Drawing on the information provided in the recording, critically examine how Anti-Oppressive Practice and Strengths Based Practice could inform your understanding of Erica's situation and your approach to working with this client and her family.
PowerPoint Presentation SWK313 Engaging with Individuals & Families in Partnership “Anti-Oppressive Practice” Semester 1, 2021 – Week 5 Module 3: Online Learning Activity Reflection on the first interview: the client's perspective Listen to the recording of Erica's reflections on the first meeting with the worker at the community centre. Drawing on the information provided in the recording, critically examine how Anti-Oppressive Practice and Strengths Based Practice could inform your understanding of Erica's situation and your approach to working with this client and her family. Integrated Framework Organisational context Phases of helping Skills Maidment, J., & Egan, R. (2009). Practice skills in social work and welfare: More than just common sense. Allen & Unwin. Anti-Oppressive Practice (AOP) ▪ 1900- 1970s development of social work movements ▪ The emergence of radical social work in mid-1970s ▪ Structural social work ▪ Feminist perspectives ▪ Anti-racist practice ▪ Postmodern approaches ▪ Critical social work Definition of AOP ▪ Umbrella term for a number of social justice-oriented theories ▪ A ‘set of politicised practices that continually evolve to analyse and address constantly changing social conditions and challenges’(Baines 2011, p. 5) ▪ Social change Systems of Oppression ▪ Privilege ▪ Stereotypes ▪ Prejudices ▪ Discrimination ▪ Oppression - “the domination of subordinate groups in society by a powerful group” (Mullaly 1997) ▪ Structures of oppression are reflected in and reproduced in everyday lives What’s in the news “Doctors, health professionals support Safe Schools program” http://www.watoday.com.au/federal-politics/political- news/doctors-health-professionals-support-safe-schools- program-20160322-gnoart.html (WA today.com.au) Beyond Blue Initiative: https://youtu.be/MvTyI41PvTk http://www.watoday.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/doctors-health-professionals-support-safe-schools-program-20160322-gnoart.html https://youtu.be/MvTyI41PvTk Power • Multidimensional & intersecting • Differences in power can be explicit or hidden and difficult to identify • Power can be reflected in economic, social, cultural structures • Oppression can be internalised Power ▪ History is important ▪ Legacies of oppression includes lateral violence, intergenerational disadvantage and trauma ▪ Oppressive relationships exist at structural (macro) and individual levels ▪ Power and oppression can be reproduced and reinforced within practice (worker-client relations) Identifying oppression ▪ How is reality being constructed (discourses) ▪ Who is making decisions (and how) ▪ Whose interests are being served? ▪ Who is advantaged? ▪ Whose voice is being heard? ▪ Whose voice is silenced or absent? ▪ Where are the power imbalances? ▪ Language? ▪ Binaries? http://www.communitycare.co.uk/2014/04/30/social-workers-must-just-talk-anti- oppressive-practice-duty-make-real/ http://www.communitycare.co.uk/2014/04/30/social-workers-must-just-talk-anti-oppressive-practice-duty-make-real/ Relevance of AOP “Social work is a practice-based profession and an academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people. Principles of social justice, human rights, collective responsibility and respect for diversities are central to social work. Underpinned by theories of social work, social sciences, humanities and indigenous knowledge, social work engages people and structures to address life challenges and enhance wellbeing. The above definition may be amplified at national and/or regional levels.” Definition of the social work profession, adopted by the International Federation of Social Work (IFSW) at its General Meeting and the IASSW General Assembly in July 2014 Key Principles ▪ Encourage, support, the knowledge and perspectives of those who have been marginalized and incorporate these perspectives into policy and practice ▪ Articulate the multiple and intersecting bases of oppression and domination. ▪ Conceive of social work as a social institution with the potential to either contribute to, or to transform the oppressive social relations which govern the lives of many people. ▪ Support the transformative potential of social work through work with diverse populations SOCIAL JUSTICE IS CENTRAL For Practice ▪ Social work is not a neutral, technical profession, but an active political process ▪ Social workers needs to build allies and work with social causes ▪ Participatory approaches between practitioners and clients are necessary ▪ Understand power, oppression & marginalisation as it affects clients and communities For Practice ▪ Self-reflexive practice and ongoing social analysis are essential components of social justice-oriented social work practice ▪ Actively look for assumptions and seek different perspectives ▪ Minimise intervention, maximise client control ▪ Reduce isolation & marginalisation - validate, normalise, strengthen connections For Practice ▪ Ensure appropriate resourcing, training, and tools are available ▪ Ensure transparency and accountability – clear account of role, complaints mechanisms, avenues for appeal, feedback, information freely available, rights of people are protected ▪ Identify and address constraints of practice context For Practice ▪ Advocacy, brokerage, resource creation ▪ Information sharing ▪ Power of groups, consciousness-raising ▪ Policy feedback, policy development ▪ Know your rights and act to protect the rights of others ▪ Activism Principles for action ▪ Critical reflection of self in practice Reflection of our own membership of social categories ▪ Critical assessment of service users’ experience of oppression The language of power and its effect on clients ▪ Empowering service users Levels of oppression: Personal, institutional, cultural, structural ▪ Working in partnership Obstacles – power relations in social work, need to maximise collaborative possibilities ▪ Minimal intervention Early intervention, linking services, prevention Critiques ▪ Challenges of having so many concepts within the umbrella term of AOP ▪ Challenging to put into practice ▪ Tensions for statutory contexts of practice ▪ Dealing with the rise of new managerialism and risk management – impact on discretion, choice and rights Case Study (Discussion Board) An Aboriginal man has begun attending a drug counselling program. He is not communicative in interviews and does not maintain eye contact. He says he has come to counselling because his lawyer told him to. The worker challenges him by stating that he is not serious about wanting to rehabilitate. The client responds by becoming aggressive, abusive and departing the program. How is AOP relevant to understanding this case study? Week 5 Tutorial (Self Study) https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2014/04/30/social- workers-must-just-talk-anti-oppressive-practice-duty- make-real/ By Libby, a social worker in a mental health team https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2014/04/30/social-workers-must-just-talk-anti-oppressive-practice-duty-make-real/ Week 5 Tutorial Critical reflection on self Who would you see as the service user if you were in a different service? – drug and alcohol service or local statutory authority? What social divisions are you a member of – e.g age, gender, class etc How might your membership of these affect your practice with these clients? Critical assessment What forms of oppression are these clients subject too? What dominant discourses or ideas shape service provision in this case? How will these ideas shape service provision? Empowering service users Identify one barrier to empowerment for the client/family at the following levels: Personal, institutional, cultural and structural Identify one strategy that could use to address each of these levels Working in partnership Identify one barrier to partnership that would face a social worker seeking to work in an anti-oppressive way in this case study Minimal intervention How might you minimise the intrusive nature of your intervention? PowerPoint Presentation SWK313 Engaging with Individuals & Families in Partnership “Strength-Based Practice” Semester 1, 2021 – Week 6 Module 3: Online Learning Activity Reflection on the first interview: the client's perspective Listen to the recording of Erica's reflections on the first meeting with the worker at the community centre. Drawing on the information provided in the recording, critically examine how Anti-Oppressive Practice and Strengths Based Practice could inform your understanding of Erica's situation and your approach to working with this client and her family. Strength-Based Practice Shifting to Strengths Perspective The emphasis shifts from problems and deficits defined by the worker, to possibilities and strengths defined in egalitarian, collaborative relationships with clients.” (Blundo 2001 p.302) Foundations ▪ Incorporates social and psychological perspectives ▪ Emerged in 1990s ▪ Generated by social work ▪ Radical social work – need to recognise political implications of social work and not pathologize ▪ Erving Goffman – work on labelling and stigma ▪ Psychological Resilience theory – people can benefit from difficult life events. People are highly resilient. ▪ Rogerian humanistic approaches – unconditional positive regard ▪ Gregory Bateson (1972) – emphasis on mutuality, on the “now”, and on seeing the ‘problem’ as not contained in the person but systemic (social system is important) ▪ Empowerment and anti-oppressive practice – solutions as a mutual learning process based on partnership Maidment & Egan (2016, p. 29) Problem-focused Solution-focused Asks what is wrong and why Asks what the client wants to change and how Explores historical causes and present difficulties in order to find a remedy Opens space for future possibilities through a focus on exceptions and resources Searches for underlying issues – the “real” problem Invites client to clarify main issues and priorities Elaborates on emotional experience of client Continuously channels client affect towards goals or desired actions Assumes client is deficient, resistant, misguided or naïve Assumes client is competent, resilient and resourceful Labels, categorises clients in problem-saturated ways Views clients as unique and maintains a positive view of curiosity 5 Practice Principles ▪ Adopt an optimistic attitude ▪ Focus on service user’s assets ▪ Collaborate with the service user ▪ Work towards long term empowerment of service user ▪ Create community (Healy, 2005, p. 158 – 165) Benefits ▪ A positive framework for understanding the personal, community and systemic strengths operating in any situation ▪ Uncovering strengths and framing them in an accessible and useful way ▪ Recognises a place for & the power of optimism in achieving change ▪ Allows us to see how our language, our behaviours and our orientations can disempower people very easily ▪ Challenges bio-medical and legal discourses ▪ Can be used to emphasise social not individual causes of personal problems Critique ▪ Positive thinking is simplistic ▪ Individualistic ▪ Ignores realities ▪ Inconsistent with core components of statutory contexts of practice. ▪ In some situations, emphasising strengths is both unviable & may exacerbate user’s vulnerabilities ▪ The partnership ideal disguises the real power differentials between social workers & service users ▪ Not clear about definition of a strength Brief Solution Focused Therapy ▪ 1970s – work of de Shazer & Berg ▪ Focused on solutions rather than problems ▪ Assumes clients have some knowledge of what would make their life better and the skills needed to create solutions ▪ Directed conversation to help client clarify and develop solutions Brief Solution Focused Therapy ▪ Look for previous solutions ▪ Are there times when this has been less of a problem? ▪ What did you do (or others) do that was helpful? ▪ Look for exceptions ▪ What is different about the times when this is less of a problem? ▪ Use present & future-focused questions ▪ What will you be doing next week that would indicate you are making progress? ▪ Validate and appreciate ▪ How did you do that? ▪ Invitation to do more of what is working ▪ Scaling questions ▪ What makes it a 4 instead of a 3? ▪ Coping questions ▪ How