Publications from ODSW Social Insights: Letters by DSW (Vol 2) | Page 34

Working with Various Client Groups
To help address income inequality, our workfare supplement to help poor
working individuals and families supplement their income, is a direct support
to calibrate the moral hazard problem associated with unconditional cash
transfers. It could work better at redistributing incomes, while preserving
the work ethic and promoting self-reliance. In instances where households
require social assistance, the level of social transfers has been raised to
help these households. Where there are working adults, the approach is to
help them to get better jobs because children will tend to do better when
parents do better.
3.

Family relationships

Various research findings about safeguarding the interest of children and
youth invariably conclude on the importance of stable family relationships.
What is important to appreciate is that most children and youth can thrive
and even do well when they have at least one relationship with an adult
that is stable and which provides consistent guidance and reference. It is
useful to know this as it enables us to focus on how to help individuals
and families especially in a context where the family life course can now be
more complex and dynamic. In helping children and youth in poor families,
it is always important to remember that all children, regardless of where
they live or how much their parents earn, need responsive caregiving, safe
and secure environments, adequate and appropriate nutrition, and healthpromoting behaviours and habits.

Making things happen through social work
To address issues related to the poor and families with low-income, public
policy and strategies at the systems level are key. At the individual family
level however, the family-centred practice of social workers will help families
to improve their capacities. The practice includes three key elements: (1) an
emphasis on strengths, not deficits of these families; (2) promoting family
choice and control over resources; and (3) the development of a collaborative
relationship between parents and professionals that the families interface
with.
Social work skills are needed to carry out good assessments, develop service
plans and conduct purposeful interventions with children, youths, older
persons and families. Effective family centred practice is part of helping
low-income families to improve their circumstances and is characterised
by sensitivity, diversity, and flexibility on the part of social workers. It is a

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