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Many people who work in social care or who are students on a social work or social care degree can be intimidated by the word ‘theory’. This immediately inhibits the person from learning about theory. One of our tasks, at Kirwin Maclean Associates Limited, is to enable staff working in social care or students working on their social work or social care degree to have the opportunity to learn about theory, with the information presented in an accessible manner.
If you are working on your Health and Social Care SVQ or NVQ (Level 2, 3 or 4) (whether you work with adults or children) or you are studying for a social work or social care degree then our books can aid your learning.
The intention of our two volume series (with each book costing only £10) is to demystify some of the language that has built up around theories that are used in social care or social work.
It is really important that staff and students get to understand theory and can apply it in social care and social work. Theory in social care and social work is about you, me and us. It is about how we relate to others. It is really important that theory is not seen as the preserve of academics or senior social workers.
Through understanding and applying theory our work with service users can become far more effective and person centred.
In ordinary life we learn to become emotionally ‘defended’. We learn a range of social rules and social skills that means that when we are asked how we are we are likely to answer ‘Fine.’ We may give this answer regardless of what our weekend has just been like, how our relationships are or what our financial situation is. We learn to conceal most of the emotional turmoil we carry for the sake of smooth social relationships.
In social care and social work many of the people we work with have experienced rejection or losses in their life such that their coping skills have been overwhelmed, their defences are down. Service users may well be emotionally vulnerable and exposed. In this situation their responses are often far more honest. But this emotional honesty can appear surprising, even shocking. After all how should you react if a young woman tells you that she has just been cutting her forearms when she last went to the toilet?
It is at these times that having an understanding of theory can be vital to enable us to have some insight into why a person is reacting the way they are, to be able to ‘carry’ them (in some way), and possibly to support them see how they can understand what has happened to them or to see what options may be available to them. By having a knowledge of theory we should become better workers since we will be able to provide better support or care to a service user.
It is very likely that most social care workers and most social work student on placement are applying theory every day. However they may not realise it, and they may not be able to describe the theory or name it. For this reason, and others, our books can be one of the stepping stones that enable social; care staff and social work students to develop their practice. Our books on theory can support social care staff and social work students to start to understand and apply theory to their work. All this is expressed in a manner that makes it clear we must be realistic and pragmatic. No theory provides the answers to everything.
Whenever you are considering theory, we would urge you to:
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recognise that no single theory can explain everything: When a person engages in an action (or inaction) the reason for their behaviour can be rooted in a range of causes or motives.
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related to the first point, recognise that some theoretical approaches just don’t work with some people. Applying Brief Solution Focussed Therapy can be really effective with some people. For other people, it leaves them cold.
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take a critical approach to theory. If it doesn’t “work”, why not? Can you adapt aspects such that it is helpful?
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always apply the value base to theory – much of the theory used in social care and social work is drawn from outside of social care or social work practice. Theory may have its roots in education, psychology or management. As such, it may not incorporate social care or social work values and you should take responsibility for applying these
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and finally, never be intimidated by theory. You use it every day.
There are two volumes in the series ‘A Handbook of Theory in Social Care’. Volume One gives an introduction to a number of theories and is particularly relevant for social care staff working on their health and Social Care SVQ or NVQ levels 2 and 3. It is also useful for social work students who have had very limited experience of social care or social work.
Volume Two gives the reader an understanding of the more complex theories, models or perspectives in social care or social work. There is therefore only limited overlap with Volume One. Volume Two is particularly suitable for students studying for a social work or social care degree or for staff working towards their SVQ or NVQ in Health and Social Care Level 4.
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