Helping in Social Work

I picked up this short book in the Tesco charity bookshelf. I have a desk job supporting this line of work, so I figured it would be good just to learn a little more about what the Social Workers deal with. 

Written by the South African Bill Jordan in 1985, the book advises Social Workers how to help their clients in their role. It’s already badly dated. References to ‘handicapped’ people, ‘coloured’ servicemen and ‘retardation’ in children wouldn’t fly these days, and this was written in my lifetime, which is worrying enough. Jordan even admits to drinking before seeing his most difficult clients, and claims he took a bunch of ex-psych ward patients to the pub! 

An interesting insight into the role of a Social Worker and the pressures that they are put under. I have no doubt that systems and technologies will have changed for the better in nearly 40 years, but the conditions and behaviours we’ll always see in society. Jordan discusses meeting people on their level, learning to be non-patronising, and learning to remain calm under stress. 

Whether the clients are in Johannesburg or Northwest England, the advice given (some of it, at least) would probably still be relevant.