Task-centred Practice

Abstract

Task-centred practice, also known as brief therapy, short-term or contract work has had a significant impact on both social work practice and the organisation of services. As the various names suggest, it is focused work which is time-limited and offers approaches to problem-solving which take into account the needs of individuals to bring about change in their situations, and the requirements of agencies that work is targeted and effective. As we will see in the account of the development of the method, its introduction challenged some of the principles of casework. In doing this it recognised that the person with the problems also had the means to resolve them, and that social work intervention should become more of a partnership. In this way task-centred casework can be seen to be at the beginning of attempts to empower users of social work services. It offers an optimistic approach which moves the focus away from the person as the problem, to practical and positive ways of dealing with difficult situations.