A strengths perspective on supervision of social workers within a social development context : a best practice vignette
Date
2013-11
Authors
Engelbrecht, Lambert K.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Whiting & Birch Ltd
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Th e emergence of new public management measures as an operationalisation
of neoliberal ideas is evident in various social work contexts all over the
world. Consequential changes in conditions of service delivery, control and
accountability create an infusion of supervision mechanisms for bureaucratic
standardisation in social service delivery; and have the potential to exchange
the traditional client-practitioner relationship for marketisation, resulting in
a buyer-seller relationship (Bradley et al, 2010; Hughes and Wearing, 2007).
Indeed, this growing global discourse has an immense impact on management
and leadership practices in social work as welfare organisations and social
workers are subjected to ever increasing performance pressures, exacerbated
by a dominant defi cit-based work orientation (Engelbrecht, 2010). Th ese
stressors, coupled in many instances with a traditional Western paternalistic
and imperialist male worldview of social work supervision (O’Donoghue,
2002) as imbedded in the management and leadership models employed at
social welfare organisations, need to be addressed by a critical theory beyond
a defi cits approach as an interpretative framework.
Description
Please cite as follows:
Engelbrecht, L. K. 2013. A strengths perspective on supervision of social workers within a social development context : a best practice vignette in Lawler, J. & Hafford-Letchfield, T. (eds). Perspectives on management and leadership in social work. Whiting & Birch Ltd. 67-81.
Engelbrecht, L. K. 2013. A strengths perspective on supervision of social workers within a social development context : a best practice vignette in Lawler, J. & Hafford-Letchfield, T. (eds). Perspectives on management and leadership in social work. Whiting & Birch Ltd. 67-81.
Keywords
Social work administration -- South Africa, Social workers -- Supervision of -- South Africa, Social service -- South Africa
Citation
Engelbrecht, L. K. 2013. A strengths perspective on supervision of social workers within a social development context : a best practice vignette in Lawler, J. & Hafford-Letchfield, T. (eds). Perspectives on management and leadership in social work. Whiting & Birch Ltd. 67-81.