PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED BY SOCIAL WORKERS IN SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE

PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED BY SOCIAL WORKERS IN SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE

(CASE STUDY OF BWARI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF ABUJA)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background of the Study

The evolution of Social work and efforts to promote social development can be seen as closely linked to the primordial tendency of humans to help one another in all past human societies. In traditional, including African societies, the concern for social welfare was reflected in activities within the family, the clan and ethnic group. The urge of man to help man in all societies was demonstrated by the great care accorded to, inter alia, children, orphans, widows, widowers and the invalid as well as the elderly. In such “gemeinschaft” (Tonnies, 1887), social work was more or less a task for everyone instead of individuals and specialized agencies. As such, Social work has always been geared towards improving the quality of life of each and everyone.

Social work as it is known today has relatively recent origins. It emerged at a time when feudalism was disintegrating and capitalism taking its place. The control of the family and the church was fast weakening too. According to Fink (1968:27), these fundamental social changes began occurring between 1834 and 1909 and ushered in the development in Britain of specialized care agencies for certain vulnerable and disadvantaged groups, such as dependent children and people living with physical or mental disabilities. Institutions such as district schools, foster homes, hospitals, infirmaries and special schools were provided for these groups.

At any rate, social work is increasingly becoming globalized, for it is being applied in a variety of settings and numerous agencies and people across the world are benefiting from its services. Among the social work services provided are: “psychiatry, medical, marriage and family counseling; the school; rehabilitation; corrections; public welfare; workplace; drug abuse; and child welfare” (Farley et al, 2006: 13). Social work does not only address needs and problems at the personal or family level but also at the neighborhood, national and international level.

Moreover, with the coming of colonialists in search of raw materials, labour and markets as well as areas for investment there was a need to establish schools, hospitals and basic infrastructural lines so as to ease work in plantations and mines. Laws such as the children and the young person’s ordinance of 1949, probation of offenders’ ordinance of 1947, and Foster Care and Adoption Ordinance of 1955 laid the basic foundation for social work in the pre-independence era.

Samadi, R. (2008); highlighted history of social work in health care system that social workers from the twentieth century have been involved in health care system such as providing services for poor people, worked with the elderly and patients with tuberculosis. In 1977, the World Association of Social Work published standards for the provision of health care services in hospitals and in 1980, the standards for social workers in health centers developed and it replaced hospital standards. Between 1981 and 1982, the National Association of Social Work Board’s new developed standards approved and added to the previous standard of care. These standards include the activities of social workers in the field of kidney patient, disability, treatment and health care and followed by social workers into the health care system and the public and private sectors were engaged. More activities of social workers concentrate on transferring the patient or refer him or her to home and in some cases solve the financial problems. It is against this background that this study examined the problems encountered by social workers in social work practice.

1.2       Statement of the Problem

Social workers posted to work in various areas and but their knowledge and skills are underutilized not intentionally but due to lack of in depth awareness on the roles and functions of social work professionals in such areas. The placement of social workers in rendering their service is good luck to patients and victims of circumstance being attended to with the fact that not all patients require tablets and injections since the majority of patients suffer from social problems. Even those with debilitating medical conditions such as advanced HIV/AIDS, patients with cancer, severe heart conditions and many other cases are in need of social workers, (William, M. 2014).  The National Social Workers’ Association states the primary mission of social workers is to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic needs of all people, with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed and living in poverty. In the course of carrying out this responsibility the social workers are faced with several problems such as lack of skills, lack of finance, lack of time, inadequate number of social workers to attend to the need of the people etc. It is in the light of this that the study seek to identified the problems encountered by social workers in social work practice with particular reference to Bwari Local Government Area of Abuja.

1.3       Objectives of the study

The general objective of this study was to examine the problems encountered by social workers in social work practice with particular reference to Bwari Local Government Area of Abuja.

This study specifically aimed to:

• Identify the awareness of the presence of social worker in the study area
• Examine the roles of social works professionals in Bwari Local government area of Abuja.
• To identify the problems encountered by social workers in the study area

1.4       Research Questions

• Are you aware of the presence of social worker in the study area?
• What are the roles of social workers in Bwari Local government area of Abuja?
• What are the problems encountered by social workers in the study area?

1.5       Significance of the Study

The study aimed at identifying the problems encountered by social workers in social work practice in Nigeria with particular reference to Bwari Area council of Abuja. The identified challenges shall be communicated to the local government authority and the heads of department to make them understand the existing challenges facing social work professionals in the social work practice.

The results of this research study can help in developing strategies on how to eliminate those challenges hence maximize the benefits to clients who require social workers interventions. This study will assist to create awareness to the local government authority on the need to strengthen the social welfare department in  terms of allocating adequate funds as well as increasing the number of social workers into medical practice. Moreover, on job programs might be designed to orient all staff on the roles and functions of social workers in Bwari Local government area of Abuja.

1.6       OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS

• Social Work: Social work is a practice-based profession that promotes social change, development, cohesion and the empowerment of people and communities.Social work practice involves the understanding of human development, behavior and the social, economic and cultural institutions and interactions.
• Social Worker: Social workers are professionals who aim to enhance overall well-being and help meet basic and complex needs of communities and people. Social workers work with many different populations and types of people, particularly focusing on those who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty.
• Administrator– refers to a person in authority or managerial control for organizing work intended to advance the social work profession. Their job involves staff recruitment, placement, monitoring and evaluation of social work practitioners and the quality of their practice (New Dictionary of Social Work, 1995; Dolgoff et al, 2012). In the context of this study supervisors and managers are graded as administrators.
• Agency– refers to a business that makes its facilities available to others for a fee or government parastatals established to aid service delivery in the community (Garthwaith, 2011).
• Behavior– refers here to the actions of a social work administrator or practitioner in relation to the practice environment (Zastrow, 2009).
• Ethical Values and Principles– refers to the broad-spectrum methods mirrored inside the guidelines connected towards the sequence of behaviour to be adhered by practitioners (social workers) in the practising of their profession according to the regulatory body of the country (Dolgoff et al, 2012).
• Practitioner– refers to individuals registered and approved in accordance with the Social Work Act, 1978 (Act 110 of 1978) to practice the social work profession (New Dictionary of Social Work, 1995:60). In the context of this study, it refers to both the social workers, community development workers and administrators.
• Professional Ethics– is a guidance that offers ways of evaluating choices for their unfairness or appropriateness and assists a practitioner into transforming professional values into professional practice activities (Dolgoff et al, 2012).
• Professional Values– are guides that assists the work of a person in his/her professional life, it is the priorities and interpretations of practitioners’ decision making and action in agreement with societal values in the society in which they practice (Dolgoff et al, 2012).
• Reflection– is a method employed by social workers to enhance the understanding and perceptions of the customers’ problems circumstances and to get feedback of the feelings and attitudes of clients through selective repetitions of words and interpretation of their actions (New Dictionary of Social Work, 1995:52).
• Service– is the working component of a social service professional that provides for the clients in a programme (Dolgoff et al, 2012).
• Societal Value– reflects a consensus among a group of people about what is right and good reached through negotiations towards maintaining society’s orderliness (Zastrow, 2009).