Role of Social Workers in COVID-19 and in the Post COVID World

1. Role of Social Workers
in COVID-19 and in
the Post Covid World
Bibhuti Bhusan Gadanayak
Senior Technical Advisor, DRM & Emergency
UNDP – MINEMA, Kigali – Nyarugemge, Rwanda

2. Session
outline
Global commitments-SOCIAL WORK Education
Defining SW
Social work methods
Social work practice
What constitutes good socialwork practice ?
What is COVID-19
COVID-19 Social Impact
How Professional SWs were helpful ….
Social workers role and tasks……
Social work-practice in COVID-19 and in the post

3. Global commitments -
Social work education
SDG 4: It aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong
learning opportunities for all.” - Social Protection Systems in Sustained Social
Development - Social Worker in Social Protection Systems
At the IFSW General Meeting 2014 calling for an IFSW policy on “The Role of Social Work in Social Protection Floor” this policy paper comprises two parts: The first addresses the need for all people to have access to competent social protection systems. The second part is directed at the role of social
workers working with people engaged with these systems. Both parts advance that the understanding of social work locates social welfare in a broader context of a social developmental model making social protection transformative, leading to positive economic outcomes, to more sustainable, stabilised,
resilient and harmonious societies.
The SFDRR-2015-30 is emphasizing on, community participation and preparedness,
as a major strategy for DRR, for managing disasters. It ensures that, effects of disasters are minimized, and people are made, resilient for improved coping capacities, to attain
resettlement at the earliest.
Social work, climate change and global cooperation
This article discusses how social work might respond to this challenge. It outlines the social implications, social work theorists’
reconceptualization of the environmental space as a domain of practice and ways that the
global social work community can act to address these significant global challenges.

4. Defining Social Work (SW)
Definition of Social work
SW is the professional activity of helping individuals, groups, or communities
enhance or restore their capacity for social functioning and creating societal
conditions favorable to that goal
The practice of SW requires knowledge
-of human development and behavior;
-of social, social economic and cultural institutions; and
-of the interaction of all these factors

5. CW
CO
Social
welfare
Administr
ation
SA
SWR
GW
1
Perlman, 1957
Social case work is process used by certain
human welfare agencies to help individuals cope
more effectively with their problems in social
functioning.
2
Hamilton 1949
Social Group work is a psychosocial process which is
concerned no less than with developing leadership ability
and co operation than with building on the interests of the
group for asocial purpose
3
Walter W. Pettitin
19252
Community organization is perhaps best defined as
assisting a group of people to recognize their
common needs and helping them to meet these
needs.”
4
Arther Kurse
The administrative process seeks to mobilize the total
resources of the agency to the end that its purpose are
translated into efficient and effective service.
5
Nanavati, MC 1965
Social action is a process of bringing about the desired
changes to deliberate group and community effort. Social action
does not end with the enactment and singing of social
legislation, but that the execution of policies was the real test of the
success or failure of social action
6
PV Young
Social research may be regarded as a method of studying, of
analyzing and conceptualizing social life to extend, correct
or verify knowledge, whether that knowledge aids in the
construction of a theory or in the practice of an art.
Social
work
methods

6. Social work practice
1
helping people obtain tangible
services;
2
counseling and psychotherapy
with individuals, families, and
groups;
3
helping communities or groups
provide or improve social and
health services; and
4
participating in legislative
processes.
Social work practice
consists of the
professional application
of social work values,
principles, and
techniques to one or
more of the following :
1,2,3,4

7. What constitutes good social work
practice ?
4 basic elements of social work that underpin professional social work practice.
1 Process
2 Knowledge
3 Values and ethics
4 Skills
Good
practice

8. What is COVID-19
• Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered
coronavirus.
• Most common symptoms: fever, dry cough, tiredness
• Less common symptoms: aches and pains, sore throat, diarrhea, conjunctivitis, headache, loss of
taste or smell, a rash on skin, or discoloration of fingers or toes
• Serious symptoms: difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, chest pain or pressure, loss of
speech or movement
• Most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness
and recover without requiring special treatment.
• Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes,
chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness.
• The best way to prevent and slow down transmission is be well informed about the COVID-19 virus,
the disease it causes and how it spreads.
• Protect yourself and others from infection by washing your hands or using an alcohol-based rub
frequently and not touching your face.

9. COVID-19 SOCIAL
IMPACTS
1. Political
2. Religious
3. Economy
4. Education
5. Employment
6. Day to day lie
7. Family life
8. Domestic violence
9. Social gatherings
10. Elderly care

10. How Professional Social Workers were
helpful During the COVID-19
Pandemic
Navigating an Evolving Situation:
During a situation like this, one of a social worker’s major responsibilities is to help their clients find the
resources and support they need. This can be a challenge with constant changes in the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines on staying safe and receiving medical attention. However, staying up-
to-date on new agency and government resources being made available to the public can also prove to be very
difficult.
Stopping the Spread:
While helping individuals and families navigate the complexities of healthcare and community safety guidelines
is an important part of a social worker’s responsibility, it is also essential in educating the community at large.
Giving clients clear guidance is just the first step.
Guiding Self-Care:
One of the most challenging aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic is the uncertainty. The length and the severity
of the virus’s impact is still not fully known, and the development of a vaccine could still take at least several
months.
A Community Response:
Clear guidance is critical on both an individual and community level. Social workers are essential in offering
support to those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but every member of a community has an important role
in helping others and following the CDC’s recommended safety precautions.
Source: https://www.basw.co.uk/system/files/resources/The%20role%20of%20social%20workers%20in%20a%20pandemic%20and%20its%20aftermath%3B%20beginning%20to%20learn%20from%20Covid-19%20Published%2028%20May%202020%20v1_0.pdf

11. Social workers’
roles and tasks
performed
at different
phases of
COVID-19
include:
Role and tasks for social workers in
supporting people
‘Phase’
Information sharing about
minimizing initial spread of COVID
19
From the start of pandemic and
ongoing
Immediate support and relief. Practical
and emotional. Includes specific support
for bereavement and illness experiences.
Includes adapting social work tasks to
pandemic experiences e.g. safeguarding
in lockdown.
From the start and into recovery and
reconstruction.
Recovery - emotional and practical
support. Includes reflecting and learning.
May include recognition of trauma and
emotional impact of experience.
As the initial crisis eases, deaths and
infections decrease and initial control
measures are loosened.
Reconstruction – moving from learning to
actions and building a ‘new normal’. For
social work, importance of identifying
better practices and services in light of
Covid-19 experience
As crisis eases further and people
start to look to the longer term –
including policy makers,
professional leaders.
Preparedness and secondary prevention –
from learning into action to prevent a new
outbreak
Throughout but gains emphasis in the
‘new normal’ ensuring prevention
measures and behaviours
Rituals of reflection and remembrance –
supporting ongoing and collective grief
and trauma
When the time is right; in the
reflecting, learning and ‘new normal’
phases
Working with communities to support
local resilience and ongoing recovery for
Throughout but gains emphasis in the
‘new normal’ – core to future social

12. Social work-practice in COVID-19 and in the post
COVID world: learning from Covid-19
The overarching human rights and safeguarding role of social workers
Social work is fundamentally a human rights-based profession.
Social workers’ ethics and purpose is grounded in upholding human rights.
This is no different during times of crisis.
In fact, during complex and uncertain times it is vital to hold firm to universal human rights.
Ethics and emergency legal powers
Emergency legislation has been introduced in each nation which affects social work, social care and health duties and use of resources. This is time limited emergency legislation but there are
possible long-term impacts and implications. Issues of ethics, protecting rights and entitlements and sustaining high quality practice are critical for social work at this time.
-Self-care and attention personal and professional wellbeing in challenging situations
-Maintaining professional integrity and professional standards
-Ensuring as much continuity in contact, support and services as possible, including through
enhanced use of digital communications
-Using statutory powers well and maintaining highest ethical practice in an emergency,
pressurised context

13. Contd.
Enabling children and adults to access the resources they need to maintain
their health and wellbeing (e.g., under lockdown or shielding) through
• provision of information
• enabling access to relevant universal services
• enabling access to their entitlements
• acting to prevent and alleviate poverty including food poverty
• outreach and establishing new, safe forms of communication
e.g. through digital platforms
• ensuring people can continue to access new and changes
support if their circumstances change during the pandemic

14. Contd….
Identifying, responding to and ensuring ongoing support for people most at risk
in the communities we serve including people who are
• most marginalized and/or impoverished and/or poorly housed
• least able to access information and services,
• most at risk of harm from others at home or outside it,
(safeguarding)
• living with disabilities and/or underlying health conditions
• refugees or migrants
• otherwise at particular risk,
• Identifying and supporting informal family and friend
• Mobilizing, connecting people and providing information about community,
universal and secondary services and resources

15. Contd……
• Supporting families and others directly affected by bereavement and loss
because of COVID-19
• Promoting human rights throughout in practical ways including through
o active advocacy,
o use of legal and policy knowledge,
o enabling people to voice their own needs and
views,
• Promoting inclusive, ethical policies and practices
e.g within teams and organizations throughout
Covid-19

16. Selected references
1. https://www.basw.co.uk/role-social-workers-pandemic-and-its-aftermath-learning-covid-19
2. https://www.basw.co.uk/system/files/resources/The%20role%20of%20social%20workers%20in%20a%20pandemic%20and%20its%20aftermath%3B%20begi
nning%20to%20learn%20from%20Covid-19%20Published%2028%20May%202020%20v1_0.pdf3.
https://think.taylorandfrancis.com/special_issues/sustainable-development-goals-social-work-education/
3. https://www.ifsw.org/social-work-and-the-united-nations-sustainable-development-goals-sdgs/
4. https://www.basw.co.uk/role-social-workers-pandemic-and-its-aftermath-learning-covid-19
5. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1753-1411.2007.00005.x
6. BB Gadanayak, J K Routray (2010), A Path to disaster resilient communities, Lambert Academic Publishing, Germany
7. Chapter 5: Social Work Practice Settings: https://ferrisintroductiontosocialwork.pressbooks.com/chapter/chapter-5-social-work-practice-settings/
8. The 4 Ps, 4 Rs, and 4 Ms: https://wps.ablongman.com/wps/media/objects/4915/5033223/item_11_14.pdf
9. Social Work and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): https://www.ifsw.org/social-work-and-the-united-nations-sustainable-
development-goals-sdgs/ Community Participation and Preparedness for Integrating Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in Managing Disasters A Study of Srinagar
Floods (2014), Indiahttps://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/328027247.pdf
10.https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0020872814556824
11.https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/002087280104400208
12.https://www.ifsw.org/social-work-and-the-united-nations-sustainable-development-goals-sdgs/ Social Work Methods By Renuka
Kumarhttp://ddceutkal.ac.in/Syllabus/MSW/Paper-5.pdf
13.Prime Ministers Ten Point Agenda on Disaster Risk Reduction, AMCDRR 2016
14.UN SDG Global Report, 2020

17. Questions?
?