Significant impetus for applying ICT in social work was provided by the COVID-19 pandemic, which significantly restricted opportunities for direct contact with clients. UNESCO (2009) defines ICT as ...various technological tools and resources used to transmit, store, create, share, or exchange information, including computers, the internet (websites, blogs, and emails), live broadcasting technologies (radio, television, and internet streaming), and recording technologies (podcasting, audio and video players, and storage devices). The application of ICT in social work practice poses considerable challenges. When presenting social work as a profession, the aspect of social work involving direct contact with clients is first emphasized, where the social worker-client relationship is most important (Nordesjo, Scaramuzzino & Ulmestig, 2021; Randolph et al., 2022). This relationship, based on humanistic principles, is central to client growth and change (Payne, 2011). Social workers aim to establish and maintain trusting relationships with the client and their environment, and the success of an intervention often depends on the relationship between the social worker and the client (Rollins, 2020). A less strongly emphasized but no less important aspect of social work is social work management and administration. Coulshed et al. (2006) indicated that social work practice activities include the managerial skills that social workers at all levels must have. The authors also emphasized that keeping notes on clients, plans, meetings, and budgeting is an inevitable part of social work administration, which is necessary for reporting to both management and clients. Not only the case manager, but also every social worker makes a plan to achieve a certain goal, organizes people and resources to implement the plan, mobilizes professionals, evaluates the results and revises and adjusts the plan. Lewis, Packard and Lewis (2012) referred to these functions as social work management. However, social workers often view this managerial and administrative aspect of social work negatively, seeing it as a waste of time at the expense of direct work with clients (Coulshed et al., 2006). Despite the challenges of contemporary life and the rapid development of technology, which compel social workers to incorporate ICT into their practice, we still see a lack of research on the application of ICT in social work in Lithuania. Therefore, this article aims to enrich research on how and to what extent ICT can serve social work practice in Lithuania. The object of the study is the application of information technology in social work. The aim of the article is to reveal the possibilities and significance of applying information technology for social workers working with families. The article analyzes the results of a qualitative study conducted in 2023 with social workers working with families experiencing difficulties. Semistructured interviews were used for data collection. The study participants were social workers working with families experiencing difficulties in City N. Eleven social workers participated in the study. All study participants were women, with an average age of 33 years and an average work experience in social work of 9 years. The average duration of the interviews was 40 minutes. Content analysis was chosen as the method of data analysis. The following research questions were investigated: What ICT tools do social workers use when working with families? What social work activities is ICT used in? What is the significance of ICT use in social work with families? Despite the fact that social work is exclusively considered a contact profession, ICT is rapidly entering the field of social work practice. This is emphasized in various studies (Barrera Algarín, Sarasola-Sánchez-Serrano & Sarasola-Fernández, 2023; Pascoe, 2021; Jørgensen et al., 2022; Jackson Jr & Malone, 2024; Canário, 2022). Research data show that computers and smartphones, the Internet, various communication platforms and apps, and digitized service systems are becoming an integral part of social work. Other studies also reveal such results (Coleman, 2011; Reamer, 2013; Pascoe, 2021; Jørgensen et al., 2022; Jackson Jr & Malone, 2024). The digitization of public services is also gradually coming to the field of social work. Research data reveals that social workers are exposed to digitized service systems such as Avilys, SPIS, MIGRIS, Tamo, Veritus, etc. Coleman (2011), analyzing the emergence of the phenomena of “e-social work” and “e-management” in social work, argued that social workers must be involved in the development of the digitalization of services in order to reduce the negative impact on service users. Social workers recognize that ICT tools speed up work, facilitate communication, dissemination of information, data processing and storage, enable the more efficient and sustainable management of client cases, help avoid errors, enable remote meetings, and speed up the internal processes of the organization. The same conclusions were reached by Barrera-Algarín, Sarasola-Sánchez-Serrano and Sarasola-Fernández (2023). The authors pointed out that social workers clearly recognize the benefits of using new technologies, particularly emphasizing: better access to resources; better access to information, user data and files; better communication and exchange of information between professionals; easier and simplified bureaucratic procedures; improved communication with representatives of other professions; and improved communication between social workers. Similar results can be found in other studies. A study conducted by Craig and Lorenzo (2014) on the application of ICT in health care institutions revealed that ICT improves social work practices in the health system by: reducing patients’ length of stay in the hospital; increasing timely access to resources, services and information; improving care coordination, collaboration, and the sharing of knowledge, information and resources; enabling easier access to remote clients; expediting the reporting of child abuse or neglect; and expediting assistance for clients at risk of self-harm. Of course, the social work profession is very complex, and is more associated with contact work with clients. As Goldkind and Chan (2017) pointed out, emerging technologies present both risks and opportunities to the field of social work practice and are changing the fields of social work administration, practice, education, and ethics on a daily basis. It is an undeniable fact that new technologies are influencing social work, expanding the possibilities of social workers and raising new challenges. More extensive research is needed on the use of ICT in direct work with clients, the ethical issues of technology use, and the adaptation of specialist training programs to new technological challenges.
Abstract
Discourse on the normative use of reflexivity predominates in the professional literature. Expert articles on the topic of non-normative use of reflexivity, which is based on the presumption ...that social workers do not use reflexivity to improve their work quality, but rather its functions for themselves to fulfil specific purposes, is missing, with some exceptions in the literature. The presented article therefore aims to understand the use of reflexivity in the practice of social work with families in its non-normative concept and to determine the implications for social work. Using the abduction method (in which Schechtman’s narrative identity theory was applied to data analysis), the following four categories of the use of reflexivity in a non-normative way were saturated with data obtained from initial interviews, field observations and subsequent reflection of field observations with social workers: personal interest, survival, moral responsibility and compensation. The non-normative concept of reflexivity is further discussed in the context of specific implications for education and practice of social work.
Immunodeficiency diseases associated with the absence or dysfunction of any of the components that make up the immune system. These diseases may create difficulties for family functionality. The ...study aims to examine family functionality in the context of McMaster Family Therapy in families with immunodeficiency patients. The study include 153 family members from Immunodeficiency Patients Solidarity Platform in Turkey. The sociodemographic questionnaire and McMaster Family Assessment Device were used to collect data with respect to problem solving, communication, roles, affective responsiveness and involvement, behaviour control, and general functioning. The majority of the participants are married, females, university graduates and low income. Most of them have nuclear families and a diagnosis of primary immunodeficiency in children. Areas of non-healthy family functionality include affective involvement and behaviour control. Also, problem-solving, roles, and communication create risks in terms of dysfunction.
Harlow (Practice: 1-13, 2021) argued for the development of foster care world-wide, potentially funded through the closure of residential institutions. This rejoinder highlights a selective ...literature review in these arguments, along with comparative research challenges. Social work career paths rarely traverse between family case work and residential or looked after care practices, thereby influencing professional perspectives. Assumptions about universal access to primary and secondary education in the Developing World are unfounded, as are assumptions about availability of community health and welfare services in local communities world-wide. Because residential care homes are largely operated in Developing World countries by local benefactors or rely on donations with little, if any, support from the state, it follows that closure of children's homes will not release funds for the support of families and foster care. Cross-cultural, and religious differences require careful consideration to account for meanings, use and acceptability of Western notions of foster care operating in the Developing World as well as in multi-cultural UK cities.
PROVIDING SOCIAL SERVICES TO CHILDREN WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES: THE ROLE OF A SOCIAL WORKER EMPLOYED IN A SOCIAL WELFARE INSTITUTION The aim of this paper is to present social worker’s job in ...social facility for children with developmental disabilities. The work of a social worker is described through its parts: work with users, work with user’s families, cooperation with various formal support providers, counselling, and finally social worker as a member of the professional team. These parts of the work are described and problematized. In the last part of this paper, the most common problems faced by social worker in his daily work are problematized. Key words: social work with families of children with developmental disabilities; social work in social facilities; social worker job description
Cilj ovog rada je prikazati i detaljno opisati posao socijalnog radnika zaposlenog u ustanovi socijalne skrbi u kojoj se pružaju socijalne usluge djeci s teškoćama u razvoju. Posao socijalnog radnika ...opisan je kroz njegove dijelove: rad s korisnicima, rad s obiteljima korisnika, suradnja s različitim pružateljima formalne podrške, savjetovanje te, naposljetku, socijalni radnik kao član stručnog tima. Navedeni dijelovi posla su opisani i problematizirani, dok se u posljednjem dijelu rada problematiziraju najčešći problemi s kojima se socijalni radnik susreće u svom djelovanju.
Cilj ovog istraživanja je analizirati doživljaj dobiti od tzv. konzultativne grupe supervizije za voditelje mjere stručne pomoći roditeljima u zaštiti dobrobiti djece. U istraživanju su sudjelovale ...tri skupine sudionika: voditelji mjere stručne pomoći, koji su sudjelovali u superviziji organiziranoj za voditelje mjere (N=8), voditelji mjere koji nisu imali iskustva takve organizirane supervizije (N=8), te socijalne radnice Odjela za djecu, mlade brak i obitelj CZSS (N=6). Podaci su prikupljeni fokusnim grupama sa voditeljima mjera i polustrukturiranim intervjuima sa socijalnim radnicama nadležnim za planiranje i praćenje mjera stručne pomoći roditeljima. Podaci su obrađeni postupkom tematske analize. Rezultati pokazuju da je voditeljima mjere koji su sudjelovali u supervizije važan motiv za uključivanje bilo bolje obavljanje svoje voditeljske uloge, ali i zainteresiranosti za novi oblik profesionalne podrške. Voditelji koji nisu sudjelovali u superviziji kao motiv za buduće uključivanje navode osvježavanje znanja i dobivanje podrške. Obje skupine naglašavaju važnost razmjene kolegijalnih iskustva u superviziji i razvoj kompetencija. Sve tri skupine sudionika su iskazale da sadržaji supervizije trebaju pridonositi pojašnjenju uloge voditelj, unaprjeđenju vještina njihovog rada, te pružanju podršku pri provođenju mjere. Obje skupine voditelja mjera, neovisno o iskustvu sa supervizijom, iskazuju da je značajna tema u superviziji sigurnost voditelja tijekom provođenja mjere. Rezultati istraživanja su poticaj za razvijanje specifičnog modela supervizije za voditelje mjera stručne pomoći roditeljima, ali i njihove ciljane edukacije.
Poland is a post-communist country rooted in the idea of a nanny state. Although the state is still highly involved in social policy, the social and constitutional transformation that began in 1989 ...led to many changes which in turn influenced the functioning of an individual and family life. Numerous reforms have gradually changed the shape of the family welfare system as well as the method of providing care for children from problem families. The main goal of the article is to present the role of family assistantship as a new solution in work with families facing difficulties in daily life. However, a question arises of whether, despite an innovative approach to work with families, assistantship does bring the expected results or do barriers caused by historical background hinder it? It seems that family assistantship definitely helps to improve the functioning of families; nevertheless it still encounters many barriers that hinder the practical implementation of the concept. Information presented in this article has been based on Polish publications pertaining to family assistantship as well as research and reports from abroad.
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