This assignment is going to look into observation as a social work tool and skill. Firstly, it is going to briefly describe the observation. Secondly it will analyse the interactions using a reflective approach. And finally, it will look into some relevant social work skills and values that relate to the discussed topic.
The observation exercise was carried out on the upper deck of a London Bus on a weekday evening and lasted approximately fifteen minutes. The subjects of the observation were a male in his late twenties that appeared to be of Afro-Caribbean origin and a female of a similar age with an Eastern European accent. The male was wearing a tracksuit and had a set of headphones hanging over his shoulders. The girl was dressed in
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On the other hand, by being an anonymous observer a degree of spontaneity could be achieved. Moreover Tanner and Turney (2000, p344) argue that “the absence of active participation can give the practitioner the opportunity to think about and digest what is both seen and felt”. Although I was not actively participating I did feel emotionally engaged during the observation. There were times during the observation in which the girl’s body language did not match what was being said. In one occasion, the male asked her where she was going to which she replied: “I am going to meet a friend at the pub”. From an observer perspective she looked uncomfortable, her body moving away from the male while fiddling with her mobile. At that point the male persistent questioning made me feel uneasy too. I understood the complexity of Schon’s (cited in Briggs 1999, p148-149) idea of reflection in action (“being able to reflect during practice encounters”) taking into consideration the range of factors, such as thought and emotions, involved in the process of observation.
Once the observation had finished I felt relieved and a bit bewildered. On later reflection I have come to realize that the emotional state that I underwent during that process might have had a direct relationship with my own personal values and the conscious need to observe in a way in which I was
In this essay I will discuss what learning from K216 materials has been useful to me whilst working with vulnerable and/or disadvantaged service users in my student placement, and what learning I have applied to my practice. Throughout I will look at how my learning informed what I decided to do, how I went about doing this and my understanding of the practice. I will discuss learning in respect of two areas of social work, which are ‘Communication’ and ‘Working collaboratively’. For ‘Communication’ I will focus on communication with service users with disabilities and/ or additional needs and I will explore a case of a mother who I had a telephone call with who was in crisis and in a highly emotional state. With ‘Working collaboratively’,
is that the book goes over the characteristic of engagement, including the perspective, the relationship and the process. Moreover the book talks about engagement is the introduction to social work explain how skills like observation and noticing is important to social work environment. The textbook explores the skills of anticipatory empathy,observation, noticing and bear witness, also includes body consciousness, listening and the dialogue of engagement.The book questions power, differences and forms of resistances that may contradict engagement. Moreover describes how engagement can help with group work, explaining history and
Examining others can provide for great introspection, which allows for the constant personal reflection needed in the education field. Having the opportunity to observe the onlookers' behavior in response to
This section of the paper will discuss the definition of social work, values associated with social work and arguments for and against the use of systems theory in social work practice. Social work can be described as a field of study that encompasses individuals and their environment. Social work can be defined as work trained professionals do to elevate stressors of individuals so they may become more self-sufficient and empowered to live to their fullest potential.
At around 0953 on June 8, 2017, I contacted Mrs. BV the director of the geriatric social worker who is in charge of older adults home, long-term and nursing facilities visitations in the community. She has few different ways of collecting her data, one of them is by interviewing residents face-to-face in their homes. She stated that this method has been efficient because she gets honest information from the residents by speaking to them directly. She also reviews long-term and nursing facilities including the city health department data to compare with her assessment findings. After evaluating all the data, community-acquired pneumonia was identified as the priority health problem due to the lack of knowledge on signs and symptoms of the disease.
The purpose for this assignment is to highlight the main features of one social worker method. Within this essay, I will include social work intervention prior to the introduction of task-centred practice. This will provide an insight in to why task-centred methods were introduced. I will also portray the strengths and weaknesses of task-centred practice. The essay will also depict the underlying theory that underpins task-centred practice in relation to social work. I will endeavour to critically analyse the effectiveness of this approach. I will then compare this approach with crisis intervention and provide an analysis of the similarities between them. Throughout this assignment I will incorporate anti-discriminative and anti-oppressive
As I observed the N.A. group, I compared Hepworth 's, Direct Social Work Practice, five stages of group development. The Preaffiliation stage involves observation and feeling out the environment of the group; members may be hesitant to speak or test out certain behaviors to see reactions from other members of the group or the facilitator (Hepworth, Rooney, Rooney, & Strom-Gottfried, 2017, 2013). Returning group members greeted each other with hugs, handshakes, pat on the back, while newcomers sat quietly observing others. The facilitator provided an introduction and instructions for participation. Each member was instructed to introduce the first name, state "I am an addict" and take turns reading from the
Eric Schwitzgebel argues that introspection is unreliable in providing trustworthy information and even going as far as unreliable of present experiences, mainly, on the grounds that the sensations one integrates and the innate nature of oneself is largely faulty. More specifically put, that emotions one experiences are wavering and faulty, visual experiences one draws upon can be misleading, the pain one feels cannot be precisely located and if done so is integrated in an unreliable manner, and wrongly attributed reliance on the inner voice one consistently “deals” with.
This worker received a phone call from Holly McAdams. Holly and this worker set up a home visit for April 14 1-2pm. Holly spoke about how Gracie was doing well in school. Holly had just left a conference with Gracie's teacher. The teacher could not say anymore wonderful things about Gracie. The teacher and Holly wonder if Gracie really needs the counseling. The teacher was recommending a quite soft teacher for 2nd grade since Gracie was moving schools. Holly registered Gracie that day for the new school. Gracie was getting involved in gymnastics. Gracie wants to get involved in girl scouts. Gracie was having her birthday party in May due to having a summer birthday. Gracie was having a pool party at the wellness center. Gracie was doing good
Chapter 8 from Tools for Mindful Living converged on how to mindfully accept my emotions, so they preserve less control over my actions. Emotions, whether positive or negative, acquire the power to modify behaviors, thoughts, and judgments. This power lies controversial, as society dictates the acceptance of emotional responses. For example, many men believe that they must conceal their emotions to prevent shame, while women reside as emotional nurtures, expressing an emotional response for all actions. Existing as a woman who both senses an abundant deal of emotions, yet conceals these emotions, I rest intrigued by what this chapter reading, experience, and meditation experience offered. With an interest in this chapter, I was able to comprehend how recognition of emotions leads to a more attentive experience, as I offer myself to experience without judgment.
I’ll be reflecting back on my natural observation which took place for 20 minutes with ‘Sophie’. ‘Sophie’ is a 48 month old female and her first language is English. I’ll be using a pseudonym, ‘Sophie’ as her name for confidentiality reasons stated in the and also for the teacher ‘Debbie’ (HCPC, 2012). I’ll start off by explaining the importance of observations and how it’s essential within Social work. Ill then lead on to identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the amateur observational method I demonstrated in my notes (Appendix). Ill then conclude my findings by describing any milestones I identified and linking them too theoretical explanations based on my observation.
The journey towards the attainment of the Bachelor of the social work degree has been an enlightening and educational experience, as the individual is exposed to the realities of many social and political issues in the society. As a student, I ventured into the degree, with minimal insight as to how the degree can influence and shape the way I perceive the social world, and the way I relate these matters to myself. However, throughout my endeavour, which encompasses years of theoretical studies, and two intensive placements at two drastically different organisations, I believe I have accumulated the bare minimal knowledge to possess a solid foundation about the unfairness and inequality that people in disadvantaged conditions face. Social workers are predominantly found in welfare organisations which Howe (as cited in Limber, 2015) suggested largely influences the practice, direction and values of the social worker, and impacts on their ability to act autonomously (Lymbery, 2015). During my placements, there was a dominant theme that frequently stood out and enticed my attention. This was the accepted practice of focusing on the individual’s problem, as opposed to the social problems that existed and the lack of acknowledgement about the social restrictions of the human agency that limited self-determination. The realization that organisations were managed this way was important in ensuring that I made a proactive effort to understand and untangle the reasons behind such
Process Recording: Engagement and Use of Social Work Skills The client is a 15 year old, African-American female, who has lived her life in the United States and has extended family in the Portland area. My practicum is at a local high school and the client is a student in her sophomore year. My role is a case manager and mentor for students who are below 80% attendance, have grades lower than 70% and display behavioral issues during the academic day.
Social Work is a field of interest to me because of the positive effort it contributes to society. Within the social work profession individuals are striving to improve the welfare of those in need of assistance. Social Workers assist a variety of individuals; from children, young adolescents, older adults, mentally ill, substance abuse individuals, and many other minorities; as in LGBT members, veterans, homeless people, and low socioeconomic status individuals. The broad mix population fascinates me because within this field one will always be able to work in a flexible environment. Social Work is used in multiple settings as in hospitals, nursing skilled homes, mental health and substance abuse clinics, schools, correctional facilities, community centers, child welfare agencies, employee assistance programs, and private practices.
Personal space is the area in which one feels comfortable. The comfort provided by this space allows people to perform day-to day activities to their best ability, without being encumbered with the worry generated by people encroaching into their space. This space is generally separated into 4 separate zones which were established by Edward Hall. The 4 zones are the intimate zone, the personal zone, the social zone and the public zone. These spaces define the distance in which people feel comfortable having others of varying levels of intimacy near them.