to ask for help with my social work application?

[wannabesocialworker]

hi,

Could anyone, pref who's a SW, help me with my MSW application?

I'm a regular but namechanged for this because I dont want to be id'd IRL.

Put it in ayboo to get a quick response, sorry!

I have to answer this:

Choose only ONE of the scenarios below explain the following:

 The various ethical issues and dilemmas which the situation depicted would pose to you as a neighbour or co-worker (as appropriate to the scenario)
 The action you would be inclined to take in either role and your reasons for so doing
 What role you think the local authority social work services department might have in the case.

1. The child of a neighbour ? a friend of yours ? reluctantly discloses serious abuse by one of the parents but begs you not to say anything to anyone about this.

2. Your neighbour is a very elderly woman of Indian origin whose erratic behaviour makes you think she might be affected by dementia; she appears to have very little support but when you suggest to her that she would benefit from help, she becomes very upset and says she?s fine on her own. You are convinced she?s a real risk to herself and maybe other people because of the gas appliances in her house.

3. You are aware that someone you know, but not well, has just recently started working in a children?s home. Your friend, who is a near neighbour of this person, expresses disbelief that somebody so ?unsuitable? could be working with vulnerable children. When pressed she says, to start with, he?s a well known drug user and rumoured supplier in the estate where he lives, though he?s never been ?caught?. She has heard rumours of under-age sex too. She says there?s no way she would let her own children near him.

I was thinking of doing the first one, but is this too obvious?

I also have to discuss:

-the main challenges facing SW today
-which qualities are most helpful to a SW career
-what are the costs and benefits of the professional training

Thanks for reading

i'll pop back later when if the dcs settle down

I think I would opt for number two -there are so many ethical issues and dilemmas to discuss.

Respect for Race and Diversity

Age issues

Mental Health Issues

Community Issues

Health and Safety

the first one. its easier

I'd go for number 2. There are things that a neighbour could do such as pop in every day, check if lights are on at 3 in the morning or front door left open. And there are things that SS would do, contact woman's family, arrange day centre place, help to obtain attendance allowance to pay for regular carer etc.

Easier to do this one I think.

i don't think the first is too obvious. i also think you should choose a scenario that allows you to add some personal/professional experience into your answer, rather than giving a "textbook" answer.

let us know which one you're doing and we'll give you some pointers .

ditto re the challenges for SW - for example the challenges in adult services are around personalisation and achieving more for less. Increasing workloads reducing time spent in direct contact with service users. Increased use of information systems and professional accountability eating into time available. rapidly changing legislation. ageing population. these may be different to children and families.

i am rambling a bit here. not enough sleep. will be back later.

I'm wary of doing no.1 because I suspect that it may be the most popular option, so then I'll end up competing with very good answers. They also might think that I think SW is just about child protection, or that that is all I'm interested in. If I did this I could use previous professional experience of working alongside SWers-would this look good? Most of the answer, though I'd put together from threads I've read on here!

For the second one, I dont have any knowledge or experience of dementia but I could write well on the cultural issues. I also have less knowledge of how SW would intervene in this scenario.

So that leaves the 3rd, for which I'd mention gossip and enhanced disclosures.

For the second section I was thinking of public scrutiny and ignorance over role, staff cuts, changing demographics, the politics of state control vs laissez faire, social problems caused by the recession, reacting to crises vs preventing future problems, mobile population,uncertainty over the future, retention of trained experienced swers.

Am I going in the right direction?

if it were me i would write about the area i have the most experience in.

if you do do no.3, there are 2 sides to the coin - first is gossip, potentially unsubstantiated allegations, confidentiality, anti-discriminatory practice.
BUT from the point of view of a local social services/police department this kind of allegation still needs to be looked at from a safeguarding point of view, perhaps via MAPPA.

excellent point about preventative work vs crisis work though. the ever thinner spread of resources and raising of the bar re eligibility for services means that preventative work is no longer being done, and situations therefore deterioriate without intervention. so ultimately there is more crisis work to be done. and things get more expensive.

Thanks.

What is MAPPA?

i would go for no 2 it gives more scope to discuss sw proccess, assesmnst, preventative, best value etc. Its not too clear wether you are writting this in terms of neighbour or sw. That would make a difference in how you would approach each scenario.

bumping for anyone else

I can't believe you have come on asking for opinions and help after telling another poster that asked for advice on a housing related job application that she should stick to applying for a Job she has skills in.