Psychosocial Social Work

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Psychosocial Social Work

• Sue Taplin (University of Nottingham) and Nigel
  Horner (University of Lincoln)

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Plus Ca Change..?

• Indeed we have only the most general ideas of
  what we are trying to produce, what constitutes
  the essential skill of the social worker, and
  consequently still more varied ideas of how to
  set about it (Younghusband, 195928)
• 50 years on, do we know what social workers do
  and how they do it? The Taskforce is going to ask
  us to say what we do and why we do it.
  Psychosocial Practice may be part of the
  answer

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The Accepted Definition of Social Work

• Social Work is a profession which promotes
  social change, problem solving in human
  relationships and the empowerment and liberation
  of people to enhance well-being. Utilising
  theories of human behaviour and social systems,
  social work intervenes at the points where people
  interact with their environments. Principles of
  human rights and social justice are fundamental
  to social work
• International Association of Schools of
  Social Work, International Federation of Social
  Workers,
• (Adopted by TOPSS and GSCC in 2002)

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Theory and Method

• Whats Going On?
• Theories of Explanation (eg Psychosocial
  Theory)
• What are we Going To Do About It? Methods of
  Intervention (eg Psychosocial Intervention)
• How are We Going to Do It?
• Practice Skills and Techniques (The Use of
  Self and the Casework Relationship)

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Towards a Definition of Psychosocial Practice

• In the Psychosocial approach the person is seen
  to be in constant interaction with her
  environment, particularly her social environment
  of family, friends, neighbours, health and social
  care workers. In essence, people can only be
  understood in relationship to their environment.

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Why the symbolism of complexity?

• Psychosocial practice assumes that the surface of
  human existence is significantly rooted in things
  below the surface - the past early years events
  inter generational patterns - yet is also
  profoundly shaped by the immediate environment,
  the social context.
• So, Psychosocial theory is a Fusion of
  Psychodynamic Theory and Systems Theory

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The Person in their - environment

• We know that the individual is in constant
  interaction- or transaction - with other members
  of his immediate family with other relatives
  with a network of friends and acquaintances,
  including neighbours, with an employer if he
  works and so on through all his social
  relationships.
• Florence Hollis (1964 / 1972) Casework A
  Psychosocial Therapy

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Psychosocial Practice

• A psychosocial model of social work practice
  offers the optimum framework to take account of
  all the individual child, family and
  environmental variables interacting to produce
  the identified difficulties (Walker, 2003)
• This means adoption of the notion of accepting
  the inner and outer worlds of the service user,
  which may be in conflict and result in
  repetitive, self destructive behaviours (Woods
  and Hollis, 1990)
• It means working with service users on anxieties
  and defence mechanisms that personal difficulties
  that are hampering their attainment of fulfilling
  relationships with others and hindering effective
  parenting (Walker, 2003)

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Psychosocial Practice

• Concentrates on the present rather than the past
• Attempts to help people achieve equilibrium
  between inner emotional state and the pressures
  they face in the outside world
• Uses the clients relationship with the social
  worker actively

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Example The Psychosocial Team at Great Ormond
Street Hospital, London

• Who is in the psychosocial teams?
• Most teams include a social worker, a clinical
  psychologist, a play specialist, a teacher and a
  family support worker.  Some also include a
  family psychotherapist, child psychiatrist and
  chaplain.  Team members are highly trained
  professionals with expertise in caring for
  children and families in a hospital setting.
• How can the psychosocial teams help me?
• Examples of the help we can offer include
• Providing support and advice about the practical
  and financial challenges of being in hospital
• Assessing a child s emotions, behaviour,
  learning and development and, if needed, offering
  the appropriate therapy
• Encouraging a child to express feelings, either
  through talking or play
• Working with families to minimise the distress
  caused by illness and medical treatments
• Identifying what local support may be needed
  during and after discharge and liaising with
  local services to plan this.
• Providing urgent psychiatric assessment and
  treatment where necessary
• Working in partnership with families and
  professionals to protect children at risk of harm
  
• Offering religious and spiritual support
• Providing educational opportunities during
  admission and maintaining links with your childs
  school.
• We are able to offer help to you, your child and
  other members of your family who may be having
  difficulties.  We can also work with you to try
  to prevent a problem before it develops.
• Why does the hospital have psychosocial teams?
• We know that a child s illness or condition can
  affect the whole family.  Coping with illness,
  hospital procedures and being away from home can
  be very stressful for everyone.  Practical or
  emotional problems can arise and the psychosocial
  team can help you to deal with these worries and
  concerns.

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Example Two Working with Young People in Public
Care

• Recognising and understanding attachment needs
  and behaviours
• Acknowledging the power, and responsibilities ,
  of the worker user relationship
• Understanding the significance of Pro Social
  Modelling in the practice relationship
• Understanding the relationship in psychodynamic
  terms and demonstrating resilience within it

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The Psychosocial Organisation?

• According to Argyris, and Schön, (1996 215),
  flexible, developmental organisations are
  characterised as
• responsible, productive and creative, and
  where errors are seen as the vehicle for
  learning
• Is this aspiration achievable in a modern
  Children Services organisation? Will the
  organisation let you work in a psychosocial
  manner?