As a social worker, it is your responsibility to recognise, support and encourage diversity, equality and inclusion. Our differences are what make us human and in a profession where your work is centred around the human experience, it’s something you need to be clued up on! Carry on reading for 5 ways you can promote equality as a social worker.
1. Peer learning
Learning from your colleagues and their lived experiences is a highly beneficial activity, especially when it comes to complex issues such as diversity. By listening to, and collaborating with your peers, you will improve your understanding of equality and what it means to different people. This is essential to being a good social worker as it is a job that requires you to build rapport with a range of service users from varying backgrounds. Being in a group setting also opens up the opportunity for people to ask questions they may otherwise have been too afraid to ask.
2. Be mindful of different cultures
Next time you are assigned a new case, make sure you are mindful of the service user’s individual needs. This may mean making adjustments to their care plan and taking a more personalised approach so that the individual feels seen. For example, flexible contact hours might work best for a client who wishes to attend culturally significant events from time to time.
3. Inclusive workplace policies
If you’re in a managerial role, it is important you lead the way when it comes to promoting equality. Revisit your hiring process - are the job descriptions as inclusive as they can be? Do you actively promote being a culturally diverse company? Do you offer flexible working options?
More importantly, revisit your internal company policies and ask your colleagues where they think needs improvement or what would make their lives easier e.g. free sanitary products at work, a quiet space where religious employers can pray etc.
4. Challenge on issues of discrimination and oppression
Whether a client exhibits discriminatory behaviour e.g. refusing to work with a social worker because they are a woman, or a colleague makes a distasteful joke about someone’s sexual orientation/race/religion - you should feel comfortable calling it out as unacceptable. Report the incident to a senior member of staff to ensure it doesn’t get ignored. By intervening, you will help make the workplace a safer and more inclusive environment for everyone.
5. Empower people
Social workers help promote and give to policies and practices that are empowering and promote equality for all. It is crucial to actively listen to, understand and respect the beliefs, values, preferences, relationships and culture of those around you. Social workers should constantly be aware of any unconscious bias and continue to challenge how they see the world. When providing services to clients, they should be tailored to their idiosyncratic needs in order to help give them the best quality of life.
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