The majority (60 percent) of U.S. social workers are white; thus, issues of white privilege and the empathy gap between white social workers and clients of color must be addressed. 2.3.2 Power and responsibility Creating supervisory practices and cultures where these deep feelings, unconscious processes and states of mind can be accessed is very difficult. - It only takes five minutes %%EOF Well, no, youre not because youre just causing problems and making everything a lot worse and worrying people and stressing people out rather than actually doing anything to help anyone. The home visit in child protection social work: Emotion as resource and risk for professional judgement and practice, Isnt it funny the children that are further away we dont think about as much?: Using GPS to explore the mobilities and geographies of social work and child protection practice, Researching social work practice close up: Using ethnographic and mobile methods to understand encounters between social workers, children and families, How children become invisible in child protection work: Evidence from day-to-day social work practice, How social workers reflect in action and when and why they dont: The possibilities and limits to reflective practice in social work, From snapshots of practice to a movie: Researching long-term social work and Child protection by getting as close as possible to practice and organisational life, The nature and culture of social work with children and families in long-term casework: Findings from a qualitative longitudinal study, Difficult conversations on the frontline: Observations of home visits to talk about neglect, If I feel like this, how does the child feel? This splitting into love and hate was also evident in Robertas narratives when interviewed for the research as she expressed her complete admiration for the independent social worker and her intense dislike of the statutory social workers, Olivia in particular. That struggle is at the heart of this paper. All the parents we interviewed who were involuntary clients felt social workers crossed the professional line and were punitive and persecuting. Psychology Today 2023 Sussex Publishers, LLC. %PDF-1.5 % client and social worker, fail to understand the importance of a broader social context to the creation of a relationship of power. The basis for this was pragmatic in that feelings were suppressed and suspended self-preservation practiced due to the need to keep going to ensure the work got done; and it was psychological, unconscious and defensive arising from the need for organisations as well as individuals to defend the self from unbearable feelings (Cooper & Lousada, Citation2005; Whittaker, Citation2011). A lot has been written about power, there are theories of power and concepts of power or to speak with the words of Theodor Fontane "that is a wide field". I'm sure the reader can think of other examples. But the fact is therapists are not endowed with any special powers and abilities that make them better or "more" than other ordinary people with specific educations and (let's hope!) She felt at breaking point. Strengthening Social WorkerClient Relationships in Child Power Similarly, for Foucault freedom is not subjective, instead it is a "clearing" of possibilities for thought and action which take place in a particular mode of temporality; what I called above a disposition towards "open-ness" within contingent circumstances. My knowledge of the laws, mastery of diagnostics and methodology, how I conduct and steer consultations or conversational processes, put me in a position of power. Much more needs to be learned about how relationships based on mutual suspicion are sustained over time, or break down, and how the feelings generated by tense, often conflictual and sometimes frightening encounters are dealt with and the implications for keeping children safe. This lack of attention to the emotional dynamics and effects of the casework contributed to social workers relationship with the child remaining detached. I also indicate in the last section of the article that the politics of social work is caught up in our definitions and constitution of subjectivity and what counts as valid subjective experience. There is in fact a settee and other chair but they are covered in stuff, so Olivia and Susan remain on their feet and stand for the entirety of the visit. Olivia was very upset by Robertas threatening behaviour and cried at her desk. Directly confronting racism at the individual, agency, and institutional levels is the antiracist mandate we all must embrace. WebSocial workers often grapple with difficult professional and systemic power dynamics with both service users and the other professionals they encounter in multi-agency working. This will be done by focussing on one case-study, which makes possible the kind of in-depth analysis necessary to show how the casework was done, the dynamics of hostile relationships and the ebbs and flows of the social worker service user encounters and organisational life over the course of the year. It is the place where influencing judgements are held. A case study method was adopted by bringing together all the data on each case and this provided 30 very detailed case studies of long-term social work practice. We use cookies to improve your website experience. Of course, it could be argued that the massive imbalance of wealth on this planet is a huge power disparity because with money comes a certain power of influence. Turney (Citation2012) argues that recognition, respect and a degree of reciprocity are key elements of an ethically grounded relationship-based practice with involuntary clients. Nevertheless my point is to encourage social workers as a matter of good practice to understand how power operates in social work relationships; to uncover it in one's own and others practice. Social workers told us they were aware of this dynamic and the need to, as they put it, get down to the service users level, which (it was assumed) would create a greater sense of equality in the relating and enable conversation to flow, which was why they crouched for as long as they could physically bear it. The relationships they Olivia was shadowed in the office for the rest of the day and said she was not happy with how she handled the meeting because she felt stressed due to pressure of work and enough attention wasnt given to Robertas views and feelings. 2.3.1 Power in the self-image of the social worker The latter two powers are drawn on by the social worker in interactions dependent upon whether the other person is prepared to show (3) or (4). People with narcissistic personalities may behave differently than non-narcissists, such as shunning introspection and denying mistakes. The pattern was for social care workers to ask Roberta questions about baby care and other practical things like housing, but there was little attention to her feelings about and relationship with the baby. In child protection work with involuntary clients what constitutes fair, proportionate and respectful practice is inevitably contested. These include categories such as child, mother, father, deviant, co-operative and worthy. What I learned from my rabbit about intimate relationships. Some models of power, by focusing upon two central actors in a relationship of power, e.g. Otherwise she remains largely still while they talk. One student stated: Working in partnership with the client, the social worker can rely on his or her professional power to influence the organization/agency in the best interest of the client. Professional power can be used to connect the client to support structures and networks outside of the client's current resources. There are only people with various educations, skills, abilities, knowledge bases, social/political positions, and degrees of wealth. The paper draws on a range of psycho-social theories to show the complex dynamics of hostile relationships, the emotional demands they place on social care staff and service users and the impact on individual workers, teams and organisations of working with or avoiding such hostility (Holway, Citation2015). On a home visit a few days later Olivia was still feeling traumatised by Robertas attack, couldnt stop crying, felt ill and stayed in the car while Susan and the researcher went into the house. adequate credentials. (In brief, "transference" is the displacement and redirection of feelings usually arising in childhood, and most often held for one's parents, onto one's therapist). The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is the largest WebAdditionally, power differentials between the counselor and their client can influence the therapeutic relationship. She sort of laughs dismissively when she looks at things. For Roberta, workers standing over her did not simply signal professional dominance, but because she engineered it, her taking back some power from those she regarded as persecuting her. It is the latter kind of work and hostile relationship that is the focus of this paper, which has two aims: to draw on case-studies of long-term casework with involuntary clients to show what it looks like, feels like and involves for both social workers and service users; and secondly, to add to the literature on relationship-based practice by developing the concept of a hostile relationship. Some research suggests that in such high-risk cases intimidation and physical violence towards social workers by family members are quite common (Littlechild, Citation2005; Stanley & Goddard, Citation2002). Exploring communication between social workers, children and young people. Register a free Taylor & Francis Online account today to boost your research and gain these benefits: Psychotherapeutic Approaches in Health, Welfare and the Community, Hostile relationships in social work practice: anxiety, hate and conflict in long-term work with involuntary service users, a Department of Social Work and Social Care, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK, b Department of Social Work, Education & Community Wellbeing, C115, Coach Lane Campus, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, c B6 Law and Social Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK, d Department of Sociology, Lancaster University, Lancaster UK, e School of Counselling, Human Services and Social Work, Te Kura Tauwhiro Tangata, Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. PostedDecember 24, 2015 Social workers have an ethical duty to dismantle racism, both personally and professionally, and to demonstrate what it means to be antiracist. Many social workers struggle with feelings of power and powerlessness, as do the clients they are seeking to assist ( Bundy-Fazioli, 2004; Pitcher, 2008 ). Bar-On (2002) advocated for the social work profession to master the discourse of power and use it effectively (p. 998). a possibility, and leaves open whether this becomes action. Though social workers may try to produce change in their clients, they also often try to preserve their own status and methods of working and thereby resist change. So it was seven weeks after the initial referral that face to face contact was made with Roberta on a home visit. Roberta questions the history of drug use [even though she did agree earlier that she had a history of drug use]. Whats in a name: Client, Patient, Customer, Consumer, Expert by Experience, Service UserWhats Next? If this summed up my view of power, I could be accused of 'atomism' - the idea that persons are at all moments asocial independent beings unshaped by forces of the collective, historical/evolutionary entity we call society. This paper seeks to contribute to filling this gap in knowledge by drawing on an ethnographic study that used participant observation to explore how social workers establish, develop and sustain long term relationships with children and parents in child protection cases and how this is influenced by organisational life, staff support and supervision. At this juncture we might show some caution towards analyses of critical theorists, such as Habermas and Marcuse, who would equate the value of an object with concealment of injustice and deceitful ideologies. In summary then a critical social work operates within the contingent fields of subjectivity and power. Mood, for instance, without being the object of any intended act of consciousness, can underlie and guide specific forms of client experience. Take for instance an interview between a social worker and client, in which the social worker is constantly interrupting the client whilst s/he is trying to explain the circumstances under which a child was left unattended over a long period of time. for some children a classroom may be an intimidating place in which to answer a teachers question. Following the work of Klein (Citation1946) there is evidence of psychological splitting occurring here, which is a defence mechanism for dealing with intense anxiety and other unbearable feelings. Statutory social workers on the other hand, by seeing Roberta through a lens of dangerousness, did not relate to the caring, loving side of her. Mensch, J.R. (1996) After Modernity, State University of New York Press, Albany, NY. but "It says here ?." The use of power to discipline clients is made legitimate precisely because of the unity of 'professionalism' and training of the social worker. The oppressive collateral consequences resulting from mass incarceration, the War on Drugs, and the school-to-prison pipeline have exacerbated economic inequalities in Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities. How power shapes itself in the context of social work will be discussed and elaborated later in the chapter. We felt like we were being judged obviously, which we are, nothing has properly been explained to us. awright.nasw@socialworkers.org. Copyright 2015 Clifford N. Lazarus, Ph.D. Workers so often having to stand contributed to an atmosphere that felt like they had not properly settled into the visit. They were alarmed by her aggression, mental health problems and history of alleged violence and concerned that Roberta may hit the (as yet unborn) baby: Im really concerned about this baby, really concerned Im really worried about this baby [I] can imagine her hitting the baby that cries. Roberta tries to get more information from the social worker about Susan but is given a vague reply that this new social worker will be coming to visit for a while. social workers negotiating with other workers or professionals, the use of disciplinary strategies is not so evident. It is bullying and arrogant, and uses jargon which may confuse a client. 9:00 p.m. Exploring the use of the cognitive and affective supervisory approach with childrens social work managers. Medical racism, which has origins in slavery and eugenics, has led to modern day health disparities and inequities in health care access and treatment. Minson (1980) suggests that the constitution of subjects, such as clients and consumers takes place through the operation of specific relations of power which are best understood as the construction of personal categories. - Every paper finds readers. Social work also has a major role to play in creating an antiracist society. Rajchman, J. As will be shown however, this hostility was not simply a result of parental attitudes or personalities, it was also relational and a product of social worker attitudes and how the interactions between families and professionals developed into hostile relationships. Words such as omnipotence and state power or striving for power, power struggle and abuse of power usually evoke negative associations and feelings. Because Robertas two children were not in her care, it was treated as an Unborn referral and not urgent. Power operates as a dynamic force that leaves no area of life untouched, influencing individuals, families, communities, and institutions. To remove a child from someone you have got to say that this child is at significant harm, the child is not at significant harm and she hasnt been throughout this whole process, and they thought it was appropriate to lie [When SWs visited] they were like standing up in the middle of the room and you know sort of like this whole squaring off with me sort of thing. All Rights Reserved. The social work team manager was deeply immersed in the case and had been on the end of Robertas rage from the start. But Olivia had been on the receiving end of Robertas anger and was already deeply emotionally enmeshed in the casework, which prevented her from achieving the kind of detachment necessary to critically reflect and think clearly about the work. You are not required to obtain permission to reuse this article in part or whole. When I started working on the topic of power and powerlessness in social work, I did not have many questions. Such assessments can legitimately only take place in "social work space", they cannot take place in a bar or restaurant. It not only matters what you say but how you say it, and the same applies to material actions - things that one does, as opposed to what one says or writes. The social worker and manager were very annoyed by what they saw as the independent social workers overly positive assessment, implying that tough questions about Robertas anger and alleged violence had been avoided. Angela obviously does not see the problem with having Ron in the home. A better way to explain this might be to characterize power in relation to discourse. in the form of the authority or the office. You should not hold more than one type of relationship with a client, for example, they cannot work for you, be a family member or receive extra private support from you, as well as be one of your clients. Much more needs to be done to help social workers recognise and tolerate hostility and hate, to not retaliate and to enact compassion and care towards service users. But research published in the BMJ Quality & Safety indicates that these power imbalances arent going away. However, some relationships in social work are not like that but are transacted through mistrust, fear, hostility and even hate. Further on I shall argue that social work is much in the business of using normalization strategies and this of deploying disciplinary power. Minson, (1980) 'Strategies for Socialists? Four home visits were made by social workers in the first few days after Roberta and Amy went home from hospital, after which in Months 7 and 8 the pattern settled into weekly home visits, which were either announced, ie Roberta knew when they were happening, or unannounced, when she didnt. Foucault's conception of power' in Economy and Society, Vol.9, No.1. 2. The same cannot be said of social work however, which urgently needs to face the harsh realities of hostile relationships, the risks of abuses of power they contain, and the enormously difficult feelings they bring up for service users, social workers and their effects on the emotional life of whole organisational systems. Social and professional status confers power, but it is primarily the knowledge, experience, and tools with which a social worker acts that empower him or her. He recognizes the importance of Heidegger's view of the constitution of the subject in a temporal frame and of the development of a new philosophy purged of humanism. But even in this case we make changes. In the nurse-patient relationship, nurses hold a position of power by virtue of having: professional knowledge and skills that patients rely on for their well As many professions and organizations are doing, we must pause to look inward and use that knowledge to propel us toward action for meaningful social change. Creating space to think and feel in child protection social work; a psychodynamic intervention, The impact of work-related violence towards social workers in children and family services, Sustaining relationships: Working with strong feelings: Part l: Anger, aggression and hostility, Engaging with involuntary service users in social work: Findings from a knowledge exchange project, Challenges and dilemmas working with highconflict families in child protection casework, Understanding defences and defensiveness in social work, Resistant parents and child protection: Knowledge base, pointers for practice and implications for policy, A relationship-based approach to engaging involuntary clients: The contribution of recognition theory, What makes it so hard to look and to listen? A 'situated model of power' for social work is developed which draws on the writings of Michel Foucault.