Practice Framework & Theories

Practice Framework & Theories

Values Theories Practice
Accountability Using theory within the politics of our daily practice to offer accountability to clients, government, funding bodies, colleagues and the community.
  • Honesty
  • Integrity
  • Ethical practice
Self-determination Strengths Based Practice
The strengths perspective focuses on the clients assets-talents, abilities, and competencies; an appreciation of and respect for the assets of individuals, families, and communities. Mobilise a clients’ strengths in the service of achieving their goals and the clients will have a better quality of life on their terms (Saleeby, 1996)
  • Emphasise relationship, safety and trust
  • Encourage young people to tell their stories
  • Discovering strengths and encourage growth
  • Facilitate Choice
Celebrating Diversity Social Justice
The basic principles of social justice are:

  • Participation – expanded opportunities for real participation in the decisions which govern a clients life
  • Equity – overcoming unfairness caused by unequal access to economic resources and power
  • Access – greater equality of access to goods and services
  • Rights – equal effective legal, industrial and political rights

 
Social justice is about equality and fairness between human beings. We advance social justice when we remove barriers that people face because of gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture or disability (United Nations).

  • Advocacy and enabling young people to be empowered
  • Encourage participation
  • Enable access to the community and its resources
Fairness and Equity Structural Theory
Structural social work is concerned with all forms of oppression and works to:

  • promote community and equality,
  • favouring social over economic goals, and seeks an equitable distribution of society’s resources,
  • a participatory democracy and self-determination in government and non-government organisation,
  • seeks to work in a way that treats people with respect, enhances dignity and integrity, enables clients to be self-determining, accepts difference and promotes social justice (Mullaly, 2003)
  • Highlight and challenge structural disadvantage
  • Work across sector systems to influence positive change
  • Take opportunities to educate others about young people’s realities.
Working Collaboratively Reflective Practice
Reflective practice uses a structured system for thinking things through either during and/or after an event, to improve future practice. RP can be developed by:

  • Reflection to achieve specific objectives, such as fitting in with agency practices and policies,
  • Reflection on the relationship between principles and practice, the area where practice theory becomes integrated into practice,
  • Reflection to incorporate ethical and political concerns (Goodman, 1984)
  • Individual and team focus on continuous learning and development
  • Supervision, Training and Conferences
  • Individual responsibility for critical reflection on practice
Embracing Change Ecological / Systems Theory
Recognises that systems interact with each other in complex ways and can impact behaviour. Assisting people to increase their personal and social resources to enable better coping strategies. A focus on being sensitive to diversity, ethical and empowering, using a partnership between worker and client that reduces power indifferences and promotes shared agreements. (Payne, 2005)
  • Enquire about a young person’s relationships, connections, interests and experiences – building a holistic picture of a young person’s life
  • Focus on holistic well being
  • Modelling, educating and encouraging healthy relationships
  • Acknowledging impacts of previous relationships and experiences