Social Workers Role In Social Work

Social workers are legally obligated to assess and support the 397,600 children in need and their families as they are one of society’s most vulnerable groups (DfE, 2014). The social worker’s role and responsibility is to ensure children’s additional needs are adequately met to try to reverse disadvantage and enable children to maximise their lives and potential. To achieve this objective, social workers sift through in-depth information in different areas of family life, both past and present, as the vast majority of issues affecting children evolve from external factors which particularly relate to parenting. Gathering data involves collaborating with the family and relevant professionals to understand the family’s plight and establish strengths which are built upon so future troubles are positively resolved independently.

Tools, such as genograms and ecomaps are essential to understand the composition and quality of family relationships, as well as highlight the strength of connections with external factors, such as neighbours, school peers and hobbies (Bonecutter and Gleeson, 1997). When using tools, social workers incorporate the exchange model to empower service users to tell their own story as the ‘expert’ of their situation (Postle, 2014). Rempel et al (2007) adds service users benefit from tasks as they allow them to reflect upon their own life and recognise previously unacknowledged sources of support. The information gathered reveals protective factors which are explored and enhanced to equip and encourage positive parenting, such as age and development appropriate boundaries (CSSP, N.d.). Similarly, children’s resilience can be built upon, such as interest in social activities, as this has a cushioning effect by providing the strength and support to overcome adversity (Harvard,