Developing Community Networks

Abstract

So far this book has focused on work with the vulnerable old person and his/her family in each situation. This chapter is about taking a wider view exploring ways of doing indirect social work to the benefit of later life families as a whole in a particular neighbourhood. That phrase ‘indirect social work’ is one adopted by the Barclay Report:

It is clear that social workers spend some of their time in work which is not directly related to the problem of a particular client, but which is intended to assist groups of citizens to deal with their own problems, to create networks in localities or amongst those with similar social or medical problems, to sponsor self help, and to support individual and group attempts to offer help to those with social problems (Barclay, 1982, p. 20).