The Core Principles And Values In Social Work

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Social work is a political unit and so how it is defined, is a contested matter. Its definition is controversial which causes much debate and confusion. People generally define social work as what the profession means to the individual in terms of how they actually see the job description and the attributes one needs in order to do the job. There are many definitions of what social work entails. One definition which has been theorised is that of the International Association of Social Work and the international Federation of Social Workers reads below: “a profession which promotes social change, problem solving in human relationships and the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance well-being. Utilising theories of human behaviour and social systems, social workers intervene at the point where people interact with their environments. Principles of human rights and social justice are fundament to social work. (2001, cited in NI~SCC, 2003) This definition is a combination of a lot of relevant elements associated with the principles and values of social work, which are related to this essay and below will be discussed in more detail. The Value Base of Social Work Historically the profession of social work has been devoted to enhancing the welfare of people who encounter problems and need assistance to overcome them. Such related issues include poverty, mental health, health care, employment, shelter, housing, abuse, domestic violence, hunger etc. Social work also looks at how society affects people with such circumstances and also how society responds to given circumstances and people thus a core principle is empowerment. Empowerment includes the concern of environmental factors i.e. family, friends, employment, social circumstances, community, and the whole of society and its well being. It looks at how one interacts within their
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