Although the mandate is a constant issue in a work relationship, it
must be dealt intensely on the outset of it. The worker needs to be quite clear
on his mandate and how he is implicated in the user’s situation – i.e. on his prior
mandate from above. The user might be clear on what he or she wants or expect
social worker to do, but often not. When such clarity is lacking the mandate
has to be developed along the desires and goals of common action. Mandate and
goals of action can be concubent and must be congruent. However, it needs not
to be identical. There may be many actions involved in reaching the goals – not
all of them to be performed by the worker.
User’s mandate and goals must be developed on the basis of the
contradictions and tensions in the user’s Life-World (should not be imported
from outside). They should be expressions of their (free) will. They should be
in line with other three operations – they should reflect and respond to
exigencies of Life-World, foreseen benefits of change and empowering for the
user. The exploratory phase of the work alliance should be dedicated to getting
an insight in the situation that would provide base for setting the goals and
the subsequent action.
The expressed desires and set goals provide the direction and
framework for action. To make it operative a plan or a “project” has to be
made. These can be called personal plans, care plans, individual plans,
individual unique projects, etc. Or, it can be simply a task to be performed. The
idea is the same. Some plans are meticulously made, clearly stating what has to
be done, who by, when, what time is needed, what means and with which
resources. Others provide just general guidance and idea for action. But, even
in such a case, some operative knowledge needs to build into them.
And this is when the actual work starts. The work in social work
means mainly either providing services, or means and resources or construction
of various (immaterial) arrangements that would improve life. The main form of
work being the service model (services are instrumental also in procuring means
or setting the arrangements, although it is not the final end of the work).
Goffman (1961) distinguishes between the repairing services and the
services that create something new. Although there is a strong influence of repairing
service model (via disciplines like medicine …) also in social work, the social
work in its essence is a creating profession. It is creating new opportunities
and possibilities, new arrangements, new life. While in repairing model, the
assessment is needed of what went wrong, in social work the issue is what can
be done. Instead of diagnostics there is planning. Instead of reaction to
misdeeds, malfunctioning, a proactive stance is introduced – looking into the
future and imagining it. Such modelling does not only enable totally different
outlook, stance and approach, it also models the professional and user role in
completely different fashion. User ceases to be an object of professional repairing
action, the object is his or her reality and situation, and objective are his
or her goals. Users become creators, together with helpers, of a new design and
new arrangements – performers of new deeds in their life and world.
Professional role of the social worker becomes very much like the one of
architect providing the expertise in investigating the life-world, getting the
idea about what to do, formulating a plan how to do it and accessing the needed
resources and means for doing. Only creative service model allows real working
relationship to develop.
Reference
Goffman, E. (1961), Asylums.
New York: Doubleday & Co. (Pelican edition 1968).
