Social Work: Organisation and Context

Abstract

Social work is a varied activity that takes place in an increasing number of different contexts. The organisation of its delivery in these different contexts is subject to central government directives as well as local negotiation. The organisation of social work delivery is a dynamic entity. The degree of reorganisations that social services have undergone in Britain can be understood as a sometimes dysfunctional way of attempting to manage too many imposed changes that have generated intolerable anxiety on both individuals within Social Services Departments or Social Services Departments as organisations (Brown and Pearce, 1992). If we are to talk about social work with lesbians and gay men, we must accept that what we say has to be contextualised in relation to the organisational setting at the point of delivery. For example, what might need to be considered if the setting were a child protection agency will differ from the considerations necessary in a probation hostel, which would be different again from those that would be relevant to a hospice. It will not be possible to examine every organisational context, but it is possible to address themes which may be relevant to all organisations, irrespective of their specific functions. These would include autonomous organisation versus integration, supervision, assessment, and service provision.