Social work training or social work education? An approach to curriculum design

Population ageing, economic circumstances, and human behaviour are placing social welfare systems under great strain. In England extensive reform of the social work profession is taking place. Training curricula are being redesigned in the context of new standards of competence for social workers – the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF). Students must be equipped on qualifying to address an extensive range of human problems, presenting major challenges to educators. Critical theory suggests an approach to tackle one such challenge – selecting the essential content required for areas of particular practice. Teaching on social work with older people is used to illustrate this. Habermas’ theory of cognitive interests highlights the different professional roles served by the social work knowledge base - instrumental, interpretive, and emancipatory. Howe’s application of sociological theory distinguished four social work roles corresponding to these. It is suggested that curriculum design decisions must enable practitioners to operate in each. When preparing students to work with older people, educators therefore need to include interpretive and emancipatory perspectives, and not construct social work purely as an instrumental response to problems older people present. This approach provides one useful rationale for curriculum design decisions, which is applicable to other areas of practice, and to contexts outside England

Out-of-school lives of physically disabled children and young people in the United Kingdom: A qualitative literature review

Currently there appears to be few opportunities and little evidence of physically disabled children and young people (C&YP) participating in mainstream social activities. A qualitative review was undertaken to examine the factors affecting physically disabled C&YP (8–15 years) in the United Kingdom participating in out-of-school activities. Views and experiences were explored from the perspective of the service users and providers to assess current provision and to determine the need for future research into factors that may affect participation. Searches were conducted across eight databases, the references of the included studies were checked and the websites were searched. Studies that used a qualitative design that examined the views relating to out-of-school activities were included. Nine papers were identified, which included three peer-reviewed papers and six pieces of grey literature and pertinent government documents to include views and experiences of out-of-school activity provision. The main themes emerging from the review were the need for social inclusion, out-of-school activities run by volunteers and accessibility, with threads throughout, which require further research including parental influence, provision, training and attitudes. This review highlights the absence of the service user’s voice and sheds light on the limited provision and barriers affecting participation in out-of-school activities

Towards Age-Friendly Work in Europe: A Life-Course Perspective on Work and Ageing from EU Agencies

[Excerpt] The European population is ageing owing to decreasing birth rates and increasing longevity. Population ageing is associated with a decrease in the size and ageing of the workforce. The majority of the EU Member States have reacted to this development by, among other measures, increasing retirement ages and limiting early access to pensions. Nevertheless, a large percentage of workers in the EU do not stay in employment until the official retirement age. The reasons for this are diverse, and will be examined in more detail in this report. Policy-makers are faced with the challenge of addressing this demographic change and its implications for employment, working conditions, living standards and the sustainability of welfare states. The working conditions of older workers and their participation in the labour market are affected by various policy areas (see also Table 1). This report aims to outline various aspects of the working conditions of the ageing workforce and related policies

AICPA Work/Life and Women\u27s Initiatives 2004 Research

https://egrove.olemiss.edu/aicpa_assoc/1420/thumbnail.jp

Performance Audit of Nevada’s Child Welfare System Final Report for the Legislative Counsel Bureau Audit Division Pursuant to A.B. 629

Assembly Bill 629 of the 2007 Nevada Legislature mandated that a performance audit of Nevada’s child welfare agencies be conducted. This legislation was passed in response to documented concerns regarding the appropriate provision of services by the agencies, including inconsistent data and multiple safety issues. The UNLV Research Team comprised of staff from the Nevada Institute for Children’s Research and Policy, the School of Social Work and the William S. Boyd School of Law was hired by the state to conduct the audit. The purpose of the findings and recommendations of this audit are to assist in improving the Nevada child welfare system. Pursuant to A.B. 629, this study includes multiple components, including, but not limited to: Random, unannounced site visits to the agency offices to review open and closed cases. This review included the Unified Nevada Information Technology for Youth (UNITY) and paper files concerning children reported as neglected or abused. Interviews with child welfare agency supervisors and/or managers, and agency administrators. Focus groups with direct practice workers from all three jurisdictions to gleaninformation regarding barriers and suggestions for improvement. Review of each region’s policies and procedures to determine whether they adhere to applicable state and federal regulations. Review of recommendations from various independent reports to ascertain whether the recommendations were successfully incorporated into practice. Law and policy analysis, including a review of each agencies’ policies and procedures

2007 New York Census: The State of Women Business Leaders in New York State

[excerpt] The glass ceiling still looms over women executives across New York, a new Cornell study shows. Women may represent nearly half of New York\u27s workers but they comprise less than 15 percent of the total board director and executive officer positions in the 100 largest public companies headquartered in the state. That\u27s according to the first annual report on women leaders in New York published by the Women\u27s Executive Circle of New York (WECNY) in partnership with the Institute for Women and Work in Cornell\u27s ILR School

Older people maintaining mental health well-being through resilience : an appreciative inquiry study in four countries

Aim. To explore the experience and strategies of mental health well-being through resilience in older people across the four participating countries. Background. While there is increasing evidence of the way older people maintain physical well-being, there has not been the same emphasis when examining the ways in which older people enhance their resilience and so promote mental health well-being. Design. An Appreciative Inquiry approach was used. Method. A convenience sample of 58 people over the age of 65 years from Australia, UK, Germany, and South Africa were interviewed. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results. Participants described their experiences of mental health well-being in relation to: social isolation and loneliness; social worth; self-determination; and security. Strategies utilised include promoting resilience by maintaining community connections and relationships, keeping active, and emotional, practical and spiritual coping. Conclusion. The findings highlight the importance of maintaining mental health well-being through resilience. Although there were some variations between countries, these strategies for maintaining well-being transcended culture and nation. Relevance to clinical practice. Listening to older people through research such as the current study will help to determine what help is needed and how healthcare and policy makers can assist

Promoting your talent : a guidebook for women and their firms : new information for women in business and industry

https://egrove.olemiss.edu/aicpa_guides/1308/thumbnail.jp

The Work of the American Law Institute

An address delivered before the Indiana State Bar Association at Indianapolis, January 19, 1934. NOTE: Issue incorrectly labeled as January 1934, actually February 1934