What challenges does this group face in society and how can we promote ethical and value-based social work practice when working with them?
You will need to make explicit reference to social work values, drawn from the BASW Code of Ethics and discuss them critically on the basis of relevant and diverse literature. More guidance will be provided in a separate guide and during the module sessions.
The service user chosen: children with learning disability:
Content/critical analysis
o The essay asks you to focus on one particular service user or carer group and on the one hand identify challenges faced in society (i.e. discrimination, stigma, structural barriers leading to poverty, exclusion, compromised life opportunities, etc.). On the other hand, you will need to discuss how social work can address some of these challenges and how our practice can be value-led.
Choosing a group/area for the essay: existing knowledge
o Identify challenges: I have gone with this in title to stress the social injustice and unequal power relations existing in society. It is important that you show your understanding of these, locating them not just at the individual level but also the Cultural and Structural (Thompson).
However, it is important to stress that service user or carer groups also have many achievements, strengths, contributions- so the essay brief is somewhat problematic in focusing only on ‘challenges’, so a ‘what is negative in their lives’ approach. Show that you understand this and write about it!
To showcase the challenges you can- for example- discuss how language and public attitudes create stereotypes and stigma, how this can dehumanise individuals; use statistics to show inequalities (i.e. in health outcomes, education, access to resources etc.).Use user-led research and literature to capture perspectives and lived experience.
How can we promote ethical and value-based social work practice when working with them: This is where you can discuss values and ethical principles. It could work well to focus on one
