Social Work Methods

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The purpose of this paper is to define, describe and apply social work models to my recent placement experience, and an initial assessment that I observed. My twenty day placement was at a Christian voluntary adoption agency, based in England. They do not have contracts with local authorities in Wales, but do work with them as and when their help in finding potential families to adopt children is required. Although a voluntary agency they work within the Adoption and Children Act 2002, Children Act 2004, Care Standards Act 2000. The prospective adopters approach the agency themselves. The agency offers a non discriminatory approach; they do not judge people by their age, culture, sexual orientation, marital status or ethnicity. There are many children awaiting adoption from varying backgrounds. The prospective adopters must be able to offer secure, safe loving environments for the children to thrive and flourish, Children Act (2004). By contacting the agency they are given an information pack, in a format that is acceptable to them. They can then, if they wish, contact the agency and request a prospective adopter’s initial assessment. The initial assessment that I observed, was that of a single applicant whom I will refer to as X. She was of Welsh origin, but non-welsh speaking, white, thirty nine years old, divorced and employed with her own home and a supportive family. She also had a sister who had been adopted from Pakistan. Historically single people have been seen as inappropriate for adoption and only used as a last resort (Rosenthal and Groze, 1992). However, ‘Single parents have a high level of emotional maturity, have a high capacity to tolerate frustration, and are not overly influenced by the opinions of ot... ... middle of paper ... ...Koprowska, J (2008) Communication and Interpersonal Skills in Social Work (2nd edn), Exeter: Learning Matters. Lane, M (2006) Adoption Law for Adopters, Oxfordshire: Adoption UK. Milner, J and O’Byrne, P (2009) Assessment in Social Work (3rd edn), Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan. Moss, B (2008) Communication Skills for Health and Social Care, London: Sage Publications Ltd. Parker, J and Bradley G (2007) Social Work Practice (2nd edn), Exeter: Learning Matters. Roscoe, K, and Madoc-Jones, I (2009) ‘Critical Social Work Practice: A Narrative Approach.’ IJNP, Vol (1). p12. Slade, J (2006) Safer Caring (2nd edn), UK: The Fostering Network. Stepney, P and Ford, D (2000) Social Work, Models, Methods and Theories, Lyme Regis: Russell House Publishing. Thompson, N (2003) Communication and Language: A handbook of theory and practice, Basingstoke; Palgrave MacMillan.

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