Important concept

• Skill is an ability that has been acquired by

training and experience. It is synonymous with
proficiency, ability, competence, expertise.

• A technique is a procedure by which a task is

accomplished. It is a goal oriented behavior
performed in a practice situation by the social
case worker.

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 Values
Higher order of social norms that prescribes
and or prohibits a behavior. Provide the moral
or ethical guidelines that help determine how
we conduct our lives, and as social workers,
how we perform our work, about how one
ought, or ought not to behave.

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 Some Important Values in Social Work
• Service -Social workers' primary goal is to help people in need and to address
social problems
• Social Justice -Social workers challenge social injustice.
• Dignity and Worth of the Person - Social workers respect the inherent dignity
and worth of the person.
• Importance of Human Relationships - Social workers recognize the central
importance of human relationships.
• Competence - Social workers practice within their areas of competence and
develop and enhance their professional expertise.
• Social worker’s responsibility towards himself, family and his society (role
model).
• Transmit skills and knowledge to others
• Separating personal feelings from professional relationship
• High standard of personal and professional conduct.

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 Ethics in Social Work
• Rules of conduct. The social worker having
knowledge of theory, training, specialization and
professional organization are controlled by
professional ethics.
SAY:
• Our interest should prevail over monetary gains
• Its larger interest should be for the society and
the success of these skills is measured not in
terms of monetary alone.
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 Social Work Relationship
• Every type of treatment requires the use of human
relationship.

• Professional relationship - entirely different from traditional

• Relationship is formed for professional purpose related to

planned change work

• Worker works for the interest and needs of clients and not
for his/her own interest in a professional relationship

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 Social Work Relationship
• Relationship is based on the objectivity and self
awareness where the personal troubles, opinions
and beliefs of the worker should not enter or
hamper the change effort.
• There is collaboration in ideal relationship - there is
agreement on the goals and operative procedures
between the social worker and the client.
• Decisions are to be made democratically and
worker practices client self determination. The
client also shows trust and confidence in the
worker.
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 Client-Worker Relationship
• Bargaining occurs in the client worker relationship especially in
the initial phase – when client perceives that it may not be
entirely in its self interest to work for the goals as described by
the social worker. Added to this, bargaining also occurs when
there is difference in socio-cultural values, perception of power,
differences in socio-cultural values or interests between the two
parties. People also sometimes tend to maintain their old
pattern of values and working style and are apprehensive in
trying out newer ways and processes (e.g Hispanic culture).

• Application of principles (besides consideration of values, ethics,

skills, etc.).

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Social Worker should

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To reflect

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To reflect

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 Principles
• Statements directing good qualities/ways to
be followed to accomplish a goal

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Principles of Case Worker Client Relationship

i. Principle of individualization
ii. Principle of purposeful expression of feelings
iii. Principle of controlled emotional involvement
iv. Principle of acceptance
v. Principle of nonjudgmental attitude
vi. Principle of Client’s rights to self determination
vii. Principle of confidentiality

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 Principle of individualization

• Everyone is different
• Problem also differs
• Problem depends upon his/her intelligence
(relationship break ups)
• Recognition and understanding of each client's
unique qualities
• Mode helping/use of methods or principles
should be different
• Treat clients not just as human beings with
personal differences.
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 Pre-requisite for application of principle of
individualization
• An open and unbiased attitude
• Knowledge of human behavior
• Listening and observing
• Moving with the client’s pace
• Ability to enter into the feelings of people
• Ability to keep perspective

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 Demonstration of Principle of
Individualization
• Thoughtfulness in details
• Privacy in interview
• Care in keeping appointments
• Preparation for interview
• Engaging the client
• Flexibility

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 Principle of purposeful expression of feelings

• Give chance to the client to express feelings

freely, good or bad

• Recognition of client’s needs to express negative

feelings (Beistek)

• Listen carefully but don’t praise or condemn or

don’t point out good or bad because of one’s
psycho social problem.
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Purposes of purposeful expression of feelings

• Relieving pressure/ventilating
• Assessment of problem
• Psychological support
• Working towards negative feelings
• Strengthening casework relationship

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 Principle of acceptance

• Worth and dignity

• Accept as they are with their strength and
limitations, potentialities and weaknesses
• Don’t consider/treat the client as a problem
• Accept not only positive but the negative aspects
• The qualities of acceptance are warmth,
listening, respecting, willingness to share life’s
experiences of another, providing specific help.

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 Principle of nonjudgmental attitude

• No right to judge a person as guilty or

innocent about the client’s attitude,
standards, actions.
• E.g social worker has no right to give moral
lesson to a woman in live-in-relationship
seeking help

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 Principle of Client’s rights to self
determination
• Recognition of the rights and needs of the
clients to freedom in making their own
choices and decisions in the case work
process.
• Responsibility of living
• Achieving life’s goals/actions to achieve

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 Limitations of Client’s rights to self
determination
• Case with mentally retarded child in decision
making
• Limitations related to civil law
• Limitations related to moral law (have the
physical capacity but has no real right to do so
– stealing, kidnapping, murdering)
• Limitations related to agency function

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 Principle of controlled emotional
involvement
• Sensitive to the needs of the client (verbal,
non-verbal)
• Need to understand the needs of the client
(human needs, pattern of human reactions)
• Ability to give response to the client on the
feeling. Not necessarily verbal but attitude,
feelings, guided by purpose and feelings

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 Principle of confidentiality

• Preservation of secret information

• Obligation of a social case worker
• Includes 3 types of secrets (Biestek)
• The Natural secret (if revealed would unjustly sadden the
person – sexual abuse, incest, marital discord)

• The Promised secret (shares after an assurance)

• The Entrusted secret ( previous implicit understanding that
it’ll not be revealed)

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 Limitations of Principle of confidentiality

• Conflict
• putting innocents’ life in danger
• Serious damage to the common good
• e.g motive to bomb, kidnap, murder,

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 Roles (functions – what are we supposed to do?)

Roles Roles
• Care giver • Evaluator (strengths, weakness,
• Enabler needs, problems)
• • Advocate
Educator
• Activist
• Therapist
• Mediator
• Guide
• Negotiator
• Counsellor • Initiator
• Supporter • Referral
• Consultant • Expert
• Broker • Researcher
• Mobilizer • Coordinator
• Motivator • Facilitator

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