Social Work Case Analysis: Family Challenges in Ruralville

This report analyzes a social work case study focusing on a family's struggles in a drought-affected rural community. The case involves George, Mary, and their two children, who recently moved to Ruralville seeking a better life. The report highlights the challenges faced by the family, including economic hardship, social exclusion, potential child emotional abuse, and community tensions between locals and newcomers. It examines the values, assumptions, and ethical considerations relevant to social work practice, such as the importance of family, land, and education within the community. The analysis identifies key challenges like discrimination, social exclusion, and the impact of drought on the family's well-being. A theoretical framework is proposed to support the family, focusing on child welfare and the need for intervention. The report also discusses the importance of gathering additional information to fully understand the situation and highlights personal experiences related to family dynamics and cultural differences. It emphasizes the need to balance power relationships within the family and community, providing insights for social workers to address the complex issues presented in the case.

Running head: SOCIAL WORK 1
Social Work
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation

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Case Summary
In the stated case, it is evident that the community is suffering due to the many years of
drought. The drought has negatively impacted the local economy, the morale, as well as the
overall well-being of the community. The locals, or rather the more established people, have
started experiencing tensions due to the new arrivals. A section of the locals believes that the
newcomers are unemployed people who depend on government support and thus are only
destined to destroy the town. At the same time, George, along with his wife Mary and two
children named Tom and Anna, have just arrived in the town. Tom, aged 7 and in year 1, and
Anna, aged 8 and in year 2, have recently been enrolled in a nearby primary school. The Home
School Liaison Officer (HSLO) has also conducted a mandatory reporter guide and outlined
several observations. First, the report notes that the family arrived at Ruralville, from Melbourne,
to seek a better and affordable lifestyle. Second, George, the father of the two children, was 27
years old and of Greek Heritage. Third, the arrival of Anne and Tom was not planned. Fifth, the
family sought transfer to a local rented public housing probably due to the prevailing drought.
The HSLO’s report also indicated that Mary was often nervous especially when picking
children from school and even avoided contact with other parents and staff. In some cases, the
children missed school, but when present, they seemingly enjoyed the routine and this proved
that they were ready to learn. Besides this, the children did not always bring all the required
materials to school including lunch, and when asked, they would either imply that their mother
was sick or had hurt herself. Additional information from the case study is that a parent
representative had visited the home of the family and found the yard in a mess. Also, Mary
appeared nervous and did not want to open the door. The representative also heard George

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yelling in the background and this was a clear indicator that Mary was living in an abusive
marriage. The parent representative left with a notion that such people never join or help.
Values, Assumptions and Ethical Considerations of the Case
Social workers are assisted by a set of guidelines when making decisions. They have to
serve the interest of their clients even if such decisions may contradict what they do in their real
life (McMahon & Camberis, 2017). As a result, such decisions are hard to make given that two
guiding principles may conflict (Reisch & Jani, 2012). As such, there is a notable conflict when
dealing with George’s family and the community. The Aboriginal people place great importance
on the family as it defines how the child will connect with the environment (Healy, 2012).
Certainly, the problems that the children were experiencing had emanated from the family since
the parents were not concerned about school activities. The people in the region also value their
land and this could be the main reason why they fear that an influx of people into the town would
destroy the economy. Additionally, education is of great importance in the community and in the
event where a child misses classes or is inactive, a class parent representative is sent to their
homes to check on the situation.
Identified Challenges and Concerns
The community, in this case, is dealing with the hardships that come along with years of
drought. There is a drop in property value, and as a result, new people have streamed in the
community looking for cheaper accommodation and “tree changes”. The local economy is
deteriorating, the morale of the people is dropping, and the overall well-being of the community
is somewhat poor. Due to the notable scarcity of resources, the people are beginning to become

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bothered by the influx of people into the town. The locals even go to the extent of describing the
newcomers as ‘doles’ bludgers, or in other words, jobless people who solely depend on
government support. Another challenge that is evident from the case study is discrimination. The
parent representative, for instance, portrays discrimination in saying that “those types never join,
or help, anyway.” This statement was probably triggered by the fact that George was of Greek
heritage and also did not want his children to get engaged in Aboriginal activities. Adams (2011)
notes that rights of children are often talked about but rarely granted. The law does not
continuously offer children the right to express their desires (Sue, Rasheed & Rasheed, 2015).
This fact is evident from the case noting that the children fail to go to school with the required
materials, including lunch. When asked, the children say that their mother was either not feeling
well or had hurt herself. It is, hence, true to conclude that Mary was in an abusive marriage
considering that even the representative had noted George’s yelling voice. Additionally, the
family is suffering from social exclusion as Mary rarely interacts with other parents and staff
from the school. Adams (2011) describes social exclusion as an umbrella term denoting multiple
factors which include abuse and neglect, poverty, family breakdown, poor performance at
school, and lack of family support.
A Theoretical Framework to support the work of the Family
In this case, when dealing with the children, it is appropriate to adopt and mobilize skills,
knowledge, and resources to create a community where each child reaps the benefits of a safe,
permanent and caring family (Turner, 2017). Also, there should be efforts aimed at providing
alternative or additional care when need be. Child abuse may take many forms among them
emotional, physical or sexual. In this case, it is true to say that the children were undergoing

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emotional abuse since there is no evidence of sexual or physical abuse. In some cases, they
witnessed their abusive father harassing their mother and often went to school without food.
George’s family moved to Melbourne as George had secured employment with a large
construction company, but the onset of the drought rendered him unemployed. Additionally, the
children were denied the right to interact with other children during the aboriginal activities. The
HSLO noted that upon the enrollment of the children in the school, Mary had characterized the
children as Aboriginal. However, when the Aboriginal liaison educator contacted the family,
George dismissed the earlier assertion and categorically stated that the children were not to
engage in any Aboriginal-related activities at the school. This was an attempt to deny the
children their right. George ought to know that interacting with other cultures is essential for
knowledge purposes and will also ensure that the children live a healthy and beneficial life
(Bullis, 2013). In case of unemployment, as seen in George’s case, all the relevant government
agencies should be prompt in addressing the issue and providing an employment chance for the
family. Besides this, the family needs some counseling considering that there is a probability that
Mary is suffering from abuse.
Additional Information
In a review of the case study, there is additional information that I would need to know.
For instance, the case outlines that the nation experienced many years of drought; it is not clear
why the Australian government never bothered to intervene on the challenge. Drought impacts
the local and international economy and I would like to know what effort the citizens put to
eradicate the issue. The locals in any area should receive new arrivals happily which is not as
stated in the case study (Parker & Wang, 2013). Moreover, I would like to know if there were

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other social challenges experienced which caused such an attitude among people. I would also
like to know why the children were not allowed to participate in aboriginal-related activities in
school. This is because the aboriginal activities are intended to strengthen the communities by
uniting them (Jones, Burke & Westman, 2013). More information should be provided to explain
why the parents seemed ignorant in regard to their children education (Wattis, Standing &
Yerkes, 2013). From the case study, it is evident that child failed to go to school as a result of
their parents’ failure. Finally, I would like to know why women such as Mary subjected
themselves in abusive marriages. Clearly, men from this community lacked respect for women as
they are always yelling when they can talk and solve marriage problems.
Why the Additional Information was Helpful
The additional information would have been helpful when undertaking assessment
through various ways. In some cases, assessments may be ignored and assumed to be time-
consuming due to the incomplete information (Clark, 2015). However, the additional information
would help in making informed planning. Also, it can help in understanding the government and
parents’ obligations as they seem to have failed in various situations (Eekelaar, 2017). Moreover,
the additional information will assist in understanding the competence levels of the children in
the community (Moos, 2013). In my assessment, I will reflect and understand the adequacy of
resource provision. This is because the case study outlines several challenges which uncover
inadequacy of resources. In addition, the information would also help in understanding the need
for information sharing (Strong & Cohen, 2013). For instance, the community members seem not
to understand their roles in society as they are not welcoming to the new arrivals. Also, women
should know their position in society to avoid staying in abusive marriages. Finally, the

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information would guide in conducting assessments among the community groups, children,
schools, staff, and other interactions (Epstein, Seron, Oglensky & Saute, 2014). Basically, the
additional information would help in eradicating the challenges experienced in the community.
Personal experiences in relation to the case
When solving family matters, it is advisable to get a starting point from a personal point
of view. Of course, when solving this case, I had to compare and contrast my personal
experiences of family life with those of George’s family. This type of contrast enabled me to
know the aspect that was missing in the family and the possible ways of filling the gap. The
children, for instance, missed school, but when present, they seemingly enjoyed the routine and
this proved that they were ready to learn. As such, it is evident that the children are more than
ready to execute their duties as learners. However, their parents are hindering them from their
cause as they are not giving them the needed attention. Therefore, to make the children more
fruitful at school, I had to consider my personal family life and determine what can be done to
solve the problem. Also, considering that the George and Mary are outsiders, I had to adopt other
ways of dealing with people from diverse cultures. Notably, what works in one culture might not
work in another (Morley, 2016).
Balancing the Power Relationships between Individuals and Family Members
While interpreting the case study, I balanced the power relationships existing between the
individuals and family members through various ways. These power relationships existing
between family members and individuals are a major source of stress to several people (Covey,
2013). It is not easy to achieve a balance which facilitates individual benefits and well-being.

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First, I clarified my values as they are considered worthwhile by guiding the individual actions
and life’s structure. Managing the family and individual relationships helps in fulfilling family
demands. As seen in the case study, these relationships are not well managed as parents seem to
fail in their obligations. I had to think deeply and carefully to balance the relationships to acquire
a great sense of individuals and family values. At the same time, values which differ from each
other should be considered (Paul & Elder, 2013). Moreover, setting goals as well as expectations
guided me towards balancing the power relationships and deciding on time usage. Also, I
managed my time and prioritized family and friends to balance on power relationships. Finally, I
managed power relationships through effective planning and communication. For instance, daily
schedules should be well-structured to ensure the individual and family needs are fulfilled.
Lessons from assignment
Certainly, this assignment has provided me with a chance to learn some new concepts
and interact with the reading materials. It was interesting to note that drought comes with
multiple challenges. As a result of the drought, the local people have become unwelcoming and
George has lost his job and become abusive to his wife and children. At times, parenting can be
difficult as seen from this case, and the challenges that are associated with family problems can
be painful (Briggs, 2016). Such problems, however, always have a solution and peace can be
restored. Restoring peace in times of requires systematic approaches that will be effective in
helping the cases of both the parents and the children. In addition to this, when dealing with
family-related issues, in particular, it is always wise to determine the root cause of their problems
as they will assist in solving the matter better. A poor comprehension of the matter at hand will
definitely lead to poor conclusions which will negatively impact the outcome.

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References
Adams, R. (Ed.). (2011).Working with children and families: knowledge and contexts for
practice. Palgrave Macmillan.
Briggs, L. (2016). Chapter 12: Collaborative assessment from a cross-cultural perspective. In J.
Maidment & R. Egan (Eds), Practice services in social work and welfare: More than just
common sense (3rd ed., pp. 179-195). Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin
Bullis, R. K. (2013). Spirituality in social work practice. Taylor & Francis.
Clark, R. M. (2015). Family life and school achievement: Why poor black children succeed or
fail. University of Chicago Press.
Covey, S. R. (2013). The 7 habits of highly effective people: Powerful lessons in personal
change. Simon and Schuster.
Eekelaar, J. (2017). Family law and personal life. Oxford University Press.
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