Tuesday, January 28, 2020

The Inter Professional Practice In Social Work Social Work Essay

The Inter Professional Practice In Social Work Social Work Essay This essay will outline and explain why inter professional collaborative practice in social work is important. It will also examine key factors that help or hinder effective inter professional collaborative practice. It will explain why it is important that professionals work together and effectively as a team and the consequences that can occur when professionals fail to collaborate successfully. There has been a great deal of political and professional pressures for the development of inter professional collaborative practice. From the late 1990s onwards there were vast amounts of official documents to promote the importance of collaborative working within the health and social care sector. The 1998 social services White Paper Modernising Social Services (DoH, 1998) and The NHS Plan (2000) devoted entire chapters to the subject. It has been argued that inter professional working has advanced further in relation to services for older people than it has in relation to children and families. The Green Paper Every Child Matters (DfES 2003) recognised this and one of the main elements of this paper focused that improved collaboration was required so as not to repeat the tragic events of the Victoria Climbie case (this case will be discussed in further detail later in the essay). Government recognition suggests that many social problems cannot be effectively addressed by any given organisation acting in isolation from others. That is, when professionals work together effectively they provide a better service to the complex needs of the most vulnerable people in society. Inter professional collaborative practice involves complex interactions between a range of different professionals and is when professionals work together as a team to reach mutually negotiated goals through agreed plans. It is a partnership that can be defined as a formal agreement between the different professions who agree to work together in pursuit of common goals. Collaborative is defined as putting that partnership into operation or into practice. It involves the different professions working together and using their own individual skills instead of working in opposite directions to meet the needs of particular service users. It is suggested that when social workers and other professions work collaboratively the service user gets a better deal. Willing participation (Henneman et al, 19 95, cited in Barrett et al, 2005, p.19) and a high level of motivation (Molyneux, 2001, cited in Barrett et al, p.19) have been stated as vital aspects of effective inter professional collaboration. Social workers have certain ethical obligations to society that they must follow and this comes in the form of The British Association of Social Work (BASW) Code of Ethics and the National Occupational Standards for social workers. The Code of Ethics follow five basic values, Human Dignity and Worth, Social Justice, Service to Humanity, Integrity and Competence whilst the National Occupational Standards outline the standards of conduct and practice to which all social workers should adhere to. Whilst working in collaboration with other professionals, social workers should follow these Codes and Standards to ensure that the best possible outcome is achieved for the service user. In the past inter professional collaborative practice has been difficult with many disadvantages and that this has caused problems between the different professions involved. This has in the past led to catastrophic tragedies as in the case of Victoria Climbie. Shared accountability is important for effective collaboration and all professionals should be accountable. Each profession should support one another, not be seen as self interested and that no one profession is higher than another. Some of the problems that can occur are when there is not a logical distribution of power. Unequal power distribution can be oppressive (Payne, 2000, cited in Barrett et al, 2005, p.23) and can limit participation for some group members. Struggles for power are rooted in professional tradition and social difference. It is believed by some critics of social work that social workers have often been located in settings where they were considered as subordinate to other more established professional g roups (Brewer and Lait, 1980, cited in Wilson et al, 2008, p.401). Traditionally there have been difficulties within the medical profession and Cooke et al, (2001, cited in Barrett et al, 2005, p.23) suggests that general practitioners felt threatened by a redistribution of power and had problems letting go of their traditionally held power base. Social work in the past has been described as a semi profession and similar to nursing and teaching and not comparable to the learned profession of medicine or law as it does not have the required features of those professions (Freidson 1994). Payne (2000 cited in Barrett et al, 2005, p.23) identifies this as peoples capacity to get what they want. Power in inter professional collaborative practice should be shared and distributed and no hierarchy of power should exist. If some professionals see themselves as more powerful than another they are not meeting the needs of the service user. Being territorial and not sharing information and know ledge has long been a problem in inter professional collaborative practice. Molyneux (2001, cited in Barrett et al, 2005, p20) found that professionals who were confident in their own role were able to work flexibly across professional boundaries without feeling jealous or threatened. Professional adulthood was an expression used by Laidler (1991, cited in Barratt et al, 2005, p.20) to describe professionals who were confident in their own role to share information and communicate effectively with other professionals. These professionals do not feel territorial about relinquishing their knowledge and understanding to further enhance good inter professional collaborative practice. Stapleton (1998, cited in Barrett et al, 2005, p.20) suggests that a combination of personal and professional confidence enables individuals to assert their own perspectives and challenge the viewpoints of others. Open and honest communication is a vital and probably one of the most important aspects of inter professional collaborative practice. It requires professionals to take into account each others views, be respectful, dignified and to listen to each other without being highly critical of one another. Constructive criticism needs to be undertaken alongside constructive suggestions and encouragement and should take place at a time when other professionals are receptive. Active listening is an important skill. To be able to recognise and respond to what is being communicated is a fundamental skill. Professionals working collaboratively should demonstrate this verbally and non-verbally to each other. This is greatly helped if all concerned put aside the typical stereotyping of each others professions in order to hear and listen to what the speaker is saying. Keeping good eye contact and having good body language is just as important. It is estimated that approximately two-thirds of communic ation is non-verbal, i.e. something is communicated through body language by a body movement, a posture, an inflection in the voice (Birdwhistell, 1970, cited in Wilson, 2008, p.297). A breakdown in communication and the lack of sharing of information between the professions in the past have been major failings in inter professional collaborative practice for example in high profile child protection inquiries and this has led to tragic consequences. Effective systems of communication and knowing what information should be shared are essential not just between the professions but also between the service users. Trust, mutual respect and support are key features to inter professional collaborative practice. Trust was highlighted by many professionals as one of the most important factors in successful collaboration. When trust is absent professionals may feel uncomfortable and insecure in their role and this in turn can lead to defensive behaviour to counteract their insecurities. Stapleton (1998, cited in Barratt et al, 2005, p.22) suggests that trust develops through repeated positive inter professional experience and develops gradually over a period of time. Trust cannot be gained overnight so it is important for professionals working collaboratively to give one another time for trust to develop. When professionals feel valued, they feel respected. This can be achieved by actively listening to each other and having an insight into one anothers professions. Conflict between the professions can have a huge impact on the different professionals and service users. Loxley (1997, cited in Barrett et al, 2005, p.24) suggests that conflict is interwoven with collaborative practice. To counteract some of the problems associated with conflict it may be beneficial to all concerned to form ground rules. These ground rules could go some way to prevent and help the management of conflict and could include; open discussion and the obligation to be able to give each other honest feedback. Most importantly these ground rules need to benefit all parties involved. A great deal of emphasis is placed on social workers to critically reflect their practice. It literally means that social workers reflect on their practice before, during and after, thinking through tasks carefully. Other professionals may not do this in line with social workers beliefs of critical reflection or in the same way or see that reflection on their own practice is an important aspect of successful inter professional collaborative practice. To illustrate the above points a practice example will now be explained. The inquiry into the death of ten year old Victoria Climbie highlights the disastrous consequences when communication in inter professional collaborative practice fails. This child death case was fraught with communication breakdowns across the range of professionals associated with the case. In Lord Lamings report (2003) he draws attention to and illustrates lack of communication as one of the key issues. Victoria Climbie was failed by a system that was put into place to protect her. Professionals failed in this protection by not communicating with each other or with Victoria herself. One of the criticisms in the Laming Report (2003) was that none of the professionals involved in the case spoke to Victoria about her life or how she was feeling and suggests that even basic service user involvement was absent. There was an opportunity which is highlighted in his report that a social worker missed an opportunity t o communicate with Victoria by deciding not to see or speak to her while she was in hospital. It could be argued that if basic levels of communication with Victoria herself had been implemented, then more could have been achieved to protect her. It was not only a lack of communication with Victoria herself but a lack of communication between the professions that were investigated in the Laming Report (2003). Communication is equally important between the service user and the different professional bodies. Professionals are less effective on their clients behalf if they cannot communicate precisely and persuasively. (Clark, 2000, cited in Trevithick, 2009, p.117). For successful inter professional collaborative practice to work a combination of personal and professional skills are required, together with competent communications skills to enable the different professions to challenge the views of others. Recommendation 37 of the Laming Report (2003) states The training of social work ers must equip them with the confidence to question the opinion of professionals in other agencies when conducting their own assessment of the needs of the child. On at least one occasion, this did not happen when a social worker did not challenge a medical statement which turned out to be professionally incorrect which in turn led to the tragic eventual death of Victoria. Had the social worker challenged the medical opinion in this instance then it could be argued that more efficient communication and less confusion in the case may have saved Victoria. Alan Milburn (Hansard 28 January 2003, column 740, cited in Wilson et al, 2008, p.474), the then Secretary of State commented when introducing the Children Bill in the Commons that Victoria needs services that worked together and that down the years inquiry after inquiry has called for better communication and better co-ordination. Communication lies at the heart of high quality and successful inter professional practice and Victoria is just one case of when there is a lack of communication between the professionals and the devastating consequences that can arise. In conclusion, successful inter professional collaborative practice has many elements and all these different elements require that the different professions adopt them. Although inter professional working practice has been around for many years and is not new, it still needs to be continued, developed and incorporated into the daily work of all professions. When health and social care professionals from different disciplines truly understand each others roles, responsibilities and challenges, the potential of inter professional collaborative practice could be fully realised and many of the barriers alleviated, giving a more successful outcome to the service user.

Monday, January 20, 2020

Borderline Personality Disorder Essay -- Psychology

Literature Review Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) can be described in simple terms as a condition in which sufferers experience long periods of emotional instability and troubled feelings about themselves and other people. These troubled feelings allow individuals to take impulsive measures and have trouble in their relationships (Bouchard, Sabourin, Lussier & Villeneuve, 2009). BPD basically comprises of unusual intensities of instability in mood and irrational thinking also referred to as splitting. Splitting in BPD involves a switch between negative perception of others and idealization (Sperry, 2003). This usually occurs along with irregular mood swings and can negatively impact on the existing relationships such as family, co-workers and friends (Abela, Skitch, Auerbach & Adams, 2005). This disorder manifests itself in a number of ways. Persons suffering from this disorder may demonstrate episodes of intense hatred and dislike and idealization in addition to chaotic personal and interperson al relationships (Bouchard, Sabourin, Lussier & Villeneuve, 2009). Sufferers may also be supportive of others and nurture them well hoping that these people will always be there for them and will satisfy all their demands. These people may also demonstrate unstable self-image, inappropriate behavior, and lack of self identity (Sperry, 2003). The sense of self of a person is usually totally impacted on. The psychological disturbance associated with this disorder, especially the one involving the sense of self of a person, may result in long episodes of dissociation (Ebner-Priemer et al. 2009). In the past, BPD was believed to be a set of symptoms between problems associated with mood and schizophrenia. These symptoms were believed... ...resulting in fear and arousal (Schmahl, Berne, Krause, Kleindienst, Valerius, Vermetten & Bohus, 2009). The work of dampening this arousal is carried out by the pre-frontal region of the brain. Brain imaging has revealed that personal differences in the capacity to activate areas of the prefrontal cerebral cortex, which is believed to activate inhibitory responses, predict the capacity to repress negative feelings (Williams Sidis, Gordon & Meares, 2006). Acetylcholine and norepinephrine in addition to serotonin are the main neurotransmitters in the circuit involved in the regulation of emotions. Imbalance of these neurotransmitters in conjunction with increased GABA activity is believed to have the capacity to result in intense mood swings similar to those of borderline personality disorder (Schmahl, Berne, Krause, Kleindienst, Valerius, Vermetten & Bohus, 2009).

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Who Is the Real Monster in Mary Shelley’s Novel, Frankenstein?

Essay: â€Å"Who is the real monster in Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein? † Mary Shelley’s objective was to write a novel about how important, or not appearances are. The saying â€Å"You can never judge a book by its cover†, is what Mary Shelley is trying to explain to the reader. The tree main characters have different ways of seeing life, but loneliness bonds them together. They’ve had unique and painful life experiences, but nothing can stop them from pursuing their goal. This book it starts of with Walton's journey, then Frankenstein’s story, then the monster's view and finally back to Walton's narrative.The purpose of this essay is to show who the real monster is. The first character is Robert Walton he is presented as a fearless captain of a crew. He is obsessed with the idea of finding another way to reach the North Pole. The following line can give you an idea about how determined and selfish he is, â€Å"I ordered us to wait one night longer, and took the chance to get some sleep†. He can also be bossy and companionate in the same time, for example in the next line â€Å"I told the man to wrap him in blankets and warm him by the ship’s stove†.Robert Walton wants to know more about Victor Frankenstein, he states: â€Å"When I asked if his studies had brought him to the frozen north, he looked at me with a deep sadness†. This shows that he can be compassionate too. Victor Frankenstein is the main character; he comes from Geneva, Switzerland. Since he was small he enjoyed discovering the unknown â€Å"I was more interested in nature than I was in people†. He was the biggest child in his family; he had 2 brothers and a half-sister.His passion of knowing was increasing every day â€Å"From that moment I was determined to find the answers to these questions, to discover the secrets of life†. Right before Frankenstein went to university his mother died â€Å"I was keen to go, but, just before I was to set out, my mother fell ill with a fever and died†. By going to university, after his mother’s death, show’s how selfish he is â€Å"In the end, of course, I had to leave†. Frankenstein had always been interested in science, but his interests developed more, once his mother died.Before going to university he promised Elizabeth, his half sister, that he will write to her â€Å"My dear Elizabeth clasped my hands and begged me to write, to write often, and I promised that I would†. But when he got to university he forgot his promise to Elizabeth. His arrogance leaded him to be such a good scientist â€Å"I smiled to hear this because I knew my understanding of science was not just the equal of theirs but far superior†. Now he wanted to learn more about dead bodies â€Å"I had to understand death and decay†. He regrets the fact that he continued with his research â€Å"Oh, Walton, if I had only stopped thereà ¢â‚¬ .His desire was to create life â€Å"I wanted to create a living being, a creature like myself but perfect and original†, he considered himself a God. Frankenstein also shows us how irresponsible he is, because he didn’t think about what will happen, or what will he do once he will create the monster. So he started working on the idea of creating life. The memory from his childhood â€Å"When the light was gone, the tree was left a blasted stump, smoking in the rain† affected him, now he was thinking about using electricity to create life â€Å"A flash of electricity like the one I’d seen destroy the tree†.When the creature gained life, Frankenstein gets scarred and ashamed of his creation â€Å"I felt a surge of triumph, but it lasted no more than an instant†. Frankenstein's description of the monster makes us think that he is horrific. ‘Black lips' and ‘watery eyes' are horrific Frankenstein's view. This description also portrays the monster in a bad way, although the monster has not done anything to be ‘evil' or ‘monstrous'. The only way he is monstrous is through Frankenstein's physical description. Frankenstein also uses rhetorical questions throughout the chapter.This gets the reader involved, but also reminds us that he is still telling his story to Walton. â€Å"But was I free? Could I ever be free while that dreadful thing was waiting for me in my work room? †. After his friend, Henry Clerval’s visit he realized that he was ill, when he went to check if the creature was still there he found out that â€Å"The monster had gone†. Frankenstein seems to have abandoned his creation, so this seems quite monstrous. On the other hand, the monster is certainly monstrous in appearance, though he has not done anything wrong at this point in the book.While Henry and Victor were having breakfast the terrible news of William’s death occurred and they left immediately . When he arrives at his home, and he realizes that the monster must have killed his brother, although he has no evidence â€Å"I had given life to the dreadful being that had killed my own brother†. However, Frankenstein says nothing in court, and lets his good family friend Justine hang. This adds to his monstrous behavior due to his cowardice. Frankenstein goes away to the Alps, and seeks comfort in nature, and to get away from the trouble at home, â€Å"From he first time in weeks I felt something like happiness in my heart†. Frankenstein is perhaps showing selfishness by leaving his family alone in these troubled times. This again, can make us question who the real monster is. But Frankenstein’s joy didn’t least. ‘Rage' and ‘horror' is how Frankenstein describes his emotions, and this shows how unexpected and scared he is. During this scene, Frankenstein also describes the monster in an ugly way, ‘vile demon’ and ‘devil '. Next, Frankenstein exaggerates by saying â€Å"You dare come to me after what you have done? †.The creature is just trying to talk to Frankenstein â€Å"Stay still and listen to me†. They blame each other for what happened and they both have strong arguments against each other. This starts to show who the real monster is, and how it could possibly be Frankenstein. At this point, Shelley has made us reconsider who is more monstrous and the person acting more monstrously is Frankenstein, due to his attitude towards the monster, and rejecting the monster's story, at first. At this point in the book, we are made to feel sorry for the monster, because he has been rejected.Also, the only description of the monster has come from Frankenstein. Since this is the case the creature may not look as bad as suggested. The monster then tells his story to Frankenstein. It begins with both Frankenstein and society rejecting the monster and he ends up running away, and living in a fo rest. Here he learns to read, because he continues listening to the poor family next door. The feeling of sadness gets worse after finding and reading Frankenstein’s diary. After analyzing ‘the happy family’‘s life he was hoping that he could ‘speak with them one day’.However, when he tries to talk the blind man, his family walk in, and ‘saves’ the old man from the ‘monster’. The monster was ‘born’ good, but the abandonment of his creator and of society has made him be who he is. This perhaps makes us feel sorrier for the monster, and also really makes us question who the real monster is. Because of his loneliness the creature begs Frankenstein to ‘make’ another creature, so he won’t be alone anymore. Firstly Frankenstein refused the creatures deal, but in the end he accepted. Frankenstein collected all the equipment he needed and retired on an island, where no one could find him.The mo nster watched every step of Frankenstein’s work, but in the end Frankenstein ‘began to destroy his new creation’ because ‘he refused to bring more misery into the world’. The monster was devastated and threatened Frankenstein, â€Å"I shall be with you on your wedding night! †. Frankenstein thought that the creature was going to ‘kill’ him, but sadly the ‘monster’ was referring to Elizabeth, the person Frankenstein cared the most. While he was going back to Geneva to ‘meet with Henry’, he found out that the creature killed someone again†¦ This time it was Henry, his best friend.On his wedding night Victor was shocked to find Elizabeth dead, â€Å"He was pointing at the lifeless form of Elizabeth, a grin twisted on his vile face†. But ‘the news of Elizabeth’s death was more than his poor father could bear. It broke his heart and he died’. Because of hatred towards his creato r, and society, he gets ‘corrupted' and kills many of Frankenstein's family. The creature regretted that â€Å"he had destroyed his greatest enemy, and his greatest friend, and all the hater I have left is for myself’.Frankenstein dies. Captain Walton learned a lesson. Within Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, all three characters show monstrous behavior. I believe that a monster is not recognized and defined only by its physical appearance. I believe that Frankenstein's creation is not the true monster in this novel. But neither are Frankenstein or Walton. In my opinion society is the real monster, because they â€Å"Judge a book by its cover†, in other words society cares just about someone’s looks and not about how they really are.

Friday, January 3, 2020

Thomas Hobbes Theory Of Natural Law - 1794 Words

For many years now, political philosophy has been dealing with ideas on how to make society more moral, unprejudiced and just. Within this concept is whether laws and rules created in society are moral and fair and how these can vary between human beings and traditions. Therefore the whole notion of Natural Law governing society has been reached from different conclusions, which in turn sees Thomas Hobbes’ social contract theory as opposing to St. Thomas Aquinas’ theory of natural law. Yet this does not change the fact that many Western democracies base their moral decision-making within Hobbes’ concept. (Kenney, 2005) The theory formulated by Hobbes, argued that the laws of nature are to be seen as divine law, in which all human beings are bound by these basic natural laws of self-preservation which directs them to the way of the good. (Murphy, 2011) Hobbes rejected the concept of higher law and argued that the citizens ought to accept the traditional laws and principles of their state even if they were oppressive in order to keep peace and security. (Kraynak, 1990) In contrast to this, St. Thomas Aquinas, who was heavily influenced by Aristotle’s ideas of ‘universal’ and ‘conventional’ law and expanded and developed them. (Vieru, 2010) His ideas centre his notion of natural law, with his knowledge of God. He bases his theory of natural law in the concept of an eternal law, which is in God. For Aquinas, law is an order of reason from God for all of the community. (SummaShow MoreRelatedEssay about Phi-286 Mod 3 Wa 1827 Words   |  4 PagesAssignment 1 Can you show how Jeffersons theory of revolution (found in its shortest form in the Declaration of Independence) follows from John Lockes theory of government? Could it follow from Hobbess theory of government? Under what circumstances? 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