Professionalisation and social care in Ireland

1
Professionalisationand social care in Ireland

• Perry Share PhD
• Head of Department of Humanities
• Institute of Technology, Sligo
• Ireland

2
why now?

• legislation currently before Dáil
• expansion of field
• public concern re abuse c
• expansion of and revision of educational
  provision
• activities of peak agencies

3
previous research

• Pat OConnor (1982)
• Carmel Gallagher Jackie OToole (1999)
• David Williams Kevin Lalor (2000)
• Niall McElwee various
• Knorth et al (2002)
• Sarah Banks (2004)
• Pelle Hallstedt Mats Högstrom (2005)

4
trait/checklist theory

• ownership of a recognised body of knowledge
  exclusive to that profession with development of
  new knowledge through research
• self-government through a body that sets and
  monitors its own standards of practice
• control of training and recruitment
• monopoly of practice in its own field of work
  with registration by the state
• conformity to moral and disciplinary codes of
  behaviour
• autonomy of practice and greater individual
  accountability
• a public ideology of service to a client group

5
issues

• the professionalisation project
• problem of definition
• content of social care practice
• performativity institutional reform
• resistances to professionalisation
• five-fold model of professional strategies

6
professionalisation project

• the fight to be professional
• now recognised as central to development of
  social care
• barriers
• key actors the occupational group, the academy,
  the state

7
problem of definition

• a social profession
• blurring of boundaries
• social pedagogy/social educational work
• Child Youth Care (CYC)
• relationship with social work?

8
content (1)

• institutionally defined
• Banks (2004) the social professions
• the calling to care
• co-option to welfare and control
• commitment to change (eg anti-oppressive
  practice)
• an ambivalence towards professionalisation
• deprofessionalisation
• the concept of care

9
content (2)

• social educational work can be described as an
  exploration of the possibilities to change
  critical life situations and at the same time not
  to deprive the client of his autonomy (Madsen
  1995)

10
content (3)

• ability to recognise and deal with the
  asymmetrical relationship between practitioner
  and client to turn that imbalance of power into
  a working relationship
• ability to make use of broad social, cultural and
  theoretical knowledge to interpret anothers life
• formulation of a constructive pedagogical goal
  with reference to the actual clients resources
  and the potentials for action
• (citing Madsen, 1995) the synthesis of the
  communication should include an evaluation of the
  content, of the clients life aspirations and
  resources, the culture, and ultimately of the
  potentials for action.
• to reflect on the behaviour, to be aware of the
  quality of the current relationship to act in
  accordance with ethical principles Hallstedt
  Högström (2005)

11
performativity

• globalisation
• SMI
• the audit society
• new accountability
• joined-up thinking
• modern management

12
qualities of the professional

• flexible
• reflexive self-managing
• teamworker
• life long learner
• market-oriented
• managerial
• entrepreneurial

13
resistances

• professional culture how we do things around
  here (Schön)
• distance
• asymmetry of power

14
the new professionalisms?

• manager/practitioner
• traditional professional
• reflexive professional
• new professional
• entrepreneurial professional

15
manager/practitioner

• buys into the new accountability and the
  audit culture. They relate closely to state and
  organisational projects for change, restructuring
  and reform. The endorse concepts of
  accountability, self-management, competition,
  performativity.

16
traditional professional

• modelled on the established professions, in
  particular medicine and social work. Focuses on
  content of knowledge, especially in terms of
  academic material. Endorses technical rationality
  in Schöns sense Endorses the boundaries that
  surround, contain and protect the professional
  group collegial and group-focused.
  Anti-managerial accountability is an unwarranted
  intrusion

17
reflexive professional

• person-centred and client-centred rather than
  group-focused. Sees the self and work on selves
  as the basis of professional work. Therapeutic
  and individualistic bias. Favours flexibility,
  indeterminancy. Opposed to rigid structures,
  competencies or checklists

18
new professional

• posited by Banks (2005)
• works with collectivities, is participatory and
  acknowledges a primary responsibility to users.
  community-focused, consultative, democratic

19
entrepreneurial professional

• opportunistic, network-focused, project-focused.
  Non-organisational but can use organisation as
  resource. Individualistic and eclectic.
  Strategic, flexible, portfolio worker.

20
the future

• the notion of professionalism is constantly
  evolving to take account of the shifts towards
  technical competencies, increasing market
  influence and managerial control, as well as more
  equal and participatory relationships with
  service users (Banks, 2005 45)

21
next stages in research

• examine Dáil debates in detail
• examine agency survey results
• interviews with key actors (following Gallagher
  OToole)
• interviews with managers, practitioners,
  educators and students
• investigate the validity of the typology
• a new model of professionalism in social care
  practice?

22
thank you!

• any questions or comments?