Dr. Ana M. Sobočan Istanbul, 18.4.2013 Uncertainties in social work practice: a challenge or an incentive for ethical practice?

Dr. Ana M. SobočanIstanbul, 18.4.2013

Uncertainties in social work practice: a challenge or an incentive for ethical practice?

• Does dealing with uncertainties lead to ethical expertise?

• Research about ethical decision making (with social workers in Slovenia) – theories ‘produced’ by social workers

• Uncertainties in social work practice of a set of Slovenian social workers: procedural uncertainties, professional uncertainties, personal uncertainties, situational uncertainties

Uncertainties in SW: CONTEXT

• Exclusive use of legislation / laws

• Relocating responsibility

• Sharing responsibility / involving authorities

• Negotiations with other professionals

• Appropriating the law / creative use of legislation

• Advocating for change / implementation of change

Procedural uncertainties

• Sticking with the routine

• Sticking to the limits of the profession

• Strengthening the professional identity

• ‘Just in case’ scenarios

• ‘You know what you are doing’ approach

• Using the existing networks

• Seeking allies

Professional uncertainties

• Questioning own practice

• Long-life learning and trainings

• Seeking help, supervision and consulting with others

• Care of self

• Dealing with ‘Have I really done everything?’

Personal uncertainties

A dump-bin for anything that cannot be explained or controlled:

• Professional and other shortcomings or errors are explained with phenomena such as ‘coincidence’, lack of knowledge, bad luck …

• Advantage is automatically (without consideration) given to short-term solutions over long-term, ‘care’ over ‘justice’, loyalty over truth, individual over community etc.

Situational uncertainties

Burning issues:

• What is the most ethical choice ? / What is the most justifiable choice?

• Relationships with service users as a source of certainty, source of gratification, source of a feeling of professionalism

Dealing with uncertainties

• Engaging with uncertainties as a necessary element of ethical practice

• Moving from starting with a question‘what can be done’ to the question ‘what should be done’

Dealing with uncertainties

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Thank you!