1. Being a social worker is never dull…
2. It’s both a vocation and a passion…
3. It can bring great stress but also great hope…
4. It also comes with great responsibility…
5. …but that power can support positive change
6. And this one speaks for itself
All pics from a display at the JSWEC conference (follow them on Twitter @jswec)
I have to express some real dismay at the above 6 Statements – the Joint Social Work Education Conference (JSWEC) clearly fails to truly appreciate what social work really is – perhaps due to many newer social workers having little or no knowledge regarding the origins of social work. The likes of Biestek and Enid Warren put people and not their Organisations as absolutely central. Biestek’s ‘The Casework Relationship’ remains a masterpiece (although rather theologically biased). BASW produced a wonderful booklet ‘Portrait of a Social Worker’ containing colleagues tributes to Enid following her death in 1980 – essential reading for any social worker.
Many, if not most, social work lecturers are not actively practicing and certainly not registered with the HCPC.
Life is also most definitely not able to be polarised as a ‘daring adventure’ or ‘nothing’ – that is all too simplistic and degrades social work.
Career + passion doesn’t = ‘beautiful’ – it can often = dangerousness and abuse of power. Social work needs to be evidence-based; objective; outcome-focussed and, above all, ethical and legally sound. There is no real room for emotion – social workers need to be empathetic, analytical and accountable.
As for it being the ‘science’ of hope, well I am almost lost for words. ‘Hope’ is most certainly not scientific – all too often social work dashes peoples’ hopes.
Philip J Measures
Registered Social Worker.
Philip.measures@gmail.com