Abstract
Human rights are described as central to the social work profession. However, whilst principles of human rights are generally accepted as fundamental to social work, their application in specific practice settings is far more complex and the perspectives of social workers themselves are largely absent in the literature.
This research explored the perspectives of nine social workers in integrated mental health teams in a National Health Service (NHS) Trust in the north of England. Participants took part in semi-structured face-to-face interviews investigating the role of social workers in enacting rights-based social work in integrated mental health services, the issues they face and aspects of good practice. Participants identified rights-based approaches as inherent in their practice but lacked an adequate language to describe this work and confidence in using specific legislation. All described a lack of available training (post-qualification) and support, and the impact of a lack of both time and resources, in enacting rights-based work. The research suggests a need for further training in human rights, increased support for social workers in enacting rights-based work, and for a language of human rights to be more effectively embedded in organisations.
This research explored the perspectives of nine social workers in integrated mental health teams in a National Health Service (NHS) Trust in the north of England. Participants took part in semi-structured face-to-face interviews investigating the role of social workers in enacting rights-based social work in integrated mental health services, the issues they face and aspects of good practice. Participants identified rights-based approaches as inherent in their practice but lacked an adequate language to describe this work and confidence in using specific legislation. All described a lack of available training (post-qualification) and support, and the impact of a lack of both time and resources, in enacting rights-based work. The research suggests a need for further training in human rights, increased support for social workers in enacting rights-based work, and for a language of human rights to be more effectively embedded in organisations.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1398-1415 |
| Number of pages | 18 |
| Journal | British Journal of Social Work |
| Volume | 52 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Early online date | 24 Jun 2021 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Apr 2022 |
Bibliographical note
© The Author(s) 2021Keywords
- social work
- human rights
- mental health
- social work practice
- integrated setting