Derek Clifford

Combining key elements in training and research: developing social work assessment theory and practice in partnership

This paper is based on a joint project between staff from a university department of social work and a local social services department and is jointly written by the four people involved. It reports on the development of a package of training and research over the past 5 years designed to improve standards of assessment in the work of child and family social workers employed by the authority. It analyses the positive reception given to the project both from practising social workers and from management. It contends that this model of combining theory, training, research and practice can and should be used more widely as a basis for supporting and developing professional social work. It discusses the introduction of a theoretical framework which anticipated the new national framework for assessment, but which has been used to critically assess it (as well as other models of assessment), and has involved experienced workers in their evaluation.

Barriers to Adoption?: Variations in the Use of Adoption by Local Authorities

Political and media interest in adoption in the last few years in Britain coincided with a research project set up jointly by the North-West Group of Voluntary Adoption Agencies and Liverpool John Moores University. The origins of the research lie in the concerns of the voluntary adoption agencies about the use of their services by local authorities in the light of their own records, which indicated very variable patterns of use. The aim of the research was to investigate these apparent anomalies in the use of adoption services and explore the reasons for the differences. A large range of possible factors was involved — structural, political and organisational, as well as professional and personal issues. In this paper Derek Clifford, with support from Beverley Burke, Norman Goodwin, Lindsay Amuzu and Simon Ward, reflects on barriers to the use of adoptive placements by local authorities, with particular but not exclusive reference to the north-west.

Ethics, Politics and the Social Professions: Reading Iris Marion Young

This paper seeks to describe and evaluate the work of the late Iris Marion Young as a critical reference point for values and ethics in the social professions. Her credentials are both experiential and theoretical, having studied analytical then postmodern and phenomenological thought, publishing a series of influential books on political and ethical concepts from a critical feminist position. Her theory and practice were closely related: she actively campaigned for feminist and related social causes for many years. The aim is to provide a broad review of her work, with special reference to aspects particularly relevant to the social professions, and some discussion of implications for practice. It is not the intention to set out a systematic framework of concepts (something she would not necessarily have aimed at herself) but to suggest the fruitfulness of some of her ideas, particularly those relevant to social professionals, and encourage the reader to go back to the original work.

Equality, Diversity, Ethics and Management in Social Work Education

This paper is about ethical practice in higher educational organisations with special reference to equality, diversity, and social work education and values. It examines the practices of mainstreaming and managing diversity in higher education and argues that social work academics need to consider carefully the ethics of their own behaviour in relation to equality and diversity issues in view of changing organisational practices, and because of the pedagogical implications in social work, where ethical and value issues are of central importance. The paper is case study based on the experience of the authors who have both been involved in developing equal opportunity policies in higher education for well over a decade. The aim of the paper is to consider how academics engage in ethical practice within their own organisations. The occasion for the development of this paper was a national conference on equality and diversity in higher education, which included a presentation by one of the present authors. The latter has contributed to this paper her expertise on equality and diversity issues in the business and management of organisations, whilst the former has contributed his knowledge of social work values and ethics.

Moral and Professional Dilemmas in Long-term Assessment of Children and Families

•Summary: This paper discusses some of the issues that concern social workers making long-term assessments in the light of central government criticism of inadequate assessment and use of adoptive placements. We draw partly on our research into local government use of adoption placements (Clifford et al., 2003). We also draw on our previous publications on assessment, and on related research. Our approach is therefore both empirical and theoretical. It is partly a contribution to understanding the nature of contemporary social work assessment practice, but primarily a polemic against influential misperceptions. •Findings: Our findings are that policy-makers have notsufficiently understood the complexity of the mix of interpretation, evidence and ethical judgement involved, and that social workers inevitably struggle with moral dilemmas arising from their simultaneous responsibilities to interpret evidence and to work in close partnership with the conflicting interests of service users, of carers and of other professional colleagues. •Applications: The application of the evidence in this paper is that policy-makers need to understand the dynamic, ethical complexity of judgements involved in social work assessment, and avoid policy development linked to misguided assumptions. The findings also underline the need for social workers to continue to pay critical attention to empirical evidence, interpretative issues and ethical considerations.

Towards an anti-oppressive social work assessment method

Abstract This paper discusses how social workers might put into practice anti-oppressive values in the particular area of understanding and assessing the users of their services. It begins with a critical examination of a published piece of assessment that is a good example of the type of work currently being done in social work agencies, arguing that the failure to look sufficiently at the anti-oppressive issues is a failure of the method used. It continues with a constructive series of suggestions towards an anti-oppressive method of assessment - a modification of social work practice theory that is currently being researched by the author, and derives from both theoretical considerations and practical experience.

What practical difference does it make? Anti-oppressive ethics and informed consent

Abstract This paper examines the difference between traditional social work ethics and anti-oppressive values in social care. It examines a published practice example, contending that an anti-oppressive ethic is significantly different in theory and practice from traditional social work ethics. It would make a difference to the way Sylvia, the service user in this case, would have been assessed by the social worker, raising a different range of issues, qualitatively changing the nature of the ethical dilemmas to be resolved, and the practical options to be pursued.

Conference Report: ‘Ethics and Social Welfare in Hard Times’, London, 1–2 September 2016

It seemed important and worthwhile, to the editorial board, to hold a conference to mark this journal’s 10th anniversary. And it seemed obvious that in 2016, the theme for such a conference should be the impacts of austerity: on society, on practice and on our sense of ethical priorities. The result was a very well-attended, vibrant, constructive and consistently fascinating event—punctuated by chastening messages, as would be expected, but full also of illumination, insight and surprises. We were delighted with how it went, and by the sheer array of contributions made by those taking part. This report aims to capture a flavour of it all.

The Quest for a Moral Compass: A Global History of Ethics

This book aims to do what is says in the title with some success, but limited by significant omissions in the final chapters. However, it is interesting both in its successes and failures. It has 2...

Oppression and professional ethics

ABSTRACT This paper will suggest some key elements needed to adequately ground a concept of oppression relevant to the ethics of the social professions11. The ‘social professions’ is a useful phrase employed by Sarah Banks (2004) and includes social work, community and youth work, and other professions where human services are offered., and demonstrate how a coherent account of such a concept can be offered, drawing on recent work in social, moral and political philosophy: an account that both supports and challenges the social professional. The ethical commitment of social professionals in many countries to an ‘anti-oppressive’ approach to their work has not always been well understood by those who have supported the idea, or by those critical of it. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the understanding and development of anti-oppressive values and practice in the social professions through a review of recent work relevant to the concept of oppression. It argues that a substantial, critical concept of oppression should underpin any social professional ethics.