Social Work in a Digital Age: Ethical and Risk Management Challenges

Abstract Risk management and empowerment have become key features of social work practice. Despite their increasing salience, relatively little is known about the perspectives of mental health social workers regarding how they navigate competing risk management approaches in modern practice that supports empowerment. The socio-cultural influences on risk management have also received insufficient attention in social work research. Focusing on these issues, this paper explored the perspectives of social workers in two geographically and culturally distinctive settings (i.e., Hong Kong and Sydney). Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with frontline social workers and were analysed using thematic analysis. Similar views were expressed by participants in both settings regarding assessment of clients’ readiness for risk-taking. Differences were identified in their practices of negotiating the perspectives of other key stakeholders and can be attributed to the influences of distinctive cultural and socio-political contexts. These insights may contribute to the development of more systematic, localised and practice-based risk assessment guidelines for mental health practitioners working towards the empowerment of clients.

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Documentation in Social Work: Evolving Ethical and Risk-Management Standards

Social Work ◽

10.1093/sw/50.4.325 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 50 (4) ◽

pp. 325-334 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

F. G. Reamer

Keyword(s):

Risk Management ◽

Social Work ◽

Management Standards

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Risk Management and Ethical Issues in Social Work

10.15405/epsbs.2016.09.2 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Kuralay Abisheva ◽

Leila Assylbekova

Keyword(s):

Risk Management ◽

Social Work ◽

Ethical Issues

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The importance of social work roles in disaster risk management in Zimbabwe

Technium Social Sciences Journal ◽

10.47577/tssj.v27i1.5554 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 27 ◽

pp. 717-726

Author(s):

Dickson Machimbidza ◽

Louis Nyahunda ◽

Jabulani C. Makhubele

Keyword(s):

Risk Management ◽

Social Work ◽

Social Workers ◽

Disaster Response ◽

Qualitative Methodology ◽

Social Protection ◽

Disaster Risk ◽

Disaster Risk Management ◽

Work Roles ◽

Social Work Roles

This study was aimed at exploring the efficacy of social work roles in disaster risk management in Zimbabwe in the face of climatic changes. It was carried out in Binga district, Matebeleland-North province using the qualitative methodology and a case study design. The study sample was comprised of 8 practicing social workers. Snowballing and purposive sampling techniques were used to select these participants. Data were collected through in-depth interviews using an interview guide. Thematic content analysis was employed to analyze the collected data. It was found that social workers play essential roles before, during and after disasters. On disaster preparedness, it was established that social workers assume roles of educators, community workers and disaster planners. Moreover, it was found that they play the roles of case managers, administrators of social protection and counselors during the disaster response phase of disaster risk management. Subsequently they also act as advocates, development facilitators as well as monitoring and evaluation personnel in the disaster recovery phase. As per the findings, the study recommends that social workers be recognized as essential in disaster risk management at both policy and practice level. Further, there is need to enhance social work training education for flexibility and contextual application of social work knowledge in the field of disaster risk management for quality realization of green social work in Zimbabwe.

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