Social Work Theory In The Workplace

Introduction
The social work profession was based on values that contributed not only to its own professional development and to helping different service user groups, but also to the development of societies in general.
Describe how theories and research (EBP process) inform our professional knowledge base.
A clear theoretical perspective guide and influences social work practice in five key areas: observation, description, explanation, prediction, and intervention. Observation tells what to see, what to look out for. The description provides a conceptual vocabulary and framework within which observations can be arranged and organized. Explanation suggests how different observations must be linked and connected, and it offers possible caused

The use of social work theories in the professional literature is rather vague. The concepts, frames of reference, practice models and philosophical propositions have been termed as theories (Trevithick, 2008). However, to effectively respond to clients’ needs and demands, professional social workers are equipped with a wide range of knowledge- social work primary mission is to help clients meet their needs and enhance their well-being. Consequently, what constitutes social work knowledge base remain a major concern and a controversial issue (Trevithick, 2008). Nonetheless, according to Srinivasan Rengasamy (2001), theories in social work are important for several reasons. The theory provides a way of making sense of complexity and uncertainty. Likewise, theories can ensure accountability and mark of a profession (Rengasamy,

Although the strength perceptive stemming from philosophical foundations, it is in danger of running too close to contemporary neo-liberal notions of self-help and self-responsibility and glossing over the structural inequalities that hamper personal and social development (Gray, 2015). The theory of social capital and community development, and the strengths and empowerment approach they entail are a weak antidote to the calculative individualism of contemporary neoliberalism. Furthermore, there is an apparent lack of empirical support for the claimed success of these strengths-based approaches. To address these limitations, the strengths perspective could benefit from a broader understanding of its tenets and claims within contemporary social work practice contexts and seek to distance itself from the harsher, impersonalizing processes of neoliberal welfare reform. It needs to be more guarded about overly optimistic claims about the strength of social capital, community, and community development. Greater empirical support for the effectiveness of strengths-based interventions is needed beyond descriptive case studies of its successes. While appreciative of the value of the strengths perspective, it’s not wise to be overly ambitious in claims about its potential. While its strength lies in its humanizing potential, more than a focus on individual and community