by Peter Corser, a mental health social workerOver the summer holidays my mom looked after my daughter on a few occasions. The arrangement entailed me dropping her off on the way to work. My mother never failed on any of these occasions to look me up and down in that way that mothers do with their scruffy offspring and ask me if I was going home to get changed before going to work.
All this is a rather unsubtle way of bringing up the troublesome matter of dress codes. As social workers we seem pre-programmed to bristle at the very mention of such draconian matters. We are free, unbridled, we work for our clients and not our grey bosses and refuse to be made to dress a certain way just to please their corporate identity.
I guess there are social workers who think that way. For my part the argument rests far more on the fact I am insufferably lazy and it is easier to iron a t-shirt than a shirt.
Disconnecting from clients
The far more cogent argument is that dressing up, disconnects us from our client groups. This is the main argument that social workers tend to use. There is some merit in this. I work with young people and certainly turning up to see them in a shirt and tie is not de rigueur. The second part of the argument is that overtly professional dress advertises us as professionals calling at our clients' houses.
A third argument for me is that I personally just feel more comfortable in wearing my everyday clothes to work. If I'm trying to build a relationship with a client based on empathy and congruence then being in clothes I would choose to wear helps me to be myself and to build that relationship.
Dressing as professionals
The argument from managers tends to go along the lines of 'you are professionals you should dress as such.' I think most social workers tend to agree with that in certain cases. I would never dream of, for instance, attending court with one of my clients in casual attire. That would be to the client's detriment. Conversely I am sure most sane managers would accept that when trying to engage a young person anything that makes you seem less like an authority figure has to be a good thing.
Ultimately though I think the argument is a somewhat superficial. What social workers wear is secondary to what they do. I dare say most clients would be happy if they came dressed as Worzel Gummidge or even Lawrence Llewellen Bowen if they did a good job and helped them.
I guess there are social workers who think that way. For my part the argument rests far more on the fact I am insufferably lazy and it is easier to iron a t-shirt than a shirt.
Disconnecting from clients
The far more cogent argument is that dressing up, disconnects us from our client groups. This is the main argument that social workers tend to use. There is some merit in this. I work with young people and certainly turning up to see them in a shirt and tie is not de rigueur. The second part of the argument is that overtly professional dress advertises us as professionals calling at our clients' houses.
A third argument for me is that I personally just feel more comfortable in wearing my everyday clothes to work. If I'm trying to build a relationship with a client based on empathy and congruence then being in clothes I would choose to wear helps me to be myself and to build that relationship.
Dressing as professionals
The argument from managers tends to go along the lines of 'you are professionals you should dress as such.' I think most social workers tend to agree with that in certain cases. I would never dream of, for instance, attending court with one of my clients in casual attire. That would be to the client's detriment. Conversely I am sure most sane managers would accept that when trying to engage a young person anything that makes you seem less like an authority figure has to be a good thing.
Ultimately though I think the argument is a somewhat superficial. What social workers wear is secondary to what they do. I dare say most clients would be happy if they came dressed as Worzel Gummidge or even Lawrence Llewellen Bowen if they did a good job and helped them.
Social Work is such a vast field that there really are no hard and fast rules. I currently work for a private fostering agency who ask that we dress smart casual, which I think is vague, but fair.
I also note a distinction from my previous work with adults with disabilities. If I arrived at a service users home, it would have been difficult for their carer - often from an older generation - to take me seriously as a professional.
There is always room for individuality and I haven't been asked to take my eye brow peircing out after all these years, although I get asked about it a lot! Do you think it is more difficult for male social workers where smart casual/office wear tends to be more formal?