Critical Analysis of Social Work Regulations and Governance

This report delves into the regulations and governance of social work practices in England and Wales, focusing on a case study involving an individual with mental health challenges. It provides a critical analysis of the legal frameworks, including the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, the Mental Capacity Act 2005, and the Equality Act 2010, along with relevant regulations in England. The report examines how these regulations impact the individual's access to services and potential discharge from care. Furthermore, the report applies a problem-based learning approach to address key controversies and challenges within social work practices, such as demanding workloads and the need for effective interventions. The report explores how problem-based learning can be used to enhance the skills of social workers and improve outcomes for vulnerable individuals by improving their problem solving abilities, communication skills, and critical thinking potential.

Report

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Demonstrating critical insight into regulation as well as governance of social work practice
within England along with Wales................................................................................................1
Application of critical analytical problem based learning approach to key controversies as well
as challenges with social work practices.....................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Society could be outlined to group of people which are involved within persistent social
interactions along with large social groups which shares same spatial territory (Levinson and
PARRISE Consortium, 2017). Likewise, social circumstances are said to set of concepts which
arises from and its influenced by practices concerned with social factors or environment of an
individual. It is crucial to understand social situations as factors related to society have adverse
impacts of outcomes of health particularly for vulnerable population. Social work practice
includes professional execution of social work techniques, values together with values towards
helping citizens to obtain tangible services, improving services, assisting communities,
participation in legislative procedures, etc.
The report is prepared on case study of Social Circumstances. It demonstrates critical
insight of regulation along with governance of social work practice within Wales as well as
England. Further, it apply critical analytical problem based learning approach for key
controversies addition to challenges in context to social work practices.
MAIN BODY
Demonstrating critical insight into regulation as well as governance of social work practice
within England along with Wales
Social work refers to a practice related profession as well as academic discipline which
encourages or promotes social change addition to development, empowerment, social cohesion
along with liberation of population. Social work practice is performed for helping families, group
of population and individual to deal with issues or challenges they are facing at the time of
improvising lives of patients (Natarajan, 2019). It is the potential of a person or company to
execute social roles in their own self or immediate social environment addition to society as
whole. As per the Case study, Liam has been sectioned on various occasions from its teen age.
The personality suffers anxiety, personality disorder as well as depression. Liam is regular user
of certain former legal highs including Black Mamba, alcohol and hence forth. The person faces
higher instability and accommodation since discovery of homosexuality by the family. Liam
have been spent at hospital till the Tribunal and First tier Tribunal has requested to give expert
opinion on provision that are available on Liam's possible discharge. In Wales and England,
1

there are certain regulations and governance about social work practices that can help Liam to
deal with Tribunal appeal.
Regulations and governance serves leading platform for having knowledge about
governing body by political scientist and others. The concept plays significant roles in social
work practices. It is crucial for practitioners or social worker of Liam to understand regulation
and governance so to comply with laws and advocating or promoting justice. In Wales, The Care
Council is responsible to regulate and maintain register for social care workers (Regulations and
governance of social work practices in Wales, 2019). The list of regulations and governance
related to social work practices in Wales are as demonstrated:
Social services and well being (Wales) Act, 2014: It is a Welsh law which aims to make
care as well as supports personal to needs of a person, helps them to live the life selected as well
as stay independent for longer. It changes the way social services operates across Wales and it
underpins regulations improve well being of a person who requires proper support (Hood,
Nilsson and Habibi, 2019). In case with Liam, adherence of the regulation b y the social worker
helps Liam to live the life that is elected by him.
Mental Capacity Act, 2005: The regulation provides a statutory framework for
empowering addition to protect vulnerable people that are facing issues in making their
decisions. The provisions makes things clear who can take decisions, in which circumstance and
the ways they must go for it. In context to Liam, the regulation is suitable for Liam as the
personality is suffering from anxiety, depression and many more because of which no decisions
are taken by him for taking actions on possible discharge. The aim of the regulation is to provide
a legal right to act and make decision on the behalf of an adult who lacks capacity for making
decisions.
Equality Act, 2010: It is legal governance of Wales that protect an individual from any
practices and accessing services (Hingley-Jones and Ruch, 2016). It prohibits any type of
discrimination and unfair treatment that are based on certain personal characteristics including
gender, race, religion and others. In aspect to social worker of Liam. Adherence of the
governance will protect Liam from discrimination on social supports on the basis of gender as
Liam is a homosexual person. With this law, the possibilities for discharge will improve.
2

In England, social work practices are regulated or governed by Health and Care
Professions Council. HCPC have regulated various laws through which social worker of Liam
achieve success on possible discharge. Some are as follows:
Empowerment and anti oppressive practice: It is the governance which provide rights
to a person for attaining welfare practices inclusively, in context to empowerment, it is degree of
autonomy along with self determination in population as well as in societies (Hyslop, 2018). At
same time, anti oppressive practice is termed to an interdisciplinary approach that is rooted with
social work practice which emphasises towards ending oppressions. The governance will enable
social worker of Liam or to Liam itself to represent their interest responsibly as well as in self
determined manner on his possible discharge from hospital. This assist people to gain control on
their personal lives.
Health and Social Care Act, 2012: The regulation is seen as complementary in
framework for individuals to take actions for their health within England at different levels. The
regulation cuts diverse number of health quangos and so on to assist in attaining commitment to
reduce administration costs by others (Carey, 2019). In relevance to social worker of Liam.
Adherence of the regulation will help on possible discharge and attaining required social care
services for his health. The act also empower a person facing health complexities, give them
greater voice addition to control on their self care.
With mentioned regulations and governance, Liam and his social worker will be able to
achieve possible discharge from the hospital due to present health related conditions.
Application of critical analytical problem based learning approach to key controversies as well as
challenges with social work practices
Problem based learning approach is a teaching method which uses by individuals in
convoluted real world for the purpose of promoting social learning and principles as they are
opposed to direct presentation (Danso, 2018). This is important for all to understand the problem
and bring the changes that can help to solve the problem and manage the all activities. Liam was
facing the problem from depression, anxiety and personality disorder that needs to adopt learning
approaches that can help to define the problem and bring the improvements accordingly. This is
important for all to bring the use of problem base learning as it is instructional approach which is
constructed for open-ended problem by getting the higher education. This can help to increase
3

the learnings and insights how to bring the changes and solve problem which are facing by
individual and group of people.
The learning encourages greater understanding and develop the skills for making higher
performance. Liam has lack of many formal qualification that is more important for running any
functions and managing the social work practices. Herein, learning approach helps to increase
the knowledge and understanding to solve the problem and issues which arises in social work
and make effective each activity (Moust, Bouhuijs and Schmidt, 2019). Students and group who
participate in problem based learning activities can improve their abilities, ideas through
discussion and make the things easier to remember. This also helps to engage students in all
activities and develop their understanding to provide the better services.
Social work practices is defined as professional application of social work like principles,
values and techniques which are important to consider in running a business and increase the
organisational performance (Azzopardi and McNeill, 2016). This is important as it increase the
value of people by doing social work, providing them healthy and safe life as well as fostering
the dignity for all people who are involved in social work practices. In relation to Liam case
study, different social practices are advocacy and community, health care, developmental
disabilities, mental health and clinical social work which are important to follow in managing all
activities and running the all functions effectively. This practices helps to keep the healthy the
person from metal problem which they are facing and also supports to operate all activities.
As a social worker many challenges faced in social work practices such as working with
vulnerable people, unpredictable schedule, closing the health gap, stopping family violence,
eradicate social isolation, creation of social response to changing environment and harness
technology for social that has created the problem in managing all social work (Faulkner and
Faulkner, 2018). For developing a social work there is need to have sounding people and
maintaining proper response between people which can help to manage the work and increase
the performance in changing environment. If people are mentally distressed and not using new
technology then it would create a challenge for individuals to face the social work problems.
Moreover, if there is gap between thoughts of people and having different ideas then also
become difficult for group of people to working collectively in maintaining social work.
As per Levinson and PARRISE Consortium (2017), it is critically analysed that one of
challenge faced on social work practice is demanding workloads. Problem based learning
4

approach uses practical health related cases as well as their real time aspects for understanding
various situations and devising suitable solutions. The approach creates a surrounding which
encourages involvement of an individual in practical manner and pushes them towards
participation in on going practices. In case with Liam, its social worker are facing the challenge
of demanding workloads as Liam is facing serious health related issues because of which the
social worker have to performing huge work so that the Liam achieve success in health issues.
Through self directed learning which is a problem based learning approach, social worker will
be able to gain required knowledge by their own and solves the complexity with disciplines. The
approach is widely used by people and is convenient for social worker of Liam to set the pace
along with stressing less on situations. However, the approach lack flexibility, limited
transformational power,no self discipline, difficulty in self learning, slow evolution and no
peripheral advantages.
CONCLUSION
From the report, it is concluded that social work practice includes various types of
activities and professional execution of aspects like social work values, principles, etc to assist
people obtaining required tangible services and improving their social health. Social
circumstances are set of thought which leads from or influenced via criteria connected with
social factors of an individual. There are multiple variety of regulations and governance that act
as expert opinion on provisions to an individual on possible discharge. The regulation and
governance includes Social services and well being (Wales) Act, 2014, Mental Capacity Act,
2005, Equality Act, 2010. Empowerment and anti oppressive practice, Health and Social Care
Act, 2012 and so on. Problem-based learning approach are the method wherein complex or
critical real world issues are taken as vehicle to promote learning concepts as well as principles
for health care. The approach provides practical insights for opportunities, challenges together
with benefits of making use of problem based learning within health and social care aspects.
There are certain challenges along with controversies associated with social work practices in
which problem based learning approach plays significant role. The approach develops problem
solving abilities, communication skills, critical thinking potentials and so on. Furthermore, it also
provides various opportunities to perform in group and develop life long learning.
5

REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
Azzopardi, C. and McNeill, T., 2016. From cultural competence to cultural consciousness:
Transitioning to a critical approach to working across differences in social work.
Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work. 25(4). pp.282-299.
Carey, M., 2019. The tyranny of ethics? Political challenges and tensions when applying ethical
governance to qualitative social work research. Ethics and Social Welfare. 13(2).
pp.150-162.
Danso, R., 2018. Cultural competence and cultural humility: A critical reflection on key cultural
diversity concepts. Journal of Social Work. 18(4). pp.410-430.
Faulkner, S. S. and Faulkner, C. A., 2018. Research methods for social workers: A practice-
based approach. Oxford University Press.
Hingley-Jones, H. and Ruch, G., 2016. ‘Stumbling through’? Relationship-based social work
practice in austere times. Journal of Social Work Practice. 30(3). pp.235-248.
Hood, R., Nilsson, D. and Habibi, R., 2019. An analysis of Ofsted inspection reports for
children's social care services in England. Child & Family Social Work. 24(2). pp.227-
237.
Hyslop, I., 2018. Neoliberalism and social work identity. European Journal of Social Work.
21(1). pp.20-31.
Levinson, R. and PARRISE Consortium, 2017. Socio-scientific inquiry-based learning: Taking
off from STEPWISE. In Science and technology education promoting wellbeing for
individuals, societies and environments (pp. 477-502). Springer, Cham.
Moust, J., Bouhuijs, P. and Schmidt, H., 2019. Introduction to problem-based learning.
Routledge.
Natarajan, L., 2019. Major Wind Energy & the Interface of Policy and Regulation: A Study of
Welsh NSIPs. Planning Practice & Research. 34(1). pp.1-17.
Online:
Regulations and governance of social work practices in Wales. 2019. [Online]. Available
through: <https://socialcare.wales/cms_assets/file-uploads/Practice-guidance-social-
workers.pdf>
6