User perspectives in social work - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages... Social care is a right of every citizen. It is the state's duty to provide assistance and support t citizens that are in need of such. The success of any social service program greatly relies on the proper identification and assessment of the needs of social care users. Moreover, the social care workers serve as the representatives of the service users in their attempt to make their needs known and understood. However, most of the time, the needs of the service users are not given the proper attention. Up until today, assessment of the types of services offered has been assigned to social care workers, politicians, and the government. Users of social services have been continuously left out of the assessment process.If there is any entity that can effectively judge what the real social care needs of the people are, it will only be the service users themselves. Their input and opinion is of utmost value in assessing the social service program. The following discussion will focus on the perspective of users regarding social care. The issues that service users identified will be analyzed. The primary basis for this discussion will be the studies conducted by various organizations that highlight the views and opinions of services users regarding social care.Service users have pinpointed several issues with regards to the manner by which the social service system addresses their needs. Moreover, they have likewise named various issues pertaining to the social care workers represent their needs. ...
The following studies will highlight some issues that service users have brought up regarding the social care system.
II. Shaping Our Lives Project
The Shaping Our Lives project was established to serve as the means by which the views of service users may be expressed and heard. The project was initiated in 1996 and it seeks to learn valuable lessons from what service users have to say. One of its projects deals with user-defined outcomes and its value in improving social care. In discussing the findings of the project, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2005) identified several issues raised by service users. Primarily, it was pointed out that, "most users still do not have choice and control over mainstream services" (JRF, 2003). Moreover, another concern raised by the service users included in the project was the failure of social care workers to give them the respect they deserve. According to one observer, "People felt that the attitude of staff at the local social services was patronising and condescending. People thought that they were not treated with enough respect" (JRF, 2003).
Social service is meant to ease the lives of those people who are vulnerable and are in need of assistance. However, service users feel that they are not treated properly. Not only are their views and opinions taken for granted, they are likewise not given the respect that they ought to receive. Service users feel that although they are in need of assistance they still deserve the same respect as any capable individual.
III. Personal Service Survey
In 2004, the National Health Service conducted a survey to determine what personal service users ...Download file to see next pagesRead More