Fields of Practice in Social Work and Human Services - Essay Example

Fields of practice in social work and human services Social services are those services which are aimed at improving the standard of living of the people and providing the basic necessities of life. Social work has gone through tremendous changes in the last few decades. In this paper, we will analyse the concept of social and human services in the context of employment and disability as a client group. We will also overview some of the major changes in Australia which have impacted social services in the country. Social work Social work is accepted to include an array of social welfare and community agencies and programs which are designated to provide opportunities to the disadvantaged sections of the population to enable them to develop into productive and self-reliant citizens. The idea of human services, similar to social services, has emerged as a profession with a laid down code of conduct for the social workers. There has been a steady growth in the number of courses in human services and in the number of people taking to social work as a profession. Contrary to historical practice when the ambit of social services was limited and welfare workers provided services to people who were sick, poor and destitute, the situation is more complex now. The ambit of social work is growing as social workers are venturing into new fields of practice which can be broadly classified into three major areas. The first area sees social work as an arm of the welfare state. This area includes fields of work like working with juvenile delinquents and adult criminals, working within correctional institutions; family welfare services; child protection and child adoption fields. Social workers are employed by the state and the parameters of their work are set by the state itself. The second area includes clinical social work, family therapy, marriage guidance, medical and psychiatric social work. Here the social workers interact directly with the clients with the primary aim of enhancing social functioning and well-being of individuals and families. The third area of social work sees the profession as an instrument of promoting the well-being of people by building healthy, cohesive, and enabling communities and societies. This area includes fields of practice ranging from social policy formulation to community development, with the aim of building a better world. Most of the people working in this area are members of agencies of civil society and some of them even work for the state. Social work and disability During the last quarter of the last century, social work theory and practice in the field of disability has been greatly influenced by the values and philosophy of Independent living movement and individual dignity. There has been a shift in the nature of services provided by professionals to the disabled people. The practice has shifted from creation of clients dependent on services controlled by professionals, to working in partnership with disabled people to secure their rights as equal citizens of the state (Woodward 2002). The disabled people have started asserting their right to equality and human dignity. They are now emphasising the creation of personalized relationships based on mutual respect between service providers and receivers. A survey conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 1998 revealed that out of Australia’s total population aged between 5 and 64 years, 19 per cent (some 3.6 million people) had some form of disability. The Survey also found that an additional 3.1 million people had some sort of impairment but it was not bad enough to restrict them in their daily activities. The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 was landmark legislation in Australia which was enacted to provide equal rights to people with disabilities. The act aimed at eliminating discrimination against people with disabilities as well as ensuring equality before the law and promoting acceptance within the community of the fundamental rights of people with disabilities. Changes in social and human service sector Social services and human service sector is going through a tremendous change in Australia. In their book, ‘Introduction: The challenges of change’, in social work and human services, the authors, Ian O’Connor, Jeni Warburton and Paul Smyth have outlined the changes that the social services sector is going through as a result of economic restructuring due to globalisation. The mission, focus, structure, funding, organisation and governance of social and community services are being reshaped by these changes. On one hand, the concept of welfare state is slowly and gradually diminishing, marking an ideological shift in favour of individual responsibility. On the other hand, there is a steady growth in the human services labour market as a result of changes in the patterns of employment. Let us now look into the political, social and economic changes that are affecting social services in Australia. Australia is a small country where the tradition of egalitarianism has been followed since many years to create a welfare state. The last two decades have seen an assault on Keynesianism and the dying of the concept of welfare state in Australia. In his paper, ‘Policies for the future: Welfare state is in crisis,’ Tristan Ewins has based his study on the premise that Australia’s welfare state is in crisis. According to the OECD figures, Australia contributes mere 33.33 % to public expenditure which is much less than other countries. The crisis of welfare state is a direct result of globalisation. Globalisation erodes the geographical limits on the operation of market forces. It undermines a country’s capacity to finance public expenditures which in turn limits the employment generating capacity of public sectors (Stilwell 2002). In an effort to integrate the Australian economy with the world economy, the country has taken a number of measures in the last two decades which has had a negative impact on the social policy of the nation. According to O’Conner et al., the concept of social work has traditionally been embedded within the welfare state. Any crisis in the welfare state has implications for the future of human rights provision. As a result of globalisation and economic restructuring, social policies have come to occupy a secondary position in the country. Economic reforms have been carried out to enhance efficiency and improve Australia’s international competitiveness. The economic policies follow the neo liberal values of less government interference, flexible labour markets and greater emphasis on efficiency. Even social sectors such as health, education and welfare have been left open to market forces. In Australia, the Competitive Policy Reform act was enforced in the year 1995. This legislation provides the framework for introduction of competition. This has been facilitated by withdrawal of the government from direct service delivery and promotion of markets for free purchase and sale of services in the market from a range of providers (public/private/non-government sector). Impact of these changes on social workers Amidst these changes, social workers are now grappling with the dilemma of sustaining in a competitive environment without losing their vision of social justice. One of the major challenges faced by them is to survive in the global competitive environment driven by market forces. Globalisation and economic reforms have posed a threat to the very existence of human services. Despite all odds, the social and human services sector is fast emerging as one of the fastest growing sectors in terms of employment. Globally, the human services sector is emerging as an attractive profession. The following trends have been observed in this sector: 1. An attractive profession: As a result of the government withdrawing from the human services sector, there is an increase in the number of employment opportunities in this sector. 2. Change in the nature of work in human services: Changes in ideology, governance and structure of social welfare provision have resulted in the introduction of markets. These changes impact fundamentally on the nature of work in human services leading to a rebalancing of power in the community. 3. Increase in the number of volunteers: There is an increase in the number of volunteers who are undertaking the task of social welfare. Social work is no longer the domain of social workers but is now open to people from different areas of work. 4. Declassification of positions: Competition in the labour market and emphasis on efficiency have opened the gates of social service to people who meet the selection criteria. It is no longer restricted to those who hold a degree in social work. It is more open and competitive. 5. Dissolving boundaries: As a result of restructuring, the boundaries between professions are fast dissolving. It implies that a person working in the social services sector can now move to other sectors with ease. Social workers have a broad range of competencies and skills that are transferrable, allowing them to work at all levels of society (O’Conner et al. 2000). Same is applicable for other professionals. Professions are now governed by market forces and needs of the industry. This also suggests greater competition amongst the social workers and others for the same positions as there is a decrease in the number of positions in which professional qualifications are required. Conclusion Globalisation and economic restructuring have posed many challenges to social and human services sector. The retreat of the state from community services has posed a challenge for the social works. Social workers are now facing the twin task of surviving in an environment driven by market forces and still be attached to their vision. It has also offered greater opportunities to those working in the area of social work to make significant contributions in the area of social equality and justice. The future of social work is dependent on the profession’s ability to work within diversity, to engage in new areas of skills, to forge new alliances and collaborate with different agencies. It must, however, remember and continue to draw strength from its core mission which is social welfare and justice. In the context of Australia, equity issues are important in addressing its diverse population. This requires a conceptual shift which necessitates listening to and valuing the voices of the marginalized and giving equal opportunities for all to choose and construct services appropriate to their circumstances. References Chenoweth, L & McAuliffe, D (2005). The road to social work and human service practice; An introductory text. Ewins, Tristan (2002). Policies for the future: Welfare state is in crisis. Australian Fabians. Available: http://www.fabian.org.au/975.asp Newell, C (2002). Embracing life: Ethical challenges in disability and biotechnology. Interaction, volume 16, pp 25-33. O’Conner, I, Warburton, J & Smyth, P (2000). Introduction: The challenges of change in Social Work and human services. I O’conner, P Smyth & J Warburton, Longman (Eds.), pp 1-10. Stiwell, F (2002). Globalisation, employment and economic strategies, in managing the global: Globalisation, employment and quality of life. DM Lamberton, IB Tauris, London (Eds.), pp 33-49. Stiwell, F (2002). Why bother about economic inequality? Online Opinion. Available: http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=1866 (23 October 2007). Woodward, James E (2002). Social Work and Disabled People: From crafting clients to sustaining citizens. Available: http://www.leeds.ac.uk/disability- studies/archiveuk/elderwood/SW&DP%20-%20Paper.pdf (23 October 2007).   Read More