Running Head: SOCIAL WORK ASSIGNMENT

SOCIAL WORK ASSIGNMENT

Name of the Student

Name of the University

Author’s note
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Contents
SOCIAL WORK REFLECTION...............................................................................................3

Part A.........................................................................................................................................3

References..................................................................................................................................6

Part B..........................................................................................................................................7

References................................................................................................................................10

Part C........................................................................................................................................11

References................................................................................................................................13
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SOCIAL WORK REFLECTION

Part A

Social work to me has been my way of giving back to the world that has always been

rather kind to me as compared to others. Throughout my time here, I have witnessed sites that

are horrific happen to humans who are helpless in from of such deeds and do not have a pillar

to lean on. These values and my vision of being available to the needy were not framed in a

day but have been cultivated over the years by the environment that I grew up in and the

values that have been embedded in me. Therefore, this paper seeks to reflect on my interest in

social work practices and their actual roots.

I grew up in a loving household where all of my family members loved and cared for

me. I had a beautiful childhood and a lovely pet that my aunt got for my fifth birthday. I

named him Bob as I found his face suited to that particular name. Ever since I was little, my

mum would tell me that kindness is an attribute that speaks the loudest and as a child when I

would hit Bob for spoiling my toys and eating away at my slippers, she told me that he is an

innocent animal. Furthermore, she told me that unlike me, Bob does not have anyone and we

are to take care of him, rather than be harsh at him. Those words spoke to me and since that

day, I have made it a point to be kind to everyone, no matter what. It is also dictated that an

individual’s contribution towards social work is heavily impacted by the environment that

one is cultivated in and the same has been true for me (Chenoweth & McAuliffe, 2017).

Furthermore, our household was a lively one, and cannot remember the time that I

saw my parents quarrel. My father has always been my role model as he is a true gentleman

and helped my mum with all the household chores. My mum at times was harsh at me but

only because she thought that too much love would spoil me. My aunt and grandma were my

support pillars and always taught me to love everyone as everyone had the same right as me.
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My aunt got me, Bob, early on so that I could learn responsibility, love, and kindness by

looking after him. We were a family that sat together and was bound by love. Furthermore,

communication was an essential requirement for our family. This same concept was also

stated by Godden (2017) concerning social work.

My family put a great emphasis on my education. They did not burden me with the

hopes of unattainable results but they wanted me to be well educated so that I could navigate

through life more easily. Furthermore, education at my home was not limited to books and

academic achievements. I had my chores to do and responsibilities were given to me from a

very early age. My mother used to say that education is not only found in books but can be

found all around. She further stated that it reflects on how I talk, speak and behave. Plus,

growing up in a gender-neutral house, educated me a great deal. We helped our father build

the fence around the house and he aided with dinner and other chores. However, later on, I

started reading more literature about gender disparity even in the field of social work and that

left me baffled. A particularly illuminating one was by Chung & Van Der Lippe (2020).

As for the community and the ethnicity that we followed, there was nothing as

concrete as such. We lived in a Christian-dominated community and therefore, we attended

church now and then but we followed through the spiritual path of Buddhism and Hinduism.

This is because my parents visited India before my birth and were amazed by the values and

the spiritual path of love and kindness that they followed. However, I was no sort of religion

or religious obligation was ever thrust on me. I believe that such an approach has been

instrumental in developing my personality today. With such an environment, I have learned

to value and respect various communities, religions, and ethnicities. Salsberg et. al. (2017),

too confirmed accommodation as being one of the critical factors of social work.
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Even though I had a comfortable childhood, I was made aware that everyone was not

blessed to such an extent and therefore we often visited old-age homes where my mum would

take baked goodies and needful items. The unfair nature of life to me was clarified early on

but I was also taught that we had it in ourselves to bring about a difference in society. That is

when the idea of social work has struck my mind as I could see the genuine smile on my

mother’s face after spending a delightful day with the ones who were not so fortunate. My

belief system taught by my parents has never been stuck to religion or community but

humanity in general and since then I have stuck with it.

Today as I draft this reflection, I seem to have recapitulated the series of instances that

have led me to be the person that I am today. I am well aware of what I have always wanted

to do and how I want to proceed further. I aim to dedicate myself to social causes and

empower the ones in need. I feel to bring about a change for the better, communication is an

essential skill and I plan on making it the basis of forthcoming change (Lynch et al., 2019).

The values that I have been cultivated have led me to believe that no being is borne

differently or unequal in this world but several social evils devise them in such away.

Therefore, I hope to bring kindness, empathy, love, equality, and warmth into the faction of

social work (O’Hare, 2019). Furthermore, I hope to do so and grow as a person. I am merely

an instrument towards bringing change in the world and humanity is what I hold the dearest.
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References

Chenoweth, L., & McAuliffe, D. (2017). The road to social work & human service practice.

Cengage AU.

Chung, H., & Van der Lippe, T. (2020). Flexible working, work–life balance, and gender

equality: Introduction. Social Indicators Research, 151(2), 365-381.

Godden, N. J. (2017). The love ethic: A radical theory for social work practice. Australian

Social Work, 70(4), 405-416.

Lynch, A., Newlands, F., & Forrester, D. (2019). What does empathy sound like in social

work communication? A mixed‐methods study of empathy in child protection social

work practice. Child & Family Social Work, 24(1), 139-147.

O'Hare, T. (2019). Essential skills of social work practice: Assessment, intervention, and

evaluation. Oxford University Press.

Salsberg, E., Quigley, L., Mehfoud, N., Acquaviva, K. D., Wyche, K., & Silwa, S. (2017).

Profile of the social work workforce.

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Part B

Social work can be defined as an activity that is undertaken by individuals selflessly

for the betterment of the underprivileged sections of society. As for me, my parents

volunteered at the local old age home and carried various drives to aid them to meet their

necessities. Therefore, I too would like to associate myself with such establishments that

cater to such a population. Apart from that I also feel that there are several children who in

the different parts of the nation that are deprived of basic education. I would also like to

associate myself in such areas and aid in making education accessible to those innocent souls.

These fields that I have chosen are not at random as with my former choice, I have got

emotional ties. During all my years growing up, I accompanied my parents to such

establishments and saw how the elation in their faces and I feel that seeing as such is the

factor that keeps me grounded in this area. Furthermore, I have noticed that in such

establishments, “funds are usually scarce” and people who contribute to keep it running are to

be sourced (Shrestha & Chaudhary, 2019). Thus assistance in such matters is mainly required

in such areas. According to a recent survey by the Australian Royal Commission into Aged

Care Quality and Safety, it was depicted that almost 60% of such locations lack basic

infrastructural, financial, and medical facilities (Dyer et al., 2019). Thus, I would like to be

instrumental in ensuring that such basic needs of the elderly are met as they do not have any

means to fulfill them themselves.

Additionally, I have also seen various children who are deprived of education. There

might be several reasons behind them not having to quality education. Socio-economic and

familial incompetency are among the most prevalent reasons for children not getting their

basic rights (Sollis, 2019). Education is the key to having a brighter future and no child

should have to be strayed away from their path of education (Janks, 2014). Thus I would like
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to do my part and make education accessible to everyone. In doing so, I would like to take the

aid of various government policies as well as non-governmental institutions and accordingly

devise a way to ensure that no kid is left devoid of the very pillar of life.

As a social worker one should possess several skills such as communication, active

listening, emotional intelligence, and empathy. I feel that I am an individual who is well

versed with all of the above-mentioned qualities as well as stand determined to extend a

helping hand. Furthermore, it is not merely a career path for me but my passion and a life-

long dream. Thus, I feel that these qualities will be instrumental in aiding me to succeed as a

worthy social worker. However, I also have a drawback that can prove to be tough on my

career. Oversensitivity is one such attribute that I have that can prove to be detrimental in this

field. I tend to get overly attached and emotional that can hamper my client as well as my

mental health. Nonetheless, I have been actively working on it to balance it out so that it does

not interfere with my work.

I understand that this area of work will not be an average job but I am willing to do all

it takes to make a difference. Furthermore, I do not have any inhibitions of any sort when it

comes to serving others. I will do anything and all that is in my power if it means helping and

easing someone’s pain. In addition to doing so, I would like to ensure that I take the path of

the moral high ground and stand by ethical means to achieve the difference. Several social

workers blur the lines between ethical and non-ethical means. However, I am well versed

with the essentiality of ethics in social work as the National Association of Social Workers

dictate that ethics and core values are the roots of social work, and not abiding them can lead

to unwelcome results for well-thought deeds (NASW, 2017; Beckett et al. 2017).

In summation, social work is an area that I have chosen as I feel that it is the area of

work that speaks the loudest to me. Additionally, it would be a privilege to be able to serve
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the ones who are not so fortunate to have the facilities meant for each global citizen. Thus,

that is the main my main aim behind choosing the field of social work and dedicating my life

to it.
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References

Beckett, C., Maynard, A., & Jordan, P. (2017). Values and ethics in social work. Sage.

Chenoweth, L., & McAuliffe, D. (2017). The road to social work & human service practice.

Cengage AU.

Dyer, S., Valeri, M., Arora, N., Ross, T., Winsall, M., Tilden, D., & Crotty, M. (2019).

Review of International Systems for Long-Term Care of Older People: Report

prepared for the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety: research

paper 2.

National Association of Social Workers/ (2017). Code of Ethics.

Retrieved from: https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-

Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English

Shrestha, M., & Chaudhary, R. C. (2019). Socio-Demographic Profile, Morbidity Pattern and

Reason for Elderly People Living in an Old Age Homes: A Community Based Study

From Banke District. Journal of Nepalgunj Medical College, 17(2), 58-61.

Sollis, K. (2019). Measuring Child Deprivation and Opportunity in Australia

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Part C

Social workers through their selfless service contribute heavily towards the

development of society. They entirely dedicate themselves to promote well-being and social

justice in society. However, it is integral for them to be guided through these tasks and

protected through the process. Therefore, the Australian Association of Social Workers

qualifies as the apex body to represent the society of social workers in Australia. Founded in

1946, this national body hosts more than 15,000 members today. The organization follows

various codes of practice and has dictated seven pillars of actions to fulfill its purpose.

Therefore, this paper’s main aim is to appraise two of its stated pillars against its site and

functions.

The first pillar to be appraised is that of “Build the professional capacity of

members.” This pillar entails that the AASW is an organization that is committed to bringing

a better change to society by ensuring that each of its members is professionally trained and

capacitated. Therefore, to achieve this it hosts a plethora of training and educational services

for the members. The members are expected to join in on the association-provided training

services and widen their knowledge and experience in the area of social work. The

association ensures that such programs are undertaken o regular intervals so that no new

information or trend to serving the people is missed.

They have various programs for ensuring professional development and growth of the

members and is inclusive of a well-equipped mentoring program where new members can

learn and develop skills related to social work as well as gain significant insight from

experienced personnel in this area. It also promotes advanced practices to equip members

with strategies and contemporary practices of social development. Furthermore, various types

of online trainings are provided to ensure that the members stay updated with the latest norms
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and practices. If one is to go through their events calendar than the depth of the professional

courses provided can be glanced at. In addition to these, they are also encouraged to perform

better by acknowledging their services by conferring them with awards and rewards. Such

recognition ensures their participation and continual growth.

The other pillar that is stated to be appraised is “Provide responsible governance and

management.” As an apex body of social workers, it lays down the rules and regulations for

the role of the social workers in Australia. It follows a hierarchical form of governance that

overlooks their assigned areas and territories. Doing so ensures that all the areas are covered

and each issue is meticulously undertaken. Their staffs are allotted departments that provide

the holistic undertaking of the concerned departments. Moreover, it follows a democratic

procedure and elects its leaders who overlook the governance of the organization. This is

done so to provide a fair chance to everyone.

They strictly adhere to the federal legislation and ensure that their actions and

practices are well within the rights. They also hold meeting s and discussions to ensure that

all are updated on the relevant matters of the organization. The organization also features

strict rules for the members and has drafted “member’s conduct.” This is done to uphold the

standards of the organisation and keep member misdemeanor at bay. Non-compliance with

this can result in members having to pay strict penalties and can even lead to the being them

from the ousted from the organization.

As upholders of social responsibilities, the AASW has also devised the Code of Ethics

that dictates the values and responsibilities that are essential to the profession. They are also

responsible for assisting and ensuring that the code is upheld by all. Accordingly, they do

their best to ensure that these requirements are met by all and convey their messages through

meetings and webinars. Their guidelines to governance are present to ensure a hiccup free

functioning of the organization.

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References

Australian Association of Social Workers. 2021. About ASW.

Retrieved fromhttps://www.aasw.asn.au/