SOCIAL ACTION GROUPWORK AS NEGOTIATION: CONTRADICTIONS IN THE PROCESS OF EMPOWERMENT

This paper is about the process and outcomes to date of a series of discussions between a social action mother and a social work lecturer in Belfast. The central theme of the paper is contradiction within practice committed to empowerment. It is an attempt to take our discussion and theorising further by bringing it to a wider audience. Our aim is to contribute to defining the nature of social action groupwork and to identify appropriate forms of support. Publisher’s note: We are now putting all back issues of Groupwork on line. Articles in this issue have been scanned to pdf files as viable original typesetting files no longer exist. Though they may not look it, these files are searchable. This issue was published nearly 30 years ago. We have stated author professional details as received at time of publication

THE BROTHERS AND SISTERS GROUP: A group for siblings of children with physical disabilities

The group was created for the brothers and sisters of the disabled child in a family. The idea came from a growing recognition of the fact that social work resources are usually directed to the family member with the disability. Often the needs of the brothers and sisters are overlooked, and in most cases they face high expectations from their parents. The plan for this particular group was also influenced by the fact that two of the group leaders had disabled members in their families. The group was designed to give the children something for themselves, which they could attend without their disabled brother or sister; something which was reliable and consistent. A play environment was created in which the child could play and talk in large and small groups. It was also an environment in which feelings —sometimes hidden feelings—could be acknowledged and responded to

‘NOWT TO DO AND ALWAYS GETTING INTO TROUBLE’ The Bullwell Neighbourhood Project: A Social Action Response

This paper describes am inter-disciplinary response to young people at risk of offending* and having difficulties, whether at school, home or with the law. The work undertaken involved Social Services, the Youth Service, Probation and two voluntary sector protects’. The young people concerned belonged to two neighbourhoods in the Bulwell area of the City of Nottingham. The work started in the summer of 1984 and ended in the spring of1988.The article discusses:i the background to the neighbourhood work: its origins, the proposal, and social action principles;ii the neighbourhood work undertaken: working with young people, their issues and concerns, and action taken;ii. implications for agency practice: inter-agency meetings and consequences. Publisher’s note: We are now putting all back issues of Groupwork on line. Articles in this issue have been scanned to pdf files as viable original typesetting files no longer exist. Though they may not look it, these files are searchable. This issue was published nearly 30 years ago. We have stated author professional details as received at time of publication

REVISITING OPEN GROUPS

Open groups represent a substantial part of the everyday practice of groupworkers, yet comparatively few contributions exist to conceptualise this form of groupwork. This paper reviews the literature on open groups and begins to identify the major themes. Several definitions and contexts are given as examples of open groups, and the question, ‘why do it this way?’ is explored. Open group process is discussed — group cohesion, and member entry and exit, feature as important elements. Based on these ideas, and with practice insights, a profile and a basic typology are presented and used to illustrate further understanding of open group structures and processes. The paper concludes with some hey questions for practice. Publisher’s note: We are now putting all back issues of Groupwork on line. Articles in this issue have been scanned to pdf files as viable original typesetting files no longer exist. Though they may not look it, these files are searchable. This issue was published nearly 30 years ago. We have stated author professional details as received at time of publication