Review Of Lederach Named As An Essential Guide For Research And Practice Essay

This essay will focus on how contemporary social workers work to balance the competing demand of care and control. It will start by outlining the nature of the contemporary social work and what it is like and how it works within society. The discussion will then move on to look at and discuss the key professional values of social work practitioners and analyse its relationship to their own personal values, this will also bring into account how these values and views influenced the relationship a social worker can have with both service users and other agencies. Lastly it will explore the range of challenges and dilemmas that are faced by social work practitioners in everyday practice when it comes to trying to balance the demand of care and control and how they work to overcome these problems in order to ensure an effective and fair service to all who avail of it.

My passion for helping the vulnerable is one reason I ‘am inspired to become a social worker. I also want to be available to provide support to those who have nowhere else to turn. My experience in social work has taught me to celebrate the small victories towards positive changes. I look forward to gaining the skills and knowledge to aid me in becoming a successful social worker.

The goal of a social worker is to help others in tackling whatever problems they are currently facing and pairing them with the appropriate resources needed so that they can lead a productive and healthy life. A social worker lives by a strong value system that is referred to as social justice. According to the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), “Social justice is the view that everyone deserves equal economic, political, and social rights and opportunities,” (2015, para. 2). Paul Loeb, author of the book Soul of a Citizen, writes moving stories of ordinary people who inspire others to want to be better citizens. This paper will be a reflection on how the book made me feel, the affect it has had on my formation as a social worker, any experiences I have had in social justice advocacy and what vision I have of myself as a social justice social worker.

routine of the place in which you work and the routine that best suits you. You

Entry 1 On this module you have explored what might have led you to join the social work profession. Why is it important to think about your motivations for becoming social workers and how might this affect the way you practice? Why is self-awareness important in social work practice? Given your own unique background, what areas of social work might you find challenging and why?

For many years many organizations were often quick to use a problem-based approach to helping their clients, and for a long time this was accepted and part of the norm. However, in the past few decades the focus now revolves around that of strength and empowerment (Cowger, 1994). From a social service management point of view, it is this focus that has been to strong an issue to ignore. It is the client, who even with being overwhelmed with other life challenges, when given the opportunity, can play a major role in the organizational decision making process. For they can bring a different view point to the forefront, as most are situations many deal with on a daily basis. It is a known fact that in the social work or the social services arena, decision making is an important task on every level. Understanding that critically, decision regarding the goals of the agency and its interaction within the community as well as how the agency is maintained can and usually made on an administrative level.

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

As a profession the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), believes every person should be entitled to the basic right of self-determination. The NASW code of ethics clearly defines the role of a social worker and a client’s right to self-determination as, a social worker is to respect and promote a client’s right to self-determination, while assisting clients with identifying and clarifying client goals (NASW Code of Ethics, 2008, 1.02 Self-Determination). Ethical considerations may arise when a social worker using his or her professional judgement limits a client’s right to self-determination, when the clients’ actions or potential actions pose an imminent risk to themselves or others.

With regards to restorative justice and exploring the relevance it has in relation to the professional practice of Social Care outlined in this assignment you will find reference to Howard Zehr and both his definition and description of restorative justice. Through analysing his work we begin to see a similarity between restorative justice and social care in terms of ethos, values, and best professional practices. Firstly I would like to bring your attention to the field of Social Care, and address the underlying philosophies within this professional practice. Throughout the process of my research it has become increasingly evident that there is an absence of a mainstream and generalised definition of what it means to be a Social Care worker. The Irish Association of Social Care Education

This essay aims to make clear the system of restorative justice and its aims towards youth offending, whilst arguing points for and against the current system and whether or not it is more appropriate in terms of dealing with youth offending. It will also define restorative justice as well as defining what is meant by conventional justice. Making clear how and why these two systems came to be a part of youth justice whilst concluding as to which if either is more appropriate in dealing with youth offending behaviour.

Self-reflection and correction in social work practice is important for continued learning and professional development. Without self-awareness, social workers cannot separate their personal feelings, values, and attitudes from their professional. This is important because we need to focus on the needs of the client, not what we think they need. Knowing how to separate our personal feelings and values from our professional feelings and values will prevent us from getting burnout and help us maintain professional boundaries.

I was in grade 10 when I thought of becoming a social worker. As social worker practitioner the fields that interest me to work in is domestic violence and child abuse because I want to make change to the society. Also Mahatma Gandhi was my major inspiration through this quote “Be the change that you wish to see in the world”. Than an idea came to me, why not involve my contribution to the wide variety of communities. My communication with school counsellors and social workers has impacted my choice of desiring to study social work. I realised that if I have had a chance of seeing a social worker when I was young, things would have been much easier and less stressful. I want to provide opportunities that I did not encounter to other people. This essay will reflect my past experience, motivation and why I want to be a social worker, values, beliefs and theory of practice.

To this end conventional youth justice practice has been significantly challenged. Where restorative practices have been introduced there has been a considerable departure from the long established roles within the system. The interactive dynamic between young person and practitioner is fundamentally different in this process. Consequently, there needs to be considerable training provided for practitioners to be effective in this new approach. The centrality of the victim –offender interaction requires skilful facilitation. The professionals may have difficulty in letting go of their need to control and appear to ‘know best’ what the solutions are. It is important to recognise that a facilitator allows others to reach conclusions and action plans. To be restorative is to adjust ones sense of purpose over identity as a professional, and over belief systems, not just intellectually, but in how you act in relation to others and this can only be learned from experience. Establishing the centrality of the restorative approach in youth justice can certainly be seen as a

2. The profession of social work is committed to social, political, and economic justice, the alleviation of poverty and oppression, and the reduction of social problems. Address a social problem about which you are you particularly concerned. Concisely discuss your understanding of social, political, and economic justice. How do you think that you can advance the aforementioned? What experiences or factors have shaped your interest in advancing justice?

After all the hard work and challenges I may face academically, I’ve learned that I may also face emotional challenges once I have my foot stepped into the career. Although I believe I have an emotionally strong personality, this career as a social worker still can be stressful. As my responsibility to make decisions about the welfare of the children and families, I may be faced with difficult situations such as not being able to help everyone in the way I hope. Some of my clients or cases may be stuck because of obstacles created by