionals areincreasingly obliged to involve their service users in the serviceplanning and monitoring process. Despite the popularity of thisaccountability and user involvement rhetoric, critics have,however, been skeptical of the prevailing user involvement initiativesas an effective measure of accountability to service users (Barnes and Wistow, 1994a,1994b; Bowl, 1996; Peck et al., 2002; Rea, 2004). Based on astudy of user involvement in the welfare sector of Hong Kong,this paper argues that the discourse of accountability to theservice users can be a source of unrest for welfare professionals,in the manifestation of accountability as a power relationship.Their ensuing response is to accommodate the ensuing challengearising from the demand for accountability to service usersby manoeuvring the accountability discourse. It is the contentionof this paper that the institutional inclusion of welfare serviceusers into a discursive space is a necessary but not sufficientcondition for the realization of a mandate of accountabilityto welfare service users.     

The Problem of Gender Identification in Conditions of Social Instability

Data from the Soviet period is compared with small-scale recent survey research in Chechnya. The author discusses legacy problems of female employment and empowerment in a society emphasizing patriarchal and Muslim values. She argues that outward appearances of religiosity, such as headscarves, do not necessarily equal inner faith. Distortions of gender identifications and social relationships are viewed as magnified in conditions of warfare and social upheaval.     

Social Workers' Responses to Experiences of Fear

Correspondence to Martin Smith, EDT c/o Social Services Department, Easton Street, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP11 1NH. E-mail: msmith{at}buckscc.gov.uk Summary This paper follows on from the paper ‘Social workers’experiences of fear’, written by the same authors, reportingon a research study that showed how social workers interviewedexperienced fears of assault, death, losing control and rejectionfrom their seniors during their working hours. Now, from thesame study, examples are given that illustrate ways in whichparticipants were affected by, and responded to, these fears.Substantive quotations from in-depth interviews are providedshowing effects of fears as being physical, cognitive and emotionaland as manifesting themselves differently with the passing oftime. Also given are examples of what it was that participantsfound to be helpful, or unhelpful, when attempting to deal withtheir fears and particular attention is paid to supervisionin this respect. The paper argues that drama therapy literaturehas much relevance to the management of fear as participantsoften reported different parts of themselves performing roleswhen affected by and responding to fears. Implications for socialwork training are considered in this light. Generally, it isclaimed that the more social workers can learn about fear andits manifestations and implications in their work, the betterthey will be able to respond to it and deal with it.     

Predictors of Stress Amongst Social Workers: An Empirical Study

Correspondence to Professor John Collings, Faculty of Health and Social Care, Leeds Metropolitan University Calverley Street, Leeds, LS1 3HE, UK Summary Much of what is known about stress amongst social workers isanecdotal and there is a dearth of systematic research findingson the subject. This questionnaire study examined the perceptionsof work-related stress, and factors contributing to high andlow levels of stress, in a sample of 243 social workers drawnfrom four local authorities in northern England. The samplewas broadly based in terms of a range of personal backgroundfactors, and included social workers in urban, rural and semi-rurallocations. A measure of overall stress was constructed encompassingpsychological and physical aspects, and which permitted an analysisof the relative importance of predictor variables. A varietyof rating scales was used to assess aspects of the work environmentand perceived stressors. The most powerful predictor of overallstress that emerged related to the pressure involved in planningand reaching work targets. The study also identified certaincaseload and supervision-related predictors of stress, but,apart from age and marital status, personal background factorsseemed of weak predictive power. Social workers' perceptionsof their image in society seemed an additional source of pressure.The study findings suggest a need for combining organizationalwith individual oriented initiatives to combat stress.     

Machines and Mindlessness: Social Responses to Computers

Following Langer (1992), this article reviews a series of experimental studies that demonstrate that individuals mindlessly apply social rules and expectations to computers. The first set of studies illustrates how individuals overuse human social categories, applying gender stereotypes to computers and ethnically identifying with computer agents. The second set demonstrates thatpeople exhibit overlearned social behaviors such as politeness and reciprocity toward computers. In the third set of studies, premature cognitive commitments are demonstrated: A specialist television set is perceived as providing better content than a generalist television set. A final series of studies demonstrates the depth of social responses with respect to computer 'personality.' Alternative explanations for these findings, such asanthropomorphism and intentional social responses, cannot explain the results. We conclude with an agenda for future research.     

Health and Social Policy Responses to Unemployment in Europe

This paper analyzes health policy development in Europe in response to economic instability, and describes agreements and declarations at a European level as well as commitments in some selected countries. One significant example is the European Health for All Strategy, which encompasses 38 operational targets agreed upon by all 32 member states of the European region. The Council of Europe and the Commission of the European Communities have instituted study groups on psychosocial and health effects of long-term unemployment, and on intervention measures taken or contemplated. This paper discusses interventions such as psychological and socio-pedagogic training schemes, measures for long-term unemployed, and a "social guarantee" of employment or training, as well as prevention of unemployment and empowerment of the unemployed. A local approach in a region of the Federal Republic of Germany illustrates the need for political involvement and strategies.     

Gender Identity and Social Services: Barriers to Care

ABSTRACT

Transgender people seek social services for a variety of reasons. This literature review highlights needs assessments and social science research articles (N = 30) from the last 16 years that demonstrate the many ways in which social services are further revictimizing transgender people. Studies indicate that transgender people often encounter ignorance, hostility, and transphobic environments while attempting to access social services, and these environments can dissuade transgender people from gaining needed care. Suggestions are made to address these inequalities and include simple measures that social service agencies can begin with to make their services more transinclusive. Future research should address the bias in social services more directly and also develop a clear plan of action and best practices to help agencies remove discrimination from social service settings.     

适老化科技的社会工作回应

在当今科讯飞速发展的时代,老龄化社会的挑战与机遇并存,老年人群体的多样化需求为科技和服务的发展提出了新要求。而在物联网、人工智能、大数据、云计算智能平台等技术的应用和助力下,老年人的科技辅助产品更新迭代、日新月异,但在"科技银龄经济"日新月异发展的过程中,技术也给老年人的生活带来了困扰,一些科技产品和IT服务因为设计过程中没有充分考虑老年人的主体性而使老年人群体产生数码疏离。本研究与两个非政府组织合作对老年人进行数码赋权的干预,结果彰显了以案主群体需求为本的科技与服务设计的重要性。基于该干预研究,研究分析了科学技术与人文价值观的矛盾,并描述了社会工作专业课程教育中师生对老年人数码赋权的回应。     

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.     

Public Willingness to Utilize Psychiatric Social Work Services

This paper reports the results of a survey of New Orleans residents concerning knowledge about and willingness to utilize the services of psychiatric social workers. The research was inspired by the complaints of some psychiatric social workers that the public neither understands nor utilizes their services. Analysis of the survey findings indicates that this assessment is only partially correct. The public does possess a general knowledge of psychiatric social work and does grant the occupation relatively high prestige. Twenty-five percent of the sample could imagine themselves ulilizing the clinician's services. However, only one variable explored in this research is directly linked to use propensity: family contact with psychiatric social workers. The implications of this finding for increasing public use of clinical services are discussed.     

Inter-agency Approaches to Domestic Violence and the Role of Social Services

Correspondence to Gill Hague and Ellen Malos, Domestic Violence Research Group, School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol, 8 Woodland Road, Bristol BS8 1TN, UK. Summary The development of inter-agency initiatives as a response todomestic violence is currently enjoying widespread popularity,and was the subject of a Home Office Circular in 1995 encouragingthis approach as one of the principal planks of government domesticviolence policy. The Domestic Violence Research Group in theSchool for Policy Studies at the University of Bristol has completeda national study of inter-agency approaches to domestic violence,supported by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, and this paperexplores some of the themes identified in the research and therelevance of multi-agency domestic violence initiatives to socialworkers. Social services departments and voluntary sector socialwork agencies have a key role to play within inter-agency workof this type. The research indicates, however, that, while somesocial workers are active within inter-agency domestic violenceforums, social services could often take a more active rolewith firm commitment from management. It could be suggestedthat social services organizations cannot afford to be absentas the new policy direction offered by inter-agency initiativescontinues to grow in the future, which looks almost certainto happen. Some of the areas explored in the paper are: powerdifferentials between member agencies; the participation (andsometimes the marginalization) of Women's Aid and the refugemovement within multi-agency work; equalities issues; and theinvolvement in inter-agency projects of women and children whohave experienced domestic violence.     

Risk and Supervision: Social Work Responses to Referred User Problems

Correspondence to Peter Burke, Department of Social Work, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX Summary This study examines social work responses to users followingcase allocation of the initial referral. The aim of the studyis to demonstrate the need for supervision of social workersdealing with cases which have in common an inherent quality,described as ‘risk’. The study also links referralsto other practice responses identified as ‘service delivery’and ‘advisory’ work. The relationship between theseparticular responses is tested against the outcome decisionreached on case closure. All referrals were allocated betweentwo fieldwork teams over a one-year period and a total of 312referred cases was allocated within the categories mentioned.Findings are indicative that more ‘risk’ type referrals,however defined, are resolved with additional supervisory inputthan without, and that lower status workers favoured ‘middleground’ decisions of outcome when compared to their seniorcolleagues. A consideration resulting from this research isthat agency definitions of risk are different to the type ofrisk which requires crisis intervention. The question of riskto the user or to the agency requires the workers concernedto be able to discriminate between such cases. The implicationfor team training is that supervisory input should clarify thenature of risk, if any, and the task required of the workerfollowing case referral. The matching of skills which wouldultimately be the objective of this type of research cannotbe finally determined until a more comprehensive set of parametersfor practice is identified. This study shows that the responsecategories used demonstrate some basic supervisory needs ofthe worker.