Spring Academy Lublin 7. – 11.4.2008 Auli Jungner

Spring AcademyLublin 7. – 11.4.2008Auli Jungner

Ethically sustainable social work

KyAMK | Social department | Auli Jungner 219.04.23

Aims of my presentation

• to approach the ethic in social work by underlining the sustainable development in every client´s life

• to encourage students about the importance of participation in social work

• to present a good practice of participation and of making the client´s voice heard


Baltic 21 E programme– An Agenda 21 forEducation in the Baltic Sea Region- signed by the Ministers of Education on 24th Jan, 2001

”… to develop the education system of the Baltic Region so that sustainable development aspects become a natural and permanent part of it.”


Sustainable development

”Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” (UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs)

What has this got to do with social work?


Sustainable development is built up of the following aspects:

Ecological aspect (environmental protection)

• recycling and sorting

• durable usage of natural resources

Economical aspect• responsibility in business activity

• responsibility in consumption

• economical yield of long duration

Cultural aspect• multiculturalism

• locality

Social aspect• equality and tolerance

• prevention of social exclusion

• a safe and healthy environment

• accessibility

• promote welfare


Ethically sustainable social work

• is in harmony with values, laws and international agreements

• respects the value and uniqueness of each person

• gives space to the participation of clients

• supports the client in taking responsibility of his own life, solutions and actions


The Ethical Principles:

1. Respecting the right to self-determination

2. Promoting the right to participation

3. Treating each person as a whole

4. Identifying and developing strengths

The International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) http://www.ifsw.org/home


1. Respecting the right to self-determination

Social workers should respect and promote people’s

• right to make their own choices and decisions,

• irrespective of their values and life choices,

provided this does not threaten the rights and legitimate interests of others.

Examples


2. Promoting the right to participation

Social workers should

• promote the full involvement and participation of people using their services in ways that enable them to be empowered in all aspects of decisions and actions affecting their lives.

•Examples


3. Treating each person as a whole

Social workers should be

• concerned with the whole person, within the family, community, societal and natural environments,

• should seek to recognise all aspects of a person’s life.

Examples


4. Identifying and developing strengths

Social workers should focus on the strengths of all individuals, groups and communities and thus promote their empowerment.

Examples


Social workers have a duty

• to seek to enhance the capacity of people to address their own needs

• to respect service users' rights to make informed decisions, and ensure that service users and carers participate in decision-making processes

• to priority of service users' interest


Participation: empowerment of citizens

Empowerment: Increasing capacity of individuals or groups to make choices and to transform those choices into desired actions and outcomes.

Does client-participation automatically add to empowerment?

Is client-participation always ethically well-founded?


Arguments for user participation in social work

1. An argument of control

2. An argument of democracy

3. An argument of knowledge

4. An argument of emansipation and empowerment


The BIKVA Model (User Participation in Quality Assessment)

The BIKVA model (Brugerindderagelse I KVAlitetsvurdering) is developed in Denmark by Hanne Krogstrup and it is an evaluation and quality enhancement method.

It is particularly developed to hear the client’s opinion about the service system and it is based on the idea, that the clients hold important knowledge that can contribute developing the public sector services.

As an evaluation method BIKVA is participatory and client-orientated, but it also helps to question the institutional system. At its best the evaluation leads up to a systematic basis for developing the method within a social context.


The evaluation process

The evaluation method is interviewing. The evaluation process starts from the clients, then moves to the front-line staff (employees in direct contact with the clients) and finally ends to managers and politicians.

Clients are asked to express and justify "why they are satisfied or dissatisfied" with the services offered. It is important that questions are open-ended.

The next phase is to formulate questions for the employees’ interview. Basically, new questions are based on the themes that emerged from the clients’ interview. Also the managers’ and politicians’ interviews are carried out similarly.

Finally the results, reactions and possible recommendations will be informed to all the parties involved in the evaluation.


Thank you for your attention!

Spring Academy Lublin 7. – 11.4.2008 Auli Jungner

Documents

Transcript of Spring Academy Lublin 7. – 11.4.2008 Auli Jungner