аЯрЁБс>ўџ 8:ўџџџ7џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅСq` №П#bjbjqPqP .,::#џџџџџџЄЄЄЄЄЄЄЄИ  Иg Ж< < < < < < < < ц ш ш ш ш ш ш $ h…d Є< < < < < ЄЄ< < ! т т т < Є< Є< ц т < ц т т ЄЄт < 0 я•X aЩ R "т ц 7 0g т щt dщт щЄт < < т < < < < < и < < < g < < < < ИИИМDИИИМИИИЄЄЄЄЄЄџџџџ SOCIAL WORK AND EMPOWERMENT Stroke is the biggest cause of disability in the adult population. It can leave survivors feeling vulnerable and helpless. However, not every stroke survivor will require social care support, that’s to say help with personal care or activities of daily living, day activities, benefits advice, etc, but many do. Not all will come into contact with a social worker, but, if they do, social workers are expected to empower them, that is enable them to regain control over their lives. Social work can do this in a variety of ways. The code of practice regulating social work (National Occupational Standards for Social Work, 2002) expects social workers to empower their ‘clients’ by informing them about their rights and entitlements; actively listening to what they have to say; involving them in decision making; recognising their expertise; enabling them to be empowered to represent their views and empowering them in decisions which affect them. Enabling clients to have choice and control over what is provided and how it is provided has been part of the government’s modernising social services’ agenda for the last decade. But what evidence is there that clients are empowered by social work practice? What, in fact, does empowerment mean in terms of what a social worker does for her / his ‘clients’? What do clients understand by empowerment? How do clients expect to be empowered? These were questions this research tried to shed light on. Despite the prominence given to empowerment in government policy and social work’s professional standards, an extensive search of key websites failed to find any studies of the client experience of empowerment and how social work practice tries to encourage this. Because of this, the research concentrated on client experiences and perceptions of the social work involvement they had had. It focused on the experiences of stroke survivors; stroke being the biggest cause of disability in the adult population, and hence a major factor in people needing social care. The study considered how far the expectations of social workers (NOS for Social Work) squared with what clients themselves wanted; what they understood by empowerment; how they wished to be empowered; what they expected social workers to do to empower them; how far they considered social workers did this. More generally, the study considered whether social work, that is social work practised as part of the social care commissioning process, can in fact empower clients and the ways in which it can do this. The study, undertaken as part of a post-graduate social work degree, was endorsed by Different Strokes and The Stroke Association and had university ethics approval. Methodologically, it adopted an interpretive approach, that is to say, it tried to understand empowerment through the eyes of stroke survivors who had had social work contact and involvement. Participants were recruited in a variety of ways, but mainly through Different Strokes groups across the country, and interviewed using a questionnaire which was either emailed to individuals or distributed by local stroke groups. Participation was entirely voluntary; return of the questionnaire signifying informed consent. The anonymity of respondents was protected throughout; respondents were not identified by name in the report. Unfortunately, despite Different Strokes and Stroke Association support, only 25 survivors took part in the study, although there is no reason to believe their experiences are atypical or do not reflect the experiences of most disabled clients. The study’s overall conclusion is that empowerment is more rhetoric than reality. That is, the social work profession acknowledges the importance of social workers empowering clients, but the reality of what happens in practice does not reflect this. Measured on a ladder of empowerment, it was clear that clients in this study were empowered, that is helped to regain and take control of their lives, but only at the bottom rungs of the ladder. They were given information and advice, but not always supported in using this, and only two had been helped to take control of how their needs were met through a Direct Payment; one of these being unable to use it because carers to work at the times needed could not be found. That said, while as many were satisfied as dissatisfied with the help they had had from a social worker, it was equally clear that stroke survivors had little expectation that social workers would empower them. Listening to the people they were working with, rather than assuming they knew what was needed, it was considered, would make a difference: ‘…if they don’t know what service users require, how can they put an efficient service into practice? They need to consult and listen to the people they are attempting to assist’. ‘Social workers need to listen more to what people are saying…more deep listening. Different people have different needs. A lot of social workers think they are god’. While the research provides some evidence that social work, ie local authority social work, does in limited ways empower disabled people, the basic tension between its gate-keeping and empowerment functions questions whether social work can empower the people it aims to help. Social workers are expected to offer clients choice and control, while rationing the opportunities and resources they can access to have this. While the study provided only limited evidence of this tension, from the comments of stroke survivors it was nonetheless real and needed to be resolved openly and honestly by social workers with their clients. Doing this, arguably, requires a different type of relationship between social workers and their clients, one based on partnership to achieve clients’ preferred outcomes. This is a summary of the full report which is available from the author. ˜ЂКЧ Ž ™ Њ Ж Ц х ў - 0 4 ] Œ “ š ›  Х Ы г д е й х X w ‰ Š Ž Б З Щ Ъ Ю з ы ї 57Ndjy}„’вгдQRTƒ’ќјє№ьш№шєшє№є№єфєр№р№р№рмебемфбф№фрЪбьбЪЦТЦОКЖКОТВЎВЊЦЊІЦКьЊЂКЂКh ?Dh*sЋhнy@h~H h~w=hщ{ОhD`|hNY1hШLKh9wd hяУh@sЎhчNN hяУh:*жh@sЎh‰<ђhtЁh s hЈоhЧ%ІhGi‰hЄxHh PІ@. 0 ‰ Š Ы Ь ъыJKџІЩЪ§§§§јѓѓѓѓѓѓюющщщщщщсйщддgd[drdрgdм=0dрgdP{НgdPюgdg( gdDVgdtЁ#ўCYaƒ›ЙЛнп0:[ HЊГОЦвшяљ†œ ЎСЧл;NOх%e‚‘“жdлї ЇЋгюљ#'k…’ЂшьіќјєэєэєэєэєэєэщхсхкхщкщжщкжјжвжвкЮкЮкщхщхЪхЦхЦхТхЛТЪЗЪТГвТвЪГЪЗЪсјГјГвhЌqhvі hяУh[drh=whЊчhя*;h-,bh[drhщ{О hяУhg( hм=0hPюhg( hяУhћ]khDVh ?Dh~w=FіTmОIK§ўџЅІжр049>J[uКKc‹гч€ШЩЪтює#ќјєј№ьтквЪТОКЖКОКОКЖКЖОЖКЖВЋВЋВЇ Ї™ј•‘•‘јhМhxЕ hPюh[dr hуWйhBs/hBs/ hуWйh,;8hjGИh,;8h›i€h№?Mhм=0h№?M6h hМЉ6h hм=06h hP{Н6hм=0hP{Н6]hP{Нh”gеhя*;h[drhРт) !"#њњњњњњњњњњњњњњњјgd[dr,1hА‚. АЦA!А"А# $ %ААФАФ Ф†œ@@ёџ@ NormalCJ_HaJmH sH tH DA@ђџЁD Default Paragraph FontRi@ѓџГR  Table Normalі4ж l4жaі (k@єџС(No List#,џџџџ.0‰ŠЫЬ   ъыJKџІЩЪ !"%˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€Щ%š@0€€о^ 00і###тф%ЭЯKА%33 H „…ўўЅЅŸШЪ"%%;х:Ќqg( ~H М‰JŒ, s Bs/м=0NY1p1,;8‰t9я*;~w=нy@ ?DЄxHШLK№?MчNNDV- [-,b9wdћ]k[drClu=w­|D`|пT}›i€жO†Gi‰r}ŸtЁЧ%І PІМЉO2Њ*sЋ@sЎesАxЕjGИКНP{Нщ{ОBУ-Ц”gе:*жЈоРтЊчPю‰<ђvіџ@€TŽ  #№@џџUnknownџџџџџџџџџџџџG‡z €џTimes New Roman5€Symbol3& ‡z €џArial"qˆ№аhКbЪ%“Ь†# tЏ )tЏ )!№ ДД242ƒQ№HX)№џ?фџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџ PІ2џџSOCIAL WORK AND EMPOWERMENT**ўџр…ŸђљOhЋ‘+'Гй0x˜МШдрьќ  4 @ LX`hpфSOCIAL WORK AND EMPOWERMENT*Normal*35Microsoft Office Word@М,ьH@ldY,Щ@ОLR aЩtЏўџеЭеœ.“—+,љЎ0 hp|„Œ” œЄЌД М фф*) ц SOCIAL WORK AND EMPOWERMENT Title ўџџџўџџџ !"#$%&ўџџџ()*+,-.ўџџџ0123456ўџџџ§џџџ9ўџџџўџџџўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџRoot Entryџџџџџџџџ РF€ФиX aЩ;€Data џџџџџџџџџџџџ1TableџџџџWordDocumentџџџџ.,SummaryInformation(џџџџџџџџџџџџ'DocumentSummaryInformation8џџџџџџџџ/CompObjџџџџџџџџџџџџqџџџџџџџџџџџџўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџўџ џџџџ РFMicrosoft Office Word Document MSWordDocWord.Document.8є9Вq