Part If

FIELD WORK COMPONENTS

Objectives of Second Year BSW:
a to develop capacity for obselvation aid analyzing social realities.
a to develop understanding of the needs, problen~sand pmgrallunes for different target gro~~ps.
e to develop understanding of the role of social worlcers.in different setting.
to develop process-oliented skills in working with individuals, fmnilies and groups wit11 special references
to social support systen~.
e to develop sltills in observation, intervicwing, recording, group discussions and leaderslip.
e to develop sltills in report writing, use of su~pervisionand prepare for facing interviews.
The sequential a~~angement
of the cornpoilents of Field Work is as follows:
1) Orientation visits

4) Assignment of tasks
5) N a t ~ r eof social work process

8) Recording
9) Field histruction

COMPONENT 1 ORIENTATION VISITS

You have co~npIetedfive orie~ltatiollvisits in your first year. By now you have become familiar with the
purpose of orientation visits. Last year you went to agencies, wl~icl~irnplelnent only, or mainly developnlent
projects.'~l~isyear you will be going to the agencies, which mainly focus on welfare programmes. The
purpose is to giving yo~ta l~olisticpicture of the social welfare sector-in India. It should not be the case that
you are exposed to only a limited variety of agencies. It is quite possible that the agency you visit has both
welfwe and development projects. In that case you are advised to focus extensively on tlie welfare aspects
on that agency. '

Welfare services are provided mainly to the wealter sections or to those sections of population that are
telnporarily debilitated. Welfare services are provided as an expression of society's concern to its less
forttulate members. Destitute children and women are provided with homes so that they can live wit11 some
extent of security and dignity. ~ifferently-abled(hatldicapped)individuals are p eovided with lear~iingaids
and vocational courses so that in the fithire they me enabled to live an independellt and productive life in
the society. Street children are provided with light shelters so that they can live without feas of abusers and
eveil of the police. People. who are vicliins ofmanmade or natural calamity are also provided services. For
example, riots victims are kept in reliabilitation camps.
 In most cases the social wiil.lcers enlployed in welihre settings either perform admii~istrativetasks lilcc
deciding who are lllore needy beneficiaries, or practise methods of social work to bring aix~utbehavioul.
modification in the clieilts andlor attempt to clzallge their situation.
As a visitor to the agency you l~lustassess the following in the services provided - the sensitive~lessthe
agency shows towards the beneficial-ies; the progranlmes the agency imple~nentsto make tile benei-iciaries
independent; effectiveness of these efforts; the level of~co~l~mitment in the staff and the level of training
wllicl~prepares them for the job and follow-LIPe.I'fol-ts.

Performa for information required

Address

Mission statementIMotto (if my)

I~lstitutionalobjectives

Officer
Chief Executive OfficerlExec~~tive

Board nlembers

Type of work

and nature of beneficiaries

Nuiil~bel-

Geographical area of work

Whether the agency is registered or not

 Organisational structure (A simple diagram inay be drawn. If the agency is a branch of a larger organisation
its place in the larger organisation can be shown.)
Number of staff members and position

Level Number Qualification Position Held

Professionals
Support staff
Voltmteers
Totd

History of the Organisation

The student is .expected to trace, briefly, the histsly of the organisation from its inception. The growth or
decline in the number of activities, the increase or decrease in the areas in wl~ichthese services are being
offered, and changes in the staff strength over the time can be noted. Most impol-tantly the agency's
rationale for the services provided, the reasons for the changes in approach over the years and the results
of the changes are to be studied.
Sources of Funding
F~u~dingespecially foreign funding has become a controversial issue in the recent past. Special care sl~ould
be given while dealing with this seilsitive issue. You should not insist on knowing thefunding sozirces if
the agency officials are reluctant to divtilge that irlfornzation.
The following categories are suggested for collectillg the inforlnation.
Foreign Sources nnrl Zizdinn Socrrces
Foreign sot~rces:International organisalions, Goveimnental and non-Govenunental resources. And within
non-govenzmental - private institutional donors and private individual donors.
Indigenous sources: Govenlnlental - central, state gover~unentsand pancl~ayats.Non-goveinmental sources
- private institutional donors, private individual donors.
Cornnzunity own resources : Methods for raising hinds and achieving financial stability

You should see wllelher the building agency operates is suitable for the activity it has undertaken. For e.g.
a short stay home for women will require the necessaly rooms, toilets and bathrooms so that wonien can
stay with necessaly comfort. Besides the area should be secure so that i h a t e s live without fear. Whether
the prenlises have been rented or owned by the agcncy.
Transport
You should see whether tlze agency has the required tsansport facilities to perfoinl its fi~nctiol~.
For e.g. in
community development prograinme there may need for regularly traveling to far-flung areas and the staff
may be depending on a number of trai~spoitfacilities. In l~ospitalsor old age home there may be need for
ambulance to transport the patients.
 To what extent does the agency utilize phone, internet, eic. Can they be better utilized.
A udio/video eqcripment
Projectors, video players, radio, etc. meant for public education purposes and so on.
Relationship with other agencies
1) Relntionslzi~)rvitll otlcer rvefire rrgeizcies
Coordination and cooperation with other NGOs working in similar areas in the locality,
Are tlzere other agencies working with the similar objectives in the same aea? Is there any cooperation
between the agencies working in tlze sane area? Ase there any colzflicts between the agencies working
in the same area or field?
2) Relntioiislti' rvitlt goverrznzerrt clepnrtnrents
Whether tlze agency receives government funding or not. Wlletlzer the agency cooperates wit11 tlze
gove~mnentin ilnple~llentingprogrammes. In the opi~ziollof the agency how do gove~nrlzentofficials
deal with them. Do the Banks in tlze area support tlze agency?
3) Relntionslt ip with Pnnclt nynt Rnj Institutions (PRIs)
Is the agency cooperating witlz the PRIs? What are i.lle areas in which the agency is cooperating with
the PIUs? Do the agency oficials think tliat PRIs are bnctioning well?
4) Relntionsh ij) witlt conimcrnity bnsetl orgnrt isntions (CBOs)
The nulnber of CB0s working in tlze field. lzletlzod oftlzeir fortnation. SelC-initiated or started by
government, by other agencies etc. I-Iow old are they and if they are being closed down, what are the
reasons for the same? If tlze CBO are i~zcreasingi l l streligth then the reasoszs for the same can be
noted. What are tlze areas of cooperation between the agency and tlze CBOs?
'5) Relntionship rvitlt otlzer orgar~isntioi~s
like religiocu ogrmisotiorrs, ausocinlions, ate.
o Opinion on the relevance and quality of services provided by the agency.
o Opillioils can be collected fiom the staff members, clients, ma~zagen~ent
mid gove~mnentofficials
working in tlze area.
Collectioil of the illfor~zzatiollwill require talking infor~l~ally
ta ll~ebeneficiaies,
m Problelns faced by tlze agency and proposed remedies.
i) I~~ternul
problems
Internal problems csui be related to finding, i~lirastructure,staff, ~lzmlngcmentand objectives
of the agency.

External problems can be related to the target population. For e.g. the lack of cooperatio~~
fiom the comiizunity or hostility fiom the leaders. External problems can be relaled to thc
agency relationship wit11 goverlmlent departments, other WGOs. pnnchayat institutions, ctc,
The student can also note do\v~lhow the agency plans to face these prob
witlz the donors and their delnallds we also 10 be recorded.

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Future Plans
The agency's plans for expansion and the proposed future programmes can be described. This will include
the new progrmnes the agency would start and how it plans to initiate the same.
Recognition and Awards
Mention whether the agency was awarded/rewarded/given recognition for its contribution towards social
uplifhent initiatives.
Affiliations
Mention whether the agency is affiliated to any institutions such as councils, higher educational institutions,
network, etc. (wl~etllernationallinternational).
Any other ~nformation
For example, the agency participation in relief activity in disaster prone area or the political nature of the
activity if applicable.
Learning Process
You can write your own impressions on the agency. Further you can compare the agency with the other
agencies you have visited and note down the strengths and weaknesses of the agency in coinparison with
the other agencies.
You can give your opinion on the importanceof the agency to the community, its objectives and its fmctioning.
You may agree or disagree with the methods used by the agency to attain its objectives and give reasons
for the same.
Your gain in ;em~sof hlowledge, skills and attitude can be noted. You can report if the visit was a waste
of time and give reasons for t l ~ esame. Suggestions can be made to make these visits inore productive or
benefit oriented to the learners.

COMPONENT 2 PLACEMENT
You are placed in the agency where the focus will be to provide you with opportunities to practise the
methods you are learning in tl~eoiycourse. Like last year, you will observe the circlunstances under which
the social worlcers provide their services. As you are only being introduced to the inethods in the beginning
you can prepare the ground work for practicing the methods. For example, you can by and build relationship
with the inmates of a wing of the boys home so that in the fittire you may be able to get a client or gro~ps
fro111 that wing. Rudimentmy social work c& be used in the beginning and as you gain experience you can
use the nlethods systen~atically.

COMPONENT 3 AGENCY-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP

Agency-client relatio~lsllipis an impoi-tantfactor in the practice of the social work. The agency's relationslip
with the comnzunity/benefici~ies,the expected role of the social worker and agency resources influence
the process of implementation of projects.
What are the main objectives of the project?
What are its targets?
 Has the agency coilducted ally need-based study to al~iveat these targets?
Have the targets been revised during the year?
If yes, the reasons for the revising?
What is the rationale for implementing die project?
Who are the intended beneficiaries? Children, wolnen or poor anybody else?
What is their share iii the projecl?
What is their opi~lioilon the project?
What is the approach the agency uses to select the beneficiaries? Area, group and target based.
Wliat are the social, political and ecoiloinical coilditiolls of the beneficicu-ies?
wlat are t1.x social, political and ecolloliiical conditiolis inflne~~cing
the i~liplenieiltationof the project?
When did the project start axid when did the project ended?
Who is the over-all in charge of the project?
If you c q meet hiin/her ask him/her the opinioli 011 thc progress of the project.
Wliat are the intended tasks and the time-frame lor doing these tasks'!
What arc specific neth hods to encourage people's participation in the project'?
How is accountability ensured?
What problems of the financial nature are present?
Describe techllical aspects 01the pro-ject.
TIie role of various experts in the project can be described.
Ask agency officials their opinion on the 'cost effectiveness' of the project.
Ask agency officials tlie concept of 'cost benefit 'analysis'.

COMPONENT 4 ASSIGNMENT OF TASKS

Tlie aim of doing specific tasks is to expose you to situations where the Social Work lliethods are used in
rudimentary form. Tlie task itself may not be rclated to social work but the preparation of the same may
require meeting ii~dividualsand groups, interacting with them and enabling them to plan the task and
inlplelnenl it. The task can be chosen depending on the need of the target populatioli and the resources
available.
Describe tlie various steps followed to arganisc the event.
I) Initial stage
a Initial contact with the group
0 fbpporl building
Studying the situation and getting to h o w the lelt needs of the lmget population
While sfua'ying the situution you must relate your knowledge to lhe theory, which you have learnt
during BSW-I. For example, if yozrr..field is conzmttnifythen you can study the social stratiJication
 patterns of'thc specific conzl71unity. 170zt nzuy Jind to yovr surprise thut in yozlr conz~?~z~nitj~
there n7ajl
or may nut be p~obler.1~~~ behiwen crtstes.
Sirnilrrly you cun,find ilze problems qf children I?y relnti~zgit to child development slcges you stzldied
in your theory during the 13SH7-I. Your nnnlysis will include the ideal behnviotrr and the ol~served
behuviour ofyozlv clients. You can nlternpt an cmalysis and dsczlss 1~14th the FWS.

List out objectives of the progralnme in quantitative and qualitative terms.

@ Cl~ooseappropriate tasks or activity to attain these objectives after consultation with agency
officials, c o i ~ ~ ~ ~members y be~leiiciasies.If pe~missionhas to be talcell fionz the concerned
~ ~ u u t and
autl~oritiesyou should do so.
@ Develop a sealistic time-fiame for cond~ctingthe activities.
TI) Plc~nningstlge
0 Prepase a plan.
e List out the taslcs to be done.
Anticipate expected problellls and unexpected probleins tlu-ougl~brainstorming.
8 Allocate the responsibilities to iildividuals and gso~~ps
or both. Mention clearly the responsibiliiies.
Co~mnunicatethe respoilsibilities to the conceixed persons preferably in a nleeting where every
one involved is present.
Mobilize the internal and external resources. The conmlunity resources 11ave to be mobilized.

e Inqdement:the plan.
8 Unexpected assistance that helped you to ilnplement the progr~amnleneeds to be mentioned.
IV) Evaluation and .fiedback
Have the objectives set been attained?
8 What is the inlpact of the programme on the target population?
Tasks that can be undertalten (some illustrative activities)
1~'lrrlividunlrelated acfivifit?~

1) Arrange a job for person who has to be rehabilitated.

2) &~angea loc?l?/govei-nme~~t
scheme for a needy person by helpiilg hirn/iler during the vasious stages
of lisll~era13plication.
3) &-range for losudscl~olasslipfor the cl~ildrenladultsfiom private/l~ublicsowces.

4) Arrange for a patient to be take11 to hospital using a volunteer. You sllould not take the patielzt
yourself and claim that it's a valid assigunellt.
5) Asrange for cost oflnedication for the clildreidadults kom privatelpublic sources.
 Group/community related programmes
1) Organise a picnic, film show, visits to places of interest like museums, temples, historical places, etc.
2) Arrange for adult education classes/ilon-formal classes/tuitions for the various categories of the people
in the conmlwlity.
3) Organise an awareness camp related to health, education, government programmes, or on humail
rights to inlprove the knowledge level of the people.
4) Organise street plays with the actors being the members of the community.
5) Co~lducta health canlp for the people. It call be a nutrition camp or inununization camp.
6 ) Conduct surveys for the use in the formulation of f~ltureprogrammes.
7) Osganise a fund raising event. For exanple a bal nlela fete car1 be organised in the school.
8) Organise a sport programne in the scl~oolor the community.
9) Organise leadership training programme for the illlb~nlalleaders of the corz~n~ui.rity,
10) Organise a dhama or den~onstrationfor focusing on a colnnloll issue.
11) Arrange for filing Public Interest Litigation on a social problem.
3 2) Arrange for legal aid for the afflicted persons and follow-up till the issue is satisfactorily resolved.
13) A ~ a n g efor the vocational training for the disadvantagecl sections.
Describe tlze problenrs encourttererl in org~rtizirzgthe everit
Some of the psoblenls can be tlle following:
1) Lack of cooperatiorz or even hostility from the people and target population.
2) Lack ofresozrrces. Internal resources illclude organisational resources like funds and staff External
resources illclude co~llmunityresources, coninlunity paticipation infiaslnlctwe.
3) Turget populalian relnted pro blerns
e orpcom~nunityIIIEIYbe riddled with factions whose previous conflicts may enter
First, the g r o ~ ~
the planning and inlplernentation of the cursent pro~;ratme.
r Two, the presence of donlinati~lgindividual or group may reduce participation by otl~ersleadi~~g
to dissatisfaction s l ~ o n others.
g
e Thee, sollle individuals and group may try and use the common programme lor private use.
d poor may not be
Lastly, weaker sections of the population like women, schedule caste a ~ the
able to participate due to lack of motivation or lackc of convenience.
4) Prtlbleins relaled to participcmts
o Inconsistency in the task which t l ~ epeople 11ave decided for themselves. There may be high
entlthusiasm in tlze begilming that may lower afler some time,
e Individuals who accepted responsibilities may neglect it later and give v~ariousexcuses or may i~ot
appear at all.
 It would be beneficial if you write down how you faced these problems. By making alternative
arralgements like giving the responsibility to someone else and so on.
Within yourself that is controlling your emotions of being let down etc., fiom negatively influencing
yo~urpei-fortnance.
e By discussing the situation wit11 the coi~ceri~ed
persons or confronting the participants.
Discrrss yocir reactiorzs with your FWS.
Describe the acliievements of the programme
I) h2 terms of tlte o.5jectives of tlieprogmmnze
i Participation of the people - in terms of gender, communities and groups of the co~ninunity
especially the weaker sections of the conmunity.
ii) Quality of participation.
2) 112 ternzs of tlze cllcrrzge wnizted by y o c ~
3) 112ternzs of the larger yroirrrnznze of tlze rlgeizcy.
4) In ternzs of tlte people's nrecls
9 What specific need did the programme satisfy?
ii) What f~u-therprogrammes should be conducted to attain the objectives set by you?
5 ) IIZternzs of tlte y eople 's participation iiz f~ltureprogrammes.
Learning
In your rcporf you ~villhave to specjfjl the casework skills and group skills you used in the process
even tt'io~ghthey tvere nol trsed wholly.
You should realize that the task itself is not as important as the experience itself. You sl~ouldnote the skills,
which you find usefill in performing the task. Also you should look at the weaknesses in YOLK skills, laowledge
and attitude that had caused some of the shortcomings in the programmme. Especially important is t l ~ e
manner in which you dealt with frustrations which were caused by the &lure of others to meet your
expectations - when they disagreed to your lneanillgful suggestions, brolte their cornmitnlents for trivial
reasons (accorcling to you) or eve11 attached false motives to your actions. Also important are the problems
you should have anticipated but could not as you had not observed or had not been able to interpret tlle
observations that you had seen.

COMPONENT 5 NATURE OF SOCIAL WORK PROCESS

Casework and Group Work
Casework and group worlc, (along wit11 con~munityorganisatio~l)are the core methods of social worl~.
Further these illetliods are used in virtually in all settings a1:d in all situations. Therefore even when the
social worlcer is using other social work methods lilce comnl~mityorganisation or social work research, he/
she 1x1sto use the skills and knowledge, 11eIshe has learnt in casework and group work to achieve effective
results. T11us it can be safely said that mastery over these methods is cnlcial to you for becoining a good
professional social worlcer.
You can learn caseworlc and gro~rpwork only by practicing these metllods in tlze field under the s~lpervision
of a trained social worlcer. The inail1 purpose of this year's field work is to provide you with maxin~uin
 oppol-tunitiesfor gaining this crucial experience. Theoretical knowledge alone cannot suffice if yo11are
plallllilzg to practice social casework in the field.
As you might llave read in your theory, casework has five steps namely: Study, Assessment. Intorveutlon
Temniination, and Evaluation. I11 reality casework practice may not adhere to Lhese steps stristly. In most
cases there will be ovcrlal~pingoStl1e various stages. For example even af'ter the caseworker has for~nulated
a1 illtervenlion plan atzd is implemeutilzg it, iiclshe may obtain ilifonnation, which necessitates a revision in
lzis/her assesslnelli ofthe clie~~t's
problem and subsequaltly in thc intewcntion nlodel. This being the fiequent
OccLlrreIlce in cases the caseworker should be able to constantly modifj, his/tler plan oSactioi1 and be ready
to inlplenlalt it.
Secondly you must relllelllber that you arc a Icarncr and cannot take difficult cases. If you feel that the case
is very difficult for you, you ~zlustnot hesitate to refer thc case to your supcrior or to n psychiatrist whichever
the case might be.
SESSION IN CASE WOIIK PROCESS
Study
There are several ways clients approacli the caseworker. Somc ol'tllem are given bclow:
1) On llis/llc~.own initiative. The client feels that ht./slle has a problem that hc/she cant101 resolve himsclr
or lzerselfand decides to approach the caseworkes or tlzc ilzstituliol~wllere Iiclshe works.
2) 011tlze persuasion iulcllor the initiative of'ilidividuafs rvho are close to I~inl/her.'l'hcse individuals can
be people who we close to him/he~.like 11isAler l>lher, mother, brother, sister, uncle, aux~ty.neiglibour,
fsiend and others who matter.
3) On the initiative of lzis/lier superior, colleagues, juniors or teachers. As can be seen these individuals
have soille i~~fluence over himlher iuld can fimc lzinl/hcr to approacl~ll~ccaseworker.
4) On being referred to by :u~otherinstit~~tion
like the kducstional institutions, corrcctio~~al
illstitutions LUIL~
health care instih~tioas.
5) On being required to do so as it is a legal or procedural requircllzent. For example, ill adoption cases.
the prospective parents have to be interviewed by a social warker,

6 ) On being referred to by othes professionals like doctors, lawyers or teachers.

7) 111some cases the caseworker has to ~llotivatcthc clients lo seek counselling. 'Ilhis happens iiequelltly
when clients are street children, vagabonds, rag gickers, vngr~nts,etc.
It is easy to see why Inany oi'your prospective clicnts niay not have high opiliio~ion the useliil~lessof tl~c
caseworker. I11 other words,'thcy may not feel the need far your help or tl~eymay not even know that you
can help them. 111 otlzer cases the clients lnay l~avec7. diSSerent idea of what cou~isellingmeals. Slzell-re i11c7.y
feel that you can give her money or job, whicl~will, solve hisher problem instailtly. Thesemisconccptians
should be removed in~mecliately.

Also irnportailt is the appi.oac11 you adopt when you nleet a clicnt. This would depend on [lie nature of the
client, the client's problem and the manner in wl~iclitllc client has approached the cl-lscwovlter. For example,
if your clier~tis a street boy your approach would bc different fsom the approach you would nclopt if your
cIieilt is a middle class woman with marital problems. In the first casc you woulcl meet Izim i l l the strcct
wl~ere'he is no st comfortable and you rliny not even infor~nhim that you are doing casework and tl~rstyou
are trying to help lzilll. 111 the second casc you would ~llccttlze wolllaiz in the privacy ofthe coiunsclli~~g
1-oomof your institution. Again \villi the street child you may talk to hiin int.bmlally about his lilecs and

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dislikes, wl~ichmay be films, his job, etc. On the other hand in counselling a woman your approach would
be rather formal and after the necessary introd~tctionyo11 may go to the problem directly. These differences
will remain tluoughout the casework process.
Inyour iirst meeting you must be able to gain all the necessay informati011you need to initiate the casework
process. Some of this information would need to be modified and some of the inforlnation provided lnay
even be false. But you will have to record the inforlnation as if it is completely true.
The infolnlation required will differ with tlie type of case. But tlie followiilg are some of tl~easeas you will
need to collect the inforiilatioil about.
In the followii~gyou are given a sample only about various possible sessions. This does not mean that you
have to strictly adhere to these sessioils and the issue concerned in them.
FIRST SESSION
Aims of the first session will include:
e to establish a working relationship;
to clarifjf and define problems;
e to make an assessment; and
e to define goals and the roles of the caseworl<erand client.
Name of the client:
Age:
Educational qualifications:
Occupations:
Income:
Family backgrouild:
When the client is a1 orphslll or does not have immediate relatives, the people important to hindher can be
mentioiied. Othelwise the following table can be used.
S.No. Name Relationship Age Education Occupation
with client qualifications and incornc
11
2)

8)
9)
10)
--
 Relation with the different family menlbers m~dthe relationship between the family lneinbers thelnselves.
In the first session you will be able to get.only the client's opjlliol~son the relationsl~ipsand you would not
be able to verify its veracity.
Secondly the client would not be necessarily open about the details regarding hisll~erpersonal life. In Indian
society people rarely go to strangers with their perso~lalproblems. Relationship of the client with people
who matters in hisher life is important. For exanlple:
@ Relationsl~ipwith father
e I<elationsl~ip
with mother
e Relationship with siblings
(P Relatio~lslilswit11 otl~erslilce uncle, aunty a11dC O L I S ~ I ~ S
e Relationship betwe.cn thc parents
cr Relationship between the fi~therand rnothcr wit11 tl~csibli~igs
e Significailtrclatio~~ship event (with any or1e else)
il't11ct.e is irnpo~tar~t
@ Stepson-stepdaughter relationship, if relevant
Residence atldrcss
Neighbourhoodl
You may 111entionthe lcincl of ncighbourhood where the client lives; the kind of peers he/sI~emay have ~uld
the general socio-economic coilclitions that prevail iri the m a ; the influence of these 'actol.s on thc personality
of the clieiits; reIa~.ionshipwith thc i~cighbours,shopkeepers and other important i~~dividuals and service
providers.
School/eclucation institution
If yo~u.clieutis a sl~lclentthen you must get details oShis/lles school. Type of school or cducaiional institutions;
the standard of education providecl in the scllool; the relatiol~sliipwith hisil~crclassmates; 1.elationship with
teachers; bis/ller perfor~~~ance in studies and 11isAlcr perfon~lnncein co-curricular activities.

If tile client is unemployed tllerl you can ask l~illl/llcrabout his/her last job and why I I C " / Slost/l~Ct:
~ ~ ~ his/l~er
job. Ask the client about in~pactoftl~aton himselS/hcrsclSaild his/her relatiol~sllipswith otllers. You can
also ask ller/him about the ellbrts hc/shc is maki11g lo get a job or. why lic/she is not trying to gct one.
Accidcnt and trauma affected individutlls
IStl1e proble~llof thc client is ~lleclicnlor psychological in nature port must ascel-taia the type of tlic problcln
and its consequence on the client. You call ask the llistoly oEt11c problem, its initial s y ~ ~ l ~ t oand
n i sits later
manifestations. You call ask about thc steps he/sl~ehas takcn to aIleviate the problem.
In case of'accidents or injuries tl~enyou illi~stask how it all happened. Casc must be laken to sec that you
deal wit11 tl-le situation with sensitivity cvhich such cases dcscrves. In most cases he/she woulcl have been
fed up repeating the sequencc of events to vatious individuals.
Future plans
The client can be askccl what his/hc~.plans are for 111cliltitrc. This C ~ H Igive y o i 8
~11 idea a b o ~t~l tl clic~lt's
~
psycl~ologica~r~le~lral
statc.
 Ending the session
The client has to be aslced when you can meet l~inllhei- again. Fix a time and place. Take care to see that
, your honour, your comrnitnlent iil meeting the dieilts as agreed upon.
SECOND SESSION
You would now have with you, important infornlation aboutt the client and based 01.1 that you can fom~ulate
responses to the client and inore importantly ask.probing questions, which give you information about the
cliellt's problems and causes.
You would most likely be able to strengthen the rapporl wit11 the client, as he/she would be n1ot.e con~lbrlable
in your prtz~aceand you on the other halid,will have enough infbrn~ationto ask more pointed questions.
You can ask more information directly related to the problem. You can ask the client's o w l opinion on the
aature and cause of the problem. You may ask whether the clicnt coilsiclers other individuals as being
responsible for the problem. He/She can attribute negative characteristics to individuals aro~ulldhinl/lzer.
He/Slle can be aslced whether others are causi~lgproblems for him/her. He/She can be asked why these
individuals are creating problems. illustrative exanlples can be aslced whicl~proves the point.
In sonle cases you may feel that the client is lying to you. But you must rernember that you sl~ouldhave
unconditional positive regard for the client. You nlust never say "you are lying" or "please tell tlle truth". It
is likely that the:1-e4ationshipwill be broken as the client would lose face.
In this session the following ones your questions call bquently refer to what the client said previously
like, for example, you call say that " Last time you told me that you were unable to study at llonle because
your parents frequently fought with each other. What are the issues on which. they fight?"Needless to say
you should tactfully put across these sensitive topics. At the same time it is important to obtnin these
information froin the client. Solneti~llesyou may feel that the client is telling everything else expect the
problem because he/slle does not want to face the problem or talk about it. It is important that you look for
ways you can introduce the subject without the client feeling that you are forcing hindher to reveal thc
problem.
It is a fact that in several cases, the problenls initially presented by tlie client and the issues surroundi~lgit
may not be t11te. It is possibly that the client may be lcllowingly or unlulowingly testing your ability as a
caseworker or counsellor. '-
THlRD SESSION
You sl~ouldby now build a rappost with the client and you nlay be able to conduct a home visit. A home
visit iq$ good opportunity to gain infor~nationfrom sources other than the client. Infor~natioiiis obtained
fioii observations you lnake and the illterviews you conduci.
Obseivations
The follo\ving observations call be recorded:
The characteristics of the place of residence/descl*iptionof s~lrroundings.
Its orclerly or disordel.ly ~lature;the level of the standard of living it exhibits; the falllily members present;
their attitude towards the client; their opinions towards each other. Tlle charactei-istics of the neighbo~~rhood
- kind of neighbows, relationslip with others, social and psychological impact of living in tlle neighbo~~llood.
l f the problem is related to the occupatio11then thesc opillioils can be ascertained fsorn tile colleagues,
superiors'a~dsubordinates.

The foFollowing members can be i~~tcrvietved

and their opinions can be recorded.
 Father, mother, children, other relatives who share the common dwelling place; neighbours who seem to
know so1nething;sf the client. I-IisA-Ier colleagues a1 work; hisker sr~periorsat work.
Here also you must get information in a non-aggressive manner. Tile approach to get the i~gorrnationshould
be culture specific and pui-pose specific. Actually there are sub-cultures within the mainstream culture that
are difkrent fiom those of the mainstrean. For e x a ~ ~ p line ,the s l ~ u ~you
l s may not be able to get infoination
withdut others knowing about it. In maly cases others would already know the problem you are investigating.
In such cases you may not be able to follow the principle of confidentiality in its real sense and in such
cases you should be as inconspicuous (tactful) as possible.
You can expect a variety of responses when yo11 conduct holne visits. The following are some of the
reactions that call be expected.
I) The house dwellers lxay feel that yo11have come to solve a problern and nlay welcome you into their
homes. They may discuss their problems freely and frankly.
2) The house dwellers may malte you feel comrortable but they may not be iortlxigllt with their respoases.
Maybe they are not comfortable with a stranger in their house and asking tlzenl personal information.

3) The house dwellers may feel uncomfortable and also nlake you-!eel like int~xlclerin their house.

4) 111other cases soine members may behave in Sriendiy mauncr and others may be indifl'ereilt and some
others may be l~ostile.These members have to bc dealt with differently and ~ a a yneed 111oreeffort
from your side to elicit inforn-iatio~~.
The following i~lfol-~llatiol~
call be obtained.
S.No. Namc lielationship A@ Educntion Occupation
with client qualifications alld incolnc

11
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)

The opinions of the client and 11isAlel-problem can be asked,

The histoty ol'tlle client's problell~and its dil-r'erent rnanifes[ntio~~s
can be asked.
Ful-ther the impact orthe problelu on the family nle~nberscntl bc asked.
The relationship ancl the nature ofthe relationship can be described.
The inconsisietlcy if any between the client's versjon and thc vcrsio~lof the fanily 111embers call be noted.
 Most facts are now available which can be used to lbr~lluiatean intervaltion strategy. You will be able lo
judge whether the problerns can be resolved by you.
r'
Most problems you get ~ be divided into four categories:
2 . ~ 1

1) l ~ problem which can be resolvecl by simple means: l h e s e p r o b l e ~ i ~can

~ c l a t i ' v eeasy s be a
student who need fee exemption fkom school as he is from a poor family, parents who have to be
judged whether they can adopt a child or ~vl.vhetllern child suppoi-tgrant cat1 be given t o a parlicular
faillily or not, etc.
2) Relatively serious and severe problem like tllcohol addiction, drug addiction, schizophrenia
and severe depression: For these probleills you illay be tlle facilitator and refcr the problem to tlie
experts. You can do l~omevisits, counsel the client and tlie client's family ~lle~ubers
with thc guiciance
of the expei-ts to solne extent only.
3) '
Relatively long-term problcms that will neetl care senrices: I'hese problems can be like finding
suitable old age home for tlie client, and finding tvoman care service aud childcarct scrvices. 'rhese
cases will require sonle kind of networking and rapport building with the service providers.

4) Probllems caused by severe social disabilities: Caseworker is often criticized for focusili~011the
itzdividual, and his/her illability ro solve problenls, wliich calnot be solved at tlic il~clividunllevcl and
sl~ouldbe solved at the society lcvel. This is n genuine lillitatio~iofcasework. which should bc ncccpted.
For example, a fas~nerwho has lost his crop due to severe drought carnot be helped by the cascwor1;er.
, Another exanple is untouchability, which cannot be solved by the c;lseworke!: You may only give thcm
st11oppo~-hu~ityto ventilale their feelit~gsand, ifpossible, see that they get soixe govemnlcnt benclit.
Based on the above obscrva~ionsyou will formulate LUI inte~ventionplan. The i~~terve~ltioil
plan should havc
the following components:
a . Tlle diagnosis/analyses of the problelll
e. The causes of the problem
e Possible solutions
o Material and non-i~~aterial,resou~-ces
available
e I,imitations orlhe situatio~ls- tile clients, the agency and yoiurs. Clients limitations may be. for. esaml~le.
that being a wornall nlobility may be limited.
e Aims of the intervention plan
0 Time-fi-atne Ibr inplementing the hltesvelition p l a ~
FOURTH SESSION - SEARCHING FOR SOLUTIONS

Already some of the possible solutions may be emcrgiiig as you discuss the problem with the client. You
may already have sonle of the sltills mentioned at the beginning stages itseif.

Unless tlie self of the client is tolally disintegrated hc/she will participate in the decision-making process.
Some of the possible sltills that can be used are the following:

1) Giving advice

Giving advice in some cases c,an be one oftlle ways of'helping thc client to resolve thc problem. On
other hand it may be rejected by the client if lic/slic Ikels that you have not ~uidersloodihe proklc~nlionl
herllis perspective or ifshe/he feels that your advice is not realistic. Soine individuals fiom socially stigmatized
profession or bncligro~.~nd may lakc the advice as uuulecessuily moralistic. These attitudes it1 the client will
reduce if not end the effective~lessof casework process.

Most impol-tan~lythe social work principle of self-deteril~inatioand social work value of believing tliat
every person has the necessary ability to resolve his/l~erproblems is violated. Hence you nzust avoid
lecturing to the client. One opinion is that iS you as a caseworlcer says three or more sentences together
while giving advice you map be lecturing which should be definitely avoided.
I

Solne clients nlay wan1 aclvice as they feel that they are not capable of making their own decisions or
because they may not want to lalte the responsibility. This happens frequently in Indian situation,with
illdividuals wllo are not allowed to take decisions and are used to depend on others for making their
decisions. This 11ap~)enswith children, some \;vomeil,daily labouuers, etc. They may sin~plyask you questions
like "what do you silggest that I should do?" and there may be a temptation to play leader in the situation
and advice.themaccordingly. As f21r as possible this temptation should be avoided and you 112ustask thein
the possible solutiotls and guide them accordingly.

2) PI-oviclinginformation

At your level providillg information is an ideal task as it is helpfill lo the client and will give you irmnense
satisfactioll ~ritho~ltlllilcll risk. B L Ito~ give useii~linformation you have to have credible irifornlation fiom
reliable sources. Apart from the resources available in y o ~ uagency you may keep in nlil-id the agencies that
you visited in your iirst year and second year of orientation visits, and remcnlber the facilities available. See
if the client can be rel'erred to any of those jllstitutioils or any other professionals known to you. You must
also know the goven~mentprogrammes and the government institiltions whiclz csu~benefit the client. It will
also help the client if you can have sollle basic inforn~ationin Iegal mattel-s mid give advise on legal 111atters.

3) Providing cxplilnation

Explsulatiolls are of three types: (Brown 1950)

i) Intel-pretative explanations - wl~nl

ii) Descriptive explallations- ]low
iii) Reasons - giving explanations - why
Most explanations will ii~volvesollle aspects of all three.
I
Interpretative explanations
It will facilitate conimunication between the cliellt and others illvolved as different interpretations ofthe
I
same event call cause miscon~m~iilications. You can provide interpretations o f other's viewpoint to the
client which, will help in removing mis~u~derstandings.
Descriptive interpretations I
You csul explain how things work and how the various services can be obtained. Tlzis will be required when
the person needs guiclance. Clildren will need this information if they have not bee11 socialized in effective
manner. Secolldly in the health related field you m3y need to explain the need for procedures. For examples,
in 'HIVIAIDS pre-test co~~nselling' one may need to tell the client what the tests is all about and what
consequences could be.
 Reason-giving interpretations
Soine clients may have lost the capacity to think rationaliy as the self is hurt. In such cases you
have to provide rational explanations. In some cases it ]nap not be possible to give reasonable
explanation. For example, an accident victim cannot be given a reply why the accident happened to
him or not to others.
But in some other cases we may be able to give explanation to clients: For example, a patient admitted due
to del~ydrationcall be told why it happened and how to avoid it.
Offering reassurance
Many clients do experience traunlatic events in life. They are frightened and feartill about situations they
have experienced and afraid that they will have to undergo that experience again. You lnust be able to give
support and eacouragement to them.
At times we may have to provide support and reassurance to the client in advance oi'an event. For
example, appearing fbr an important exam. In other cases you nlay counsel the person aAcr the event, for
example, a studetlt who has failed in the exam. and needs assistance to cope with the situation. You must
remember that you]-assurances should be trutllful and honest. The purpose should not be to rnake tlie clicnt
feel better temporarily. For exanple, you cannot tell a ter~ninallyill person that he is kine. Similarly knowing
the Indian legal system you cannot promise a dourly victim quick justice fi-0111the courts.
Using persuasion and being directive
Sometines the client may be totally wsong about what he/she thinks about hisher capabilities. Nere, however,
you must be careful before you make a judgment. If your assessniellt becomes wrong then you are
perhaps violating the principle of self-detesnlination.
In certain matters. however it would be easy to know that the client is wrong. For example, ajuvenile
delinquent who thinks that he is right when he is stealing or a cancer patient who has to quit smolcing and
refuses to do so. You cannot obviously agree to client's self-determination there.
Providing support
Providing e~llotionalsuppoll is a key activity of the social case wosker. Giving an opportunity for the client
to talk about l~isherp oblems, listening and asking relevant questions, listening, giving opportunity to vent
their feelings, oflering sywpathies and alliwing catharsis (ventilation of emotions) in the client. There are
four negative feelings usually exhibited by the clients namely; alges, fear, grief and embxrassment. You will
need to support the clie~ltswhen they express these feeling during the process of interview.
Providing material and practical assistance 7

Many clients inay not be able to sustain tlzemselves witkout outside support. They may need institutional
care. The categories, which need these services are orphans. destitute women, abandoned children, etc.
A ~ ~ o t l category
~er that needs nlaterial and practical assistance are people ~vllobecome tell~porariljf
I

incapacitated like victillls of disaster, riots, etc. They need illaterial assistalce for sonleti~nebefore they can
start rebuiIding their lives. In inany cases this seelns to be the easiest solution possible. But you sl~ould

~! check whether the client really needs tlzis service and for how long. Institutional care is costly a ~ encoiwges
d
an attiaide of dependency 01-1 the institution. This sho~rldbe avoided as it is neither in the best interest of

~ client nor the agency. However the situation will be different in a rehabbilitatiol~canzp.
c

r
Teaching social sltills
Some clients may have to be given social skills tsaining so that they fiulction effectively in a social situation.
This may need an elaborate prograllvne along with vocational training which can help tllem to find a job.
Confronting the client
In cestain situations the client has to be made awase about llislher responsibilities and the need for action or
change of behavio~u.
In lnost cases you will be using all the listed techniques pseseilted in your learning material, You must also
remember to record the specilic techniclues used and the reasons for doing so in your field work record.
Ask yourself cvhether you used these techniques in :I professionni manner, i.e. yo11are studying the client
and hislhe~.situation in a systenlatic manner and pla~~ning your intervention nlodel accordingly. It should
never be based on your subjective experience.
FIFTII SESSION
Once the illtelveiltioll strategies are ready the same is implemeilted. T'hc ii~~plcmei~tation
ofthe intervention
plan will take two or tl~reesessions. By this time you must be aware about the various aspects i~lvolvedin
counselling. You need to make a check-list about \vl-icthcr you have bccn ablc to per'or~uas an efl'ective
caseworker. As has been repeatedly stsessed, the sociill workcr must have an increasing level ol' self'
awaseness.
You can check the following: (I;ro111 Philip Bumard in Counselling Slcills Trainil.lg 1950)
Empathy is the ability to feel lilte r7110111er person is reeling. It involves forgetting about our i11ncrdialogilc.
TSlisin most cases is easier said than done as eveiything thc clierzt says may trigger n train of thoiights in our
minds which will lead us to our inner world and away fiom the clicnt. In such situatiolls these is a clangcr ol'
misuulderstanding the client psoblem, moralizing and advising.
Wartnth towards the client is shown in cliflel.cnt ways in different situations. Excessive watrl~thin tile wrong
situation can hul11the client's feclillgs. In India the exhibition of wamlth will also be culture speciiic.
Genuincness means that you should be really interested in the client and his/hw problems. You cannot
pretend fake coilcern for your clients for a long time. l'ositive regard is an cxte~lsiol~
of the principle of
acceptance and this is actually show^^ to the clienl through body language and cweful cl~oicc:of words.
Concreteness is a principle of non-+judgmentalattituctc in action. The client's worcls are ttzkcn at fwt:
value and are totally accepted. Apwt fiom these, a sense of humour and sense of tragecly is reconzmendetl
depending on the situation.
SIXTH SESSION
The plan you make when you start the casework psocess will have the objectives ofthe casework process,
which will be clearly mentioned. When tl~escobjectives are met the11the case is closed. The case can be
closed even if the objectives have not bee11attained and wlicn the case cannot be llmdled by the caseworker.
All through the casework process you will need to record the process ccu.ehlly. When you gain experie~lce
you lnay have to give youlr com~~lents/obse~vation about the sanle.
FOLLOW-UP AND TEIUMINATION
of the case takes place when you have reached the objective you have set for each case.
Tenninatio~~
 POSSIBLE OUTCOMES OF CASEWORK
Client llas expe~ietlcedchange in hisher bel~avio~u-which helps llimnher to adjust better in Ilisher cnviroiu~~ent.
For exsunple, ~i11 acadeinically poor st~~dent
is given coullselliilg his/her illotivatioll for study is increased.
Afier that IGsAler relationslip with his/l~erteachers has illlproved.
Client has been provided with a changed environlnent in which l~is/herreq~~irements ald/or li~nitatioilswe
better ~ulderstoodwhich helps hil~dllerto improve 11isAlersocial fiulctioning. For example, pareills ol'a slow
learner are made to u~lderstalldthat shelhe cannot perform as good as olhers and that special care is
needed for hindher. 'This will reduce the pressure on the student to improve his/her perforlnance beyond
hisher capacity.
Client has been provided with the service hefshe req~lired.For exlullple, a loan has been sailctioi~edto him/
her. Client has been assessed for his/her abilitylcapacity to do a certain activity. For example, parents who
want to adopt are judged whether they can be good parents.
Client has been given infoilnation about a selvice, a disease or an event which lnay affect l ~ i s h elife.
r
Client llas been given explallatioils about a service; a disease or an event t21a1 has ellabled the clienl to
lessell Iis/her anxiety.
Client has been counseled to help him/her accept a damaging impact on 11is/her life. For example, an
accident victin~trauilla has been I~elped.
Client has iillproved hisher relationsllip with iildividuals or groups. For example, nlarital problems have
beel solved.
Client has been given ego-suppo11and eilcouragenlent to assist lirnher to go tlzrough a stressfill event. For
example, a ilervous student has been helped to wsite an exam. or face an iiltewiew.
Client has given new ideas 10 solve his/her pesso~~al
.
problems. For example, he/slle has been suggested to
refer his/l~erchild to a llledical doctor. Easlier helshe had believed that evil spirit had badly affected his/her
child.
EVALUATION
Evaluatioll of the case is done at four levels.
1) Evaluation done by yousself.

2) Evaluation done by the client (herself or himself).

3) Evaluation done by your agency silpesvisor and your Field Work Supervisor.
4) Evaluation done by agencies that have sefe~redthe case to your agency.
Sollie points for evaluation a e :

1) of the client as the case progressed.

Your assess~ne~lt

2) in relation to the problem. The reasons for choosing the particular

Your intervention fon~~ulated
intewe~ltion.

3) The appropriateness of the inte~vention.

4) The outcome of the ilzte~.veiltionin terms of the desired effect on this client.

5) Tlle effectiveness of the reclu~iquesyou have used.

26
6 ) The p'ofessional nature of relatiollship between you and the client.
7 ) The support the agency has given you.
GROUP WORK
Group work is more difficult to practice than casework as you will nced a group to begin with and sustain
the inotivatioll of the inenlbcrs to attend the group sessions. Group worlc is easier in scl~ools,orphanages,
In other areas like commuu~ityset up also '
old age and otl~erinstitutional sit up where people live in gso~~ps.
you will be dealing with groups but you may not be able to coi~ductgmup work sessions in a systematic
mmler. Bult here too you will be using some techniques of goup work. For example, in conllllunity setting
you will be most likely dealing with a goop, which will represent h e conlm~u~ity. It is unlikely that you will
be frequently addressing large crowds while doing community organisation. So the experie~~ce pined will
be useful when you do your collul~unityorganisk~tionmethod in the third year of BSW.
Group intalte - identification and selection of tlie mernbcrs
FVllat are tile criteria for taking membe1.s into the groulp? Some of the criteria apart f?om availability can be
mentioned such as:
e Previously existing goup
o Spontaneous group
e Public advertisement
s Tl~ougllpublic ineetings (call out a group)
e Selected (purposive)
s Social action
e Learning groups
o Skills develop~neiltgroups
o Problein grou~ps
Q Induction groups
e Health related gl-o~~ps
e Self help goups
Sonle of the questions we may ask ourselves about group ~vorki~lclude:
What are the characteristics of the potential group members?
Why do you want to do group work wit11 these members? (Apart from giving you experience in group
worlc practice.)
What is the time-finme available to you for doing the group work ?
According to you what will be the aillls of the group?
What are the similarities and dissimilarities among the members?
Are there sonle members present who are noticeably different fi'0111 others wllich can lead to members
reacting adversely?
 What do you think are the expectations from tlze group work?
Are the expectalions very different from each other?
Do you tlliids that the differences, if any, will 11anper the progess of the group work'?
What are the characteristics of the members?
What are the linzitations of the group work when practicing in a11agency?
FIRST SESSION
The first sessiotl call be used for introducirzg each other. In inany cases the rnenlbers will be already known
to each other. Jn sucl~cases, jrou call introduce yourself and then discuss infornlally about the aims and
goals of the group. This will help in breaking the ice, so to say.
When you record these in your jo~u-nalyou lllust ~nentioi. the coilditions ~mderwhich you formed the g r o ~ ~ p ,
its aims and objectives. The positive and negative characteristics are also to be mentioned. After the first
session you can prepare a background note on each member. You can see the comprehensive proforllla
give11 below and in many cases you may not need all the infornlation given within it. For example, if you are
worki~lgiu a old age home and your aim is to provide some events for the entertainment of the residents,
then, it would be imnecessary to obtain details about educational cl~lalifications,einploymeilt, individual
problenl, quality of relationship with others, etc. It would be inore llelpfill if you can get some idea on the
kind of events they may like you to organise.
Depe~ldiilgon the group you will collect information and prepare a note on each men-lber.
Face Sheet
Nane of the client:
Age:
Ed~lcatio~lal
qualifications:

Family backgroluld:
Wllell the client is an orphan or does not have ilmnediate relatives, then the people iinportant to hin~/he~.
c n be meiltioncd.
Otl~elwisethe following table cas~be used.

%No. Name Relationship Age Education Occupation

with client qualifications and income
1)
2)
6
3)
4)
5)

28
I

,
1 c
Relation of the rneinber with the different fanily members and the relationship between the fainily metnbers
themselves:
In the fin1session you will be able to get only the client's opinions on the relationships and you w o ~ ~not
ld
be able to verify its veracity.
Secondly the client would not be necessaily open about the details regarding llisher paaond life. In Indian
society people rarely go to strangers with their personal problems.
Relationsliip with father
Relationship with mother
Relationship wit11 siblings
Relationship with other relatives like uncle, aullty and cousins, etc.
Relationship between the parents
Relationship between the father and mnother with tl-ie siblings
Significant relationship if there is EUIimportant event
Stepson-stepdaughter relationship if relevant
Residencc address
Neighbourhood
You may lnention the kind of neigl~bousl~ood the group me~llberlives; the kind of peers l~c/sl~e
nlay have
and the general socio-economic conditions that prevail in the area; t l ~ influence
e of these factors on the
personality of the member, relationship wit11 the neighbours, shopkeepers and other impot-tait individuals.
SchooVeducation institution
If YOLK group member is a student then you must get details ofhislher school. Type of school or educalio~lsll
institutions; the standard of education provided in the school; the relatior~shipwith hisker classmates;
relationship with teachers; hislher performance in studies a ~ l.lis/her
d performance in co-c~u-ricularactivities.

Jf the group inenlber is unemployed then you can ask hiinn~erabout hisher last job and wliy helslle lost4eR:
kisll~erjob. Ask the client abotd impact of that on hin~self/herselPa~dhisher relationships with others. You
can also ask l~erlhiinabout the efforts he/sl~eis making to get a job or why he/she is not trying to get one,
Accident and trauma affected individuals
If the proble~nof the ~nelnberis nledical or psycl~ologicalyou must ascertain the type of the problem and
its consequence on the cliei~t.You can ask the history of tlle problem, its initial symptoms and its later
manifestations. You can ask about the steps helslie has taken to alleviate the problem.
 In case of accidents or injuries then you must ask how it all l~appened.Care must be taken to see that you
deal with the situation with sensitivity which such cases deserves. In most cases helshe would have been I
fed up repeating the sequence of events to various individuals.
Future Plans
The rneitlber can be asked what hisher plans are for the filtun. 'I'his can give you an idea about the clieilt's 1
psychological state. I

Ending the session

You should also,ask and assess the followillg:
Abiity
Attitudes towards the group work
Interpersonal relations
Resources
Material
Skills
Knowledge
Potential to improve
SECOND SESSION
By this time you can make some predictions regarding the aims, goals and bel~aviourof the group members.
For example, a group of boys can be expected to ask you to do one of the following - organise a game or
a trip, talk about filn~sor sports. You can prepare yourself for this by collectillg some interesting information
(new or recent happening), joke or recent l~appenings.For example, ifthe boys me interested in t11e cricket
arid it is world cup season you can tell them something about the amount of money the cricketers are
eaning.
At this time you must keep in mind the objective of the field work and ren~einberthat these are merely
devices for you to engage the group members for interacting with each other and wit11 you and it is not an
end in itself.
As the interaction proceeds, you may be able to see patter~lsof i~lteractionemerging.
Are some inenzbers talking to only cei-tainother inembers while avoiding others?
Has the group divided itself into many sub-groups? .
The perception of the members regarding similarities, status, liking and the opinion on the situation can be
noted?
Are there any conflicts between the members?
Are there any cases of non-participation?
You may mentally keep the eniergence of these patten~sand later note them down in your journal.
THIRD SESSION
General goals of the group work
Mcrin fell nnce
Members will have the need to maintain the relationsl~ips,n~otivationlevels, etc.
To improve the social hnctioniog by providing infonllation, conducting role play, ski11training, improving
communication and interpersonal skills.

Soille problems can be related to the bellaviour of the individuals and have to be eliminated. For example,
juvenile delillquents who have the habit of stealing I T I underg~
~ behavio~u-rnodificatioil exercises.

Self help gl-oupsand action groups nlay have the ol~~jective

of alleviating povei-ty of their conllllunity as
their objective.
Similarly the groups like Alcoholic Anonynlous nlay hove treatnent of tllc addicts as their final objective.

Changes in the behaviour of the individuals like iniprovillg study habits, improving public speaking skills or
iinproving lcnowlcclge on subjects like T-IIVIAIDScan bc the goal of groups.
Decide which type of group you have fornled.
Decide the group's need.
Decide along with the members group goals, which will iidfill group goals.
Develop iilteimediate goals, which will lead you to the final group goals.
Decide on the activities, wlicl~will fust11er improve group goals.
Decide the activities needed to inlprove the goals of group members.
you are dealing with cl~ildrenwith behaviow problenls in ai orphanage. Their tnatron conlplains
For exstl~~ple,
that they frequently fight among themselves, are disobedient and occasionally indulge in stealing. However,
she also feels that these boys are not necessarily delinquents and can be reibmed, You decide to do group
work with tliem with the aim of changing their behaviouc You feel that the root sf the problem is that these
boys feel that they are neglected and that their energies have to be channclised in a positive manner. You
start with building group cohesion and facilitating groulp acceptance of members. You offer to conduct
group games in which the rnembers have to cooperate with each other to win or to conlplete the task
successfully. Once the given tasks have been aclzicved you can move to the next intermediate goals, for
example: of introd~~cing new values and developing lcadersl~ipwithin the &TOLIP.A f er this you can facilitate
the progression of the groups towards tlle final goal of bringing about change in the group.
Developing group goals
By now you must be able to see clearly some of the activities the group can do, its lilllilalio~~s
and slrcngtlls.
You cat1start making a list of activitieslevents you call plan to do wit11 thc goup. Of cour.se, applying the
principle of democratic decision making and group self-detcnllination you will allow the nlcnlbers to inalcc
their ow11 choices. However, you can always guide tllc~nto choose a realistic option as far as possiblc.
Group worker's role perception
You must have clear view of your own role, You must note the following:
What are the expectations of the group menibers from you?
Do different nlembers think of you differently?
 If n~ostgrooup members tend to see you as a helper, nurse or friend were you able to establish a professiotlal
relatio~lshipwit11 the group members?
Do you think that the perceptions of your group members have influenced your behaviour? 'rl~isis quite
nahiral, but you must be self conscious a b o ~this
~ t process and tly to note down relevant details and discuss
it wit11 your s~~pervisor.
Does the group members avoid accepting responsibilities and expect the g r o ~ ~worker
p to do everything?
Does the group woslier take the initiative without an equal response from the group members?
Does thc group ~nemberstake you to be the leader rather than a group worker? Do they expect you to
settle conilicts and glaintaill peace?
FOURTH SESSION
Some of the areas of interest could be:
Are there any leaders emerging in the group?

Arc there any subgroups, wl~ichcontribute to group finctioning?

Are there any cliques, wl~ichcontribute to group malfimctioiling?
How do you assess the elnotio~lallevel of the group members?
'Have you identified m y one with enthusiasm or very introvert?
Have the lnembers demonstsate turret rust and openness in the group?
How are the members, resources used?
How do members lllake decisions?
Do the members' associatio~iswith each other outside the group help or harm the groiip work process'?
FIFTH SESSION
Group development can be seen through the followillg criteria:
Interaction pattern
Q more interaction bctwee,l men~bers
o pulposefiil iillteractioilthat results in achieving material and non-material goals
l~loreinclusive circle of membe~.si.e. Inore wider circle of members in which everyone interacts
@ greater liking for each other in the group
8 greater tolerallce to others lnistakes mid shortcolnings
* greater appreciation of the other i~leinber'sachievement and cooperation..
Communication
8 better cornm~icationskills

32
o pw-posehl illteractio~l
o removal of defects in conunu~icatiollskills
e absence of abusive language aid derogatoly language, etc.
Group cohesion and control
e increasil~ggroup bonding and cohesion
e increasing group influence over members and sub-groups
e increasing group coiltrol over lllelllbers and sub-groups
e increasing ability to co~ltroldevicant and unacceptable behilviour in gro~lps
Group method of functioning
more clenlocratic filnctioning
e increasing participation in decision-making
e increasing sensitiveness to members' individual needs
@ increasing sei~sitivenessto menlbers' individual emolio~ls
increasing sensitive~lessto members' individual opinions
e increasing ability to come to decisions witho~ltthe group worker's assistance
e increasing interest in the n~embers'to participate in g r s ~ acti~ities
~p
Group development
e increasing ability to take more and more complex groups tasks
e increasing flexibility in goup hlctioiling
e increasing ability to exchange roles wit11 each other and facilitate achievement of group goals
e increasing ability to take initiative lo perfoinl tasks
e increasing lllotivation to do tasks assigned to them
9 increasing ability to take up leadership roles and the responsibility that comes with it. '

increasing ability of grourp members to recognize nlotivatioll and leadersllip roles in t l e other members.
Group climaie
a increase in mutual trust and affection anlong the menlbers
e increased sharing of ideas, einotio~~s,
feelings, relieving tensions
0 lessening of the hesitation to reveal one's opinion in the group
e better uhysical and emotional proximity
e increased ability to suggest acceptable and alternate goals, ideas and opinions witho~~t
fear of disapproval
from the ineinbers
o increased ability to learn from past experiences
 Group worlter
r lessening dependence on group worker for simpler tasks
roles of the group worker are lesselled
r group worlter's ability to predict behaviour increases
TEIZMINATION
Reasons for telinination
I) The objectives of the field work have been achieved.

2) The field work period is over.

3) Me~nbershave dropped out of the group.

4) Menlbers have nloved out and shifted fiom their places.

EVALUATION
Evaluation of the case is done at four levels.
I) Evaluation done by yourself.
2) Evaluatioll done by the clieitts (group members).

3) Evaluatioll done by your agency supervisor and jJow Field Work Supervisor.

4) Evaluatioil done by agencies that have referred the-caseto your agency.

Some points for evaluation are:

1) Your assessmeilt of the group rvemnbers.

2) Your inteivei~tionfolnlulated in relation to the problem.

3) The appropriatenessof the intervention.

4) l'he outcome of tlte intervention in tenns of the desired effect on group members.

5 ) The effectiveness of the techniques you have used.

6 ) The professio~lalnature of relationsl~ipbetween you and the group members.
7) The support the agency has given you.

COMPONENT 6 TEAMWORK
This year you will work in a team - members will be other social workers and members of other professions,
Now since you are a student you may not be able to firllction as a full-fledged member of the team. I11 m y
case there afe problems of cooperation and conflict between the various professions when they work
together. It is mainly social worker's responsibility to see that these problems do not interfere wit11 service
delivery of the agency. Alotl~ersignificant factor is that the social worker neecls other professionals' help to
deal with.problems and it is inlpoI-tantthat you develop contact with these professionals. lllis will llelp you
seek information and to do referral services.

34
 What are the prafessiolials who work with you?
What are their roles in the agency?
What selyices do they provide?
List all professionals.

You are expected to do~~itte

following:
0 Learn to maintail1 s:illple service statistics of the agency
s Participate in the planning of basic programmes and find out how the agency relates the programmes
to the wider objectives of the agency.
s Plan out your own progtanme in cmsultation with the agency stafX
@ ~ s s i sin
t tasks like carrespondence,rapcm writing, etc.

COMPONENT 8 RECOmINO -

The recording you learned in the first year was tPie bdk method of recording. Verbatim recording as you
may recall describes the experiences ~f the social N~~'&teras it happens. Now you can attempt a slightly
more difficult method of recording. laythis method of rkcording, there are four sections namely:
1) Interview and obseivation
2) Studeat's initial reaction
3) Student's subsequent reaction along with theory used to analyse the case
4) Student's fbture plan
5) Field Supervisor's comments
The method envisages four stages of record writing, namely:
@ Recall
@ Wliting
e Reflection
Writing again
Recording should be made so that the increasing information you elicit from this related to the problem and
the analysis is made more sound. The complexity of the problem should be reflected in the reports.

COMPONENT 9 FIELD INSTRUCTION

The relationship between you and the FWS is a crucial one. TMis year you will get instruction individually as
well as a group.
The relationship is professional in nature, in which the FWS is your friend, philosopher and guide. It is up
to you to make the best use of the FWS's expefiise, You should seek time fiom the FSW and do fiat
expect himher to give you tin~eand pidance.
 c
EVALUATION OF SECOND YEAR BSW FIELD WORK I

Knowledge
1) Extent of understanding the agency's place in the larger social system and its influence on the agency.

2) Extent of understanding the policies and procedures of the agency, organisatioilal structure and its
influence on senrice delivery.
3) Extent to wl~iclzthe learner applies this knowledge to the field work practice.

4) Extent of knowledge of the various programmes the agency implements and the nahre of beneficiaries.
5) Extent of. knqwledge to protect client's right to confidelltiaiity and maintain client's individuality.
6 ) Extent of knowledge to preserve I~urnandignity and client's individuality.
7) Extent of knowledge to keep professional and personal aspects of life separate.
8) Extent of knowledge in identifying the purpose and the use of agency records and completes personal
records on tile timely basis.

9) Extent 06knowledge to recognize the inappropriateness of moralizing and lectusing on clients.

10) Extent of knowledge of the purposes and processes relevant in agency meetings.
11) Extent of knowledge of group dy~larnicsand use of the same to develop a positive group cultuse.
12) Extent of knowledge in relating theory and the reality he/she observes in the field.

1) Ability to convey interest, concern and capacity to empathise with the client system.
2) Ability to listen attentively and empathetically to the client.
3) Ability to keep focus on the attainment of objectives during an interview or group meetings.
4) Ability to recognize and interpret the underlying feelings of the client.

5) Ability to recognise and interpret the body language of the clientfs.

6 ) Ability to help client/s to elaborate on the problems and understand the cause and effect relationsl~iip.
7) Ability to sunullarise the session content of interviews and group meetillgs and reproduce the sane
when necessary.
8) Ability to use infination from a variety of sources including collateral contacts, other professionds,
written records etc. and use these to benefit the client.
9) Ability to understand the weaknesses aid strengths of the clienus without exaggerating either of the
two.
10) Ability to participate in the staff meetings and cotitribute creatively to the planning, implementing and
evaluating the agency programmes.
11) Ability to do referrals and follow-up.
12) Ability to act in crises situations and maintain lisker balance.
13) Ability to plan, set priorities, nlobilise resources and iniplement tile plan effectively.
 14) Ability to make. systen~aticobservations m ~ dcome to relevant conclusion.
Attitudes

1) Utilization of professional values and ethics and it's place in social work profession.

'2) Presents himself/l~erselfappropriately depending on the nature of the client system and the specific
situation.

3) Maintains social work values and etlics hwork with colleagues, clie~zts..twdother professional relations.

1 4) Uilderstands the values of teamwork and apply the same accosdillgly in hisher relationship with others.
5) Understands the diverse cultural attributes of the various groups of the society and is sensitive to the
dil'lerences.

6) Application of social work principles to the various situations that the student involves d ~ u i i ~the
g field
work.
Development of Professional Self

1) Leanling to prevent personal and subjective exl~eriellccsfiom interfering witl~the casework and group
work process.

2) Learning to ulldcrstaild his/l~erattitudes, biases and stereotypes.

3) Leanling to understand the iililuence of I~isAlerbehaviour on the client/s..

4) Learning to use IlisA~erself in a non-aggressive manner even when he/she is confidntin6 (he client.

5) Learning to show respect and concel~lin natural and realistic mannel-: .

6) Leai~lillg10 standing up for one's convictiol~s.

7) Leallliilg to listen to and appreciate other people's viewpoints.