Introduction to Social Work

 Unit-1

Introduction to social work

Meaning of social work

“Social work is the professional activity of helping individuals, groups, or communities enhance or restore their capacity for social functioning and creating societal conditions favorable to this goal.”  (National Association of Social Work).  This definition highlights the levels of practice, from micro to macro, at which social workers implement interventions. (National Association of Social Workers, 1971)

Global Definition of the Social Work Profession

“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. 

 Fried Lander defines “Social Work is the art of bringing various resources to bear on individual, group and community needs by the application of a scientific method of helping people to help themselves.” 

Objectives of social work

• To solve psycho-social problems. 

• To fulfill humanitarian needs. 

• To solve adjustmental problems. 

• To create self sufficiency. 

• To making harmonious social relations. 

• Develop democratic values.

• Provide opportunities for development and social programme. 

• Provide socio legal act.

• Change the environment in favour of individuals’ growth & development. 

• Bring Change in social system for social development.

•

Characteristics of Social Work: 

Social Work in its theoretical aspect is based on the knowledge of human relations with regard to solution of psycho-social problems. In its applied aspect, social work is a professional service based on scientific method and skill. It seeks to approach the social world scientifically. In the field of social sciences, social work occupies a very important place. The following characteristics reveal its distinctness and peculiarity:

1)    Professional Service – In its present form, social work is a professional service which assists individuals, groups, and communities. On the one hand it attempts to help individuals in the social milieu and on the other hand it removes the barriers which obstruct people from achieving the best which they are capable.

2)  Based on scientific knowledge – Social Work is based on scientific knowledge and technical. It has its own methodology which distinguishes it from other types of welfare activities.

3)    Humanitarian philosophy – Social Work derives its inspiration from the humanitarian philosophy. It seeks happiness and prosperity for the individuals, groups and community.

4)    Solution of psycho-social problems -   Social Work aims to solve the psycho-social obstacles which prevent the effective functioning of groups, community and society.

Principles of social work:

Principles are guiding beliefs and statement of do's and don'ts. Social work principles are guiding assertions of   statement that have come from experiences and research. The most commonly discussed principles of social work are as follows:

Principles of Acceptance:

Social work accepts the individual as he or she is with all his/her limitations. Social work believes that acceptance is the crux of all help. Social worker does not condemn or feel hostile towards a client because his behavior differs from the approved one. The principle of acceptance implies that social worker must perceive, acknowledge, receive and establish a relationship with the individual client as he actually is, not as social worker wishes him to be or think he should be.

Principle of Individualization:-

The principle of individualization is fundamental to effective social work practice. Social work believes in the uniqueness of individual. Each individual is different from that of every other individual nature. As we know that individual is unique as his thumb print. The social worker views the problem of each client as specific and helps the client move forward finding the most satisfactory means for client to deal with particular problem situation.

Principle of Communications:-

Communication is a two way process most of the problem that give pain are precisely the problem of communication. When the communication is inadequate or insufficient the problems occurs either automatically or because of misunderstanding. The social worker should have enough skills to grasp the communication. The proper communication is crucial in social work relationship because the background of the client and worker may be different, the mental status of the client and the worker may vary. Therefore the social worker should make all the efforts to see that communication between him and client is proper. The client should be made feel comfortable and at ease to express his thoughts feelings and facts.

Principle of Confidentiality:-

Social work believes that during the professional help between the client and social worker, client have the right of personal information about themselves in relationship with a social agency. The principle believes that confidential things of the client must be kept confidential and other agencies and individual & should be consulted only with the clients consent.

Principle of Self Determination:-

The principle emphasizes client’s right to self determination. Every individual client has the right to decide what is appropriate for him and decides the ways and means to realize it. In other words, social worker should not force decisions or solutions on the clients because the client has come to him for help. Therefore, social worker should support and guide the client to develop insight into his social situations in correct perspective and encourage and involve him to like decisions that are good and acceptable to him.

Principle of Non-judgmental Attitude:-

Principle of non-judgmental attitude presumes that the social worker should begin the professional relationship without any bias. He should not form opinion about the client, good or bad, worthy or unworthy. He has to treat the client as somebody who has come to him for help and he should be willing to help the client without being influenced by the opinions of other about the client or his situation. This enables the worker and the client feel free to develop understanding of each other.

Principle of Controlled Emotional Involvement:-

This principle guides social work professional not to indulge too much personally in the client's difficult situation or being too objective. Therefore the social worker should maintain a reasonable emotional distance even while sympathizing with the client social worker should indicate the understanding of the difficult situations of the client without showing pity or appearing to be indifference.

Beliefs and Values:

1. Service

2. Social justice

3. Dignity and worth of the person

4. Importance of human relationships

5. Integrity

6. Competence

Service

Ethical principle: Serve people in need and work to address social problems.

Social justice

Ethical principle: Challenge social injustice and work for social change on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed people.

Dignity and worth of the person

Ethical principle: Be respectful of every person and mindful of cultural and ethnic diversity.

Importance of human relationships

Ethical principle: Recognize and value the importance of human relationships, and work to strengthen these relationships in order to enhance the well-being of individuals and communities.

Integrity

Ethical principle: Be trustworthy and uphold the profession's mission, values, ethical principles and ethical standards.

Competence

Ethical principle: Practice within areas of competence, continuously develop professional knowledge and expertise, and contribute to the knowledge of the profession.

Code of ethics by NASW

Any profession usually gives a lot of authority to its professional. A layman who requires social work help may know the intricacies of the problem. A social worker's professional advice is valuable and his/her judgment may not be questioned. But power, when it is not regulated by norms of behavior, is liable to degenerate into tyranny. Social workers may charge a high price for their professional service or make undesirable demands from the public. Hence, in order to regulate the professional, a code of conduct is developed by professional organizations.

Ethical Responsibilities of Social Work: 

A social worker has ethical responsibilities towards his/her clients, the employing agencies, his/her colleagues, and his /her community and towards his/her profession.

Social worker's ethical responsibilities towards his/her clientele:

A social worker's ethical responsibilities towards his/her clientele impose the welfare of the individual as his/her primary obligation. The social worker should give greater importance to professional responsibility rather than over personal interests. She/he has to respect his/her client's (self determination) opinion. She/he should keep confidential all matters related to the client. The social worker should respect the individual differences among clients and should not have any discrimination on a non-professional basis.

Social worker's ethical responsibility towards his/her employers:

The social worker has an ethical responsibility towards his/her employers and should be loyal to them. He/she should provide correct and accurate information to his/her employer. The social worker should be held accountable for the quality and extent of service, observing the regulations and procedures of the agency. She/he should help his/her agency in increasing its public image even after termination of his/her employment.

Social worker's ethical responsibility towards his/her colleagues

‘The social worker has to respect his/her colleagues and should help in fulfilling their responsibilities. The social worker should assume the responsibility of adding to her/his knowledge. She/he should treat all without discrimination and should cooperate with other research and practice.

Social worker's ethical responsibility towards community

The social worker has an ethical responsibility towards the community in protecting it from unethical practices. She/he has to contribute knowledge and skills for the betterment of the community.

Above all, the social worker has an ethical responsibility towards her/his own profession. She/he should defend her/his profession from unjust criticism or misinterpretation. She/he should sustain and enhance public confidence through her/his self-discipline and personal behaviour. The social worker should always support the view that professional practice requires professional education. 

 profession

• A Profession is an occupation which requires higher educational qualification.

• Occupation involving a degree of ethical responsibility

Characterized by

– Specialized body of knowledge and skills

• An area of operation

• A code of ethics

• A certain degree of organization among the members of the profession.

Social work as a profession

• Social work is not a leisure time activity.

• It has developed into full-fledged profession with definite knowledge, techniques and skills which are acquired by the social workers.

The criteria or attributes are

• Tested body of knowledge (Systematic scientific knowledge) 

• Standard for training (Social work education)

• Professional training

• Professional organization

• Acceptance of Social responsibility

• Acceptance of Individual Dignity

• Combination of Science and Art

• Code of Ethics

TESTED BODY OF KNOWLEDGE 

• Consists of knowledge, methods, and techniques communicable through on educational discipline both academically and practically natured.

STANDARD FOR TRAINING 

• Master degree specialization. 

• It is a standardized method of social training.

 • It is under the UGC curriculum development. 

• Social work training has a statuary recognition.

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING 

• Every work bring designated as profession is based on certain assumption.

 • Firstly, that very work should be opted by the workers as their carrier.

 • Secondly, the workers presuming the work should make their living through that work. 

• Both these characteristics are found in the modern social work. 

• Social workers emerged under the various social services are paid workers. 

• They are trained on the methods and techniques of social work.

PROFESSIONAL ORGANISATION

 • In the modern society social work is organized on the professional basis. 

• There are many professionals who aim to promote the standards and quality of professional organization of social work. 

• At present social work is socially oriented profession.

 • The workers engaged in this profession get their salary through voluntary or public organization. 

• At the national and international level, these are many institutions which impart training facilities to this profession.

ACCEPTANCE OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

 • As a socially oriented profession, social work recognized its responsibility with regard to the adjustment between individual and society that present the development of healthy social life. 

• They emerge only when the relations between the individual and the society are disrupted. 

• As a result of disruption the individual behaviour deviates from the culturally approved norms to such an extent so as to arise social disapproval. 

• Hence social work aims to establish harmonious relationship between the individual and the society.

ACCEPTANCE OF INDIVIDUAL DIGNITY

 • Every profession accepts the dignity and importance of individual.

 • Individual, being the unit of society, occupies paramount importance. 

• His interest and aspirations are entirely dependent on the society. 

• Without individual progress, social progress has no meaning. 

• Thus like this profession social work also accepts the individual dignity.

COMBINATION OF SCIENCE AND ART

 • Every profession involved two aspects, namely theory and practice. 

• These two aspects are interdependent because theory is meaningless without practice.

 • Social work in its modern form has its own theoretical principles and practical skills. 

• As theory, social work discovers the law of human behaviour, nature and extent of individual and social problems and the ways of solution and prevention. 

• In practice, social work adopts its skills and towards the practical solution of social problems.

CODE OF ETHICS 

• Ethics: Moral philosophy or principles - What is right and what is wrong.

 • social work has its own set of rules and regulations (ethical responsibility) that should govern the conduct of the social worker in his/her relationships with his/her clients, fellow professionals, colleagues, the agency and society in general.

Unit 2

Basic concepts in social work

SOCIAL SERVICE 

Social service in its broadest sense means any aid or assistance provided by society to enable its members to optimally actualize their potentials to effectively perform the roles expectedly prescribed by society and to remove obstacles that come in the way of personality development or social functioning. Social services which are envisage and provided by society to its members to enable them to develop optimally and help them to function effectively and to lead life of decency, dignity, and liberty. These services directly benefit all the members of society, irrespective of their religion, caste, race, language, region, culture etc.

DEFINITION

 “Social services means those organized activities that are primarily and directly concerned with the conservation, the protection and the improvement of human resources", - H.M. Cassidy (1943)

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT 

• Social development is defined as prioritizing human needs in the growth and progression of society. 

• Social development also governs the norms and conventions that govern human interaction. 

• The focus is on improving the lives of regular citizens, especially the poor, to make society a better place for everyone. 

• Social development is about putting people at the centre of development.

 • This means a commitment that development processes need to benefit people, particularly but not only the poor, but also a recognition that people, and the way they interact in groups and society, and the norms that facilitates such interaction, shape development processes.

SOCIAL DEFENCE

 • The term 'social defense' has both narrow and broad connotations. 

• In its narrow sense, it remains confined to the treatment and welfare of persons coming in conflict with law.

 • In its broad meaning, it includes within its ambit the entire gamut of preventive, therapeutic and rehabilitative services to control deviance in general and crime in particular in the society. 

• Social defense is a planned deliberate and organized effort made by society to defend itself against the onslaught of disruptive forces which endanger its law and order and thereby impede its socio-economic development. 

• The aim of social defense is to protect society from the varied kinds of deviance resulting into widespread social disorganization which seriously disrupts the effective functioning of society. 

Social defense consists of measures relating to

 – Prevention and control of juvenile delinquency and crime, 

– Welfare services in prisons, 

– After - care services for discharged prisoners,

 – Probation services,

 – Suppression of immoral traffic,

 – Prevention of beggary and rehabilitation of beggars,

 – Prevention and control of drug abuse and alcoholism 

– Treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts and alcoholics.

Social welfare is organized system of social service and institutions designed to help individuals and groups to attain satisfactory standard of life and health and person and social relationship when permit them to develop their well-being in harmony with the needs of their family and community social welfare similar to social service but it specializes on giving attention to benefit the weaker and vulnerable section of population which includes women, children elderly people ,physically handicapped, mentally retarded.

According to Friedlander,

“The term welfare means all the services (social and economic) that deals with economic support, welfare provisions and social security. Social welfare is people’s well being promoted by society through a wide variety of ways and means. 

Wilensky and Labeaux define social welfare as those formally organized and socially sponsored institutional agencies and programs which function to maintain or improve the economic condition health or interpersonal competence”.

SOCIAL WELFARE  

Everything that men do for the good of society

•  Organized concern of all people for all people, -Gertrude Wilson

•  Organized system of social services and institutions, designed to aid

• individuals and groups to attain satisfying standards of life and health  Social welfare includes those laws, programs, benefits and services which

• Assure or strengthen provisions for meeting social needs recognized as basic to the well-being of the population and the better functioning of the social order.- Elizabeth Wickenden 

 Social Welfare encompasses the well-being of all the members of human Society.  Including their physical, mental, emotional, social, economic, and spiritual well-being.- Charles Zastrow 

PERSPECTIVES IN SOCIAL WELFARE 

A. RESIDUAL Often temporary and withdrawn when the regular social system, the family and economic system, is again working. 

B. INSTITUTIONAL People’s needs are normal part of life•  People have the right to receive benefits and services•

 C. DEVELOPMENTAL  A process of planned social change designed to promote the well being of the population as a whole in conjunction with a dynamic process of economic development

Social security

Social security is the protection that a society provides to individuals and households to ensure access to health care and to guarantee income security, particularly in cases of old age, unemployment, sickness, invalidity, work injury, maternity or loss of a breadwinner.

Social justice

An Ideal condition in which all members of a society have the same basic rights, society have the same basic rights, security, opportunities, obligations and social benefits.

Social justice promotes fairness and equity across many aspects of society. For example, it promotes equal economic, educational and workplace opportunities. It’s also important to the safety and security of individuals and communities.

Social justice and social work cannot be separated. Social workers use their strong communication and empathy skills to relate with patients undergoing stress and trauma, which could be related to social injustices. They ensure people are treated with respect and promote social justice within schools, hospitals, community centers, nursing homes and more.

Social Assistance

Social Assistance is provided in the form of 

– old age grant, 

– disability grant, 

– war veterans grant, 

– care dependency grant, 

– foster care grant, 

– child support grant, 

– grant-in-aid and social relief of distress 

Social inequality

• Lack of/uneven access to the social amenities that are necessary for an adequate standard of living

• The exclusion of people from full and equal participation in societal events/structures that are perceive to be important, valuable (economically, socially, culturally), personally worthwhile and socially desirable.

Unit 3

History and development of social work

History of Social Work in the United Kingdom:

 Contents

1. Introduction 

2. Role of the Church

3. Welfare Becomes a State Responsibility

4. The Elizabethan Poor Law 1601

5. Influence of The Elizabethan Poor Law

6. The Poor Law Revisions: 1834-1909 

7. The Beveridge Report

8. Beginnings of the COS Movement and Settlement House Movement 

Introduction

In primitive society, sometimes known as 'folk society,' the wider family or tribe assumed responsibility for people whose needs could not be provided in the traditional manner. Children who had lost their parents were placed in relatives' homes or adopted by childless couples. Food was divided among family members and neighbours. When the feudal system gave way to the wage economy, laws were passed to force the impoverished to work. Begging was punishable with whippings, imprisonment, and even death.

Role of the Church

The folk tradition lasted in Europe during the early Christian era, and the faithful considered it a religious obligation to care for those members of the group who were unable to care for themselves. The greatest source of charitable motivation was religion. The church, particularly the monasteries, became distribution centres for food, medical aid, and shelter. The parish priest and other clerics who knew the individuals and their circumstances gave alms collected in the parish.

Welfare Becomes a State Responsibility

The severe legislation prohibiting begging and vagrancy is the first sign of the transition from church to government responsibility for relief. Between 1350 and 1530, a series of regulations known as the "Statutes of Labourers" were enacted in England, with the goal of forcing the impoverished to work. The decline of the church's influence and the growing trend to delegate duty to government authorities prompted a series of actions in England, culminating in the famous Elizabethan Poor Law of 1601.

The Elizabethan Poor Law 1601

The 1601 Poor Law was a compilation of previous poor relief legislation. After three generations of political, theological, and economic upheavals that necessitated government intervention, the statute marked the ultimate version of poor law legislation in England.

The law distinguished three classes of the poor

1. The able-bodied poor were referred to as "sturdy beggars" and made to work in a correctional facility or workhouse. Those who refused to work at the correctional facility were either thrown in the stocks or imprisoned. 

2. The impotent poor were persons who were unable to work, such as the sick, elderly, blind, deaf-mute, lame, insane, and mothers with small children. They were sent to the almshouse, where they were expected to assist to the best of their abilities. They were provided "outside relief" in the form of food, clothing, and fuel if they had a place to reside. 

3. Orphans and children who had been abandoned by their parents or whose parents were too destitute to raise them were considered dependent children. Children aged eight and up who were capable of doing some household and other work were indentured to a townsman.

For the next 300 years, the Poor Law of 1601 set the standard for public aid under government control in Great Britain. It established the notion that the parish, as the local community, was responsible for organising and funding poor relief for the parish's citizens. The poor overseers were in charge of enforcing the poor legislation in the parish. Their job was to take the impoverished person's application for relief, research his or her situation, and determine whether he or she was eligible for assistance.

Influence of The Elizabethan Poor Law

Though similar reform measures were supported in Europe, it was the Poor Law of 1601, often known as 43 Elizabeth, that had the greatest impact on the development of public welfare and social work in the United Kingdom. The English Poor Law contains several significant concepts that continue to have a strong influence on welfare law four centuries later.

1. The notion of the state’s obligation for assistance is unanimously acknowledged and has never been substantially questioned. It is in line with democratic thinking as well as with the principle of the separation of church and state. 

2. The notion of municipal responsibility for welfare enunciated in the Poor Law stretches back to 1388 and is aimed to deter vagrancy. It stipulates that “sturdy beggars” to return to their birthplaces and there seek relief. 

3. A third principle specified differential treatment of persons according to categories: the deserving as against the undeserving poor, children, the aged, and the sick. This idea is founded on the theory that certain categories of unhappy persons have a grater claim on the community than other types. 

4. The Poor Law also outlined familial responsibilities for aiding dependants. Children, grandkids, parents, and grandparents were defined as “legally liable” relations.

The Elizabethan Poor Law was noteworthy and progressive when it was enacted. It has served as the basis for both English and American public welfare.

The Poor Law Revisions: 1834-1909

In 1834 a Parliamentary Commission presented a report which aimed to revise the Elizabethan and post Elizabethan Poor Laws. Upon the basis of the committee’s report legislation was enacted enunciating the following principles:

(a) doctrine of least eligibility,

(b) re-establishment of the workhouse test, and

(c) centralization of control. 

The doctrine of least eligibility said that a pauper's situation should never be considered more eligible than that of a person from the lowest social class who subsists on the results of their own labour. In other words, no one who received assistance was expected to be in the same financial situation. The able-bodied poor might ask for assistance in the public workhouse under the second principle, but unwillingness to accept the workhouse's accommodation and fare disqualified them from receiving any aid. The amount of outdoor relief was kept to a bare minimum. The third premise stated that a central authority made up of three Poverty Law Commissioners had the authority to integrate and coordinate poor law services across the country. The administrative units would no longer be parishes.

There were significant modifications in Poor Law legislation between 1834 and 1909, with the cumulative effect of veering the entire system away from the ideas of 1834. Changes that began to provide specialised treatment for specific disadvantaged groups were the most significant. For example, district schools and foster homes were established for dependent children, and specialised institutions for the crazy and feeble-minded were established.

The Poor Law Report of 1909 takes a more positive approach to the poor laws. Instead of repression, the report emphasised therapeutic treatment and rehabilitation, as well as universal provision in place of the selective workhouse test. If the principles of 1834 served as a "foundation of repression," the principles of 1909 may be described as a "structure of prevention."

The Beveridge Report

The chairman of the Interdepartmental Committee on Social Insurance and Allied Services, Sir William Beveridge, submitted the Committee's Report to the government in 1942. Four important principles were stressed in the report:

1. Every citizen to be covered, 

2. The major risks of loss of earning power -- sickness, unemployment, accident, old age, widowhood, maternity-- to be included in a single insurance, 

3. A flat rate of contribution to be paid regardless of the contributor’s income, and 

4. A flat rate of benefit to be paid, also without regard to income, as a right to all who qualify.

Beveridge emphasised that the plan's underpinning social concept was to protect the British from hunger and other social ills. Everyone is eligible for benefits such as maternity, sickness, unemployment, industrial injury, retirement, and a widow's allowance. Family Allowances, National Health Services, and National Assistance are all connected services.

The Beveridge Report of 1942 joins 601, 1834, 1909, and 1942 as one of the great documents in English Poor Law history. The report laid the groundwork for modern social welfare policy in the United Kingdom.

Beginnings of the COS Movement and Settlement House Movement

In 1869, a group of public-spirited persons in England created the London Charity Organization Society to address the problem of competing and overlapping social services in London, which had been growing over the years (COS). Two of the founders were Octavia Hill and Samuel Barnett. Octavia Hill created a technique of "friendly rent collecting" as a method of rehabilitating slum homes in her work as a housing reformer.

Through weekly meetings and 'Letters to Fellow Workers,' Octavia Hill imparted to the volunteers specific principles or laws to be observed in their operations. 'Each case and situation must be tailored to the individual,' she said. Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect for their privacy and independence. She cautioned her employees against judging the tenants based on their own personal standards. She believed that even the most degraded of her tenants deserved dignity.

Toynbee Hall was founded by Samuel Augustus Barnett, the first settlement house, where wealthy Oxford students "settled" in an attempt to ameliorate living conditions in Whitechapel's slums. The primary concept was to bring educated people together with the impoverished for mutual gain. The Christian Socialists have realised that simply distributing charity does not alleviate issues. It was necessary to live with the poor and listen to their issues in order to gain a deeper understanding of the situation of poverty and underdevelopment.

History of Social Work in the United States of America:

Contents

1. Introduction

2. Three Social Movements

3. COS Movement

4. Settlement House Movement 

5. Child Welfare Movement 

Introduction

The establishment of American relief systems was aided by the English Poor Law laws and associated developments. The early and mid-seventeenth-century colonists from England brought with them English laws, practises, institutions, and ideals, which they imprinted in America.

Three Social Movements

As a result of fast industrialization, urbanisation, and immigration, as well as significant population expansion, the United States witnessed an increase in social problems in the latter part of the nineteenth century. Three social movements arose in reaction to these issues, laying the groundwork for the formation of the social work profession:

1. The Charity Organization Societies (COS) movement, which began in Buffalo, New York in 1877; 

2. The Settlement House movement, which began in New York City in 1886; and 

3. The Child Welfare movement, which was the result of several loosely related developments, notably the Children's Aid Society and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, both of which began in New York City in 1853 and 1875, respectively.

Let us take a closer look at these motions, as they provide the foundation for future advancements.

COS Movement

The settlement house movement and the child welfare movement both contributed to the development of the social work profession later on, but the origins of the profession can be found in the COS movement.

The first COS in the United States was founded in Buffalo, New York, in 1877 by S. Humpherys Gurteen, an English cleric who had been impressed with a charity organization in London. The Buffalo COS served as a model for similar organizations’ rapid growth. Within 15 years, there were COS offices in 92 cities across the United States.

The philosophy of the COS movement can be seen as the beginning of a professional approach to problems of human need. Rather than simply assisting the poor, the COS' "scientific charity" attitude enabled them to understand and cure poverty and family disorganization. The charitable organizations wanted to use science in the same way that it had been used in medicine and engineering to improve social welfare.

The COS leaders aimed to replace the chaotic charity system with a rational one that prioritized the investigation, coordination, and personal service. Each case was to be looked at separately, thoroughly investigated, and a "friendly visitor" assigned to it. Personal characteristics such as sympathy, tact, patience, and wise advice were used by the friendly visitors as techniques. COS's warm visitors, the majority of whom are women, are true forerunners of today's social workers.

Furthermore, the COS movement aided in the establishment of today's family service organisations, as well as the practise of family casework, family counselling, social work schools, employment assistance, legal aid, and a slew of other programmes that are now integral to social work.

In addition to these accomplishments, the founding of the first social work publication, Charities Review, which was absorbed into The Survey in 1907 and published until 1952, should be mentioned.

Settlement House Movement 

The social settlement house is another key development in American social services. Settlement homes in the United States began in the late 1800s and were modeled after Samuel Barnett's Toynbee Hall in England, which he constructed in 1884. Many settlement houses sprung up around the country, including Hull House in Chicago, which was founded by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr in 1889.

The settlement house movement was a response to the social disarray caused by extensive industry, urbanization, and immigration. It combined social activism with social assistance. Settlement house employees established neighbourhood centres and provided services such as citizenship training, adult education, counseling, recreation, and day care through group work and neighbourhood organizing tactics.

The settlement house workers were young, idealistic college graduates from privileged families who lived as "settlers" among the destitute and thus witnessed the hard realities. They were mostly community leaders and volunteers, rather than social workers.

The leaders of the settlement houses believed that through transforming neighbourhoods, they might improve communities and establish a better society. The settlement house movement therefore sowed the roots of social work practises such as Group Work, Social Action, and Community Organization.

Child Welfare Movement 

The New York City-based Children's Aid Society (1853) and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (1875) built the foundations of a child welfare movement. The origins of the Child Welfare movement may be traced back to 1729, when the Ursuline sisters opened a home in New Orleans for children whose parents had been slaughtered by Indians.

The goals of child welfare organisations were limited. They were primarily concerned with "rescuing" children from deplorable living conditions or the streets and providing them suitable housing. The agencies considered their job done after their objectives were met.

HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL WORK IN INDIA

SOCIAL WORK IN ANCIENT PERIOD

• Charity and religious devotion was the mainstay of the Indian culture in ancient period.

• The glimpses of which can be found in folk tales and legends in old literary works, Smiritis or Dhramsastras

• The earliest mention to charity can be obtained from Rigveda which encourages charity by saying "May the one who gives shine most". 

• The Arthasastras, ascribed to Kautilya is one of the oldest works in polity- that refers to the construction work for public good by joint efforts of villagers. 

• Other Upanashidas like Brihadarnayaka, Chhandogya and Taittiriya prescribes that every householder must practice charity.

• Next to reference may be made to religion, which took precedence over everything else to the people of ancient India.

• One of the popular methods of performing social activities hence was Yagnas. The main aim of yagnas was the common welfare of all, devoid of any personal benefit or profit. There were several Yagnashalas.

• According to Geeta, privileged-sections must strive towards the Fulfillment of its duty to serve the poor, handicapped and underprivileged

• The communitarian structure of early Vedic period functioned like an extended family, where everybody catered to everybody's needs. 

• By later vedic period charity/dana became institutionalized and became associated with religious ideology. It was extolled as a cherished virtue

SOCIAL WORK IN MEDIEVAL PERIOD (1206-1706)

• The Muslim Sultanate who formed a significant phase of the medieval period were motivated and driven by the same spirit of social service in the fields of religion and education.  

• The religion enjoined upon the Muslims to render help to the underprivileged by the payment of Zakat, "the annual legal alms of five things, namely money, cattle, grain, fruit and merchandise

• RULERS : Humayun was the pioneer amongst the Muslim rulers to make the efforts to prohibit Sati system. Akbar was an illustrious ruler who took initiatives in bringing reforms in Indian society by abolishing slavery in 1583.

 SOCIAL WORK IN MODERN PERIOD (AD 1800 ONWARDS)

• The genesis of social work movement can be traced to the work of Raja Ram Mohan Roy, who sowed the seeds of religious and social reforms.

• Some of the important organizations that played a key role in development of this movement are Brahmo Samaj, Arya Samaj, Theosophical Society, Ram Krishna Mission, Indian Social Conference, Servants of India Society etc

• Gandhi linked political movement with the social movement and transformed this into a mass movement with the participation of all sections of population notably women and peasants and lower castes.

• The establishment of the first school of social work, Sir Dorabji Tata Graduate School of Social Work, Bombay in 1936 marks a watershed in training and education of social work profession.

• After independence, the government shifted towards the welfare approach and took several areas of social work under its purview.

SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION IN INDIA

• The first training course for social work as claimed by University Grants Commission (Social Work in Education in Indian Universities, 1965) was organized by Social Science League in Bombay in 1920.

• The first professional institution that provided training for a career in social work was established in 1936 in Bombay.

• The genesis of social work education in India has its roots in this establishment of Sir Dorabji Tata Graduate School of Social Work (later known as Tata Institute of Social Sciences). 

• After Independence, Kashi Vidyapeeth, Varanasi and College of Social Service, Gujarat Vidyapeeth, Ahmedabad were established in 1947; In 1948, Delhi School of Social Work, (DSSW) came under auspices of North YWCA of India with assistance from Foreign Division of American YWCA. 

• At present the number of professional training institutions is more than hundred

UNIT-4

Methods of Social work

Methods of Social work 

All social work activities are classified into six major categories.

 1. Social case work 2.

 Social group work

 3. Community organization

 4. Social action 

5. Social welfare research

 6. Social welfare administration

 1. Social case work 

Meaning 

Social case work is a method which helps by counseling the individual client to effect better social relationships & a social adjustment that makes it possible him to lead a satisfying & useful life. Gordon Hamilton points out that, “The objective of case work is to administer practical services & offer counseling in such a way as to arouse & conserve psychological energies of the client activity to involve him in the use of the service towards the solution of her/his dilemma.” 

DEFINITION:

Mary Richmond (1917)

“Social case work may be defined as the art of doing different things for and with different people by cooperating with them to achieve at one and the same time their own and society’s betterment.”

 Objectives of social case work

• Social case work has the following objectives as mentioned by P.D.Mishra;

• To understand and solve the internal problems of the individuals

• To strengthen his ego power

• Remediation of problems in social functioning

• Prevention of problems in social functioning

• Development of resources to enhance social functioning.

Principles:

Principle of Individualization:-

• No two persons are alike in all qualities and traits

• their problems may be the same but the cause of the problem, the perception towards the problem and ego strength differs in every individual

• Therefore, each individual client should be treated as a separate entity and complete information is required to establish an understanding of the client in order to solve his problem.

• Individualization is the recognition and understanding of each client's unique qualities and the differential use of principles and methods in assisting each toward a better adjustment.

Principle of Meaningful Relationship:-

• Relationship is the basis of all help. The relationship should develop around the act of helping the client.

• Helping the client is the purpose for which interaction takes place between the worker and client which is affected by their experiences of relating with people in the past, their expectations from each other and anxieties about the situation, values that governing their lives, norms of behavior, knowledge and experience about the subject matter of interaction. 

• The purpose of establishing relationship in social casework is to change the behavior of the client or to achieve adjustment in maladjusted situation.

Principle of Acceptance:-

• Social caseworker accepts the client as he is and with all his limitations. He/she believes that acceptance is the crux of all help. It embraces two basic ideas one negative and one positive. He/she does not condemn or feel hostile towards a client because his/her behavior differs from the approved one. Later on, he/she tries to modify his/her behavior step by step

• Acceptance implies liking the client irrespective of his negative qualities and conduct. It is an expression of good will towards the client. • It is conveying deep concern and active understanding to the client who is liked by the worker in spite of his problem behavior for which he is hated or punished by the society.

Principle of Communication:- 

• Communication is a two-way process. There must be proper communication between caseworker and the client, which helps, in proper understanding of each other.

• It is the road to the identification of the client's problem. The function of social caseworker is primarily to create an environment in which the client will feel comfortable in giving expression to his/her feelings which is centered on effective communication between them.

Principle of Purposeful Expression of Feeling:-

• Purposeful expression of feelings is the recognition of the client's need to express his feelings freely, especially his/her negative feelings.

• The caseworker listens purposefully, neither discouraging nor condemning the expression of those feelings. Sometimes he/she even stimulates and encourages them when the expression is of therapeutic nature.

The Principle of Controlled Emotional Involvement:-

• The social caseworker tries to understand the client's feelings and emotions but he/she does not involve emotionally in client’s problems.

• The case worker must not be emotionally involved with the client during the case work process, when the client communicates his feelings or problems with the case worker. 

• The case worker has to respond to all feelings of the client with his knowledge and understanding and tries to understand the client's feelings and emotions but does not involve emotionally in their problems.

 Principle of Non-Judgmental Attitude:- 

• The non-judgmental attitude is a quality of the casework relationship.

• The caseworker does not blame the client for his problem nor assigns any responsibility for their miseries.

• He/she only evaluates the attitudes, standards or action of the client.

Principle of Client Self-Determination:-

The client's self-determination is the practical recognition of the right and need of client’s to freedom in making their own choices and decisions.

 But this right is limited by the client's capacity for positive and constructive decision making.

Case workers have to give this right to the client so that he can decide and take best possible action in his self interest. This is reasonable also because he knows himself better than others.

The case worker should understand that these rights are limited and not an absolute one. Because there are client who are unable to take proper decisions by themselves.

Principle of Self-Awareness:-

• It means that caseworker should know his/her own strengths and limitations in dealing with client's problems.

• If he/she feels that the problems of client are beyond his/her capacity, the client should be transferred to the appropriate authority.

Principle of Social Learning:-

• Social learning is a pre-requisite to the changes that are inevitably involved in problem- solving.

• The social learning processes involves (1) arousing and focusing attention and concern, (2) organizing and evaluating the problem and planning future action, (3) searching for and acquiring new information, (4) providing opportunities to the client for new experience of the client, his social system or material provisions available in the community and/ or agency.

 Principle of Confidentiality:-

• Confidentiality is the preservation of the secret information concerning the client, which is disclosed in the professional relationship only.

• Confidentiality is based upon the basic right of the client; it is an ethical obligation of case worker and is necessary for effective case work Practice.

• Everyone prefers to keep his things to himself and save it from leaking out unless disclosing it is more beneficial to the person. Once the worker imbibes the value of worth and dignity of an individual, he will refrain from encroaching upon the client's privacy and maintain the confidence repose in him.

 Principle of Resource Utilization:-

• Services are provided to the individual in recognition of his contributions to the society

• It is only because of this that the government takes care of those who are not cared by any one. Example: orphans, destitute, handicapped etc.

• Therefore all the personal resources and resources available within the community or agency and with relatives of the client should be utilized to help the client. Resources may be in terms of money, material, power and influence, capabilities etc.

2. Social group work 

Meaning

Social group work is an activity which helps to participate in the activities of a group for their intellectual, emotional & physical growth and for the attainment of desirable goals of the groups. Group work as such as a method by which the group worker enables various types of groups to function in such a manner that both group interaction & programme activities contribute to the growth of the individual & the programme activities contribute to the growth of the individual & the achievement of desirable social goals.

Dentition:

Konokpa (1963)

Social group work is a method of social work that helps individuals enhance their social functioning through purposeful group experience and cope more effectively with their personal group community problems.

Coyle (1937)

Social group work aims at the development of a person through the interplay of personalities in a group situation and at the creation of such group situations as provided for by integrated, cooperative group action for common ends.

Objectives

 Social group work has many objectives to help the individuals of the groups and community.

 The following are some of them:

• To Growth

• To teach the individuals to live and work together and to participate in the activities of a group for their intellectual, emotional and psychological solve problems of adjustment by developing personality of individuals through group process.

• To give opportunity to those who have potentialities of leadership.

• To make the best use of leisure time of the people. 

• To learn the division of Labour and specialization of roles.

• Group therapy helps patients who are in need of physical, mental and emotional adjustment.

• To prepare the people for social change

• To transmit knowledge, experience and skill to one another.

• To encourage the individual as member of the group to express their feelings, ideas and desires. 

• To reduce isolation. 

• To create group feelings and sense of belongings in the members of the group.

• To establish social relationship among them. In short, social group work provides a training ground for democratic life. Thus, social group work has proved equally beneficial to individuals, groups and community.

 Principles

1. Principle of planned group formation:

• The group is the basic unit through which individuals are helped to grow physically, socially, culturally and psychologically. The first task of the group worker is to form a group. 

• The group workers should be aware about the needs and resources of the group and also their potentialities limitations and the cultural values of the areas. 

2. Principle of helping or enabling function: 

• The function of the group worker is helping or enabling function.

• So, he should solve his problems on self-help basis.

• The objective should be according to the wishes and capabilities and help them for the solution of their problems within their own resources through self-help basis.

3. Principle of purposeful relationship:

 Group work method requires the worker to form purposeful relationship with group members, which means that they should focus on the needs of the people, which are expressed by the members. We can achieve such relationship through self- knowledge and self disciplined.

4. Principle of organization: 

 The organization of the group should be flexible, should be adjustable in various situations. It should change with the needs of the group and according to the change situations for the smooth function of the group. 

5. Principle of self decision or planning:

The group must be helped to make its own decision, its own planning and programmes and the members should take the responsibility according to their ability.

 6. Principle of programme acceptance:

 The members of the group according to their capabilities, educational level, needs, experience and socio-economic level should accept Programme of the group. These programmes should progress in relation to the developing capacity of the group.

7. Principle of people:

• Without acceptance this programme by the people it cannot give the good results. The social group worker should convince the people to accept this programme, which is aimed at the solution of their felt needs.

• They people should accept the advice to solve their mutual respect and love increases the good relationships, which helps in understanding of social group worker and group and for the solution of the problems and for the development of the programme.

8. Principle of best utilization of resources:

The group and community resources should be utilized in relation to the group and individual needs for the benefits of the group as a whole.

9. Principle of individualization:

The individual should be convinced in a way that he should feel to contribute to the group welfare. However the individual and the group should feel for the development and new changes in the community. 

 10. Principle of evaluation:

The continuous evaluation of the group work process and the progress is essential. The group worker should evaluate the progress in accordance with the prescribed standard. In Pakistan, social group work method is used in community centers, hospitals, and educational and other institutions. 

3. Community organization

Meaning 

 Community organization is the process of planning & developing social services in order to meet the health & welfare needs of a community or larger unit. Mildred Barry says,” Community organization in social work is the process of creating & maintaining a progressively more effective adjustment between community resources & community welfare needs.” 

Definitions 

Murray G. Ross (1967) defines community organization as a “process by which a community identifies its needs or objectives, gives priority to them, develops confidence and will to work at them, finds resources (internal and external) to deal with them, and in doing so, extends and develops cooperative and collaborative attitudes and practices in the community”

Lindeman (1921) defines “Community organization as “community organization is that phase of social organization which constitutes a conscious effort on the part of community to control its affairs democratically and to secure the highest services from its specialists, organizations, agencies and institutions by means of recognized inter-relations.

Objectives: 

The primary aim of community organizations is to bring about and maintain a progressively more affective adjustment between scarce resources and multiple needs of the community. This implies that community organization is concerned with

 (a) The discovery and definition of needs

 (b) Planning for meeting those needs

 (c) The articulation or pulling the resources 

(d) Channelizing these resources to solve the problems. T

o involve the people democratically in thinking deciding, planning and playing an active part in the development and operation of services that affect their daily lives.

Principles

 Siddiqui (1997) has worked out a set of 8 principles

1) The Principle of Specific Objectives:

The community consists of different client groups, all of whom may have differential needs, thus necessitating differential programmes. For example, in the Indian context, a separate forum for women is required due to cultural constraints. The principle of specific objectives prescribes the practice of consciously formulating specific objectives of working with different client groups on the one hand, and formulating specific community oriented objectives, on the other.

2) The Principle of Planning:

This implies developing a blueprint for the entire work to be undertaken in terms of programs, financial/resource requirements, personnel requirements, space, etc. Planning also helps to anticipate problems one is likely to face in implementing the program and devising contingency plans for meeting them. For example, a community worker may disregard the cultural milieu of the community and try to encourage girls to attend a co-educational school. This is an example of a lack of planning, leading to the failure of the program and even community displeasure.

3) The Principle of People’s Participation:

People’s participation is the most vital component of any community cooperative venture. Ambitious plans of community development in the Indian context have failed partly due to a lack of effective participation by people. Identification of the ‘felt needs’ of people, critical examination of the project feasibility, development of a realistic strategy to involve people, assumption of a pace of work that is in consonance with the community’s adjustment and capacity, adherence to the community’s right to self-determination and giving equal importance to all groups/factions are some ways to elicit people’s participation.

4) The Principle of Inter-group Approach:

Most communities consist of people of diverse backgrounds, occupations, castes, religions, and political affiliations. There are what can be described as “communities within communities” and “overlapping communities”. The community worker is, therefore, expected to first identify the smaller groups with whom he can make a beginning and later develop inter-group linkages for achieving targets which require the involvement of people on a larger scale.

5) The Principle of Democratic Functioning:

This principle is based on the belief that there is a tendency among common people to remain passive and allow others to take decisions for them. In this process, a few people tend to dominate and take control of all resources and benefits. Therefore, the community worker has a primary obligation to educate people and to create appropriate mechanisms to facilitate wider participation and to curb the tendency of domination by a privileged minority. The principle of rotating leadership is also a step in the same direction. 

 6) The Principle of Flexible Organization:

People in general are not used to conforming to rules and set procedures. Thus, it is better if community workers opt for a more flexible approach to the organization to accommodate people with varied abilities to function effectively. Informal arrangements work better in the initial phase. Rules and procedures are very important, but they should be made to facilitate rather than hinder participation. Formation of various committees may also prove more helpful as more people can thereby obtain the valuable experience of taking the lead in participating and decision-making.

7) The Principle of Optimum Utilization of Indigenous Resources:

Countries of the developing world are generally short of resources. Often, the governments are unable to provide adequate basic services like housing, drinking water, sanitation, health, etc. Thus, the community worker must largely depend on the mobilization of resources from various sources, including the government. 

 8) The Principle of Cultural orientation:

It becomes important for the community worker to be oriented to the cultural milieu of the community and show respect for its customs, traditions, values, etc. This will enable her/him to gain the acceptance and respect of the community. However, this does not imply that the worker should support such customs which may harm the people or are detrimental to them (e.g. belief in supernatural powers, early marriage, Sati, etc.). In such cases, a gradual effort to change the community’s perception and practices is called for. 

4. Social action

Meaning:

 It s an organized group process solving general social problems & furthering social welfare objectives by legislative, social, health or economic progress. The term social action refers to organized & legally permitted activities designed to mobiles public opinion, legislation & public administration in favour of objectives believed to be socially desirable. 

 DEFINITIONS

•Baldwin (1966) defines social action as “an organized effort to change social and economic institutions as distinguished from social work or social service, the fields which do not characteristically cover essential changes in established institutions. Social action covers movements of political reforms, industrial democracy, social legislation, racial and social justice, religious freedom and civic liberty and its techniques include propaganda, research and lobbying”

Friedlander (1977) defines “social action as an individual, group or community effort within the framework of social work philosophy and practice that aims to achieve social progress, to modify social policies and to improve social legislation and health and welfare services”

OBJECTIVE OF SOCIAL ACTION 

Mishra (1992) has identified following objectives of social action:

 1) Prevention of needs;

2) Solution of mass problems; 

3) Improvement in mass conditions;

4) Influencing institutions, policies and practices;

5) Introduction of new mechanisms or programmes; 

6) Redistribution of power and resources (human, Decision-making ;)

7) Effect on thought and action structure; and 

8) Improvement in health, education and welfare.

PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL ACTION

Britto (1984) brings out the following principles of social action:

1. Principle of Credibility Building:

• It is the task of creating public image of leadership, the organization and the participants of the movement as champions of justice, rectitude and truth. It helps in securing due recognition from the opponent, the reference- public and the peripheral participants of the movement.

• Credibility can be built through one or many of the following ways: 1) Gestures of goodwill towards the opponent. 2) Example setting 3) Selection of typical urgently felt problems for struggles 4) Success

2. Principle of Legitimizations:

Legitimization is the process of convincing the target group and the general public that the movement- objectives are morally right.

 Leaders of the movement might use theological, philosophical, legal- technical, public opinion paths to establish the tenability of the movement’s objectives.

Legitimization is a continuous process. Following are the three approaches to legitimization:

• Theological and religious approach 

• Moral approach

• Legal and technical approach

3. Principle of Dramatization:

 Dramatization is the principle of mass mobilisation by which the leaders of a movement galvanize the population into action by emotional appeals to heroism, sensational news- management, novel procedures, pungent slogans and such other techniques.

 Almost every leader mobilising the masses, uses this principle of dramatization. The following are the techniques:

• Use of songs

• Powerful speeches 

• Role of women

• Boycott

• Slogans

4. Principle of Multiple Strategies:

• There are two basic approaches to development: conflictual and non- conflictual. Taking the main thrust of a programme, one can classify it as political, economic or social. 

• The basket principle indicates the adoption of a multiple strategy, using combined approaches and also a combination of different types of programmes.

• Zeltman and Duncan have identified four development strategies from their experience of community development. These have been framed for use in social action. They are:

• Educational strategy

• Persuasive strategy

• Facilitative strategy

• Power strategy

5. Principle of Dual Approach:

• Any activist has to build counter-systems or revive some unused system, which is thought to be beneficial to the mobilized public on a self-help basis without involving the opponent.

• This is a natural requirement consequent upon the attempt to destroy the system established/maintained by the opponents.

• This cooperative effort indicates that Gandhians adopted or attempted to a dual approach in their mobilization.

6. Principle of Manifold Programmes:

This principle means developing a variety of programmes with the ultimate objective of mass mobilization. These can be broadly categorized into three parts:

• Economic Programs

• Social Programs

• Political Programs

5. Social Work research

MEANING

 Social Work research systematic critically investigation of questions in the social welfare field with the purpose of yielding answers to problems of social work & of extending generally social work concept. The methods applied in social work research have been to a large extent derived from those used in sociology & social psychology as well as in history and Anthropology.

DEFINITIONS:

Social work research may be defined as systematic investigation into the problems in the field of social work. The study of concepts, principles, theories underlying social work methods and skills are the major areas of social work research. It involves the study of the relationship of social workers with their clients; individuals, groups or communities on various levels of interaction or therapy as well as their natural relationships and functioning within the organisational structure of social agencies.

 6. Social welfare administration 

MEANING

Social welfare administration process is to organize & to direct a social agency. The administrative aspects of social work have to do with the organization & management of social agencies public & private, including in those terms general administrative relationships among units of the same organization, personal problems, questions of finance & so on

Definitions:

D.R. Sachdeva : Social Welfare Administration is as a science, it consists of a systematic body of knowledge, the validity of which has been tested, and the use of which makes it possible to render the services in a more direct and effective manner.

S. Singh: Social Welfare Administration is described as the administration of the government and non-government sponsored social welfare programmes. 

Principles as explained by Trecker

Principles as explained by Trecker:

1. The Principle of Social Work Values: The values of the profession are the foundation upon which services are developed and made available to persons who need them.

2. The Principle of community and client needs: The need of the community and the individuals within it are always the basis for the existence of social agencies and the provision of programs.

3. The Principle of agency purpose: The social purpose of the agency must be clearly formulated, stated, understood and utilized.

4. The Principle of cultural setting: The culture of the community must be understood in as much as it influences the way needs are expressed and the way services are authorized, supported, and utilized by the people who need them.

5. The Principle of purposeful relationship: Effective purposeful working relationship must be established between the administrator, the board, the staff and the constituency.

6. The Principle of agency totality: The agency must be understood in its totality and wholeness.

7. The Principle of professional responsibility: The administrator is responsible for the provision of high quality professional services based on standards of professional practice.

8. The Principle of participation: Appropriate contributions of board, staff and constituency are sought and utilized through the continuous process of dynamic participation.

9. The Principle of Communication: Open channels of communication are essential to the complete functioning of people.

10. The Principle of leadership: The administrator must carry major responsibility for the leadership of the agency in terms of goal attainment and the provision of professional services.

11. The Principle of planning: The Process of continuous planning is fundamental to the development of meaningful services. Social Welfare / work administration has much in common with administration in business and Government. It also has distinguishing characters. Purpose: To meet the recognized needs of the community

Nature of Services: Restoration of impaired social functioning, Provision of resources for more effective social functioning.

Prevention of social dysfunctioning

Representation: Committee/Board generally represents the community

Values: Avoiding using disproportionate amount of their resources for survival.

12. The Principle of organization: The work of many people must be arranged in an organized manner and must be structured so that responsibilities and relationships are clearly defined.

13. The Principle of delegation: The Delegation of responsibility and authority to other professional persons is essential

14. The Principle of co-ordination: The work delegated to many people must be properly coordinated.

15. The Principle of resource utilization: the resources of money facilities and personnel must be carefully fostered, conserved and utilized in keeping with the trust granted to the agency by society.

16. The Principle of change: The Process of change is continuous, both within the community and within the agency.

17. The Principle of evaluation: Continuous evaluation of processes and programs is essential to the fulfillment of the agency’s objectives.

18. The Principle of growth: The growth and development of all participants is furthered by the administrator who provides challenging work assignments, thoughtful supervision, and opportunities for individual and group learning

Unit -5

Fields of social work practice in India

Health setting:

Medical social workers practice in hospitals, health care centres, public health departments, home health care, hospice and long term care facilities. They work with people experiencing social, psychological and economic problems associated with their illness and are also involved in discharge planning. These social workers are required to possess professional knowledge and skills that are needed to look after the requirements of the individuals who are experiencing illnesses and health problems. 

Social workers are important members of the healthcare teams and provide medical and emotional treatment in hospitals, clinics, and other medical and healthcare settings.  They work together with doctors, nurses, administrators, and other professionals to help patients and their families cope with chronic or terminal illnesses.  Social workers who work in health care assess patients’ needs, set up an aftercare program, educate patients and their families, and help them deal with emotional problems associated with illness. Social workers help facilitate discharge and provision of supportive services for post-hospitalization by providing patients and their family caregivers with information and referrals.

Services are included

a) Hospital Social Work

b) Public health Work

c) Vocational Rehabilitation

d) Hospice Care

With the help of the following agencies

a) Health Care Organizations (such as the American Lung Association)

b) Nursing homes

c) Acute Care and Rehabilitation Hospitals

d) Rural Health and Specialty Clinics

e) Hospices and Home Health Agencies

f) Public Health Department

g) Group homes

Family Welfare Services

Family is both an institution and an association. It is the oldest and most enduring among all social institutions. It is the first and most important of all forms of associations in human development. Social work renders a significant role in the sphere of family organization. It provides some material assistance and counseling service to the family relating to marriage, health, economic problems and bringing up siblings. Having the knowledge of human relationships, the social worker is responsible for establishing a harmonious relationship between the individual and his family. Thus, social workers must play a crucial role in family organization. Here, social workers provide support services for families to enhance family functioning by the following services: 

a) Family Preservation

b) Family Counseling

c) Family therapy

d) Family life education

With the help of the employers of

a) Domestic violence prevention affiliated agencies

b) Family Counseling Agencies

c) Mental Health Clinics

Child Welfare Service/Child Protection

Social workers also provide many welfare services for children. These include residential institutions for their care and protection, education and rehabilitation of socially handicapped children, and orphans destitute fondling children of unmarried mothers. Child Welfare service also includes temporary homes for children, daycare centres, recreational and cultural facilities, and holiday homes for low-income families.

These involve working with children who have been abused, neglected, abandoned, have remained deprived of education and are not provided with any care. These children in most cases are deprived of all the areas that are necessary to enhance one's childhood stage and even other factors that are considered to be an integral part of childhood. Social service agencies across the nation have positions in adoptions, foster care, protective services, residential care, as well as services to parents who do not have the resources to fulfil the needs and requirements of their children. 

Child welfare workers practice family-based services that address children, youth and families. A social worker in this field may counsel children and youth who have problems or have difficulty adjusting socially. She/he may work to protect or intervene on their behalf when they are abused or neglected. Child welfare may advise foster care in cases where parents cannot or will not protect and/or provide for their children. Social Workers will then work with the courts to find adoptive homes for children. 

Services are like

a) Foster Care and Adaptation

b) Day Care

c) Prevention of Child abuse and Neglect

d) Prevention of domestic violence

With the help of the following agencies

a) Public/Private Child Welfare Agencies

b) Legal services agencies

c) Adoption agencies

d) Foster care agencies

e) Child care agencies

f) Family Preservation and Reunification Services

Correctional Service/Corrections and Justice

Correctional Setting refers to the institutions like jail, probation home, parole home, juvenile shelters etc., where people (including children) with unusual behaviour and reaction are placed to correct their attitudes and behaviour. Social work has vast scope for intervention in this field of service. It includes recreational activities, counselling, vocational training for the unemployed criminals, aftercare services, rehabilitation etc.

Social workers are employed in penal and correctional facilities serving both juveniles and adults. Probation and parole services, juvenile courts, and delinquency prevention programs are examples of practice settings. There are individuals who get involved in misdemeanours or any kinds of misconduct, they need to be corrected and measures are required to get implemented in order to enable them to mend their ways. It is important for the social workers to communicate to the individuals about the corrective measures and they should be adequately put into practice. 

A social worker’s activities in corrections and justice are diverse, providing the chance to use a range of skills. Social workers in criminal justice make recommendations to courts, serve as expert witnesses, do pre-sentencing assessments, and provide services for prison inmates and their families.   They focus on rehabilitation by providing therapy, drug and alcohol addiction and basic life skills training. Many social workers become probation officers or parole officers. They help ex-offenders access supportive services upon release from prison. Social workers may arrange for a halfway house, job training, employment, remedial classes, counselling, child care and/or transportation.

Services are included

a) Probation and parole services

b) Police social work

c) Work in detention facilities

d) Work in training schools 

e) Prison work

f) Decrement programs

With the help of the following agencies

a) Victim Restitution Programs

b) Courts

c) Police Departments

d) Prisons

e) Juvenile Detention Facilities

School Social Work

There are problems due to impaired relationships between students and their social environment and teachers and their social environment. Many other problems in the school environment are responsible for educational malfunctioning in the schools. Social work as a profession steps into such an environment and attempts to modify the situation in favour of the learners and teachers. The activities of social work intervention in schools include counselling services to the children and their parents, counselling the teacher on the perspectives of the emerged problems, etc.

School social workers work closely with teachers, administrators, and other professionals to help children with physical or learning disabilities as well as emotional problems. They provide counselling and referral services for a range of concerns including family problems, domestic violence, child abuse, neglect, and poverty. They serve as a liaison between family and school and often between school and community. To work in schools as a school social worker, an MSW and Type 73 Certificate are required.

Services are included

a) School adjustment counselling

b) Education testing

c) Family counselling

d) Behavior management

With the help of the following agencies

a) Schools: Elementary / Secondary

b) Head Start Centers

c) Special Education Centers

d) Counseling Centers

e) Special Education Placement Offices

f) Counseling Centers

g) Early Intervention Programmes

Youth Welfare 

The concept of youth services as a part of social welfare is of recent origin in India and abroad. However, the process of growing up required considerable emotional and social adjustments. The period of youth should stand for growth, development, preparation, action and leadership. Youth matures quickly in an atmosphere in which there is freedom, activity, recognition, and opportunity. The life of youth should not be over occupied with training and education, but there should be opportunity for selfexpression, comradeship, community life and national services. It is through free activities, freely undertaken, that the best in the young can come out. The young therefore need to be guided not pushed, need to be gently led, not prodded.

Urban Community Welfare

 In social work community organization is the process of bringing about and maintaining a progressively more effective adjustment between social welfare resources and social welfare needs within an organization, which are: 1) To determine the social needs, 2) To arrange to meet the community needs of the population, and 3) To mobilize the community to achieve the goal in a fastest way. The urban community is a heterogeneous one and its complexity increases with the size of the city. Therefore, community welfare programmes will assume different forms with different types of cities. We may divide these cities into five classes: 1. the small old towns, 2. The large district towns, 3. The old cities of some special importance, 4. The large industrial and commercial cities, and 5. Townships of displaced persons and new industrial estates. The pattern of community welfare must also differ according to the structure of that area. 

Rural Community Development

The term community development is currently used in relation to the rural areas of less developed countries, where major emphasis is placed upon the activities for the improvement if the basic living conditions of the community, including the satisfaction of more of its non-material needs. Rural community development is mainly related to agriculture and related matters, irrigation, communications, education, health, supplementary employment, housing, social welfare and training. Hence, Community Development Programmes and Panchayat Raj institutions have provided a new dimension to rural development.

Aged and differently abled

People who have mental and physical disabilities face many challenges in everyday life. They have the same needs as others; they need a satisfying job, adequate income, friendship and comfortable housing, etc but unfortunately, the prevailing social attitude towards them is unhealthy.

A disability social worker is a type of healthcare social worker who helps people with physical and mental disabilities copes with the challenges in their daily lives. The problems they face depend on the type of impairment and the severity of their disability.

A professional social worker is always there to help them. Using a variety of skills, techniques and many activities related to their need, they help them to improve their environment and individuals with a holistic focus. The main aim of the social worker is, to identify the needs and problems of a client like; provide emotional and social support, empower the disabled persons and their families to enhance their quality of life, to provide social inclusion and community living, employment, quality education and proper rehabilitation.

The primary area of Social Work intervention is therapeutic work. Different therapeutic methods can be used by social workers such as casework, meditation, counseling, group work, crisis intervention, family therapy, solution focused Brief Therapy and Bereavement Work. Social workers work with individuals with a disability, with families who have a child or family member with a disability as well as with communities both domestically and internationally.

Social work theory and practice in the field of disability has been greatly influenced by values and philosophy of the independent living movement. This movement has shifted practice from creation of clients dependent on service controlled by professionals to work in partnership with the disabled people to secure their rights as equal citizens of the country.

Role of Social Worker 

ADVOCATE:

 In the advocate role, the social worker fights for the rights of those disempowered by society with the goal of empowering the client. The social worker speaks on behalf of clients when others will not listen or when clients are unable to do so.

 COUNSELOR:

In the role of counselor, the social worker helps clients express their needs, clarify their problems, explore resolution strategies, and applies intervention strategies to develop and expand the capacities of clients to deal with their problems more effectively. A key function of this role is to empower people by affirming their personal strengths and their capacities to deal with their problems more effectively.

MEDIATOR:

 In the mediator role, the social worker intervenes in disputes between parties to help them find compromises, reconcile differences, and reach mutually satisfying agreements. The mediator takes a neutral stance among the involved parties.

RESEARCHER:

 In the researcher role, a social worker evaluates practice interventions and with others evaluates program outcomes. The researcher critically analyzes the literature on relevant topics of interest and uses this information to inform practice. A researcher extends and disseminates knowledge, and seeks to enhance the effectiveness of social work practice. 

 EDUCATOR:

 In the Educator role, social workers are involved in teaching people about resources and how to develop particular skills such as budgeting, the caring discipline of children, effective communication, the meaning of a medical diagnosis, and the prevention of violence.

CASE MANAGER: 

In the role of a Case manager, the social worker locates services and assists their clients to access those services. Case management is especially important for complex situations and for those who are homeless or elderly, have chronic physical or mental health issues, are disabled, victims of domestic or other violent crimes, or are vulnerable children.

COMMUNITY CHANGE AGENT:

 As a community change agent, the social worker participates as part of a group or organization seeking to improve or restructure some aspect of community service provision. A change agent, working with others, uses a problem-solving model to identify the problem, solicit community input, and plan for change. A community change agent acts in a coordinated manner to achieve planned change at multiple levels that helps to shift the focus of institutional resources to meet identified goals.

FACILITATOR:

 In this role, social workers are involved in gathering groups of people together for a variety of purposes including community development, self advocacy, political organization, and policy change. Social workers are involved as group therapists and task group leaders.

BROKER

 In the role of a broker, a social worker is responsible for identifying, locating, and linking clients to needed resources in a timely manner. Once the client’s needs are assessed and potential services identified, the broker assists the client in choosing the most appropriate service option and assists in negotiating the terms of service delivery. In this role the social worker is also concerned with the quality, quantity, and accessibility of services.

MANAGER:

 As managers, social workers are better able to influence policy change and/or development, and to advocate, on a larger scale, for all underprivileged people.