Documenting Practice in Fieldwork:

Examples, Illustrations and Feedback

edited by

Kwong Wai-man
Lee Tak-yan
Chee Phyllis

Department of Applied Social Studies

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
City University of Hong Kong

Second Edition, First Reprint, November 1998

 DOCUMENTING PRACTICE IN FIELDWORK:
EXAMPLES, ILLUSTRATIONS AND FEEDBACK

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Introduction 1

Background Study
Community Study Report 3
Background Study 9

Proposal for the Selection of Practice Assignments 17

Learning Contract
Learning Contract (1) 20
Learning Contract (2) 22

Social Work Recordings

Case Recording - Conventional (1) 26
Case Recording - Conventional (2) 30
Case Recording - Conventional (3) 34
Case Recording - Narrative (1) 40
Case Recording - Narrative (2) 44
Group Recording - Narrative 48

Proposals
Group Proposal (1) 55
Group Proposal (2) 63
Group Proposal (3) 69
Mass Program Proposal 77

Reflection Journal and Fieldnotes 81

INTRODUCTION

It is not uncommon to find weary faces in the campus when social work students are having their
fieldwork placement. I recalled asking one social work student how she was doing. She gave me a sad
smile. She had been working late in the night to get the process recording done. “There are thirty or so
pages! Can you imagine it?” She had my sympathy.

I recalled when I was a social work student, I did not find too much paper-work to do. At least it never
occurred to me it was paper-work that consumed much of my time. I spent a great part of my time in
making client contacts, or else reading. Somehow, the practice of fieldwork instruction has changed so
much that it is simply not good enough to be good in working with clients. Social work students need to
be good also in documenting the good work they do. Much of the paper-work is generated as a result of
the two ideas that we introduced into our field training programme three years ago when the first cohort
of BSW students were out for their first fieldwork placement.

One idea is to provide a structure for students’ learning experience in their placement by incorporating
a number of tasks and assignments. Students are required to report in written form what they learn about
the clients they serve, the placement agency, and the host community. They are required to prepare a
written proposal on the range of practice assignments they would be interested to take up and, after
reaching the final decision on what assignments to do, they have to prepare a learning contract
identifying how they would go about meeting their learning needs through the pursuit of these practice
assignments with the support of their fieldwork supervisor. They are required to write at least two pieces
of process recording, and a reflective account of what they learn from re-living their practice
experience recorded in audio- or video-tapes. Another idea is to require each student to develop a
portfolio, the purpose of which is to document their performance. The portfolio is looked upon as the
authoritative source of evidence for evaluating a student’s performance. I have often come across
portfolios a full box-file thick.

I would regret seeing students doing paper-work simply for the sake of it. If ever a student writes thirty
pages of verbatim record of a counselling session, he/she will have a hard time to find the space to read,
to plan and to reflect on his/her practice experience. I am not saying that paper-work is going to be a
nuisance. It is a nuisance only if it is done with the least concern of what purpose it serves. Whenever we
write about our practice and our practice experience, we are not simply satisfying a reasonable
(sometimes unreasonable) demand of the fieldwork supervisor. The writing itself must serve as
something good, something that contributes to learning about social work, about our practice as a
social worker, and about ourselves as a social worker. I like writing not simply to tell another person
what I do, but to tell how I deliberated on what I do, and to reflect on my deliberation and what I do as
I write. This is how writing becomes a learning tool to me (c.f. Robert Yinger, “Journal Writing as a
Learning Tool”, Volta Review, Vol. 87, 1985, p. 21-33).

It is with this aim in mind that we assemble a sample of the documents produced by past students in the
course of going through their fieldwork placement. They are selected for a variety of reasons.
Sometimes, it is because they bear certain good features. Sometimes, they are selected to illustrate
different ways of documenting practice. Sometimes, they are selected to demonstrate what it is like to
practise. One of the editors of this manual, Ms. Phyllis Chee, has edited the original documents and
made typographical amendments. With another editor, Mr. Lee Tak Yan, they offer their comments at
the end of each document. I hope their comments will help students to learn from reading others’ work.

I have also included some of the work authored by the four BSW students who have just completed their
second placement under my supervision. I used to give my feedback to their work in written form.
Perhaps, you may pick up something useful from the written feedback I gave them. You may pick up from
my feedback something about my conception of “good” social work practice and of documenting one’s
practice. In particular, I wish to draw your attention to the narrative accounts of their practice
experience. I try out the narrative style of recording practice in this placement, and I find it a good way
of writing about one’s practice.

This is the first edition, but this is not a finished product. We are going to have a lot to learn from you as
the user of this manual. Do you find it helpful? What further refinement you wish to see? Please supply
your feedback to me, and to the two other editors as well, whenever you have something to say. Please
drop a note to me, or e-mail me (e-mail address: sswmkwon). We anticipate the second edition will come
along the way, probably the third edition too. In the end, we look for a final product that captures the
work and the experience of social work students in field training, and shows how writing can be used as
learning tool.
Kwong Wai Man
Year Coordinator, BSW, Yr. 2
21st June, 1996
SAMPLE COMMUNITY STUDY REPORT

Students: This community study report is jointly prepared by two students. The report shows their initial
experience in understanding the field setting and the community.
Setting: Multi-Service Centre for the Elderly

Introduction

This is the Community Study Report of our fieldwork placement at XYZ Multi-Service Centre for the
Elderly. This report serves several purposes. Firstly, it helps us to have a general understanding of the
knowledge and services of elderly people in Hong Kong. Secondly, it helps us to gather information
about the elderly population and the elderly service provision in the AA District. Thirdly, the report
facilitates our understanding of the characteristics of the community, services provided and elderly’s
needs in the BB Estate.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned purposes, our report will be divided into three sections. Section
I focuses on the elderly population in Hong Kong and the social welfare policy towards them. Section II
discusses the elderly population and the elderly service provision in the AA District. Section III
emphasises the elderly population and the elderly services available in the BB Estate. Special attention
will be given to the services provided by the XYZ Multi-Service Centre for the Elderly which we are
placed. We hope this study will further provide us with the knowledge and insight in planning our
services for the clients/members of the Centre.

Section I: The elderly population and social welfare policy towards the elderly in Hong Kong

The elderly population of Hong Kong has increased over the past years. This can be attributed to factors
such as a longer life expectancy and good medical services. This trend is expected to continue in the
years ahead. The elderly population in Hong Kong is estimated at about 791,000 in 1993.

The Social Welfare Department (SWD) is responsible for the planning and development of services for
the elderly in accordance with the objectives laid down in the White Paper through the Department’s and
non-government agencies provision of elderly services in each district.

In 1993, the SWD operated one social centre, two sheltered housing schemes and one hostel for the
elderly while the non-government organisations provided 177 social centres, 18 multi-service centres,
72 home-help service teams and provisions of four 50-seater buses for recreational purposes for the
elderly.

The non-government organisations further provided different types of residential services for the elderly.
In 1993, there were 4,389 accommodation places in the care-and-attention homes, 7,700 places in homes
for the aged, 1,503 places in elderly hostels and 171 temporary accommodation places. Currently, the
Housing Authority is responsible for the overall provision of sheltered housing for the elderly. In
addition to the residential services provided by the non-government organisations, there were 389
private homes caring for a total of 11,791 elderly persons in 1993. The Registration Office of Private
Homes for the Elderly which was established in June 1988, provides guidance and advice to the private
homes as well as monitors them.

In 1992-93, subventions for recurrent expenditure amounting to $1832.9 million were paid to 165
non-government welfare agencies. The percentage of subventions for elderly programs was 23.2%
which was estimated at $423.4 million. The elderly programs occupy the second largest field of
subventions in Hong Kong. Although it seems that the government has provided a lot of resources to the
elderly, the services for the elderly is still severely inadequate due to the large number of elderly
customers. In addition, the government proposed retirement scheme for the elderly was highly criticised.
Currently, the elderly are not protected as there is no comprehensive retirement scheme in Hong Kong.
Section II: The elderly population and elderly service provision in AA District

According to the 1991 Census and Statistics Report, the population in the AA District was 506,368 and
the number of elderly people, who were 65 years old and above was 32,367. The elderly population
occupied nearly 6.3 percent of the total population in the AA District in 1991.

According to the information given by the AA District Office, the elderly services provided by the
government and non-government organisations in the district comprised 1 multi-service centre, 2 day-
care centres, 13 social centres, 3 home-help teams and 16 elderly hostels. Among these, the services
provided by the SWD consisted of 1 social centre and 2 hostels. It was obvious that the non-government
organisations provided nearly 85% of the total elderly services in this district.

Section III: The elderly population and elderly services available in the BB Estate

(1) The population profile of the BB Estate

The BB Estate is one of the estates in the AA District. The estate has a total population of approximately
23,100 people. The elderly population in the estate is estimated at 4,600 which works out to about 20
percent of the total population of the estate. The Housing Authority’s policy allows two or three elderly
people to live in one flat and since the BB Estate was one of the earliest estates to follow this policy, it
therefore accounted for a higher concentration of elderly people living in this estate.

(2) Clients’ needs

The large number of elderly population in the estate implies a great need for elderly services. The needs
of the elderly clients can be classified into several categories. Firstly, as most of the elderly are retired,
they may need social and recreational activities to make their lives happier. Secondly, there are elderly
who do not have an income and are dependent on the government for financial assistance. Thirdly, some
of the elderly have health problem and need medical care in the community. If they are housebound, they
may also need the assistance of home helpers. Fourthly, some elderly may have problems with their
family and/or flatmates and may require counselling services. Lastly, in order to promote a positive
attitudes of the general public towards the elderly, community education is also needed.

(3) Services available to the elderly in the BB Estate

There are three agencies providing elderly services in the BB Estate. They are the XXX Hostel for the
Elderly, YYY Day Care Centre for the Elderly, and XYZ Multi-Service Centre for the Elderly. These
agencies provide different types of services to the elderly population in the estate and district and have
different target groups of elderly.

1. The XXX Hostel For The Elderly

The aim of the hostel is to provide accommodation to elderly who are either alone or not suitable to live
with their families. The hostel is divided into two sections: self-care section and meal-section. The
elderly living in the self-care section prepare their own meals and take care of themselves. The elderly
living in the meal-section have their meals prepared by the hostel. Besides providing accommodation for
the elderly, the hostel also provides social work services in the form of group and casework. The hostel
further provides social and recreational activities such as visits to places, picnics and interests groups.

Members of the hostel came from different districts of Hong Kong. Till date, the hostel has 150
members. Seventy percent of the members are referred by the Social Welfare Department and thirty
percent of the members are members of XXX Church. One of the criteria for gaining acceptance into the
hostel is that the elderly must not suffer from mental illness or infectious disease.
The fee of the hostel is relatively inexpensive. Even the elderly receiving public assistant can afford to
pay the fees in both the meal and self-care sections. The fee for the meal section and the self-care section
is $1,143 and $393 per month respectively.

The hostel provides many social and recreational services for their members. Some of the social and
recreational services are new and attractive such as organising overseas trips. The hostel also provides
nursing services to those in need.

These services provided by the hostel gave us an understanding of elderly social services, particularly
elderly hostel services. It is noted that most members of this hostel come from different districts in Hong
Kong. This implies that there may be a lack of community care in the local district of the BB Estate.

2. The YYY Day Care Centre For The Elderly

The YYY Day Care Centre for the Elderly aims at providing physical care during the day time to the
elderly in the community. The centre uses the concept of community care rather than the
institutionalisation of elderly in caring for the elderly population. The centre targets at serving elderly
who are 60 years old and above; in need of care; with poor physical condition; with low physical mobility
and without infectious disease. The centre’s services include: a) meal services, b) personal care and
hygiene, travelling and laundry services, c) physical care and exercise programs, d) self-care ability
training, e) social and recreational services, and f) counselling services.

The centre’s service boundary is to the south of the AA District. The maximum capacity of the centre is
forty elderly clients. Owing to their recent opening in June, the YYY Day Care Centre currently has only
fourteen clients. Given this situation, the present monthly fee for the elderly receiving old age allowance
and public assistance is $729 and the monthly fee for those receiving disability allowance is $799.

The Centre provides a daily orientation program to the clients. It aims at reminding them of the date,
weather and daily life activities, etc., as this is very beneficial to the elderly who are deteriorating
physically and mentally. It is hoped that their condition may improve with time.

It is observed that the enrolment criteria of the centre is rather strict and inflexible. For instance, the
centre rejects the application of elderly who are in good/fair condition or in very poor condition as well
as elderly who are isolated. In our opinion, as the centre has yet to reach its maximum capacity, isolated
elderly’s applications should be accepted. It is also felt that the centre cannot totally meet the caregivers’
needs because of long travelling time and distance to the centre and its short opening hours (8 am to 6
pm). In this sense, it does not help the caregivers a lot.

3. XYZ Multi-Service Centre for the Elderly

i) Background of establishment

The XYZ Multi-Service Centre for the Elderly is the first service of this kind operating under the
auspices of the XYZ Agency. The centre aims to provide comprehensive community support services to
the elderly population of the AA District and to strengthen their linkage with the community. The latter
is an aspect of elderly services that the XYZ Agency is actively pursuing. The establishment of this
centre is supported by both the government and the general public. The centre’s capital cost comes
mainly from the L. Fund Grant.

ii) Service objectives

The Centre aims to improve the quality of live of the elderly in the community. A wide variety of services
is designed to help the elderly solve their individual problems; to develop their potentials; and to
encourage their active participation in the community. At the same time, it also aims to promote the
concept of love and respect for the elderly among all age groups so as to build a caring community for the
elderly. The service objectives are: a) to maintain the contact and linkage of the elderly with the
community; b) to strengthen the ability of elderly in adapting to social changes; c) to foster better
relationship among elderly people; d) to provide opportunities for the elderly to interact with and to show
concern towards one another; e) to assist the elderly to develop their potential and make contribution to
society; and f) to provide social enquiry service so that the elderly can make good use of community
resources in solving their personal problems.

iii) Service target and membership

The Centre serves mainly elderly who are aged sixty and above and residing in the AA District. Only
those elderly who are not registered members of other elderly social centres can register to be members
of this centre. The membership fee is eight dollars a year.

iv) Service contents

The Centre offers a wide range of services, comprising social and recreational activities, community
education projects, counselling services, home-help services, and supportive services such as canteen,
laundry, and bathing services. These services provide a comprehensive care network for the elderly.

a) Social and recreational activities

The social and recreational services and activities included handicraft groups, delicious food groups,
Chinese opera groups, the elderly’s rights groups and health education groups. Mass programs and
outings such as picnics, camps, visits to places of interest and birthday parties were organised frequently.
We noticed that these interest and educational groups focus mainly on the elderly’s needs for recreation
and social contacts and they were greatly welcomed by the elderly. It is also noted that there is little
provision of developmental and therapeutic groups in the Centre. We felt that there is a gap in service
provision in this aspect.

Generally speaking, the social and recreational needs of the members are met to a large extent, in terms
of utilising their leisure time as well as integrating into the community. However, it seems that the
underlying problems and needs of the elderly have not been exactly met. For instance, their emotional,
psychological and physical problems were not dealt with. Therefore, in order to fill in the service gap, the
reminiscing group and health education group, both of a developmental and an interactionist nature, will
be run by the social work students.

b. Community education

Through the organising of a variety of community projects, the Community Education component of the
centre’s services aims to promote a better understanding, acceptance, respect, and concern for the rights
and needs of the elderly within the community and to encourage the elderly to adapt to the ageing process
and to continue to lead a constructive and happy life in their community. Specific themes for community
education projects are selected every year to cater to the changing needs of elderly.

The concept of community education for the elderly becomes popular only in recent years and although
it is still in its early stage of development, it has already some achievements in promoting the rights of
the elderly. In our opinion, however, the service contents could have been more comprehensive if not for
the limited resources of the centre. For instance, it is highly inadequate to have only one staff in charge
of community education. In addition, the XYZ Agency is rather conservative, thus the staff does not have
great freedom and power in providing services or taking any radical action.

c. Counselling service

The counselling service enables the elderly to solve their personal problems and to adapt to the
psychological and physical changes brought about by the ageing process. The service contents are: a) to
assist the elderly in adapting to change of roles brought about by retirement, loss of spouse, separation
from children, etc.; b) to improve the interpersonal relationship of the elderly and their
family members, as well as among the elderly themselves; c) to enable the elderly to cope with their
illness and physical disabilities; and d) to assist the elderly in their applications for residential services
and financial assistance.

There is a great shortage of human resource in the provision of counselling services as there is only one
worker overseeing seventy cases. It is impossible for one worker to provide counselling services to the
elderly population within the district. Undoubtedly, the heavy workload affects the quality of services
provided.

d. Supportive services

The supportive services include canteen service, laundry service and bathing service.

e. Home help service

The Home Help Service provides short term home help services to elderly residents who are singletons,
lack of caring agents, disabled or suffering from illness; or whose families are facing a crisis and
experiencing difficulties in home management and therefore need in caring for the elderly in their
homes.

The service contents include meals delivery, personal care, laundry service, house cleaning, escort
service and purchasing. There are two and a half home help service teams in the centre. The service fee
depends on client’s economic condition and the Social Welfare Department assistance scale. The
referral sources of elderly needing home help service come mainly from other agencies and self-referral.

In 1993, there are about 156 cases using the centre’s home help service. The schedule for service
delivery is very tight because of the heavy demand for the service. The service only provides material and
service assistance and does not deal with the clients’ psychological and emotional problems. Also, there
is no home help service delivery on Sundays and public holidays. Thus, those who are in severe physical
deterioration, have difficulties taking care of themselves during those days. Despite this, the service team
staff still act as a bridge between the staff in-charge of home help service and the clients in order to
monitor the clients’ condition.

Reference

Urbanowski, M. L., & Dwyer, M. M. (1988). Learning through Field Instruction: A Guide for Teachers
and Students. Wisconsin: Family Service America.

Comment:

Students began with a clear statement of purpose for conducting the community study and how their
learning will be presented in this report. They were conscious of first attempting to get an overview of
the elderly in Hong Kong and the social welfare policy related to this client group and then subsequently
working towards acquiring an understanding of the elderly and the service provisions at the district and
estate levels where they were placed. However, it is unclear if students were able to see the
interconnectedness of one level to another and the complexities of interaction amongst them.

Students’ comments in Section I and II tended to be descriptive. As pointed out by their fieldwork
supervisor, students could in Section I, attempt to discuss the implications of government policies on
services and in Section II, to answer or at least ponder on questions such as `Is the services provided in
the district adequate?’ `What is the elderly population like comparison to the whole of Hong Kong and
other districts?’. Although it is quite common for beginning students to start with discussing descriptive
information, students should be aware of the need to critically reflect on the information collected. Such
conscious attempts are important as students begin to learn to analyse and synthesize the information
collected, their observations and impressions.
In the opening of Section III, the students’ were sharp in pointing out an unique feature of the BB Estate
which was that of a higher concentration of the elderly population in the estate in comparison to the
overall district’s elderly population. Students were also able to link their observed population
phenomenon to existing government housing policies. It is good to note students’ability to hold together
a few dimensions in their observation. This should be encouraged. For instance, students’ observation
of their specific community setting can be generalised to their understanding of the implications and
impact of social policy on the composition of communities and the lives of individuals/clients; and the
relationships between social policy and planning and service provisions. At this level, students need to
show their awareness of such dynamics and their beginning attempts to think about or grapple with such
issues. Students’ were able to articulate important areas of looking at the needs of the elderly. Students
could be helped to apply relevant theoretical frameworks in commenting on or analysing these needs.

It is good to note student’s attempt to examine the gaps in service provision in the XYZ Multi-Service
Centre and to propose a group to meet the service gap. However, in arguing for their proposed groups,
student committed a common mistake of portraying the group as capable of filling the service gap. Her
linkage has been oversimplified. This is a good opportunity for student to learn (1) to analyse the
various factors contributing to service provision or service gaps; (2) to map out a picture of what is
needed to fulfil such service gaps; (3) to be able to locate their proposed groups within the context of a
larger effort needed; and (4) to be able to set goals and objectives of their proposed groups that are
realistic and achievable. In discussing the Community Education Programme of the centre, the students
commented on the lack of human resource deployed to carry out the Programme as well as the
conservative approach of the organisation. The second observation came across more as a feedback
from the staff that the students had simply accepted at face value. Students could have integrated their
assessment of how they too see the organisation as being conservative and restrictive of staff freedom
for more progressive and radical practice. Students will definitely be performing at a higher level if they
are able to provide such personal inputs and comments.

This study has given an opportunity for students to establish contacts with other agencies serving the
elderly population in the estate. Students had also shown an understanding of the different role and
functions of these agencies and the ability to differentiate the service nature and target group. Students
could further relate their observation to a broader knowledge base such as inter-agency relationships
and co-ordination, allocation of resources and duplication of services.

Overall, studying the community, the placement setting and the elderly population at the initial stage of
placement allows students to develop an overview of their field setting and to feel comfortable in
working within that context. More specifically, the agency and community experience can achieve the
following (Urbanowski and Dwyer, 1988):

1. help students become comfortable moving around the geographic area and help them establish
professional relationships in the community;
2. provide an opportunity for students to work collaboratively with peers in planning, organising and
participating in the study;
3. help students develop an awareness of the uniqueness of the community through the collection of
factual and impressionistic material and the selection of appropriate information that will lead to
understanding the relationship of agency services with the community needs;
4. broaden the student’s understanding of community services, gaps in services, how individuals and
families are affected, and how agencies offering services affect each other; and
5. provide the student with an orientation to the field agency as a social system, and examine some of
the characteristics of this system and transactions with other environmental systems.

Note: This is a seven-page report prepared by two students jointly. A student is expected to prepare a
two to three page report on selected issues of significance.
SAMPLE BACKGROUND STUDY

Part 1 - Agency Study Report

(I) Introduction

In this agency report, I will discuss my understanding of the agency which will consist of a brief
introduction of the structure of the Social Welfare Department followed by a discussion on the XXX
Family Service Centre. The latter will touch on areas related to agency operation, lines of service
products, service delivery system, client profile and so on.

(II) The Social Welfare Department

(1) Responsibility of the Social Welfare Department

In the pamphlet `Social Welfare : Hong Kong Facts’ (Sep. 1992) published by the Hong Kong
Government, it stated, “The Social Welfare Department (SWD) is responsible for implementing the
government policies on social welfare and for developing and co-ordinating social welfare services.” The
Social Welfare Services provided by SWD include social security, family and child care services,
medical social service, group and community work, services for young people, services for the elderly,
rehabilitation services for the disabled, as well as probation service and residential training for young
offenders.

(2) The Structure of SWD

The organizational structure of SWD (refer to Appendix 1) consist of six main branches headed by the
Secretary (for the Administration Branch) and five Assistant Directors. The branches are the Family and
Child Welfare Branch, the Elderly and Medical Social Services Branch, the Youth and Rehabilitation
Branch, the Social Security Branch, the Subvention Branch and the Administration Branch. The Branch
Heads are responsible to the Director via the Deputy Director. The division under each branch are further
described in appendix 1.

(III) The Position of the XXX Family Service Centre

The XXX FSC is one of the services under the Family & Child Welfare Branch. SWD operates a total of
30 family service centres. The XXX FSC is responsible for the client population of the XXX Estate 1, 2
& 3, the A1, A2 and A3 Estates.

1) Objectives

As stated in the White Paper, the objectives of providing Family Services are to preserve and strengthen
the family as a unit; to develop caring interpersonal relationships; to enable individuals and family
members to prevent personal and family problems and to deal with them when they arise; and to provide
for needs which cannot be met from within the family. With these objectives in mind, supportive services
have been developed to assist, families when they are unable to discharge their caring and protective
functions satisfactorily. In other words, assistance and practical support are given to individuals and
families to prevent or during the crisis period.

2) Organisational Structure of the XXX FSC

The agency consists of 17 staff. The centre in-charge is a Social Work Officer. The centre in-charge
supervises 11 caseworkers (5 Assistant Social Work Officers (ASWO), 4 Senior Social Welfare
Assistants (SSWA) and 2 Social Welfare Assistants (SWA). There are also 1 Clerical Officer (CO), 1
Clerical Assistant (CA), 2 typists and 1 workman.
3) Lines of Service Products

The centre provides services for clients who have difficulties in interpersonal relationships, children
with behavioural problem; provides care & protection for children and young persons, helps clients
adjust to mental and physical disabilities, works with clients facing financial hardship as a result of
unemployment or loss of the chief bread-winner; and provides services with regards to other
environment problems such as housing.

4) Client Profile

The centre classifies the clients into 4 categories: women and girls, child welfare, special welfare and
public assistance. The Women and Girls category consists of clients who are having problems such as
marital conflict, conflicts with in-laws and problems with parent-child relationships. The Child Welfare
category includes cases involving abandoned children, Wards of Director of Social Welfare, Customary
Adoption of Boys and so on. The Special Welfare category involves clients who are deaf, blind,
physically disabled & ex-leper, mentally retarded, mentally ill, suicidal and other miscellaneous welfare
cases. The Public Assistance category includes clients who have problems with finances, housing,
unemployment or widow with dependants and so on (the details are enclosed in Appendix 4).

5) Operation of the Centre

The centre in-charge supervises all the staff in the centre. She assigns cases to the caseworkers and
monitor the progress of each case periodically. The staff are divided into two groups: one group handles
the cases in the XXX Estate 1, 2 & 3 and the other group handles the cases in the A1, A2 and A3 Estates.
Each staff specializes in some types of cases, for example, a staff may handle mainly elderly cases while
the another may handle primarily child abuse cases.

6) Service Delivery System

Majority of the clients approach the centre directly for assistance while are referred by different units of
SWD, other government departments, the courts, non-government organizations, district board
members, pressure groups and members of the public. There are also some cases received through the
out-reach efforts of the caseworkers.

With new cases, the caseworker on duty will first conduct an intake interview. From the interview, the
worker will assess and then make the necessary recommendation for the case. Generally speaking,
casework services are provided through activities such as office interviews, home visits, liaison with
clients’ relatives, telephone contacts, meeting or group activities with clients and other outdoor
activities. These involve not only direct counselling but also arrangements in connection with schooling
or unemployment, referrals to other government departments when housing, medical or educational
problems exist, or to other services provided by the Department or other voluntary agencies which
include services such as home help service and placement in residential institutions. Caseworkers will
provide both tangible and non-tangible services to clients.

7) Recording Practice

The caseworkers will prepare periodic summary case recording after a series of contacts with clients. A
typical case recording comprises a brief summary indicating the plans and actions of the caseworker.
This is basically contained in 3 parts. The first is “Introductory Remarks” - containing a brief account of
the social background and circumstances leading to the request for assistance. The second is
“Identification of problems” consisting of clients’ view of the problem(s), worker’s view of problem(s)
and the agreed upon problems. The third is “Treatment” consisting of the agreed area(s) of action,
objectives of action, persons agencies involved, social work tasks, duration for action and outcome. In
general, items to be included in every case recording are:

1. Date of Intake/Referral
2. Source of Referral
3. Nature of Case
4. Presenting Problem
5. Summary of Contacts (State period covered)
6. Information gathered such as family background, financial condition, home or living environment,
health condition and so on.
7. Observations and Assessment
 8. Services Rendered
9. Case Development
10. Setting of goals & action plan

These case recordings or summary case recordings are concise and up-to-date and will be kept in
individual case files. The up-dated case files are handed in to the centre in-charge for comments and
endorsement periodically and returned to the respective caseworkers through the General Registry.

8) Service Statistics

In the past six months, there was an average of 843 active cases, 37 intake cases and 61 statutory cases
each month. In the period from 1st June to 30th June, there were 827 active cases, 48 intake cases and 58
statutory cases (see Appendix 2). We can see that 34 cases out of the 58 statutory cases are classified
under Subjects of Juvenile Court and 5 cases are under Subjects of Probation Order Supervision.

According to the June statistics, each staff handled an average of 75 cases. The heaviest caseload (117
cases) was undertaken by a SSWA while the lowest caseload (45 cases) was handled by an ASWO
(Appendix 3). Amongst the 827 cases in June, 217 cases were those related to child welfare while 182
cases came under the women and girls’ category (Appendix 4). There were a total of 22 cases being
transferred into the centre in June and 40 cases being transferred out or closed.

9) Administrative and Personnel Practices

Normally, the general office staff manage all the administrative procedure in the centre. They also
provide clerical assistance to the caseworkers. The clients can enquire about the services of the centre at
the general office.

The SWAs are mainly responsible for providing simple counselling and casework services to individuals
and families. These include tangible or straight forward assistance. The ASWOs provide counselling
and casework services to individuals and families so as to enable them to deal with their personal and
family problems. This is with the aim of preserving and strengthening the family as a unit and helping
to meet family needs which cannot be met from within the family. They also liaise with and evaluate the
services of voluntary family services agencies/children’s institutions in the district. The ASWOs also
take turns to serve as intake worker on a rotational basis. They are different from SSWAs in that they
handled the more complicated cases of the centre.

10) Organizational Culture

The atmosphere in the centre is quite harmonious. The staff are pleasant, friendly and talkative. The staff
have close relationships with each other. It was observed that they go out for lunch together regularly.
The staff are punctual and polite. They are accountable for their movements by writing down their
whereabouts on the Outdoor Duty Board. Normally, the staff will try to finish all their paper work before
leaving the office and most of them will work overtime if necessary.

Conclusion

After studying the background of the agency. I can have a clearer picture of the agency and the
responsibilities of different staff. It is helpful for me as it helps me to know how to function and work in
the family service centre.
Part 2 - Observational Report

After spending a week at the XXX Family Service Centre, I had the opportunity to observe how the
agency staff carry out professional activities in the delivery of core services to the clients. In this report,
I will comment on the service production and service utilization as evidenced in the practice episode(s)
observed from different aspects.

Basically, the agency is formal in structure, that is, they have clear and formal hierarchical office
authority. Each staff performs specific functions. This clear job specification of staff helps the agency to
operate in an orderly manner. However, the services may be delivered inefficiently through formal
hierarchical procedures. It is because all cases have to go through the centre-in-charge and on many
occasions the workers had to consult the centre in-charge proceeding with their proposed intervention
for the cases.

The centre in-charge assigns cases to each worker. I wonder if there were any difficulties in identifying
the complicated and less complicated cases. Moreover, the workers are expected to specialize in some
specific types of cases such as elderly cases and marital cases. It is no doubt that the clients can receive
effective services if the workers are specialized in and familiar with specific types of services. However,
this could also lead to an unequal distribution of cases among the. From the statistics in June, some
workers handled over 100 cases while some handled less than 50 cases.

I have observed that the ASWOs and the SSWAs will take turns to be on duty for intake in centre
directly. Each intake interview takes about 1/2 to 1 hour. However, I think it is not suitable for a male
intake worker to attend to a woman requesting counselling services for her marital or sexual relationship
problem with her husband. I suggest the agency arrange for suitable person to intake the case if possible.

From the Outdoor Duty Board, the caseworkers are out on home visits very often. Although each worker
handles a heavy caseload, I observe that they readily show concern and give support to clients in their
time of needs and are courteous towards them. Thus, I quite appreciate the working morale and attitude
of the workers in the office.

Upon talking to some colleagues, I realized that there were not many therapeutic groups conducted for
the clients in the past. I think the services will be provided more comprehensively if some therapeutic
groups are for the clients with similar problems. However, I know it also depended on the human
resources of the centre.

When I observe the facilities in the centre for the clients, there are only 3 interview rooms and 1 play
room for the children. Space is limited in the centre and it in turn limits the services delivered to the
clients. It is no doubt that only the most needy clients get to receive the services. Maybe it is one of the
government policy objectives in providing social welfare services --- providing remedial services.

I also observed that 2 workers share one telephone line in the centre. It is very insufficient for the
workers to make telephone contacts with the clients. Human resources and facilities are not enough in
the centre to provide efficient social services to the clients in the XXX Estate 1, 2 & 3, and the A1, A2
and A3 Estates.

To conclude, the centre tries to deliver the best services to the clients, but sometimes it is difficult because
of limited resources in the centre.

Part 3 - Client Study Report

Due to agency’s constraint, it is inconvenient to conduct on-site conversations with the agency clients
because it may make the clients feel uneasy. However, I had the opportunities to talk with the clients
whom I recruited for a group activity in August. I met a total of 4 clients who were applying for aged
homes through the centre.
The clients requested for the aged home service because of their advancing age and problems of living
alone. All of them approached the centre directly to request services. They had heard from others that the
centre could help them to meet their needs.

When I asked for their feedback about the services, they expressed that were very thankful to their
caseworkers. They said that the workers are willing to help and concern and they appreciated those
social workers.

Besides the elderly, there are many other types of clients who request services from the centre. In this
client-study report, I will mainly describe the client profile of the agency in detail according to the June
statistics of the agency. According to the statistics, the centre mainly categorizes the clients into 4 types:
1) Women and girls 2. Child welfare 3. Special welfare 4. Public assistance.

In the category of women and girls, the problems involved are marital conflict, in-law relationship,
parent-child relationship, sibling relationship, interpersonal relationships, emotional/adjustment
problems, personality problems, behaviour problems, missing girl, victims of indecent assault, proposed
marriages of under-aged girls or unmarried parents, etc. For this category of client, they may need
counselling services, seeking advice to solve problems, or involve some statutory procedure and so on.

In the category of child welfare, the cases involve: abandoned children, Wards of Director of Social
Welfare, Customary Adoption of Boys, illegitimate children, juvenile mendicants, ill-treatment of
children, illegal employment of children in industry, new arrivals (minors), non-attendance, behaviour
problems, children under Supervision Order, other children and young persons in need of care or
protection, verification of Guardianship, schooling problems, child welfare, etc. The centre’s cases are
mostly statutory in nature. They mainly involve Ward of Juvenile Court, Subject of Juvenile Court Order
Supervision. Subject of Guardianship of Minor Supervision or Subject of Probation Order Supervision.
Some clients may need counselling services or protection.

In the category of Special Welfare, it involves the providing services for the deaf, blind, physically
disabled and ex-leper, mentally retarded, mentally ill, attempted suicide cases, etc.. Miscellaneous
welfare include ill health, workmen compensation, child and women emigrants, old age, drug sleepers,
etc.. Most of the clients in this category request tangible services. Thus, the social workers may need to
network with different social and community resources in offering help to the clients.

In the category of public assistance, the problems they come across involve financial difficulties,
housing, unemployment, widow with dependants, application of assistance from the Mercantile Marine
Assistance Fund, Far Eastern Relief Fund, Hong Kong War Memorial Fund and such likes. Most of the
clients only request for tangible services from the centre.

Most of centre’s clients approach the centre directly for services, although there are some clients who are
referred from within or outside the region. In the month of June, 18 cases are referred in from within the
unit, 1 case is transferred in by other family service centres within the same district, 1 case is referred
from within the XX Region by a family service centre from another district, 2 cases are referred from
outside the region. As we can see, the clients can receive the services from different ways and the centre
is easily accessible to render service to the clients.

Although it is quite inconvenient to gather direct from clients at the centre about the services, I can
observe the extent of clients satisfaction towards the services. I can see that the workers conduct office
interviews, make home visits, escort clients to court, institutions, hospital, clinic etc., make telephone
contacts, conduct meetings or group activities and other outdoor activities for clients and so on. The
workers are really putting in efforts to help the clients. To a certain extent the clients can see the
helpfulness and concern of the workers towards their well-being.

Part 4 - Community Study Report

In working in the XXX Family Service Centre, I will try to acquaint myself with the community
conditions of the agency’s service catchment area. The agency mainly delivers services to the clients
living in the XXX Estate 1, 2 & 3, A1, A2 and A3 Estates. In this report, I will discuss the community
environment, socio-demographic data of the user population of the agency, resource system in the
community, and also evaluate agency-community linkage based on my walks in the community, visits to
community agencies, as well as reading of resource materials.

1) Socio-demographic data

The XXX Estate 1, 2 & 3 were built more than 30 years ago while the A1, A2 and A3 Estates were built
about 10 years ago. Part of the XXX Estate is undergoing redevelopment. The socio-demographic data
among these estates are very different.

According to the data by the Housing Authority, there are 5803 units with approximately 17207
residents in the XXX Estate 1, 7748 units with 22410 residents in XXX Estate 2 and 5317 units with
15242 residents in XXX Estate 3. As for the newer estates, there are 4450 units with approximately
18327 residents in A1 Estate, 3001 units with 11800 residents in A2 Estate and 7025 units with 30124
residents in A3 Estate.

As we can see, the XXX Estate 1, 2 & 3 are large and old housing estates, with over 50,000 residents.
The phenomenon of an ageing population is found in these estates. During my community walks, I have
observed that there are quite a lot of elderly in the XXX Estate 1, 2 & 3. Most of the residents belong to
the lower working class. New immigrants are commonly found. Very often, once the children have
grown up and set up their own family, they will moved out of the estate and their elderly parents are left
to live in the estates. Recently, the estates were to be rebuilt and most of the residents were either resettled
in the same estate or in other districts.

On the other hand, most of the families living in A1, A3 and A2 Estates are nuclear families. The
population in these estates is younger than the XXX Estates. As I have observed, there are many youths
and children in these estates. Also, most of them are new immigrants.

2) Community Environment

The A1, A2, A3 and XXX Estates are located in the XX Region. These areas are mainly for residential
purposes. Bustled towns such as XX and XX are located nearby. Several buses and mini-buses provide
transportation services for the residents in these estates.

From my observation, the external walls of most of the XXX Estates are mostly run down as they have
been built many years ago. Hygiene condition is also poor in the Estates. There are a lot of hawkers and
small self-owned businesses in these Estates. No modern or large supermarkets were found. There are
not many recreational spaces or facilities in these old estates as well.

On the other hand, the A1, A2 and A3 Estates are comparatively new. Hygiene condition is better than
the XXX Estates. Shopping plaza, markets and small-scale businesses can be found. No hawkers can be
found. There are adequate recreational spaces for residents especially in the A3 Estate. Public transports
are provided so that it is convenient for residents.

3) Resource System

Within these large estates, there are a lot of government and non-government agencies that are
providing social welfare services for the residents. The XXX Family Service Centre is one of the
government agencies to provide family services to the residents. Another non-government agency -- the
XX Agency also provides similar services in the A1 Estate. This centre mainly promotes family welfare
and renders practical support and counselling services to individuals and families. Child care services
are also provided in the community such as the XXX Day Crèche, the Child Care Centre in XXX, the A3
Nursery, the XX Nursery in A1 Estate and so on. Besides family and child care services, there are also
services such as services for the elderly, children and youth, rehabilitation and community services.
As for the services provided for the elderly, there are the XX Social Centre for the Elderly in the XXX
Estate, the XX Society in A3 Estate and the XX A1 Social Centre for the Elderly etc.

As for services for children and youth, there are the XX Youth Service Centre, the of the XX Agency, etc.
Also, the XX Association and other Youth Centres in the A1, A2 and A3 Estate are very important
services for children and young people. Library and self-study centres also provide a place for students to
study.

Whereas in the rehabilitation services, the XX Association of Hong Kong in the A3 Estate, the XX
Society for Handicapped Children in the A2 Estate, the XX Association for the Physical Disabled in the
XXX Estate and the XX Agency for the Blind in the A1 Estate, etc. provide services for disabled persons.

In the community services, 2 community centres in the XXX Estate and the A1 Estate are built to provide
community services for the residents. One Neighbourhood Level Community Development Project is
held in the XXX Estate and different types of community services provided services for the residents.

Miscellaneous services such as health and clinic services are also provided in the community. For
example, Community Health Centre by the XX Service Club, the XX Hospital provide community
support for long-term patients in the XXX Estate. Besides, the XX Befriender Services in the A1 Estate,
the XX Pre-school Training Centre, the Kai Fong Association in the XXX Estate and the XX Centre for
Drug Addicts in the A3 Estate and so on provide various types of services in the community.

District Boards, mutual-aided associations in each building play important roles in meeting the needs of
the residents in the community. Within the community, there are adequate services provided to render
services for various kinds of residents.

4) Evaluation on agency-community linkage

The XXX Family Service Centre provides assistance and practical support to individuals and families in
the community. Clients with tangible or emotional needs request services directly from the centre. The
clients will have an interview with the worker so as to assess how they can be helped.

The image of the agency in the community is that the agency acts as a referral centre to meet clients’
different needs. For example, the elderly approach the centre because they want to apply for aged home
services through the centre. The services provided by the centre are not competitive in nature.
Sometimes, the centre acts as one to network with and access to other resources for the clients in order
to help them to function better. Thus, the workers in the centre must understand the resources in the
community well. The centre does have close links with other government or non-government agencies.
The XXX Family Service Centre plays an important role in the community to meet the needs of the
residents.

Comments:

This background report has attended to the four main parts as suggested in the fieldwork manual.
Occasionally, student has attempted to make a critique of her observation of the practices in the centre.
For instance, in the Observational Report, student brought out the issues on staff structure and gender
of the worker for discussion. Although student’s attempts at being critical of her observation are
somewhat superficial, this effort of coming up with student’s own reflection and assessment is important
and should be encouraged. Some guiding questions or points for discussion from supervisor will be
helpful, at this point, in sharpening student’s ability to make better critique and analysis. For instance,
the student had reflected her/his concerned in arranging for suitable intake workers for different types
of clients. This is a significant comment. Unfortunately, student stopped reflecting on the incident at a
deeper level as well as making links to wider practice issues. Further questions include: What are the
effect of worker’s gender on her/his practice? on the client? What are the implications of student’s
suggestion to arrange for suitable worker for the intake situation? Does suitable mean a worker of the
same sex? or a worker who is sensitive in handling such issues? What are the implication on our training
as professionals? In this way, student will be helped to reflect more deeply about herself/himself as a
practitioner and to look into broader practice issues from a specific incident that he/she has observed in
placement and likewise to also examine broader professional concerns in specific practice context.

The report also tended to be descriptive and lack student’s personal comments and analysis. It seems
somewhat redundant to be repeating information that are already available, for instance, the extensive
amount of descriptive information in Part 4. What we are hoping to see is for the student to comment on
these information. For instance, it is obvious what student is conveying is the comprehensive range of
social and community services found in her centre’s catchment area. Student can summarize this briefly
and move on to comment on these services - How well are these services meeting the needs of the elderly
in the community? Are they comprehensive enough? Are they adequate? Are there service gaps
identified? How are these services in comparison to the other estates/districts? How are resources
allocated in the different estates/districts/regions? Who decides? Student has also observed the
differences between the newer and older housing estates - Why this difference? Is our estate planning
better? If so, why and how has the change come about? What model of community planning is being
used? The above are some questions that will help student to interact with the information gathered and
make attempts to reflect on selected practice issues that are significant to the student.
SAMPLE PROPOSAL FOR THE SELECTION OF PRACTICE ASSIGNMENTS

1) A brief description of the practice assignments potentially available

The XX Centre is a centre for children aged 6 - 14. Various services and activities are provided for
the children. These services include developmental groups, interest classes, tuition classes and mass
programmes. With the promotion of the concept of integrative team, casework are also included.

The student is proposing to undertake the following practice assignments in this placement: two
cases, two groups and a part of the mass programme. These assignments are thought to meet the
student’s learning needs and the service needs of the agency’s clients. It will be presented as follows.

2) Student’s learning needs and the service needs of the agency’s clients

2.1 Learning needs of the student

There is no doubt that case, group and community work are the main strategies in working with
people. In the three years of classroom learning, the student is eager to put these knowledge, theories
and skills into real-life practice. Since they are all available in the practice setting, the student will
take them as the practice assignments.

2.2 Service needs of the agency’s clients

The target clients of the centre are the children who are in the age of 6 to 14. According to Erikson’s
eight stages of development, they are in the fourth stage of industry versus inferiority. They are now
actively interplaying with the environment and eagerly applying themselves to learning the useful
skills and tools of the wider culture (Crain, 1992). They are also learning to work and play with their
peers. It can be said that this period is a continued socialization, particularly in ways that can lead to
competence in adulthood. If children always fail to learn something, feeling of inadequacy and
inferiority will be resulted. It will affect their self-esteem and also makes it difficult for them to enter
into the other stages of the development.

In view of the characteristics of the children, groups are provided for the children in order to assist
them to have a healthy development. One is a social skills training group which aims at improving
their peer relation. It is found that the children in the centre cannot express themselves properly and
thus always result in conflict. Children in the group are expected to learn some skills in handling
conflict and expressing themselves appropriately. Success in widening peer contacts will do much to
shape their developing self-concept (Turner & Helms, 1983). The other is an enhancing self-esteem
group. A research undertaken by Coopersmith (1967) revealed that high-self-esteem children are
generally expressive and successful not only in the school setting but in social situation as well.
While children with low degree of self-esteem seem to be fairly well convinced of their inferiority,
exhibiting discouragement, timidity, and, at times, depression. According to Sigelman & Shaffer
(1995), children in this age experience a critical period of personality and social maturation,
especially as far as their developing self-concept are concerned. Thus, this group aims to enhance
their self-understanding such as knowing their strengths and weaknesses. It is expected that a
positive value of life will be established. It will facilitate their growth.

Besides providing groups, casework is also a method to meet the needs of the clients. After-school
care is provided in the centre. The new comers may not adapt to the new environment and may result
in emotional problem. Thus, it is necessary to help these children in their adjustment period.

Family is a vital important agency which influences the development of the children. The problems
of the children, such as maladaptive behaviour, may be caused by the family. In order to
understand their difficulties and tackle their problems in a comprehensive way, family work is
thought to be an ideal strategy in helping the children.

In addition, mass programme is also another strategy to meet the needs of the service users,
particularly the parent-child activity. Parents can have an opportunity to take a rest on the one hand,
and have more interaction with their children on the other. In other words, it provides a chance for
them to have more understanding between each other and improve their relationship.

3) The kind and quality of learning experiences that the practice assignments provided

3.1 Cases

Generally speaking, the casework skills can be enhanced by handling cases directly. There are two
types of cases that can be undertaken in this placement:

a) A family case - In conducting a family case, the student can learn how to assess the family
dynamics. System theory will be used to explore the problem. Meanwhile, it is important for the
student to learn how to engage the parents in the helping process. It also provides an opportunity for
the student to know about the function and techniques of home visit. In the treatment process, the
student can learn how to utilize the strengths of the family to solve the problem.

b) Casework with children - Behaviour therapy is expected to be used to enhance the motivation of
the children. The effectiveness of it can be tested out. Also, the student can learn how to explore the
feelings of the children and the influence of the families.

3.2 Groups

Firstly, group theory will be used and the group work skills can be enhanced. Secondly, the student
has the opportunities to integrate the models of social skills training and enhancing self-esteem into
real-life practice. The effectiveness of the groups can be tested out. Thirdly, the student can learn
how to help group members by using the group dynamics, including interaction, roles, norms and
cohesion.

3.3 Mass Programme

The student can learn how to organize a mass programme, such as its function, procedure and
expenditure. Besides, certain community work skills can be used in the programme. For instance,
the student can know how to draw the attention of a large population, give instructions and organize
activities for them.

4) Constraints of the practice setting and handling method

Since the space of the centre is limited, it is inconvenient to conduct cases in the centre. The student
thus may have to invite the clients to have conversation outside the centre. Besides, programmes and
activities of the centre will be promoted in each season. Thus, the student can only run groups in
April. In other words, groups can be run in a short-term period. Six weekly sessions will be included
in each group, and two additional sessions will be organized during school holidays.

References

Coopersmith, S. (1967) Antecedents of Self Esteem. San Francisco: Freeman.

Crain W. (1992). Theories of Development: concepts and applications. (3rd ed.) New York:
Prentice Hall.

Sigelman C. W., & Shaffer D. R. (1995). Life-span Human development. (2nd ed.) California:
Grove.

Turner, J.S., & Helms, D.B. (1983). Lifespan development. (2nd ed.) New York: Holt, Rinehart and
Winston.
SAMPLE LEARNING CONTRACT (1)

Section I : Basic knowledge about the elderly target group (aged 60 and above)

A) Objectives:

Understanding the following aspects at a conceptual level:

- the definition of the elderly in Hong Kong;
- the elderly living condition and life style;
- the behavioural, cognitive and personality characteristics of the elderly;
- the society’s value, attitude and social policy towards the elderly;
- the special needs of the elderly as a result of their physical and psychological conditions; and
- the existing services provision for the elderly and the service gaps in this field.

B) Activities to be done:

- finding information and statistical data on the elderly;

- conducting library research;
- looking up books, references and journals on the elderly;
- visiting relevant service agencies and departments; and
- integrating classroom learning and knowledge to the observed phenomena of the fieldwork
placement.

C) Help needed from the fieldwork instructor:

- provide direction for library research;

- critique on ideas and information derived from books and articles concerning the elderly;
- provide some previous proposal and reports for reference;
- provide required official letters and telephone contacts for agency visits; and
- give direction to induce critical discussion and sharing in supervision sessions.

Section II: Groupwork - The knowledge of designing and implementing a group for the elderly
in the multi-service centre

A) Objectives:

- learning how to apply social group work theories, methods and skills in a multi-service centre
setting; and
- learning how to run a group with seven sessions and handle the overall groupwork planning,
implementation, evaluation, and termination process in this setting.

B) Activities to be done:

- reviewing social group work theories and methods;

- assessing the special needs and interests of the elderly in the multi-service centre;
- gathering information about desired and relevant topics and resources from the centre’s staff and
supervisor so as to find out the possibility of group topics;
- scanning the reports on group work that have been conducted in the centre recently;
- doing library research for my designed and potential topics;
- deciding on the group topics and getting approval and suggestions from the centre and supervisor;
- designing the programs, session plans and proposal writing;
- running the group in accordance with the proposal and making amendments whenever necessary;
and,
- evaluating the effectiveness of the group

C) Help needed from the fieldwork instructor:

- discuss and comment on the student’s group work topics and main theme;
- give advice on the direction and source of book research;
- give direction and guidelines for program design and proposal writing;
- provide past reports and proposals as reference
- comment on the content of program design and its implementation
- allow and give advice on amendments of the group sessions; and
- answer questions on social group work skills and what to be aware of in running and evaluating a
group for the elderly.

Comment:

The part of the learning contract written by student is well thought out. It is a clear and useful way
of defining what student wants to learn and how to go about achieving them. In addition, student has
also identified the areas that the fieldwork instructor can help in facilitating her learning. The
learning contract becomes a guiding document for both the student and the instructor. Both can
then work towards achieving the learning objectives and make reference to it periodically over the
placement period.

Having said that, however, there are some areas for improving on the learning contract. Some of the
objectives stated are not specific enough and some important aspects are missing. In helping the
students to revise their learning contracts, instructors are encouraged to help refine the contract.
Usually, the writing up of a finalized version of the learning contract would take several times,
going back and forth between the instructor and the student. Some additional areas the instructor
may highlight to the student include the elderly and their social systems, comprising their family,
social support, power relationship, etc. An example of the lack of specificity is - what specific
models or theories the student is going to apply. With regards to knowing the client group, an
important way is to talk to them directly. It is crucial for student to contact as many clients as
possible (as part of the action strategy) and to test out theories, knowledge, specific hypotheses, and
check for themselves if they are any stereotypes or misconceptions about clients.

This sample contains only two sections. Students and instructors should consult the Fieldwork
Handbook and Manual for the guidelines for preparing a learning contract.
SAMPLE LEARNING CONTRACT (2)

Learning Contract (1st Draft)

1. Learning Objectives

1.1 Function competently and effectively as a social work personnel:

1.1.1 Professional Role (the role in service delivery to clients):

In order to accomplish my professional role more effectively, I would focus my work mainly at three
levels. Firstly, I need to understand the service nature and worker’s role. These are pre-requisites in
delivering services to clients. It is necessary to spend more time to understand what `outreaching (OR)
social work’ is; what roles do OR workers perform; and how clients perceive our roles in the community.
I would also try to search and identify different kinds of relevant resources for my clients in different
situations.

Secondly, at the personal level, as a professional OR social worker, it is necessary for me to develop a
high level of self awareness and sensitivity. For instance, being aware of my attitudes; the way I frame or
reframe situations; the kind of schema/ideology/values I hold; the words I used; and my strengths and
weaknesses. These could be accomplished through self reflection and sharing with my supervisor and
other practitioners. I would also make conscious attempts to guide my practice according to generic
social work theories and principles. Last but not the least, I would continue to equip myself and advance
my knowledge and skills so as to improve on my service delivery.

Thirdly, at the client and community levels, it is necessary to have more understanding of the
characteristics of our clientele - the `youth at risk’ or so called `marginal youth’. I could do this through
observing worker-client as well as peers interactions; their use of wordings or slang; their subculture;
their taboo areas; and their street life. On the other hand, I would also try to make sense of the youth
problems/needs from an ecological perspective. This implies understanding their family, peer and
school subsystems and also understanding and taking into account the local community dynamics. This
could be accomplished through on-going field observation, updated information of district dynamics
from other colleagues and information from youth, parents, teachers and social workers in the
community.

Finally, it is also necessary for me to improve on my weaknesses that were identified in my first
placement.

1.1.2 Staff Role (as an employee to carry out agency functions):

In order to accomplish my role as a staff of the agency more successfully, I need to have a clear
understanding of the ideology of the agency. This includes understanding the operation of the OR team
in the community; understanding how the team makes sense of OR work and their roles in the
community; understanding their rules and regulations; and also understanding their limitations. I am
convinced that these can only acquired on an on-going basis through my practice in the agency, my
observation and discussion/sharing with colleagues, my participation in both the formal (eg. staff
meetings) and informal (eg. small group sharing, lunch/dinner) activities. I would also take the initiative
to ask questions, voice out my difficulties and to construct a two-way and open communication.

Besides, I also see my responsibility (as well as a necessity) in reporting my work progress to and sharing
my difficulties with my team leader. Under such close supervision, many mistakes and errors can be
avoided.

1.1.3 Societal Role (as a member of the social work profession in the society):

Personally, the most important thing is to work ethically. The ethical values in social work such as
confidentiality, self-determination, non-judgemental attitude, acceptance, individuality, purposeful
expression of feeling and controlled emotional involvement will guide my practice. At the same time, I
would also examine and try to resolve the ethical dilemmas that arise in practice. I will always keep in
mind my obligation as a professional social worker. I will try my best to provide quality service to clients,
to advance my professional competence on the job, to advocate for social justice and the welfare of the
underprivileged. Last but not the least, I will try to shorten the discrepancy between the marginal youths
and the mainstream society.
1.2 Test out theory in practice under a sustained fieldwork supervision:

I will highly appreciate this placement as a theory-testing ground. However, it is my responsibility to try
to apply only the relevant and appropriate theory to a given situation or in working with a client.
Therefore, I cannot promise as to how many theories can be tested in this placement.

My focus will be on the integration of knowledge to practice. As mentioned earlier, knowledge refers to
understanding of the characteristics of clients, of the community, etc. I will try to read more literature on
`marginal youths’ and their related subsystems in order to widen my perspective and to make better
sense of their behaviours, attitudes and problems. This also implies trying to understand these youths
from different perspectives. On the other hand, I will also try to apply different theories in initiating
contact, relationship building, making assessment and planning/carrying out intervention. Take
initiating contact as an example, I may try to engage OR clients according to the conceptual framework
of Reinforcement Theory. Through conscious experimentation, I will observe if the theory adopted in
practice actually works. In addition, I will examine dilemmas arising from personal values and social
work values/theories. I will also be sensitive to the limitations and strengths of the different theories,
knowledge and practice.

1.3 Identify and interpret generalizations from practice experiences and thus contribute to the
development of practice theory:

I will identify and interpret generalizations of social work theories, concepts, values and intervention
methods from practice experiences. I will monitor practice experience and codify it into practice
knowledge - generalizations and abstractions derived from empirical experiences.

1.4 Transfer knowledge and skills into accountable professional practice:

Through reflection and supervision, I will make conscious effort to increase my sensitivity and ability in
monitoring and evaluating practice as well as to improve practice. I will seriously commit myself to the
spirit of `accountable professional practice’.

2. Work Requirements:

No. of days of placement: 104 days (18 weeks)

3. Agency Requirements:

Office hours: 2 sessions/day (10 am - 6 pm or 2 pm - 10 pm)

Working requirements: at least 2 days of evening shift per week
Timetables of meeting: monthly meetings
Compensation leave: can be claimed for those daily sessions only

4. Recording/Report-writing/Completion of statistics:

Type: Daily log, Fieldnotes, Reflection Journal (if necessary) and all the structured tasks as listed in the
handbook. Caseload or groups will be determined later.

5. Supervision:

Duration: at least 2 hours per session (flexible to change according to situation)

Frequency: once a week
Preparation:

For student - hand in written work (eg. daily log, fieldnotes) ahead of supervision session and to
prepare the issues I would like to discuss with the supervisor. If possible, to try to inform the supervisor
the kinds of resources I would like to have.

For supervisor - to have read student’s submitted written work; to have good preparation for
each session; to inform student as soon as possible of what supervisor wanted in the next session; and to
give concrete and critical comments. I am looking to improve myself through the intellectual interaction
with the supervisor. Finally, I hope that the supervisor can provide adequate emotional and material (eg.
references) support.
6. Assessment:

Mid-placement (Week 9) and Final Placement (Week 18) should be carried out. Assessment should be
based on both supervisor and student’s self evaluation. I hope that the assessment will also focus on the
improvements and progress of my work rather than simply on the caseload or the number of theories
used.

Supervisor’s reaction to the learning contract:

Dear A,

I will try to react to the learning contract you have prepared. My aim is to extend your thoughts and to
consider how the objectives you raised can be achieved.

You approached the learning contract by first listing the learning objectives and elaborating each in
specific terms in the context of your placement. I think this is a good way of planning the placement
experience and of evaluating what you gain from the placement at the end. What needs to be elaborated
further is how you and I should work towards this objectives in the present supervisory arrangement. I
hope the teaching-learning audit will provide a forum for examining this issue.

What is “outreaching social work” in the community context and in the professional discourse among
outreaching social workers? I agree that it is important to find out how the clients perceive the role of
outreaching social workers. This will be the sort of direct and indirect impression obtained in the course
of your work in the outreaching team. The advice I have for you in this regard is to go beyond the clients
we work with to see how other people look upon outreaching social work - parents, teachers, other social
workers of the formal helping system. I think it is not us alone who is defining outreaching social work.
Our clients define what outreaching social work is. So do other constituents in the young people’s
life-world. Consider the social worker at the FSC who asks for your help in “supervising” her client
under Care and Protection order. She too is defining what outreaching social work is.

I think I have been pretty explicit in sharing my views of what I hope you will learn from this placement
- what outreaching social work is and should be. Hence, my focus is not so much the number of cases you
have had, but what you learn about outreaching social work from the immersion in the work of
outreaching social work as a member of an OR team in the XX Agency. I am glad that you have made it
a point for you to reflect on, and to examine, the ideology, values, schema, language held and used by
outreaching social workers - your team-mates and you yourself - in thinking, talking, and acting in your
(their) professional role as outreaching social workers. And that is why I have given so much emphasis
on keeping reflection journals and on reacting to the entries in your reflection journals on my part. This
is also the reason for putting emphasis also on interpersonal learning - talking and sharing with the
team leader as well as other colleagues in the team. You have been good in reflecting on your
experience, but were out of pace in recent weeks.

Values and ethics have been a focus in your reflection journals early on in the placement. I think this is
one area you are doing very well, and I have also made it a point to bring forth normative issues
revealed in your work experience. What I find wanting is the knowledge aspect. I hope we are going to
pay more effort in making reference to formal knowledge in the course of your work and in examining
the connection of formal knowledge to practice. Keeping field notes on direct practice experience, and
reflecting on these field notes, will be the devise we use in this placement to examine “knowledge in
practice”.

I am going to review with you matters related to teaching and learning when we do the teaching-
learning audit. I shall offer a mid-term assessment of your performance as a student and as a beginning
social worker later on.
SAMPLE CASE RECORDING - CONVENTIONAL (1)

Name of Client: Mdm. H

Social History

The case was opened on 31st January. It was a referral from XX Social Security Field Unit by Ms. C.
In the referral sheet, the presenting problem of the principal client, Mdm. H, was described as her
unemployment and, apart from that, her expressed concern about her youngest son, Wai, who
quitted school last summer and had been on the drift ever since. She was worried that such a life-
style would somehow expose her son to bad influence.

Mdm. H, aged 41, is a single parent of four children. She was born in T.W. and moved to Hong Kong
after she married her husband who died four years ago. She and her younger son and daughter are
CSSA recipients. The eldest son is working and contributes about $2,000 each month to the family
income. The second son is an apprentice in a technical college under the Vocational Training
Council. The only daughter is a F.5 student. The youngest son is currently unemployed after he
dropped out from school last summer.

The family has been receiving CSSA when the family lost the bread-winner four years ago. The
referral was made after a periodic review of the family’s situation was conducted by Ms. C. Mdm. H
revealed to Ms. C her misgiving about her son. She was not happy that Wai quitted school at this
early age. However, she could do nothing about it. She was more concerned at this point to get him
to find a decent job. She was afraid that, being out of school and jobless, Wai would wind up hanging
around with bad people. She would prefer him to find a decent job.

Mdm. H had other things to worry about as well. She would not be eligible for CSSA now because
her youngest son is older than 15. Thus, all her children are old enough and will not be considered
as dependents. She is only eligible for CSSA if she can prove herself to be unemployed. Mdm. H did
express her wish to find a job and be financially self-sufficient in the long run. However, she did not
feel herself to be employable because she had hearing difficulty. Medical opinion, however,
considered her employable.

In the first interview with Mdm. H, it was found that what concerned her most was the present
life-style that her son, Wai, was leading. She had little idea of what he did and what kind of peers he
had outside home. She would like the social worker to help her to get Wai back on the right track and
to get a job in particular.
C.R.1

Date of referral: 19 December

Source of referral: XX Social Security Field Unit
Case Nature: Unemployment/ parent-child relationship/ termination of schooling

Summary of contacts:

1/2 T.C.: to Ms C (XX FU)

2/2 T.C.: to Mdm. H
7/2 O.I.: with Mdm. H

Family background

Mdm. H is a single parent with four children. Her husband died four years ago. She was born in T.W.
Her eldest son, C., age 19, is a maintenance and repair worker. The second son, K., age 18, is a
student in a technical college of the Vocational Training Council. F. is the only daughter in the
family. She is studying in F.5. Wai, the youngest son, age 15, dropped out of school last summer and
has been jobless since.

Financial condition

Mdm. H, F., and Wai are CSSA recipients. She is presently not working. Now that her youngest
child, Wai has passed the age of 15, she will no longer be eligible for CSSA on the ground of having
dependent children to look after. She is supposed to take up a job unless she can prove that she is
unemployed. Mdm. H did just that and was therefore eligible again for CSSA. The total amount the
three persons are now receiving is $3,749 per month.

Health condition

Mdm. H has suffered from chronic tympanitis in her right ear since she was a little girl. She
discovered this about six years ago. The tympanum of her left ear was also damaged. She is now
having treatment at XX Hospital. She also complained about pain at the joints of her arms such as
her elbows.

Employment

She is supposed to look for a job when all her children are above the age of 15 and are therefore
considered old enough to look after themselves. She was not sure whether she was employable in
light of hearing impairment, although she was considered fit for employment according to medical
opinion. She too would like to find a job and be financially self-sufficient. She revealed that she
would look for a job after the Chinese New Year.

Wai’s termination of schooling

Wai dropped out from school after completing his F.3 year last summer. According to Mdm. H, Wai
decided to quit school because he could not catch up with his school work. He preferred working
rather than wasting his time in schooling. He had attempted to find a job but failed, partly because of
his young age, and partly because he did not want to take up those jobs that are physically taxing.

Mdm. H, on her part, would like Wai to continue his study. She did try to change his mind but to no
avail. She finally came to terms with it and instead urged Wai to find a decent job. She did not want
him to continue hanging around doing nothing. She was concerned that such a life-style would
sooner or later ruin Wai’s future. He was out very often, and yet she had the least idea of what he did,
and what sort of company he had.

Social support network

Mdm. H could hardly find a person to talk to even if she tried to look for support and advice. She had
no relative in Hong Kong. The only friends she had were her neighbours when the family was still
living in a temporary housing area. They were busy and it was difficult for Mdm. H to reach them by
phone or to meet them. After moving to XX Estate, she had not made any friends in the
neighbourhood. Thus, she appreciated having the opportunity of talking to the workers and sharing
her concerns.

Family relationship

Mdm. H described the relationship among family members as generally good, indeed harmonious.
Even though she disapproved of C’s night activities and gambling habit, and opposed to Wai’s
decision to quit school, she still got along well with them. They still concerned about each other.

Worker’s assessment

Mdm. H repeatedly stressed her worry about Wai. What bothered her now is not that Wai has quitted
school - she has come to terms with it - but rather the kind of life-style he is getting into. She
emphasized that Wai has not yet turned bad at this point. He did once being wrongly identified by
some triad members and got a beating. He was found smoking once when he was in primary six.
Other than these two incidents, she could find no other signs that Wai has gone astray.

Wai now has plenty of free time. His daily routines include playing basketball in the basketball court
downstairs, playing TV game in game stores, and visiting friends. He did tell Mdm. H his
whereabouts when he left home if she asked, though he would not tell much other than brief answers.
Mdm. H tried to believe in what she was told - because she thought she “has to respect him” - and yet
she was not at all assured.

Service rendered

The worker has provided counselling service to Mdm. H. She was helped to explore her concerns and
worries about Wai, and to reflect on the misfortune she had in her life - the death of her husband and
her brother.

Follow-up work

Mdm. H would invite Wai to accompany her to the next interview. The purpose of the interview is for
the mother to share her concerns with the son, and for the latter to share his plan about getting a job.

The worker also asked Mdm. H to start searching for job vacancies that are advertised in newspapers.
Job hunting would be something they are going to work on in future interviews.

Supervisor’s Feedback:

Dear M,

After reading three recordings - by K, J, and you - I begin to have some impression of the recording
practice in SWD's FSCs. Thus, in this paper, I am sounding out my comments on the recording
practice shared by a community of social workers, even as I try to focus it more on your recording.

Every case file begins with a social history. When is this entry being made? If a "social history"
entry into the case file is supposed to be completed after the first interview with the applicant/client,
it will unlikely be complete. I would expect additional information be revealed to you as the
relationship with the client grows in strength. Are we supposed to up-date the social history now and
then?

What purpose does the "social history" entry serve? In your recording, it is basically a summary of
what you learned about the client and her problem, alongside with your opinion about the nature of
the problem and the need for service. Indeed, I can obtain an overall picture of the case without
going through the case recording.

History taking has been a long tradition in social work practice. Somehow, we believe that there is
a lot to learn about the client and the problem by exploring the client's past. But then what is to be
learned and how far back should it be? In your case, the referral agent is a primary source. Another
source is the first interview with the client. How is it that certain information are gathered and
pulled together to constitute a social history of the client? Is there some sort of selection? Or is it
just chance factor, that certain information are simply made available?
When I read your case recording for Mdm. H, I was interested in the section headings you created
and how the sections were sequenced. In the textual form presented, what sort of impression will one
get after reading the case recording? The "Family background" section is a standard entry in all the
case recordings submitted by K, J, and you. Yet, the sort of information contained varied a lot. So,
what do we see as essential information for knowing about the client's family background? Why are
such information a necessity?

The three sections following "Family background" - "Financial condition", "Health condition", and
"Employment" - converge on one theme, which is Madam H's need and her capability to take up
gainful employment. Yet, this theme is not central to the client's story. What really matters more at
this point, according to the client, is her concern about her fifteen-year-old son. He is out-of-school
and yet jobless, and he is out most of the time. This is the sort of situation that a parent will be
worried about. This, by itself, is worker's assessment, or judgment. It can be impressionistic.
However, in your case, it was explicitly expressed by the client.

You included a section on "social support network". K and J did not create this section heading.
Nevertheless, they did report information pertaining to social support. In K's case, her client
confided her worry to a close friend who encouraged her to seek help from the FSC. In J's case, the
client was grateful for the sort of care and concern from her family kin.

The section on "Worker's assessment" is also a standard entry in all case recordings. I am not sure
whether it is desirable to offer an "assessment" at this point. We may have acquired some knowledge
and impression about the client and his/her problem situation. I won't call it assessment if this term
indeed refers to the clinical activity of relating our knowledge of the client/problem to some
professional frameworks for making sense of the problem and indicating the direction of change and
intervention effort. My impression is that this term - assessment - is used loosely. Judging the sort of
entry under this section in all three cases, K is the one who did attempt to offer an assessment in the
strict sense. However, as I pointed out in an earlier feedback to K, it is immature to offer a
professional assessment at the end of the first interview. At this time, the worker has only limited
access to the client and to his/her significant others.

What I find valuable, if I check the worker, is the space it affords me to reflect on the case in the
process of capturing and organizing the information gathered thus far. I would then be able to come
up with a clearer picture of the client and his/her situation, whilst recognizing that this picture will
be revised and updated over time. It helps me too to think about what to do next with the client, and
whether I have been helpful at this point, and in what way.

Please share this paper with K, J, and A.

SAMPLE CASE RECORDING - CONVENTIONAL (2)

Summary of Contacts

14/2 T.C. to Mrs. Y to make an appointment of O.I. (with C) on 16/2

16/2 T.C. to Mrs. Y at morning to remind her of the O.I.
16/2 O.I.

In the first joint office interview, both Mrs. Y (C’s mother) and C were present. C was thin and
short. He studied in F.1. His academic result was very poor in the first term examination. He liked
playing football and computer game. C was only allowed to play computer game once a week by his
father. He sometimes tried to play computer game secretly but lost his temper when he could not get
the right password. Mr. Y kept the password to himself so as to prevent C from playing the computer
on his own.

Mother-child relationship

Mrs. Y put all her hope in C. She was always compliant to whatever request made by C. She did not
want to upset him or else he would throw his temper at her. She tried to talked about subjects that
C was interested in. Nevertheless, C did not respect his mother very much. He used to argue with her
and told her to shut up. He would eye her defiantly when he was displeased.

Mrs. Y had lately been minding a friend’s young daughter. C started to complain that the mother
had give less love to him. He hated the little girl and asked Mrs. Y to quit the child minding job. In
the interview, C was encouraged to talk about his feeling toward the girl. He was unhappy that the
love from his mother had to be shared with the girl. The mother explained that the money earned
could pay for C’s tutor fee.

Mrs. Y was worried that C was too self-centered and selfish. She would like C to make more friends.
She tried to enlarge their social network, and that was why she joined volunteer work together with
C. However, C retorted that volunteer work was also self-serving too, explaining that volunteer
work could bring personal satisfaction and self-confidence.

C had the habit of sleeping with his mother. He was afraid of sleeping alone at night. The strong
attachment to his mother arises from his need for security and safety. He always sought support from
his mother. In the interview, C promised that he would sleep alone in future but would not do so at
present. The worker encouraged him to try and some ideas were given such as turning on the light.
C resisted to change his habit now.

Summary of Contacts

23/2 T.C. to Mrs. Y for Chinese New Year & share with her about the O.I.
1/3 T.C. to Mrs. Y to talk about her unhappiness and worries.
6/3 T.C. to Mrs. Y for making appointment for H.V.
7/3 H.V.

The worker talked to Mrs. Y for about 15 minutes. I told her that she was too compliant to C. She was
encouraged to be more firm and to explain to C why sometimes she did not want to comply to his
wishes.

The family lived in a flat of about 250 sq. ft. It was partitioned into one bedroom and a sitting room.
The bedroom was occupied by Mr. Y and the sitting room was the bedroom for Mrs. Y and C. The
couple had been sleeping separately for a long time because C insisted to sleep with his mother. The
sitting room was fitted with household necessities. Both the lighting and ventilation were acceptable.
Four desks occupied most of the space. Many books and novel were put on the desks untidily. Mrs.
Y said that she did not have the motivation to put the books in order. C has a desk to himself and his
shelf is full of comic and picture story-books.

Mr. Y was also at home during the home visit. However he quickly went to his bedroom after
greeting the worker. The partition wall was made of wood, so Mr. Y could clearly hear the
conversation in the sitting room.
In the conversation, the sleeping arrangement was reviewed again. C passively agreed to try sleeping
alone with the light on. The worker showed her understanding that the change must be difficult and
would have to proceed step by step. The plan was discussed in greater detail. Mrs. Y promised that
she would be more assertive with C. C agreed to try it in the following week.

C was then encouraged to talk about his feeling about his family. He said the family was very bad
because they were poor. He wished to be borned in a rich family so that all his needs could be
fulfilled. He complained that they were poor because his mother did not have a good education and
therefore could not get a high salary job. He blamed Mrs. Y for giving the opportunity of having a
better education to her younger sister. As for his father, C found he was authoritarian and rude. He
seldom talk to him. C was preoccupied with the notion of getting more money. He argued that
money was the most useful and valuable thing in the world. Mrs. Y and the worker shared their
opinions and C was invited to think about it. C considered himself to be money-oriented and yet did
not regard it as problematic.

From worker’s observation and what was said by C during this home visit, Mr. Y seldom shows
affection towards C and his wife. The interaction between the couple and between father and child
was poor. Mrs. Y expressed having difficulty communicating with her husband in a harmonious
way. The worker suggested that they could try to talk with Mr. Y on topics of common interest e.g.
computer. They would find it easier after taking the initial step.

The worker left at about 5:10 p.m. Mrs. Y suggested to walk with the worker out. On the way, the
worker helped Mrs. Y to see what the effect of her marital relationship would have on the emotion
and development of C. The problem of C was not only his own personality problem but was also
related to the environment. Her emotional problem was also a main concern of the worker too. Mrs.
Y was motivated to improve the marital relationship, but her present concern was about the son.

Workers assessment

Mrs. Y had little communication with her husband, As she put it, he had no interest at all in talking
with her. Nevertheless, she did try to make some effort to improve on the marital relationship. She
invited her husband to join an exhibition held by the community centre. As Mrs. Y was more
concerned about the behavioural problem of her son, it was not appropriate at this point to work on
the marital problem. The worker would focus on the problem of C first and to improve on the
parent-child relationship.

The worker was surprised to find that money was the most valuable thing in the eyes of C. He also
described himself as a self-centered, selfish and materialistic person. His early experience might
have affected his development and his relationship with his parents. He could only see his parents
once a week before the age of 8. It is also believed that the parenting style of Mr. Y (using physical
punishment) also reinforces the child’s way of relating to him.

Follow up

1. To keep in view the sleeping arrangement plan.

2. To maintain regular counselling with Mrs. Y and C and encourage them to have more interaction
with Mr. Y.
Supervisor’s feedback on recording practice:

Dear J,

I have made extensive editorial changes for the draft C.R.2 of Y’s case. I hope you can follow my
hand-written notes. If not, send me the file of the revised draft to me by e-mail. I can re-edit it for
you.

What I wish to do here is to offer you my comment on recording writing using this draft as an
example. I hope it will help you to prepare recordings in the format adopted in SWD’s FSCs. What
is more important, however, is to explore an alternative way of recording your practice. I think the
present format does not provide the sort of information that will help you to reflect on your practice.
In lieu of such information, I may not be able to help you in developing your practice, other than
offering alternative interpretation of the case information.

I recall in a previous supervision session with you, we had a discussion on the present format of
recording writing. What we are doing is to re-organize the information derived from an interview
and present the information in such a way as to lead to the final conclusion - the assessment made
by the worker. In this case, assessment points to an “informed” analysis of the information, driven
either by a combination of personal view and formal knowledge. In other words, what we are doing
is to fit the information into our schema, and that involves selection of information and fitting them
in a preconceived way. The meaning of such information is derived from the schema.

What is problematic about this recording practice? I can think of a number of points. First,
information is stripped of its contextual meaning embedded in the conversational flow in the
interview. The client made a certain statement at a particular point in the conversational process.
The meaning of the client statement is therefore embedded in that context, and in the particular
temporal structure of the conversation. Second, information is imbued with a false objectivity. An
opinion statement may appear as objective information in the recording, e.g. “Mrs. Y put all her
hope in C.” It is not clear whether it is a conclusion you made, or whether it was a statement made
by Mrs. Y and is reported in the recording in indirect speech. Third, if there is internal consistency
in the way the information are organized and presented, the assessment reached will appear as the
only logical conclusion possible. Thus, it precludes alternative interpretation of data - and hence
alternative assessment.

Let me return to the draft of C.R.2 I am not sure what information should be put under the heading
“Summary of contacts”. In the draft, you described your first impression of the child, and then
something you learned about the child’s interest in playing computer game and the father’s
restriction imposed on how frequent the child could play.

Under the heading “Mother-child relationship”, you present whatever you learned about the child,
the mother, the mother-child relationship in the past and in the present. It is not clear whether there
is any underlying schema in the way the information is organized under this heading. However, you
did not offer either your assessment, nor your understanding, of the information gathered from the
first joint interview with the mother and the son.

It is not reported what the interview process was like. In a joint interview with the mother and the
son, how the two interacted in the interview provides important assessment information. However,
such information is missing.

In the second part of C.R.2, given that you had made three phone contacts - and the last one was to
fix the appointment for a home visit - I would expect the content of the previous two phone contacts
would be reported under the heading “Summary of contacts”. This is not the case. You referred
exclusively to the home visit. Unlike the first part, you did not attempt to organize the information
under different headings. Under the heading “Summary of contacts”, you selectively reported what
you learned and observed in the home visit. You seemed to be describing what went on in the home
visit, but it is not clear whether this is the case.

It is not clear how you reached your assessment (under the heading “Worker’s assessment”) in light
of the information presented in C.R.2 In fact, you offered new information in this section.
Professional assessment is based on “evidence”, or assessment information, presented in the
recording. It should be informed by “formal knowledge” as well.
Lastly, follow up plan (intervention planning?) should be connected with the assessment made.

If we have the space, I would like to coach you on how to write a piece of recording following the
FSC format. At the same time, I would like to teach you how to write a narrative account of a social
work interview, and show how a narrative account furnishes a basis for conducting assessment and
for reflecting on your practice.
SAMPLE CASE RECORDING - CONVENTIONAL (3)

This is a sample of student’s record of her casework practice which consists of the following:

(A) Summary Report of In-take Interview

(B) Summary Recording of Interview Session 1
(C) Summary Recording of Interview Session 2
(D) Summary Recording of Interview Session 3 and Transfer Summary of Case

(A) Summary Report of In-take Interview

1. Case Data

Name of Client: Mr. C

2. Problems identified by the Referral Agent

Client had frequent conflicts with his wife. He could not bear to live with her anymore. He always used
avoidance to solve their marital problems. He decided to apply for residential care services. Sometimes,
he would use centre’s drop-in service because he was a member of the gold card club.

3. Client’s request for service

Client urgently requested for institutional service because of his marital relationship problem and
physical deterioration. He has considered this decision for a few months and only revealed his residential
home application to his wife about one month ago.

4. Social Background

The client urgently requested for institutional service because of his marital relationship problem and
physical deterioration. He has considered this decision for a few months and only revealed his
application to his wife about one month ago.

Client was born in XXX. Client got married when he was nineteen years old. He then went to
Guangzhou with his wife to look for a job. He had junior secondary education and terminated his
schooling at the age of sixteen years old. At that time, his family was able to support his schooling and
also let him stay at home for two years. Client had only one brother who had passed away in China many
years ago.

Client worked as an office assistant in his first job in Guangzhou. When Guangzhou was in economic
and political instability, he moved to Macau. He was twenty years old then. As he was educated, he found
a clerical job in an electric and oil company easily. He lived in Macau for about twenty years. He later
came to Hong Kong after the company he had been working for went bankrupt. Subsequently, he worked
as a clerk in a property company in Hong Kong until his retirement at the age seventy-three.

5. Financial Situation

After client’s retirement, he received $100,000 as his lump-sum pension. In addition, he received $1,000
pension monthly. Hence, he only applied for Old Age Assistance. In total, he received about $1,550
income each month and had about $400,000 savings. He also owned two houses in China. Generally
speaking, client’s financial condition was satisfactory when compared to other members in the centre.
He gave five hundred dollars to his wife each month.

6. Marital Relationship

Client got married in his native place. The relationship between client and his wife used to be quite good.
However, after client’s retirement, the couple’s relationship gradually worsen and they had many
conflicts and arguments. Client complained of his wife’s nagging and scolding. He saw her as a
trouble-maker who disturbed him endlessly. He felt very annoyed by her and could not bear with her any
further. Therefore, he decided to apply for the residential service.

Actually, they have had a poor relationship for about ten years already. Their conflicts mainly centred on
their arguments about money and differences in opinions towards their sons. Client’s wife loved the
eldest son and daughter-in-law very much and always persuaded client to give his money to their eldest
son. Client, however, refused to listen to her. On the other hand, his wife hated the youngest son, who
lived in mainland China. Client happened to love this son very much which was why client and his wife
had a lot of conflicts with regards to this.

7. Family Network

Client has two sons and two daughters. His children are all married and live separately. The elder son,
aged 50, is physically handicapped. He has retired and lives on his own in XX. His wife is living in
China. The relationship between client and the elder son was very poor. Client’s son never visited him.
On the contrary, client’s wife visits the elder son regularly and is concerned about him.

Client’s younger son lives in China. He is also 50 years old. Client returns to China to visit his son twice
a year. They have a good relationship. However as they are geographically apart, the younger son cannot
give adequate and immediate support to his father when needed.

The relationship between client and both daughters is average. The daughters would sometimes visit him
once a month. However, client hardly shares his feelings with them or reveals the marital problems to
them. According to client, the elder daughter was busy with her career and raising her children while the
younger daughter was mentally retarded (mild grade).

8. Health Condition

Client suffers from high blood pressure and has a heart problem. He could walk independently but with
difficulty because one of his foots hurts. His mobility was still satisfactory. His visual and hearing
abilities were acceptable. His memory was partially impaired. In general, client’s daily functioning and
self-care abilities were high although he had started to worry about his physical deterioration.

9. Personality and Emotional State

Client was in a normal mental and full continence state. He felt depressed and annoyed when his wife
criticised or bothered him. He was a pessimistic, sad and melancholy elderly. He seldom smiled and had
a sad expression. Client felt very troubled. Client’s cognitive functioning is high.

(B) Summary Recording of Interview Session 1

1. Identifying Data

Date: 2nd August

Time: 2:00-3:00p.m.
Place: XX
Social Worker I/C: Student Social Worker

Objectives:
1) To explore client’s accommodation and marital problems;
2) To further collect information or clients’ personal and social background;
3) To assess client’s need for residential services; and
4) To deal with client’s psychological and emotional problems and give him support.
2. Summary of Content

Prior to this interview, the worker has already gathered some information about client from the referral
agent and also had a telephone contact with client.

The main focus of the interview was on client’s marital problem and the relationship with his children.
Client was aware of the service nature of the Homes for the Aged. He repeatedly said that he had no
preference in terms of the types of Homes or the districts as long as he could get the service the as soon
as possible.

Client complained about his unsatisfactory marriage. He said that his wife scolded and blamed him all
the time. Sometimes, when he could not tolerate her any longer, they would end up in a very tense
conflict. Such conflicts would affect him physically such as developing a headache or worsening his
heart problem. Similar to the information gathered earlier, their argument usually centred around money
matters and their two sons.

Client intended to give his wife $60,000 from the sale of their house which was bought many years ago.
However, he was afraid that his wife would not be satisfied with the amount and would demand for more
money. Client appeared very confused and upset. In addition, client’s wife constantly asked him to give
money to their elder son and daughter-in-law. Client revealed that he had given about fifty thousand
dollars to them in the past and felt that it was unreasonable to give them money again.

Finally, the worker requested client’s consent to interview his wife in order to deal with their marital
problem. The worker would also make contact with his son and daughters to explore and collect more
information that would help with the case.

3. Worker’s Assessment

The worker felt that client needed his own space to calm down and relax. The worker would help him
with his application for residential care. Later on, the worker would work on his marital problem.
Worker also felt that client’s supportive network was rather small. There was no one whom he could talk
to or who would listen to his problems. Overall, the objectives of this meeting were achieved.

4. Worker’s Recommendation and Follow-up Action

The worker will arrange for an office interview or a home-visit with his wife in order to explore their
marital problem in greater depth. Subsequently, an interview with the couple will be arranged.
Furthermore, the worker will make contact with his elder son and daughter to assess how they view their
parents’ problem and their father’s application for residential care. The worker will also suggest to the
children to be concerned about their parents’ problem and to deal with it together. The client’s
supportive network would be enhanced. The worker would also go ahead with client’s residential home
application as soon as possible.

5. The Next Meeting

Date: 4th August

Place: XX
Time: 2:00 p.m.

Update on Action Taken

After the first interview, the worker had contacted client’s wife and had arranged for an interview on 3rd
August. Unfortunately, on the day of the interview, his wife hurt her foot and was unable to come for the
office interview. She promised to see the worker after she had recovered.

(C) Summary Recording of Interview Session 2

1. Identifying Data

Date: 4th August

Time: 2:00-2:30p.m.
Place: XX
Social Worker I/C: Student Social Worker
Objectives:
1) To follow-up on his wife’s condition;
2) To understand client’s feelings and response to his wife’s physical illness; and his contribution to
taking care of her during this period;
3) To work with client’s emotional state; and
4) To complete client application form for residential home.

2. Summary of Content

Client came on time for the second interview. He revealed that his wife had been sent to the hospital
because her physical condition had worsen. He had visited her that morning. Client was still concerned
about his wife and loved her very much as he provided intensive care to her during this period of her
illness. His wife’s condition remained stable and she would continue to receive medical treatment.
Client was obviously worried about his wife’s illness and showed sympathy towards her. He still took
great responsibility in taking care of her.

The worker explained to client that both he and his wife needed each other very much because of their
physical deterioration with increasing age. However, he would not be able to take care of his wife once
his application to aged home came through. Client said that it was unpredictable and difficult to tell. He
answered very vaguely to worker’s comment. The worker believed that he tried to avoid or ignore this
problem as he would still want to live separately from his wife.

3. Worker’s Assessment and Follow-up Action

The worker assessed that the relationship and affection between client and his wife were not as bad as
that described by client. From his wife’s accident, client was still concerned about her and willing to take
care of her. It was also because this event did not involve matters related to “money” or “the relationship
with their sons”. The worker believed that their marital problem could be dealt with because client and
his wife had motivation to improve. The worker would continue to give client emotional support and
encouragement in handling his marital relationship problem.

In addition, the worker would work with his wife as soon as she had recovered since the couple’s
relationship had just started to develop again. The worker would also make telephone contact with
client’s elder son and daughters in the following week.

The date of next meeting will be arranged and decided later because it depends on his wife’s physical
condition and their developing relationship.

(D) Summary Recording of Interview Session Three and Transfer Summary of Case

1. Identifying Data

Name of Client: Mr. C

After the second meeting with client on 4th August, the worker contacted him, his wife and his daughter
several times by telephone. Unluckily, client’s wife hurt her waist in the morning of 3rd August and had
to be sent to the hospital and infirmary for treatment for sixteen days. During this period, the worker
could not have any contact with her, and had learnt of her condition through client. Client’s wife was
discharged from the infirmary on 19th August. As she had not recovered fully, she insisted on resting at
home and also rejected the worker’s idea of a home visit. After several telephone contacts with them,
client’s wife still refused to see the worker and client also said that there was no need for the worker to
talk with his wife. So, the worker decided not to take further action till the last week of fieldwork
placement.

During this period, the worker had also contacted client’s elder daughter by telephone once to explore
how she viewed her parents’ marital problem and her father’s application for residential home, client’s
elder daughter was not an expressive person. She said that she was busy with her career and looking after
her children. She further said that her own family also had many problems. Therefore, she had no time
or energy to deal with her parents’ arguments and marital problem. She said that her parents’ problems
had lasted for many years. In addition, she had no comment on her father’s aged home application
because it was his own decision. The worker felt that client’s elder daughter avoided having to deal with
her parents’ problem. Finally, the worker encouraged her to show more concern for her parents.
Prior to the third interview with client, the worker contacted client’s wife by telephone again on 5th
August. She was still unwilling to see the worker, so the worker decided to talk with her through the
telephone. She was still recovering and needed the assistance and care from client very much. The
worker also tried to explore how she viewed her husband’s aged home application and their poor marital
relationship. Besides, the worker asked if she was willing to apply for couple placement of Home for the
Aged. Client’s wife disclosed that she respected her husband’s decision, however, she would not apply
for the aged home placement because she wanted to live in the public housing estate as long as she was
alive. She did not see any problem for her to live alone and to take care of herself. In addition, she
admitted the unsatisfactory marital relationship with client and insisted that the problem derived from
the faults of client and the younger son. She went on to complain about the misdeeds of the younger son.
Client was home at that time and wife’s complaints triggered off an argument between them. In order to
stop their arguments, the worker shifted the topic and requested them not to argue any further. Finally,
the worker requested client to see her in that afternoon.

Summary Recording of Interview 3

1. Identifying Data

Date: 5th August

Time: 2:00-2:30p.m.
Place: XX
Social Worker I/C: Student Social Worker

Objectives:
1) To explore three arguments condition in the morning;
2) To understand client’s feelings, response to his wife’s physical illness; and his contribution to taking
care of her during this period;
3) To explore how client view his wife’s rejection of couple placement’s application;
4) To find out the methods to reduce and avoid the tense conflicts and arguments between client with his
wife; and
5) To transfer the case to the next social worker I/C.

2. Summary of Content

In the interview, client revealed that during this period, while his wife was unwell, he provided intensive
care to his wife and her condition was getting better and stable. He mentioned that their arguments in the
morning were meaningless because everything that his wife had told the worker was untrue. Actually,
the younger son was not so bad and greedy as described by his wife. He decided to suppress his anger and
not argue with his wife again in order to avoid a `heart attack’.

Moreover, client agreed with his wife’s rejection of applying for couple aged home placement as it was
her own decision. In the meantime, client intended to separate with his wife for a period of time after his
wife had recovered. He had decided to go back to his native place to rest and relax and also to avoid the
frequent conflicts with his wife. The worker had also suggested to client to avoid mentioning the issues
of “money” or “the younger son” to his wife since they would not make any compromise on these matters.
Finally, the worker transferred the case to Ms J. (the next social worker in-charge) and reminded client
to contact Ms J. if he had any problem.

3. Worker’s Assessment

It is obvious that both client and his wife see separation as the best solution to their marital problem.
Although the worker had discussed the advantages and disadvantages of couple placement with client’s
wife, she still insisted on living alone after client left home. As the poor marital relationship had lasted
for ten years, the worker might have great difficulty to deal with or solve the problem. So, in the
meantime, the worker should help them reduce their conflicts and arguments.

Worker also assessed that client could handle the problem by himself because of his high cognitive and
other functioning abilities, there was no need to worry about his condition.

4. Worker’s Recommendation and Follow-up Action

Client’s residential care application was pending. The next worker in-charge could review the case in a
month’s time to see if any problems or changes have emerged. The worker has placed the case under the
inactive category.
SAMPLE CASE RECORDING - NARRATIVE ACCOUNT (1)

Name of Client: Mdm. W

Case Nature: Marital counselling

Summary of contacts:

24/3 T.C. to Mdm. W to arrange home visit

25/3 H.V. to Mdm. W, ST (the eldest) and SM were met.

Mdm. W had complained that ST was poor at managing his academic work. She wanted me to assist her.

Purpose:

1. To investigate the interaction of parent and child.

2. To initiate the action plan to deal with the academic performance of the two sons.
3. To offer another perspective of the two son’s behaviour to Mdm. W
4. To educate Mdm. W to perform better in parental skills.

Content interview:

ST came downstairs to meet me. ST welcomed me. Then, I thanked him for his kindness. I wished to
present my appreciation to him in order to increase the interaction between me and him. ST introduced
his living place to me. I showed my interests. This was a tactic to establish rapport. When I went upstairs,
I saw SM. I shook hands with him. ST put his kittens and rabbit in front of me. I thought he perceived me
as being scared of that kind of animals. Fortunately, I was not. In addition, I felt interesting in touching
these animals. ST introduced his pet’s name to me.

When I touched the animals, SM woke his mother up. I nodded my head to her. I asked if ST and SM had
followed the contract that we had agreed upon in the last meeting (i.e. they would go home by five
o’clock). They said they had. I gave some gifts to them in order to lead Mdm. W to realise that parenting
style could be in that way and her sons were being motivated to perform well under stimulation.

Mdm. W scolded ST for scaring me with his pets - ‘You frightened Ms C !’ Mdm. W said in a loud voice
and felt that ST was very naughty. I said I was not scared and comforted Mdm. W to take it easy. Mdm.
W then invited me to their bedroom. (Her flat was very large since the owner had built a lot of extra
space.) Mdm. W ordered ST and SM to let me have a look at their academic reports. I read their reports
and felt that their results were acceptable. ST only had one subject that was classified as below average.
SM had very good academic performance. I praised their hard work. I understood that Mdm. W was not
satisfied with their results. I invited Mdm. W to express her opinion on their academic results. Mdm. W
said they were very poor at concentrating. Their results were getting poorer and poorer. She had already
helped them to improve their work. She said SM was better than ST. I reframed that Mdm. W was very
concerned about her sons. I invited ST to express how he felt when he heard his mother’s strong
concerned for him. I did not want the two sons to have transference on the worker and see me as their
mother figure. In addition, I did not want Mdm. W’s negative connotation to perpetuate into the two
sons’ minds.

I specifically pointed out that ST had won a scholarship in Primary 1. Moreover, his position in the class
(20 out of 40) in Semester A of Primary 5 was acceptable.

I changed blaming stances of Mdm. W into more positive perspective. I invited Mdm. W to give her
feeling when ST obtain good results recently. ST said he could get good result in Primary 1. However, his
academic performance had worsen. There exhibited that ST accepted the label that his mother gave him.
I wanted to help Mdm. W to understand that there was exceptional case that identified ST would be good
enough in his effort. Sometimes, mother was too concerned with their children’s future in terms of their
academic performance. In turn, self-esteem of that kind of children would be lower since their self-worth
was based on the external thing. If the children had low self-esteem, they had the potential to be a
delinquent. I wished to prevent that kind of phenomena to exist in that family. Mdm. W said ST had got
a good mark in Chinese dictation. I asked the feeling of Mdm. W when she knew. Mdm. W said she was
very happy but ST was very poor in his study since he went to C & Y centre frequently.

Mdm. W seemed to generalize that ST went to C & Y centre was equal to his poor academic result. I
wanted to correct Mdm. W’s arbitrary inference. I helped Mdm. W to re-examine the relationship
between C & Y centre and academic result. I thought it was impossible to control ST’s behaviour. If
Mdm. W wanted to control him, the tense atmosphere of parent-child relationship would emerge. Under
that condition, ST would rebel. Mdm. W said ST had to go to C & Y centre after school. ST would use
excuse to lead himself to stay there. For example, he would read books and do exercises. I asked the
feeling of Mdm. W when ST stayed there. Mdm. W said she would be very angry. I interpreted that
Mdm. W was sad (the feeling of feeling angry) because she perceived that ST had not behaved in a
proper way in her sense. At that point, I invited ST to give his idea; ‘ST! What is the meaning of going
to the C & Y centre for you?’ ST said there was TV game and token economy to reinforce him to go there
frequently. I interpreted that ST loved to go there very much because there were resources for him to
play. I asked the frequency of ST going there. SM said ST went there everyday. I said it was a good time
for ST to explain his situation to us, so, the others had to listen carefully. This was a symbol of family rule
for the family members that the others had to respect each other’s individuality and personality. SM was
playing with his gift that I gave him. ST said he would go there everyday. I said when he would return
home. Mdm. W said he would return home at six o’clock. I said that it was better for ST to answer that
question. ST said he would return home at six o’clock. I asked the reason of coming home at six o’clock.
I wanted ST to explain his reason without feeling threatened by Mdm. W. ST said it was because he
could read more books if he stayed for a longer time. Actually, I thought that ST was out of the tolerance
of parent’s standard. If I were Mdm. W, I would also make generalization of ST’s behaviour. However,
I could not put this value into practice since I wanted to avoid the tense relationship between parent-
child. If I held that value, I might wrongly stimulated Mdm. W’s parenting ‘Threat and reward’ style.
Therefore, I tried to use an affective level with Mdm. W to persuade ST and SM to understand their
mother.

I reframed that ST wanted to read books. I asked what Mdm. W’s viewpoints were. I tried to assist the
family members to understand the others’ perception. Mdm. W said she tolerated ST to go there,
however, he could not go there too frequently. Thanks!

I interpreted that Mdm. W was not an autocratic monarchy; ‘ST! Your mother is not a kind of person
who will manipulate your lifestyle. Your mother will lead you to choose. Your mother will be very sad if
you do not do well in your school work. Your mother has established an environment for you to study
well. Do you feel that you can lessen your mother’s negative feeling?’ ST said that it was better for him
to spent less time there and more time in his studies. I praised that ST could immediately make action
plan to tackle the problem that hindered the well-being of parent-child relationship. On the other hand,
I reframed that message to Mdm. W; ‘Mdm. W! ST is a good boy. When he understands that he will
make you sad if he behave in that way, he adopts a new way to perform. Would you please give some
positive response to him?’ In turn, Mdm. W appreciated ST. She put her hand on his head. It was a good
step to put the discussion into action plan.

I asked ST to initiate a contract immediately to motivate himself to perform more desirably. At that
point, I invited Mdm. W, ST and SM together to make a contract. SM had not any problem in academic
performance and behaviour. He was good at companioning Mdm. W. However, SM could serve as a
helper in the change process for ST and encouraged ST to act on the contract. ST then found a piece of
paper which was written by Mdm. W and said to me; ‘This paper is written by mother. I regard it as
rubbish.’ SM agreed. I neglected SM’s ideas about Mdm. W’s effort. I verbally praised and nodded my
head to Mdm. W that she was very intelligent and put a great effort to try her best to bring up her sons.
It was out of my expectation that Mdm. W had prepared that method to discipline her sons. Apart from
appreciating Mdm. W, I re-focused onto ST’s disrespect for Mdm. W’s work. Since the interaction
between Mdm. W and the two sons was significant, that is, if ST and SM perceived Mdm. W’s parental
skill as stupid, Mdm. W would perceive herself as inadequate in guiding her sons. As a result, Mdm. W’s
inferior self-image would be reinforced. I asked ST and SM the meaning of the timetable in their
mother’s world. They said their mother was very concerned about their academic performance. I asked
what the added meaning of her concern for their academic performance was. ST said his mother did not
want them to be poor in the future. I asked them the meaning of being poor. SM said their mother
predicted they would be farmers when they grew up. I re-framed it would be very hard life for them.
Their mother would be very upset if their lives were very harsh.

At this point, I thought I was drilling on the sons’ academic performance too much. I was too anxious to
motivate them to change their behaviour. However, when I reviewed the purpose of this home visit, I
accepted my performance. It was because I wanted to educate Mdm. W to execute her parental authority.
I thought that parental authority sometime could preserve the truth. Mdm. W was not a manipulative
mother. On the other hand, I interpreted that ST would perform better under adequate supervision. In the
following part, I attempted to give ST and SM more power to pave their own road accompanied by their
mother.
I used the timetable which was designed by Mdm. W to motivate ST and SM to change their behaviour.
I asked if they desired to change. They said they wanted to be a good boy and performed much better in
their study. ST said his father and mother had promised to give them $500 if they scored within 10th
position in class in their examination. I understood it was an impossible goal for ST. I clarified with ST
the possibility of him achieving that goal was. ST and SM also understood that it was very difficult to
achieve that goal. I made a suggestion that they could utilize their mother’s timetable. This tactic was
used to increase; (1) Mdm. W’s self-worth in parental role; (2) reformulate Mdm. W’s parental
authority; (3) re-experience a sense of mutual respect; and (4) the two sons’ self-determination in
reaching their goals.

I hoped to use that timetable to design a behavioural modification chart which was based on the
knowledge of differential association. The reinforcers were gifts from me. I used the token economy to
count their pro-social behaviour which was set in the timetables. If ST and SM could acquire 95-100
tokens, they would receive a gift they desired. Mdm. W was the executor. ST and SM were the
performers. I was the observer. All of us agreed on that arrangement. The timetable was divided into
several items. I led them to discuss the item one by one. The first guideline was to wake up at 6.30 am.
I facilitated all of them to give their viewpoints on that guideline. SM said that he could not accept that
guideline. I asked what his reasons were. He said he could not wake up too early. I stimulated ST to come
up suggestion on that matter. ST said that he would help to wake SM up. I re-framed ST’s message and
asked the consensus of SM on that decision. SM said it was all right, however, it was not necessary to
wake up too earlier. I asked Mdm. W the reasons for waking up at 6.30 am. Mdm. W said it was because
in summer the school would start earlier than in winter. I asked if SM could understand the reason for
waking up at 6:30 am. SM said yes and we moved into the next guideline. Overall, after discussion, they
agreed on the items on the plan. At the end, I wrote down the plan and all of them signed the contract.

At last, I encouraged Mdm. W to execute the plan properly. The behavioural modification chart was
derived from her timetable for her two sons. It was not a new thing but the work that was designed by
Mdm. W earlier. I said; ‘This reinforcement plan is not professional-oriented-discipline guidelines
toward children for parents. It is your own effort and knowledge. ST and SM! do you think that your
mother is an intelligent woman who can help you to perform better?’ ST and SM said they agreed. In
addition, I emphasized Mdm. W was a good mother who could utilize her parental right to guide her sons
to grow up. This statement was listened by ST and SM that they needed to respect their mother’s role. I
finished off the home visit at that point.

Conceptualization

I tried to regulate the power distribution of that family. The parent-child subsystem was blocked. I
thought Mdm. W wrongly used her parental authority. It was ineffective. In addition, ST and SM would
be affected. I engaged Mdm. W, SM and ST in the treatment plan. Mdm. W was being reassured that she
tried her best to be as well as was a good mother. ST and SM’s goals were clarified. They were engaged
in the intervention plan.

I adopted the behaviour therapy approach in working with this family. My role was like a teacher. ST and
SM’s behaviours were regulated by the behavioural plan. Mdm. W was being coached by me to perform
well.

I hoped that the family could grow up in the Seed model that was mentioned in Satir. The family could
experience love and understanding (the incident of C & Y centre - Mdm. W understood ST’s reasons for
going to the C & Y centre and there was an opportunity for him to explain). The person was defined as
unique (Mdm. W would not compare ST with SM since they were two different persons). The
relationship was defined with love and respect (Mdm. W, ST and SM’s self-worth were high because
they viewed the others as important (not basing on subjective standard) in their lives). The event was
caused by multiple variable (Mdm. W’s original parenting style was not solely caused by the two son’s
naughtiness, but her feelings of guilt and shame were also the main reasons. The two sons had to
understand that their mother would feel guilty if they misbehaved).

Supervisor’s Feedback:

Dear K,

I am generally satisfied with your recording practice as demonstrated in this recording. It gives a
narrative account of your experience in this interview - interpretations among the participants in their
respective roles (including you as the social worker), thoughts, practical argument, and action on your
part. It is the thoughts and practical arguments reported in the account that reveal the interpretative
frame (derived from formal, folk, and personal knowledge) you used to make sense of what happened
and to deliberate on what to do. What I wish you to develop is the quality of reflection (what Donald
Schön called “reflection-on-action” - see the book “The Reflective Practitioner”) such that you are able
to construct what I call “event-based practitioner knowledge” - knowledge of the “practical” kind
specific to the way you practised in this particular client contact and with this particular case.

I wish to conduct a reflection session with you - based on the text of the interview account - to see what
we can learn from your practice experience in this interview. Please arrange a meeting with me. I am
going to make a hard copy of the interview account for you. Go through it line by line and note your
reflection (there-and-then as well as here-and-now) on the margin. We are going to discuss your
personal reflections in our meeting. Please bring a tape and recorder along.
SAMPLE CASE RECORDING - NARRATIVE (2)

This is a narrative account of a family interview with Family Y.

Client: C
Narrative account of home interview on 29/3

Content of interview

Purpose :
1. To include Mr. Y in the interview for the first time.
2. To build up the sense of family as a whole.
3. To encourage all the family members to sound out their expectation and concernto each others.

I met all the family members in the home visit. Mr. Y avoided to sit down in the sitting room and
said he was busy repairing the toilet equipment. Mrs. Y and I walked to the toilet area and invited
him to take a seat in the sitting room. Mr. Y did not response. I then praised his ability to repair the
equipment on his own. I then turn to Mrs. Y and said, `It is very good that he can repair the
household equipment on his own.’ Mrs. Y smiled and said ‘Yes, I also appreciate it.’ Mr. Y asked
us to chat in the sitting room first and he would join us later. Mrs. Y was a little angry with him and
the worker invited Mrs. Y to take a seat first and said, ‘I believe Mr. Y can finish the work within a
short time and will join us shortly.’ I wanted to break down the resistance of Mr. Y and send out the
message that we were waiting for his participation.

C was waiting for us in the sitting room and we began to talk about his holiday. He said he had more
time to play computer game. Mrs. Y said his father allowed C to play the game in an appropriate
time after the contracting in the previous home visit. C can now play the game three times a week as
compared to only one to two time previously. He used to play it secretly but now he could play
openly. Mr. Y joined us at that point. He sat down and said, “Well, What subject are we talking
about?” I told him, ‘We were talking about the computer game and I just knew you rewarded C with
a gift - playing the game. C was facilitated to share his feeling about it. He said, ‘I want to play
more. It would be better if it had no regulation or restriction. Mr. Y said C could not control himself
if there was no regulation and Mrs. Y immediately said, ‘You would not find it valuable if you could
easily get it.’ C response, ‘I like the free gift, I don’t like to be controlled.’ Mrs. Y turned to me and
said she was worried about this kind of personality. She said he was too greedy and lazy.’ C began
to argue about it. I change the focus for inviting C to talk about the change of his father. It was
because I don’t like to bargain with C over the subject of his personality. We had several discussion
in the passed three interviews but it shifted the focus of their family problem.

I facilitated Mrs. Y and C to talk about the change of Mr. Y over the issue of the computer game.
Mrs. Y said, ‘I found Daddy showing more concern about C. He invited C to sleep together and also
went for a jog together. One day, he suddenly phoned home and asked me to look after C closely
because the rate of adolescent committing suicide is increasing every day.’ I asked Mrs. Y, ‘You just
say Daddy phoned back home suddenly. You felt surprised about it.’ Mrs. Y said she was both
surprised and delighted. She felt that he had become more concerned about the development of C.
Mr. Y was browsing through a computer reference book when we were talking. However, I found
Mr. Y not concentrating on it. He was focused on our conversation. I then asked, ‘Mr. Y, do you like
sleeping and jogging with C?’ Mr. Y laughed. Through my facilitation, he said, ‘I want to
communicate more with C and shorten our distance.’ I felt that C was a little embarrassed while Mr.
Y had a smile on his face. I invited C to share his feeling about it. He said, ‘Daddy invited me to jog
with him because he felt lonely and also I could play the computer game after I go jogging with him.
I summarized his feeling and C talked about his impression of his father. Some bad experiences
were recalled such as physical punishment on C and the lying of Mr. Y. I said, ‘The past experience
of physical punishment has long lasting effect on C. It is a good time for us to talk about it. Mr. Y,
do you want to have anything to say to C?’ Mr. Y remained silent for a moment and said, ‘I don’t
know you still remember this kind of old history. I don’t know other kind of parenting methods in
the past.’ The past event was talked again and I found the bad attitude of Mr. Y was due to his
pressure at the job. I clarify it to Mrs. Y and C. All the family members remained silent and Mrs. Y
said, ‘Daddy had great improvement on the parenting style.’ C was encouraged to forget it after we
had a long sharing over it. C was a little teary when he recalled his feeling. I gave support to him and
Mr. Y jokingly said, ‘I will invite you to have dinner at Pizza Hut, O.K.?’ All family members
laughed and C said, ‘You cannot tell lies.’
Then, we were talking about the studying problem of C. Mrs. Y was very worried about the coming
examination of C and we contracted over the revision time of C. C agreed to try the arrangement in
the Easter holiday. However, I don’t think C would follow our contract because he showed little
concern for it.

Reflection

In the home visit, I try my best to invite Mr. Y to participant in our conversation and sharing. I
praised his good points and sometimes clarified his attitude towards the family. I always reflect and
summarize their feelings and worries to each others. I have kept in mind that I am a friend of their
family. I am not a challenging figure to Mr. Y. Mr. Y also needs my support. However, I found that
Mr. Y was a little embarrassed when I facilitated him to talk about his feelings. I must bear in mind
I cannot directly teach him on the parenting style. I can reflect more about the expectation of Mrs.
Y and C.

Supervisor’s feedback:

Dear J,

I find the narrative account a much better means of communicating your experience in the family
interview and what took place in the interview from your point of view. I find myself better tuned into
your frame of mind underlying what you did and how you made sense of what went on in the session.
I wish to accomplish a number of things through writing my feedback to you. First, I wish to develop
further how best to “talk” about your practice in this textual form. I am particularly concerned
about the “private talks” you had with yourself during the session and how these “private talks” can
be brought to surface. It is in such “private talks” that we deliberate and reflect as practitioners in
the immediate moment of practice. It is in here that we come to know how we practise, what
knowledge we use in practice, and how that knowledge is used and for what. Second, I wish to base
on the account to provide you my interpretation of what took place in the interview - hence what I
learn about the family and each of the participants who are related to one another as part of a
family. I hope the interpretation I offer will give you some ideas of how another practitioner - with
different biographical history and professional experience - makes sense of you reported in the
account. Probably, I may be able to reveal to you the values, beliefs, and knowledge (personal and
professional) that such interpretation is premised on and embodies. Third, I would like to reflect on
your reflection, hopefully to extend your reflection and bring to fore what underlying schema that
your reflection reveals.

Writing account of one’s practice

A statement of purpose is helpful, not so much as serving a reference point for evaluating what you
“achieve”, but as a cognitive map for finding your direction in the interview. It connects the past
with what is going to unfold in the interview and, in that way, afford you and the clients a sense of
continuity - and a sense of progress toward something desirable (which may not be known as yet).

This is the first time to include the husband-father in the interview. It is planned rather than
incidental. In other words, you have made a decision on your part - who is to be involved in the
helping process. A family systems perspective will have all three member in the family included.
Does it signify such a perspective being adopted in your work with this family? I suppose the
husband-father has been asked to take part. What will he see as the purpose of being there in the
interview? Will he perceive himself as your client, a legitimate participant by virtue of his status in
the family? And then on your part, what does it mean by including him in this particular interview?
And what to do to include him?

I suppose the orienting perspective in this notion of “including the husband-father” lies in the
second statement - to build up the sense of family as a whole. Mr. Y is there because he is a part of
the whole, the part that is signified by his role as the husband-father in the family. What then in this
particular instant of the helping process, is his part supposed to fit? We can count a number of
points. First, he is part of the problem. But this notion is counter-productive. It will be threatening
to one who is being included by a social worker at this point in the helping process. Second, he is
part of the solution. This is obviously a better part to play than the first one. Third, he joins the rest
of the family (wife-mother and son) to come up with a shared view of the problem, or a shared vision
for the family. This may appear to you as most compatible with the systemic view of family. Different
conception of what it means by including the husband-father imply different strategies of
conducting the family interview. The next two statements - “to build up the sense of family” and “to
sound out their expectation and concern to each other” - suggest to me that it is the third perspective
you had in mind. I would suppose such an orientating perspective would be revealed in the way the
family interview proceeds.

Making entry and setting up the interview

Clearly, you paid particular attention to the husband-father. You noted that he was busy (doing
some handiwork) and did not prepare to join the interview at this point. I am glad that you were
sensitive to the wife-mother’s expression of annoyance (assuming that we are all accurate in
interpreting non-verbal expression of affect). You were “strategic” and intentional too at this point
- “to break down the resistance” and try to convey to the husband-father that “we were waiting for
his participation”. Note that you described his behaviour at this point as “resistance”. How did you
come up with this notion to make sense of his behaviour at this point? Once you conceived the
client’s behaviour as resistance, what did it mean to you?

Beginning the interview

Early on in the interview, both the child the wife-mother told you about the “progress” of the
“contract” made in the previous session. I am not sure how deliberate it was on your part to set off
the interview with a review of progress. To me, this is often a good way to begin the session -
bridging between the two session and assessing the change effort attempted and the progress made.
The husband-father tried to join the conversation at this point. Probably, he was not resistant after
all. You made this entry: “Well, what subject (do you) want to talk?” The husband-father was clearly
tried to be included (by you). He did not wait to be included.

Topic development

I supposed you were deliberate when you “facilitated” (?) the child to share his feeling about the
father’s control over his access to computer game. However, it was not clear what your intention
was. The father’s reply was important - we had a glimpse of how he viewed the child and his way of
playing out his role as the father. The father’s reply to the child’s wish to have free access (and that
means removing the father’s control) - that the child could not control himself - suggests the father’s
conception of the child. The mother supported the father, but put forward a different reason: “ You
could not find it valuable if it was easy to get it.” Here, we can see the two parents differed in how
they tried to influence the child - or to justify parental action - but the parental goal was the same.
The child sort of protested by expressing his wish: “I don’t like to be controlled.” It is interesting to
me that the mother seized on this instant as another indication of the child’s “personality” - being
greedy and lazy. In this regard, both the mother and the father converged on a “negative”
evaluation of the child. The child argued (with both parents?) and the ensuing scene would have a
lot to tell about the “parent-child subsystem” - what to a social worker would be important
assessment information about the family.

It is not clear why you chose to shift the topic at this point. You reported initiating a shift in topic
(note the notion of topic development). It is good that you reported your intention - “I don’t like to
bargain with the child over the subject of his personality”. It is also good that you also reported your
deliberation leading to this decision (what I refer to as “practical argument”) - “had several
discussion in the past three interviews but it shifted the focus of their family problem.” Here, the
practical argument is not theory-driven. It was a judgment made in light of the orienting perspective
you brought into this interview - “the sense of family as a whole”. But then it is not clear about the
practical argument underlying the strategy you took - asking the child (and the mother as well) to
talk about the change of the husband-father. How is it that shifting to this topic would lead to a focus
on their family problem?

I hope by now you will have a better grasp of how a narrative account of your practice can
incorporate your “private talks” in the process. It is this reporting of the “private process” of a
practitioner that we can understand how he/she practises and the “practical knowledge” embodied
in what he/she did. I am going to stop here. I suppose the foregoing discussion should be good
enough to convey to you how best to report your practice in a narrative style.

I now move on to the second part - my interpretation of what took place in the interview and the sort
of “knowledge” I learned about the family system and its sub-systems (the couple subsystem and the
parent-child subsystem). I adopt the systemic language because this is the orienting perspective
guiding your practice in this interview. Foremost in mind is the impression that it would have been
a rewarding experience for all three parties concerned. There had been a strong focus on positive
interaction - the wife-mother and the child giving feedback to the father with a positive focus. The
wife could actually tell her husband “her delight” about the concern the latter showed about the
child. The husband reciprocated (he laughed) and went on to explicitly tell his son his wish - “to
shorten our distance”. It was the son who found it difficult to reciprocate positive communication -
and which we may need to help him to learn and to do. I can see the effort you made to orchestrate
this interactional process within the family group. One event stood out in the process, and that was
when the child retold his “bad experience” of the father. You did very well to frame the situation -
revisiting past history of the father-son relationship and linking it to the present - and to invite the
father to respond. What took place then in that episode is a “re-writing” of history. The father
showed his repentance for his ignorance (“I don’t know other kind of parenting methods in the
past.”) and his “bad attitude” was explained in terms of work stress. I had the impression it was a
moment of reflection for the “whole” family, not just the husband-father. The wife-mother came
across to me as the source of strength for the family. She appreciated the “improvement” in the
husband-father’s parenting style. Indeed, he had, even in the interview. He was a more gentle
father. He “joked with the child”. And taking the child out for a treat was interpreted as a symbolic
act - to make good for past wrongs.

After reading your account of the family interview, I have a strong impression that the family had
regained strength. There is positive communication between the husband and the wife in the couple
sub-system. The parent sub-system emerged stronger as the two parents converged on a shared set
of values about parenting. The father-son subsystem is stronger now that the father has made the
effort to reach out to the child - to “shorten the distance”. The child may well be the last one to learn
to communicate positively in the family.

I am now ready for the third part of the feedback. I would have much more to share regarding my
reflection after the interview if I were the worker. But then reflection is something personal. You
reflect on the experience that stands out, and what stood out suggests the sort of framework or
preoccupation you had in making sense of your experience in this interview. To begin with, the
husband-father is your focus - noting that one purpose you had in mind is to include him in the
interview. The guiding notion is “participation” and the strategy you used is to emphasize the “good
points of him”, be a “friend” and not to “challenge” him. Another focus is to mediate the interaction
among the family members - to communicate feelings and to clarify attitudes. I suppose this focus
has to do with the other purpose - to build up the sense of “family as whole”. I find it assuring that
you were able to monitor yourself, to be disciplined in refraining yourself from a strong inclination
to teach the husband-father how to be a parent. This is one strength I hope all social workers will be
able to develop in their practice.

Next time you write your reflection, try to reflect as “exhaustively” as possible. We learn about
ourselves as practitioners, and our practice, through reflection.
SAMPLE GROUP RECORDING - NARRATIVE ACCOUNT

Date: 12th April

Time: 9:00a.m. - 10:30a.m. (planned time)
9:00a.m. - 11:30a.m. (actual time)
Session No.: 1
Venue: Conference room
Worker-in-charge: M
Attendance: L, H, W, C

Objectives of the session:

. Knowing each other

. Orientation of the group
. Establish relationship between members and that between members and worker
. Contracting
. Asking for the members’ individual goals
. Decide themes of session two to session six

Process summary

L arrived at about 8:50 a.m. I have just arrived at the office at about 8:45 a.m. and was busy
photocopying the pre-test questionnaire. Thus, I greeted her and introduced myself to her briefly.
She dressed quite formally. She wore a coat and a pair of trousers with a scarf around her neck. Her
hair was neatly combed with a little bit of wet look. I thought that she treated this session as a quite
important appointment. She actively helped me to push the table and chairs. After that, I told her
that I had something to do for the group session. She asked me to do so and began to read her
newspaper. I told Uncle H to tell everybody who were looking for me to go to the conference room.
After I had done all my preparation, I went to the conference room. It was about 9:05 a.m.. Another
member, C, had also arrived. She was sitting on a chair in the arranged circle while L was still
reading her newspaper facing the sea. I apologized for the lateness and I told them that I should have
been there to greet them. They expressed that they did not mind. I knew that I should not leave them
alone anymore because I was already late for the session. I began to socially chat with them and
invited L to sit in the circle. We introduced ourselves. I asked if they had received my invitation
cards. They replied that they did not. I felt sorry about that and guessed that it might be the reason
that they had forgotten about the session. I gave them labels to write down their names and stick the
label on their clothes in order to let others know their names. After that, I had group orientation with
them. W came with her daughter, T, at about 9:25 a.m.. I did the same thing with her. I decided to
call other members and they agreed about this. Before I left the room, I gave them the handbooks of
the group and explained the details of the handbooks.

I could only find H over the phone. She had just been waken up by me. She told me that she would
come at about 10:00 a.m. if we waited for her. She also said that she had to bring her daughter along
because there was no one available to look after her. I told her that she could do so and asked her to
come as soon as possible. I was nervous about the limited number of members who attended this
session. In a short period of time, I did not know what to do. I knew that I should not start the session
because many decisions could not be made without the other half of the group members. I
immediately changed the original session plan by asking them to fill in the questionnaire first. I also
took out the food and drinks and we began to have the tea time first. They seemed to have some
difficulties filling in the questionnaires. Thus, I explained each questions with them. When they
were doing this, the fourth member came with her daughter. She seemed to be in a hurry. I
introduced myself again and gave her a label on which her name was written. I asked them to tell the
other group members something about themselves through playing a game - the talking stick. The
member who received the talking stick would have to speak. They disclosed their family
composition, background and names in this activity. It seemed that all except C did not have much
difficulty sharing with the group because they had already some time to get familiar with each other.
C spoke with a soft voice. I remembered that she was also like that when she first came to know me.
After this, I asked them to take turns to say each others’ names. They had to tell successive names
when it was their turns. C was the last one to play this game and she lost. We laughed. She laughed,
too.

I introduced another warm-up game to the group members. I immediately changed the original
warm-up game by asking them to draw things which would best describe their characters. H and C
felt embarrassed and told us that they did not know how to draw. I asked them to think about
something and tell us later. H and C finally drew something. It might be because the other two group
members followed my suggestions and drew two pictures. They had nothing to do when the other
two were drawing. They felt shy when showing us their drawings. I positively regarded their efforts
and tried to find out if there were things that I could identify in their drawings. In this activity, they
disclosed their background much more. They talked about the reasons of their single-parenthood.
After all of them had explained their pictures with illustration, they began to discuss their hardship
as single parents. H said that she was still in the divorce process. She chose to divorce because her
husband was violent and abused her. She had hid in the XX House in the past. Now she is renting a
private room. She drew a ship in a sea because she wanted to be free. She expressed that she was
controlled by her parents and husband in her life. L had a divorce because her ex-husband had many
other women outside the family. She had been divorced for a few years. She had two children, the
son was 9 years old and the daughter was 18 years old. In her picture, there were a few people hiking
in a mountain. She explained that she liked hiking. I asked if she went with someone since there
were a few people in the mountain. She said that she went hiking with her son and their dog during
the holidays. W had divorced her husband for some months now. She has a 2 year old daughter. She
was my casework client. She also drew a ship. She said that she hoped the weather was good. That
would make the journey more smooth. I reflected whether she had experienced “waves in her life”
repeatedly and thus wanted a calm sea. She said yes and her present concern was T’s safety, that
means, housing. C had four children and was C.W.’s mother. She drew a piece of newspaper and
expressed that she wanted to “know more”. She thought that her relationship with husband was
good before he died. All of them were CSSA recipients.

When H talked about her sad story, W showed her understanding by self-disclosure. In fact, their
experiences were quite similar. With W’s self-disclosure and agreement, H disclosed more and
more. I understood that her emotional state was a little bit unstable as she was still in the process of
getting her divorce. She began to cry. W also cried when she talked about her bad experience. C did
so, too. L was very active in giving reflections of feelings and contents. She also showed her
understanding and gave feedback with follow-up questions. I appreciated her optimistic attitude to
life and her effort in coping with her past hard experience.

We discussed the group content from session two to session six. I suggested to them to consider not
only difficulties which divorced women would have to face but also that faced by widows. They said
that their main concern were their children. They would like to talk about how to teach, take care
and discipline their children. All of them agreed. I tried to raise other things that they might have
to encounter, for instance, lowered self-esteem, remarriage, etc. They did not have much concern
about them. So we decided to choose parenting as the theme of next session. I told them that we
might think of other conversation topics when the other group members came. They agreed. We did
contracting then. L expected each member to attend group sessions on time. If group members could
not do so, they should inform the worker over the phone. I showed my understanding and agreed
with her that the group process would be more smooth if everybody came on time. There were four
additional group norms that were set.

It was almost at the end of the group session. I introduced my suggestion and one of the group norms
that we had set in the contract was each group members had to telephone two other group members
before the next session. They had to remind those two members the date and time of the coming
session and talked with them about their daily lives if they like. They welcomed this idea and wrote
down the names and contact numbers of the members they had to contact.

At the end of the session, I summarized the session and drew their feedback of the group in order to
find if there was anything that should be improved. Most of them were satisfied with the group.
They found them having a chance to talk with other people and make friends with each other.
However, L re-emphasized her expectation about members’ attendance on time. We rearranged the
time of each session from about 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in order to ease the problem. I promised to
contact each member before the next session. H restated that she felt sorry about her lateness. L
showed her understanding. W and C agreed that it was easy to forget things. I asked H to stay after
the session to fill in the questionnaire, reminded the others to do this at home and said good-bye to
them. H actively asked if she could help to tidy up the room. I praised her and we did it.

Evaluation of the Achievement of objectives

We had successfully known each other, introduced the group, established elementary relationship
with each other. However, since not all group members attended this session, contracting and
deciding themes of the coming sessions would be completed in the next session when there were
more members. I felt sorry that I forgot to ask for their individual expectation and goals towards the
group. I believed that it would also be good to do that at the next session when the attendance rate is
higher. However, I did not like my forgetfulness.

Members’ participation

Members’ participation was more than satisfactory in the first session. It was actually very active.
Although their unfortunate situations or stories seemed easy to make one to have `a bone in one’s
throat’ when telling in front of people, especially strangers, they did not hesitate to state their
reasons for single-parenthood and their present situation and express their sad feelings. Some of
them expressed that they felt happy to have a chance to ventilate their feelings and talk about their
things. Thus, it might be the reason why their participation was quite good. No one was passive in
the group session, except C’s participation was not so active when the divorced members talked
about their husbands’ ill-treatment towards them. However, she still gave feedback and reflections
of contents during the discussion.

L was active throughout the session, she seemed to be the group leader who reflected contents and
feelings of other members’ sayings, showed understanding to others’ feelings and was good at
following skills in conversation.

Evaluation of the group process and dynamics

1) Members’ communication and interaction

The interaction between members was quite satisfactory during the group process. Approach-
avoidance had not occurred. I think it was because that they knew that other group members would
understand their experiences and feelings. Thus, if facilitation was done well and members
themselves were not shy originally, approach-avoidance would not be obvious in mutual aid group.
Also, long time social chat made group members really warmed-up and active in the discussion

2) Group atmosphere

The overall group atmosphere seemed to be warm. It was ridden with sorrow when group members
started to talk about their sad stories. Three of them cried and had mournful countenances. They
disclosed their own experiences and agreed as well as positively regarded how they had been coping
with their problems. They were supportive to each other and the atmosphere then became very
friendly and warm. Their strong attitudes towards their difficulties also brought the atmosphere up
again.

3) Group cohesion

The group cohesion of the group in the first session was not so obvious. However, it was clear that
C would like to talk with me when the other members were sharing their feelings towards divorce.
She was actually giving feedback to these members but she told me instead of telling them. I think
that it was because I was more familiar with her than the other members in this first session.

4) Sub-groups

Since only four members had attended the session and it was only the first session of the group, it was
difficult to find any sub-group in the group. However, I think that those who were divorced would be
more close to each other in the group since their backgrounds were more similar. But the main
themes of the coming sessions would be suitable to all female single parents. So, the situation would
not be easy to anticipate.

5) Group development

It was the first session of the group and it was the beginning phase of mutual aid group. As only few
members attended in this session. All things were unstable. Contracting and individual
expectations would only be determined by the next session.

Evaluation of use of activities, means and strategies

I changed my plan and the planned schedule when I knew that the number of members that would
attend the session was so few. I cut a warm-up game that would need more group members, six, in
order to form two groups to compete in remembering the details of each members. Instead of playing
this game, I decided to do a more quiet activity with them which did not need so many participants.
I think that the picture-drawing activity was quite effective to let members to know each other at a
slightly deeper level. I retained another planned warm-up game. I thought it would not be so
interesting as it was used for more people to play. However, it would be still good at opening the
group session and knowing the names of each other. The two warm-up activities were quite effective
although they might have some difficulties in doing so. The aims were achieved.

It was good to change the original time schedule by arranging the tea time and filling in
questionnaires at the beginning of the session in order to lessen the discontent of the group although
one member complained about this. Group members seemed to welcome this change. L was very
happy to have the tea time first because she was very thirsty. In addition, group members’ attention
was shifted to the contents of the questionnaire in the waiting period. Thus, the change was good.

I overlooked that some of the group members (one or two) were illiterate. It would be hard for them
to write down their feelings and things they have learnt in the group sessions. Fortunately, the
handbooks were full of pictures. They might like to use them as the telephone number books.

Worker’s role, performance and reflections

My role was supposed to be the facilitator of the group. I had to facilitate interaction,
communication and participation of and between members. In fact, I did it by asking them to answer
my questions, inviting them to join the discussion, giving feedback and leading the warm-up games
and activities. Actually, most members who attended this session did not need any facilitation to
facilitate their participation. Participation of all members was active and satisfactory. What I had to
facilitate was to let every members have the chance to talk. I had to provide equal chances for each
member.

When L, H and W were talking about their divorce experiences, C began to talk with me. I felt that
it was very difficult for me to turn C down but response to other members. So, I gave short responses
but tried to bring her opinions, comments and suggestions back to the discussion of the group and
asked for other members’ views about that. Although I had some difficulties in doing this, I thought
my skills then was alright. However, the reasons why C talk to me instead of talking to the group
could be due to the seating plan, her personal character, for instance, she was quite passive to
strangers, and the fact that she was more familiar with me.

I think that my immediate change in the time schedule was successful at lessening the discontent of
group members and let them do something constructive instead of waiting. On the other side, my
time management was not good. Although we had started the group one hour later, I should not end
the group one hour later. At that time, I did it because I observed that none of them need to go on
time and it seemed that they were very active in discussing. However, I now think that I should have
told them when the session would finish when we started the session. L had been in the conference
room since 8:50 a.m.. It was really very hard for her to leave the center at 11:30 a.m.. Luckily, she
only complained about the waiting time and not the ending time.

I felt sorry that I had not managed the time well. I also felt surprised and quite sorry that there were
so few members in this session. I did not have such experience in my past placement.

Suggested areas for improvement

Time management could be improved. Also, I should made sure that the members were reminded to
attend the session before the session was conducted.

Follow-up work

1. Phone contact each member to remind them to attend the next session and the change in time.
Tell them the contents of the first session and the theme of next session briefly.

2. Ask for suggestions of the contract and conversation topic of each session. If they were only
interested in parenting. I should break it down into different aspects, for example, teaching children
academic things, taking care of their emotions, etc.
3. Knowing each other and making contract would be done in the coming session.

4. Since group members might bring their children along if they could not find anybody to take care
of their children. Luckily, their children would have to go to school next week. However, it seemed
that H would bring her daughter along next session. I should find out if anything can draw their
attention, for instance, toys, in order to draw the members attention back to the discussion.

5. With specific theme set by each members, the discussion would supposed to serve interest of each
member. I would use much more focusing to draw them back to the discussion and facilitate each
member to have equal chance to talk about things they are interested in. Much more smooth
facilitation would be done in the coming sessions and I would try to find out how it would be
smoother.
Time schedule and session plan

ACTIVITIES
9:00-9:10 Greeting, social chat and introduce myself. Giving members labels to write down their
names
9:15-9:20 Warm-up activity one
Knowing each other by the using of talking stick and successive names recalling
9:20-9:30 Warm-up activity two
Divide them into two groups, remembering details information of each members.
9:30-9:35 Group introduction: worker’s role, contents, group goals
9:35-9:45 Asking for individual goals and expectations
9:45-10:00 Discussion of the group contents in the coming sessions
10:00-10:15 Group contract setting
10:15-10:30 Tea time
Filling in the questionnaires
Summarization
Drawing feedback about the group session
Assigning telephone list for clients
Delivering handbooks

Supervisor’s feedback:

Dear M,

I hope my feedback will reach you in time before you begin with the recording for the second
session. I wish to give an overall evaluation up-front - so that you will consider my feedback in
subsequent paragraphs in a positive light. This is a piece of good work, better than what I would
expect from the average students. It gives the reader a complete account of what went on in the
group session, particularly what you did and certain decisions you made. Post-session analysis is
substantial and pretty organized. It gives the reader a general impression of what you had attended
and were concerned about as a group worker. The ending part describes how you go about with the
continuous planning for the group.

Having said that, I am about to offer some further advice on how to approach this task of writing
group recording in a way to enhance our understanding of the members, the group, the group
process, and the practice of the worker. In other words, we are concerned here about the use of
recording as a tool to advance our knowledge of social work groups and group work practice.

The process recording here gives a running account of events taking place in the group session.
Note that it is essentially an observational record provided by you as a participant-observer holding
a special role and status in the group - especially in the beginning phase of the group. Thus, the
running account itself reflects the observational perspective you adopted, often not immediately
available to self-scrutiny. But what constitutes an event which you attended to? What about others
that were not picked up by you as an event? And then there is also the issue of selection. Some events
got reported but not the others. Why are these events being entered into the account? For instance,
you described events in the waiting time before the actual convening of the group session. In what
way were these events meaningful - that they were reported in the recording? Later on in the group
session, you described the sharing among members of their unfortunate past of their failed
marriage. In particular, you described emotional expression of sadness, caring, and support among
members, and certain things you did in this part of the group session. Why are all these things
important?

I hope by now you will begin to reflect on the implicit perspective underlying your observation - and
hence the narrative account you offered of what took place in the group session. This perspective is
your group work perspective, one that embodies your implicit theory of group work. I wish to draw
your attention to the group proposal - the part on the “intervention theory”. You identified “the
dynamics” of mutual aid group and how such dynamics relate to the goal of intervention -
generating social support among members through their participation in the group experience.
There should be theoretical underpinning of the observational perspective you adopt as the worker
in the group. Other than that, whatever generic concepts that render a better understanding of the
group phenomenon also contributes to the observational perspective. Thus, there are two aspects we
would attend to in this group: (a) events that point to the development of this collectivity of members
into a group; and (b) events that point to aspects of members’ experience in the group that foster
supportive communication and the perception of social support from others. Thus, the part of the
group session in which supportive communication is evident will be described in greater details -
not just what people said, but also the perceived supportive value of what people said to one and
other, and what you did as the worker in the group to foster and facilitate supportive
communication. The way you reported these events is not detailed enough.

Finally, group recording also reports your private processes as a practitioner - thoughts,
deliberations, judgment, and “reflection-in-action”. It is this aspect of recording practice that
renders it a learning tool for beginners. You did report certain decisions and concerns. My advice
here is to ask you to monitor closer on such private processes, and to report them in the recording
together with the kind of “practical arguments” or “theoretical arguments” you came up with at that
point in time.

As for post-session analysis, again try to examine the hidden schema underlying the analysis you
made. What sort of understanding of the group that one can derive from the analysis you made?
Here, you examined “members’ participation”, “members’ communication and interaction”,
“group atmosphere”, “sub-groups”, “group development” - each heading points to certain group
concept, or certain way of conceptualizing certain aspect of the group phenomenon. What do we
learn about the group by examining the way each concept manifested in this group session? How
will such learning about this group contributes to continuous planning for the group, and the way
you conceive your role as a worker?

The part on evaluation of your practice is important - to advance your practice. It is “reflection-
on-action” - writing recording itself provides a space for you to reflect on your practice, your way
of looking at group work, and your group work knowledge. Comparing the experience in this group
with your past experience will definitely help to expand your awareness and reflexivity.

For the second group session, I think the main part should be devoted to parenting issues in
single-parenthood. I think the four members will look forward to more concrete gain from their
participation in the group than to carry on with “acquaintance”, negotiating group goals,
contracting, etc. up-front. Even those new members will look forward to something concrete and
useful. By the time the group has covered parenting issues, I think all members will then see the
value of the group and how the group proceeds - then they will be in a better position to talk about
their expectation and what they wish to do in the group.

Comments

Shulman’s (1992) discussion on the dynamics of first few group sessions is very useful. She suggests
a list of eleven specific objectives. At first glance this list of objectives for a first meeting must appear
overwhelming. Actually many of them can be dealt with quickly, and most are interdependent in that
work on one objective simultaneously affects the others. Obviously, however, these objectives cannot
be achieved in the first session unless a clear structure for work is provided. The approach to creating
such a structure is offered as a general statement, recognizing that the order of elements and the
emphasis may vary depending on the worker, the group members, and the setting. (For an
illustration of a first meeting, please read pages 318-328 of Shulman (1992). It uses excerpts from a
videotape recording of the first session of a married couples’ group.)
SAMPLE GROUP PROPOSAL (1)

This is a group proposal by a student placed in a Family Service Centre.

1. Purpose of the group

The student worker's primary objective, then, in designing an intervention directs toward latency-
age children, is to provide an atmosphere in which the children are free to express themselves
without fear of parental reaction or retaliation. In a non-threatening atmosphere, the student worker
can provide experiences that encourage children to express their feelings about their parents'
divorce and can also introduce divorce-related issues to expand the children's thinking and coping
abilities. Another objective in designing an intervention is to help children improve peer
relationships as well as experience valuable peer support in an effort to enhance self-esteem and
instil hope for the future.

The student worker personal learning objectives are to learn more about successful ways of working
with children from divorced families and to conduct a group which is not only therapeutic but also
fun.

To achieve the student worker’s aims, she tries to reach a series of specific goals, these are:

1. To help express the effect of the divorce (expression of feeling).

2. To increase the reality of divorce.
3. To provide opportunity to voice out anger and concerns.
4. To create opportunity to acquire knowledge.
5. To encourage healthy withdrawal from the divorce.
6. To help to re-adjust after divorce - to seek new relationships, adjust to new position in the family
or to adjust to step-family.

These goals follow the stages of divorce process, which the student worker will elaborate more fully
in the next section.

2. The application of model, theories and knowledge

Divorce is no longer an adult-affair. All family members experience psychosocial stressors in a

divorce process (Kalter, 1990). This process unfolds over many years and can be divided into these
stages - the immediate crisis stage, the short-term aftermath stage and the long-range period. The
boundaries between these stages of divorce are not firmly drawn (Kalter, 1990). Each stage has its
own characteristic life events.

2.1 The immediate crisis stage

The first stage of the divorce process begins as parents separate and/or a petition for divorce is filed.
Children now realize that the conflict or emotional distance between their parents is not merely a
normal part of family life that will continue indefinitely. For youngsters this initially is a time of
shock and disbelief; regardless of the amount of parental conflict that had existed, perhaps even
accompanied by open threats or discussion about divorce, children are nearly universally surprised,
frightened, and saddened by the knowledge that divorce will occur.

2.1.1 External stress and effects in this stage

Parental warfare and the loss of noncustodial parent

The initial parental separation jars most later elementary school children. Two common
sources of external stress are parental warfare and the loss (partial or complete) of the
relationship between the youngsters and the noncustodial parent (usually father).

Children in the upper elementary school grades are far more likely to seem emotionally
detached from the divorce process, almost as if it had nothing to do with them. Boys may
display academic and aggressive behavioural problems in school. Girls can become overly
solicitous of one or both parents and sometimes appear to bend over backwards to be helpful
and congenial both at home and in school. Children actively strive to master the psychological
pain of the environmental stress.
2.1.2 Internal stress and effects in this stage

Competing wishes and concern to side with one parent

The later elementary school children are burdened by frightening fantasies and self-blaming
beliefs. Their more sophisticated senses of interpersonal relationships result in competing
wishes and concerns, which form the basis for internal conflicts. An example is the child's
impulse to side with one parent against the other, which is at odds with the youngster's need to
be evenly loving toward each person. This gives rise to feeling of divided loyalties that can
become especially painful as one or both parents attempt to enlist the child on 'their side' of the
adversarial divorce process.

Boys' furies at their parents create an internal conflict for them. They love their parents but at
the same time have a powerful urge to vent their anger at them for their behaviour and for the
divorce. To act on this rage toward parents will stimulate intolerable feelings of guilt and fears
of retaliation from them. Therefore, many children pick on other boys at school and torment
their siblings.

Girls become frightened by parental warfare, angry at their parents for attacking one another
(verbally or physically), or sad about missing their noncustodial father. They are likely to direct
their coping efforts toward maintaining good relationships with both parents. They
automatically banish these painful feelings to distant and largely inaccessible corners of their
mind and substitutes their intellectual understanding of the divorce and a desire to be solicitous
of and helpful to both parents. This defense of intellectualization (to understand without
experiencing any accompanying unpleasant feelings) and reaction formations (to convert
anger into pronounced loving and helpful feelings) serve girls well. In return, they will have
somatic syndromes.

2.2 The short-term aftermath

This phase of the divorce process usually lasts for up to two years after the immediate crisis has
passed. The turmoil and shock of the first stage give way to a deepening recognition of the realities
of divorce.

2.2.1 External stress and effects in this stage

Failure of re-establishing emotional equilibrium of custodial parent

Custodial mothers frequently feel understandably burdened by the social, emotional, and
economical consequences of divorce. Children in the upper elementary school grades are
capable of being genuinely helpful to a distressed parent. The cognitive, emotional, and social
strides older elementary school children have made are obvious to parents.

Children felt burdened when they play this kind of role and pseudo-adult air. They become
distracted from the normal developmental tasks of gaining greater independence from their
family and investing emotionally in relationships with friends and important adults outside the
family. As they pressed into this service, they are back into the maternal orbit, partially
sacrificing their efforts to establish a life of their own outside their family.
2.2.2 Internal stress and effects in this stage

Enmeshed parent-child relationship

Children are furious at their parents for not working out their marital difficulties and held each
responsible for the divorce. However, they also love both their parents. Their mind
automatically protected her or him from the guilt this conflict threatened to produce by
becoming especially loving and helpful to their custodial parent.

Children convince themselves that they are good, affectionate daughters and sons who cannot
possibly harbour any angry feelings toward anyone, least of all their parents.

2.3 The long-range phase

The long-range phase of the extended divorce process typically begins two to three years after the
initial separation. A major stressor for children is continued interparental hostility. Remarrying or
dating of parents push many children to face with feeling disloyal to each parent for enjoying the
company and activities they share with parent's friend.

2.3.1 External stress and effects in this stage

Remarry

Older elementary school children tend to confuse having less of their mother's time and
attention with the belief that she loves them less. They may develop fantasies that their
custodial parent will care more deeply about them if they are smarter, prettier, or nicer, but they
automatically defend themselves against this depressive reaction, frequently becoming angry
instead. A second conflict generated by parental dating is the need to prematurely recognize
their parents' sexuality. The connotation of sexual intercourse for older elementary school
children is usually that it is exciting, forbidden, and dirty. It is often replaced by angry,
derogatory feelings directed at their mother or her partner. A third conflict aroused by parental
dating is the feeling youngsters often have about whether it is all right for them to like and
enjoy being with their custodial parent's partner. Youngsters find themselves feeling
affectionate toward this new parent, which creates a loyalty conflict for them. The most typical
way for them to resolve it can be very upsetting to their custodial parents: they act aloof, cold,
or openly hostile to custodial parent dating partner.

2.3.2 Internal stress and effects in this stage

Social withdrawal

Prolonging parental warfare leads the children to have a variation of social withdrawal. When
the children want to spend their after-school and weekend time talking to the custodial parent,
helping out around the house, and accompanying the parent on errands. They avoid peers, but
not their families, and are especially close to their custodial parents. However, peer
relationships are crucial to the social-emotional development of children in later elementary
school. They often engage in very active fantasies that serve to bolster their low self-esteem and
lack of confidence.

2.4 Mutual aid group

Family work or individual counselling is a valid means of helping single parent (divorce) children,
but the student worker feels that it does not specifically address a child's isolation in stressful
situation or give them peer group support.
This group is to create a space for children to be able to share with peers and this fosters a sense of
mutual identity which helps to stabilize relationships outside of the group. The basic idea of this
group is that members may help both themselves and others by - exchanging ideas, suggestions and
solutions, by sharing feelings and information, by comparing attitudes and experiences and by
developing relationship with one another (Heap, 1985). The group is a chance to 'normalize' their
situation, to mix them with others who have had similar experiences so that they feel less isolated
and 'different', mutual aid system sharing with others and being able to hear possible solutions and
ideas.

The mutual aid and support process support open expression of feeling and sharing of information
relevant to the purpose of the group (Shulman, 1979). Sharing ideas and experiences fosters an
atmosphere in which many positive changes may occur. First, there is a sense of validation, of
belonging, of universality of experience and feeling: he, too, is unable to accept his parents’ divorce
- she, too, feels alone and abandoned. The realization that others experience and feel the same (or
similarly) helps reduce the sense of alienation and loss suffered during crisis. Thus, the member not
only feels entitled to the full range of emotion but is then helped to move beyond mere feeling to a
more objective understanding and, ultimately, a resolution. Sharing of feelings provides a reality-
testing base where members' ideas are accepted, confronted, and challenged by others. Through
feedback, other group members offer possible alternative responses to various situations. That
reciprocity is encouraged and strengthened by the worker. The group is a place for taking 'safe risks'
in a safe environment and playing out new and different parts of oneself.

Through this process of support, advice, and validation, the individual has been given to and, equally
as important, has given to others. The result is an increase in self-esteem and an ability to see oneself
as having something valuable to give. Lastly, members see that they are not alone in what they feel
and that no matter how great the loss, the self is maintained as well as the connection to others.

3. Basic group structure

The group the student worker has devised consists of 7 weekly sessions of about one and half hours.

The group follows the stages of the divorce process and deals with the following general themes:

Sessions * Themes
1 Introduction
2 Immediate crisis stage - parental warfare, the loss of parent
3 Immediate crisis stage - loyalty conflict
4 Short-term aftermath phase - pseudo-adult air
5 Short-term aftermath phase - enmeshed parent-child relationship
6 Long range period - remarry
7 Termination

* See note

Thus a typical session will be: (1) food and drink, (2) good news/ bad news; (3) introductory game;
(4) work/ activity around theme of the session; (5) group mural; and (6) relaxation/ free time. In the
following, the student worker debriefs some terms.

3.1 Good news/ bad news/introductory game

To help the joining process, to get to know each other better and to bridge the gap since the last
meeting, the student worker and the members relate one good event that has happened to them in the
past week (e.g. I played football, I went on a school trip) and one 'bad' event (e.g. I got too much
homework, my Mum shouted at me). This, along with ice-breaking games acts as
preparation for the more serious work of the group as well as developing interpersonal relationships
amongst the group members and the student worker.

3.2 Group mural

Towards the end of each session, the student worker asks the group to produce a group mural. This
is a large sheet of paper on which they draw, paint, or use other materials to create a small picture at
the end of each session. This exercise has many purposes:

1. It helps the children to work together as a group

2. It helps to end each session.
3. It provides a release for otherwise unexpressed feelings.
4. It can help the group workers to note anything of significant related to a specific child.
5. The completed mural (at the end of 7 weeks) is a concrete expression of the whole group
experience.

3.3 Methods, tools and group activities

The student worker employs types of methods to help the children work through the divorce process.
These include art work, role play, music, sculpting, empty chair and relaxation.

Art work can be used to encourage the expression of thoughts and feelings both positive and
negative, for examples:

In session two, they can use the emotional chart to present their emotions in facing the parental
warfare or happy memory with the non custodial parent. In session six, they can use the picture to
represent their future home.

Role play and sculpting can be used to work through a number of issues. In particular they can be
used to:

In session three, they act out difficult situation in custodial disputes. Role play a legal processing and
sculpting the family before and after the divorce.

Role play, acting and drama helps the children to express their feelings bodily and together seek
resolutions to their problems. We also help children to give expression to their angry and negative
feelings by acting out specific feelings identified by the children during a brainstorming session.
These feelings can be acted out through drama, or symbolized in drawing.

4. Details of themes of each session

The activities plan for the first session are designed to establish the intended atmosphere, to be
acquainted, and to introduce divorce as a common influence in each of their lives. The student
worker discusses group confidentiality and she explains that this is a time to speak out with no fear
of parental reaction. To help meet the objectives of the first session, all group participants - including
the student worker - are asked to make their own 'name pictures' out of the paper and crayons which
have been spread out on the floor. These name pictures include the names they wish to use for the
group, their proper full names, their ages, the places they will rather be, and what animals they will
like to be. Next, group members pair off to discover their hobbies and likes and dislikes. The pairs
return to the group and take turns introducing each other. The session ends with a causal reminder
of the group's purpose.

The second session is designed to promote discussion about parental warfare and the loss of one
parent. The student worker asks the children to paint picture of their families. No guidelines are
given regarding who shall or shall not be included in the family pictures. The student worker also
encourages the children to consider many different types of families - for example, those with live-
in grandmothers - in an effort to help them recognize other structures besides the traditional two-
parent nuclear family and to help reduce the stigma attached to nontraditional family structures such
as theirs.

The loyalty conflict is the central theme of the third session. One of the key objectives is to assure the
children that divorce is an adult decision that affects children, but children are not to blame. The
student worker directs the children to paint picture showing why parents get divorced and to write
words describing how parents may feel about their problems. In discussing the pictures, the children
are able to voice their opinion or fears about the causes of divorce and to demonstrate their anger at
an adult world capable of such problems and unhappiness. The student worker is careful to bring up
the ideas that often parents have good reasons for divorce and that many times children, in the long
run, profit from their parents' decision.

The fourth session is intended to help the children to prevent or resolve pseudo-adult air. The
children are helped to identify and express how they feel about their parents' divorces and how they
are told of their parents' decisions. The session begins with a centering exercise for total body
relaxation. While relaxed, the student worker asks the children to remember the details of how they
are told about their parents' decisions to divorce. They are asked who had told them and where, how
they had felt, whether they had cried, and how their parents had felt. After this exercise, children and
the student worker share their recollections and feelings, giving one another support and comfort.
The student worker asks the children to write a letter to one or both parents explaining their feelings
or asking unanswered questions. Letters are not given to parents. A pretend mailbox is used to mail
them symbolically.

The purpose of the fifth session is for the children to regulate the relationship with parents. The
children can gain a more realistic perspective on their parent parents' positive and negative attributes
and to talk about custodial arrangements. The student worker asks the children to list the pros and
cons of living with Mom and Dad on two separate sheets of paper and these lists are discussed. To
help group members talk about their custodial concerns, puppets are used to act out custody
hearings. Each child takes turns playing the parts of judge, child and parent.

The sixth session is devoted to discuss remarry. The session began with a centering exercise which
helped the children to project themselves into the future and to see themselves as adults. The group
members share their experiences and cut out pictures from magazines, pasting them on paper to
make pictures of their futures. They explore together what kind of job they may have, where they
may be living, and what kind of family they hope to be a part of. The student worker then encourages
discussion of remarriage and how it will, or has, changed their futures.

A major portion of the last session is spent on termination. The student worker and children
reminisce about their favourite projects, the fun they have had, and some of the not-so-happy
conversation related to divorce. The children are encouraged to collect telephone numbers and
addresses to make their own group directory. A few weeks after the last session, the student worker
mails to each child a group directory among with a group picture took earlier.

5. Anticipated difficulties and how to handle

Transport to and from the venue needs careful planning, especially with regard to who is responsible
for bringing the child to the group and taking them home.

Time also needs to be set aside for meetings with the family and the referrer. An initial meeting with
the family before the group starts is important in order to establish with them the aims and objectives
of the group, so parents and referrers have some knowledge of the group. This equips them to deal
with any issues the children may bring back from the group. The child referred is also made aware of
why they are coming to the group and their consent and co-operation gained. Practical
arrangements, such as transport, are also sorted out and the issue of confidentiality explained. The
student worker feels the group is a safe place for children to express their feelings and therefore it is
important that children know she does not report back on them after each session. At the end of the
group, a meeting again with the family, is useful in order to feed back generally how the child has
progressed in the group, any problems that may have arise and if any further help is required. Parents
and referrer will always be free to contact student worker if any worries or problems arise while the
group is in operation.

6. Evaluation

This consists of: (1) questionnaires for each group member; (2) evaluation forms; and (3) group and
individual report.

6.1 Questionnaire
The student worker composes her own questionnaires that allow each group member to rate
themselves on six main areas that appear problematic to the divorce process, adolescent depression,
school work, isolation, somatisation, anger and anxiety. These areas are scored on a rating scale of
1-10 and are assessed at the beginning and end of the group.

6.2 Evaluation forms

The group members can be helped, by means of a program, to recall the activities of each session and
in retrospect write what they felt about the sessions, their likes/dislikes, what they felt was useful,
difficult, interesting or informative. They can also assess for themselves what they feel they have
learnt from the overall group experience and comment on the venue, the format and their
relationships with other group members. The evaluation helps the members to view their progress
through the group and aid, by their comments, adaptations to the group. The student worker needs to
take seriously the comments the young people make in order to see if the group activities are really
meeting the members needs.

6.3 Group and individual reports

A record of each session enables the worker: (1) to describe what occurs and the group process; (2)
to provide data for more detailed evaluation; and (3) to note significant areas as a basis for planning
future work.

Kalter, N. (1990). Growing up with divorce: Helping your child avoid immediate and later emotional
problems. New York: Free Press.

Supervisor’s Feedback:

Dear K,

I will write my comment now, having read your group proposal this morning. It is a fine piece of
work, better than most students' work I came across over the last three to four years. Having said
that, there are still a few things that you can do to improve it - in future if not now.

Let me begin with the overall plan of the proposal. I think it is better to begin with a short
introductory note, some sort of statement of intent, what this proposal is about (the sort of
intervention, what it is to accomplish in "managing" a real-world phenomenon). Keep it concise. It
is meant to give the intended reader (funder, agency administrator, colleagues, and teacher in your
case)a cognitive map for reading the main body of the proposal.

Before elaborating on the purpose of the group (worker's goals for the group), offer a discussion of
what it means to be a child when parents are breaking up. Try to bring in "local" knowledge, other
than imported theories from the West, even if that means your own personal experience,
observation, and impression as well. How extensive and elaborate of your theoretical discussion is
hard to say. It depends very much on the "local" practice of proposal writing. If you are writing your
workshop paper, it has to be extensive. If the proposal is meant for agency consumption, the
theoretical part should be shorter. For the present purpose - learning in field training - the present
length is more than adequate.

Having provided your reader of the real-world phenomenon, you are in a position to describe what
objectives to be achieved as a result of the proposed intervention. In the present case, it is the
worker's goals for the group. Make sure that your reader is able to appreciate the connection of
your goals with the theoretical analysis of the real world phenomenon given above. If it is self-
explanatory, you need to explicitly discuss the goals in relation to the theoretical analysis.

The section on mutual aid group (2.4) is good. It is your intervention theory, that is, theoretical
underpinning of professional activities that constitute the intervention. I would expect that the
theory of intervention is commensurate to the goals you wish to accomplish (i.e. worker's goal for
the group). You are doing quite well in this part. Note however it is a discourse built on ideas, not
experience. To beginner, it is a cognitive map for action, but what you actually do will require
deliberation in response to the immediate contingencies of the practice situation. Thus, it should not
be seen as a plan of action, but a plan for deliberating about action. I prefer to use this plan for
anchoring post-action reflection (i.e. reflection on action). It should not be too prescriptive, or else
it will be too restrictive. I like the way you outline what you do. This is the best that I have ever come
across thus far.

Lastly, the focus on evaluation should be focused more on process than on outcome. After all, this
may well be the first attempt in your agency, and definitely your first attempt, and it is more
important to learn from this experience as to what changes in future attempts will be desirable.
Don't rely simply on end-of-group evaluation. Try to monitor throughout the group's life. In that
regard, 6.3 is important. I am going to discuss with you how best we can make use of group
recording for reporting and examining your practice, and for continuous evaluation and planning
of the group.

Note:

The intention of the student worker is to run a less structured process-oriented group. It requires
preparation. The worker prepares for the next meeting according to her assessment of the efficacy of
previous group meetings and the current functioning of each group member discussed in weekly
individual treatment interview (if possible). For example, after discussion with members, the worker
decides to focus the next meeting on helping members improve how they express anger. In preparing
for the next group session, the worker gathers examples of how anger has been expressed in the past
by the members, and uses these examples to prepare role play exercise designed to improve their
expression of anger. The worker models more appropriate methods of expressing anger and help
members practice the new methods.
SAMPLE GROUP PROPOSAL (2)

A Trip to the Past

1. Introduction

This is a proposal to conduct a reminiscing group for the elderly. The purpose of the group is to provide
an opportunity for up to ten elderly members of the XYZ Multi-service Centre for the Elderly to be
engaged in the process of reminiscence.

2. Rationale

Reminiscence: Reminiscence means to recall memories of past events. Reminiscing groups have existed
since 1970. These groups were based on the concept of the `life review’ postulated by Robert N. Butler in
1961. Reminiscence is the mental process characterised by the progressive return to consciousness of
past experiences, and particularly the resurgence of unresolved conflicts which can be looked at again
and reintegrated. This process is prompted by the realisation of one’s place in the life cycle. This recall
of past events, people and feelings can be either spontaneous or purposeful (Butler & Lewis, 1977, p.49).
Studies have shown that those who reminisce more are found less depressed than those who reminisce
less or not at all. (Student could have supported this claim by quoting references.) In addition, structured
reminiscent exercises can lead to improved cognitive functioning and psychological development in
some older adults.

Activity Theory: According to activity theory, the individual’s responsibility and role in society should
not be reduced with increasing age as if one had inadequate physical or psychological coping abilities.
However, in reality, the elderly social roles are shaped by social expectation which often leads to their
lowering of activity level and having a smaller supportive network. The elderly will also often have
doubts about their self-worth and feel confuse. Reminiscing groups aim at maintaining or enhancing the
elderly’s ability to adjust socially and psychologically to the ageing process and helping them to enjoy
their old age.

The Late Adulthood: According to Eric Erikson, people within the age of 60 & 75 years old (late
adulthood) are likely to encounter psychosocial crisis of `integrity versus despair’ in their life. Integrity
refers to an ability to accept the facts of one’s life and to face death without great fear. One who has
achieved a sense of integrity will appreciate that her/his life and individuality are due to an accumulation
of personal satisfactions and crises. She/He can accept this record of events totally, without trying to
deny some facts or over-emphasize others. It is the ability to integrate one’s sense of past history with
one’s present circumstances and to feel contented with the outcome.

However, during the lifelong process of older adults, the majority are likely to face some degree of
devaluation and even hostility from the community. The negative attitudes express by family members,
colleagues and younger people towards the incompetency, dependency or old-fashioned ways of older
people may lead many of them to feel negatively about their self-worth. Moreover, the gradual
deterioration of certain physical abilities, particularly the loss of hearing, impaired vision and limited
motor ability would add to the older person’s sense of frustration and discouragement. All of these
factors are likely to create a feeling of regret about one’s past. Such despair makes the ability to develop
integrity impossible.

In order to achieve a sense of integrity, an individual must engage in deliberate self-evaluation and
private thought. One must be able to introspect about the gradual evolution of life events and appreciate
the significance of each event in the formation of the adult personality.

One mode for engaging in self-evaluation is reminiscence. This process of nostalgic remembering allows
adults to recapture some of the memorable events in their life histories. They can share about themselves
and their former roles and functions and by describing past and present experiences, so that the past can
become more meaningful. Therefore, in order to help elderly resolve the psychosocial crisis towards the
direction of integrity, reminiscence can be a useful mean.

The Group Work Approach: In addition to using reminiscence in working with the elderly, a group
work approach is further recommended. During the process of recalling memories, elderly can enrich
their contents of reminiscence through the stimulation and sharing of other elderly. Also, those who can
find their way to develop integrity can influence others to develop in the similar direction, thus
increasing the group’s healing power.
The worker will also apply the reciprocal group work model to this group. As no problems are
problematic, the elderly’s behaviour and adjustment problems are just a matter of disagreement between
society and individuals. The mutual-aid group aims at knowledge input to the clients, facilitating,
mediating and supporting interactions, as well as creating a self-support system. The group can further
help clients to have a sense of joy and happiness. Hence, helping them to survive or adapt to the
environment and to face any changes bravely in the late adulthood. It is hoped that the reminiscing group
also serves as a mutual-aid support group that can help and support group members emotionally.

3. Objectives

The objectives of the group are:

1) to help clients derive a sense of joy and happiness;
2) to enhance clients’ ability for communication and self-expression;
3) to maintain clients’ self-esteem and sense of identity;
4) to strengthen clients’ coping ability and self-mechanism in adjusting to late adulthood through the
process of reminiscence, increasing their adaptation to their environment;
5) to facilitate an atmosphere of mutual assistance, support and sharing among group members, as well
as creating a self-support system; and
6) to improve and restore their mental and psychological level of functioning and well-being.

4. Target Group

The group is targeted at:

- elderly aged between 70 and 85;
- elderly who do not have adequate resources or coping ability in facing the life and stress of late
adulthood;
- elderly who are facing adjustment problems such as loneliness, self-deprivation or despair; and
- elderly who have similar background, interest, intellectual/cognitive level, emotional and
psychological problems.

5. Nature of Group Work

This group is therapeutic and developmental in nature. It aims at helping clients to develop a sense of
integrity in facing his or her total life events and facilitating mutual help and support through group
sharing.

6. Group Size

The group aims at catering for three to ten clients. The worker hopes to recruit two happy and bright
members and eight passive, pessimistic and sad members because each one happy member can deal with
four unhappy members in two small groups discussion.

7. Group Worker’s Role

The group worker will perform the following roles:

a) facilitator
b) enabler
c) mediator
d) role model
e) resource person

8. Budget

Income $ Expenditure $
Program Fee @$10 X 10 100 Tools 10
(e.g. ball, photos, pictures)
Centre Subsidy 150 Food 240
____ ____
$250 $250

9. Staff Resource
One student social worker will be in charge of the overall planning, implementation and evaluation of
the group. On additional worker’s assistance will be required in the group session when a process
recording is to be done.

10. Recruitment

The worker will primarily recruit members from the golden and silver card members’ weekly meetings.
In addition, the student worker may encourage some members who are suitable clientele to participate in
the group. Preliminary screening and interview will be done to ensure that group members are of similar
background, physical condition and problems, so as to enable a smooth group sharing. The worker will
exclude those elderly who are extremely outspoken or upsetting to the other group members, as well as
those who have communication problems because these will be counterproductive and not constructive
to the group.

In the pre-group interview, the worker will compare clients’ recent and past life happiness level, clients’
mental and psychological health condition, as well as their satisfaction in interpersonal relationship as
indicators to make assessment.

Comments: It is unclear how student will measure these selected indicators.

11. Phases of Group Work and Session Plans

A) Preliminary Phase

The preparatory phase is before the first meeting of the group. In this phase, the worker uses empathy to
`get in touch with the feelings and concerns’ of the elderly. The major areas for tuning in include: a)
concerns related to the group; b) concerns related to the purpose and content of the group; and c) the role
of group worker. Initial screening can better ensure the selection suitable members to join the group.
However, the worker must also pay attention to the `indirect ways in which the group communicates’
(Shulman, 1986, p.24). As their `likeness may reinforce maladaptive patterns’ (Gitterman, 1986, p.64)
such as sadness and dependency on worker, etc.

B) Beginning Phase

Session One: Orientation

Objectives:
- facilitate group members to know each other;
- encourage inter-members interaction;
- increase members knowledge of the aims and contents of the reminiscing group; and
- build up relationship amongst members.

Content and Procedure:

- self-introduction by worker and all group members
- contracting with members
- establish group norms and set some rules and regulations
- obtain feedback from the group members
- ice-breaking games
- provide members with photographs, newspaper cuttings about the past history of Hong Kong. This acts
as a media for members to share their past and for worker to introduce the meaning and function of
reminiscence
- to make a summarization of this session and introduce the content of the second session as well as to get
feedback from members
- encourage members to bring photographs, memorabilia, newspaper clippings, and any other props that
will help the group to focus on a particular developmental period, as well as to stimulate a continually
evolving exploration of the past and its implications for the present
- remind members of the next meeting

Anticipated Difficulties:
- the punctuality or lateness of group members;
- their resistance and anxiety in the group;
- silent members;
- the communication problems between worker and members;
- some members may monopolise the group and reveal too much; and
- some members will appear to be uneasy, nervous, worried and a bit apprehensive because they are not
familiar with each other.

(C) Implementation Phase

Session Two: Childhood Reminiscence - Ages below 12

Objectives:
- use `sweet food’ such as candy and the members’ childhood photographs as medium to discuss their
childhood memories of events, interesting experiences and feelings;
- create a good and warm atmosphere;
- develop a supportive group culture and build a climate of trust; and
- facilitate their sense of belonging and contributions to the group.

Content and Procedure:

- eat `sweet food’ (to be prepared by two members)
- remind them of the name of worker, group members and the group
- play some childhood games or sing along
- the members take turns to reveal their childhood’s life, interests and feelings through the use of their
own photographs, symbolic items or pictures
- ask members to recall what they can remember of the first place they lived, their first friends, and their
favourite toys and games
- make a summarization, conclusion and round up

Anticipated Difficulties:
- perhaps some members may dominate the group and self-disclose too much;
- members’ emotional outburst and sad feelings;
- members’ shifting to other topics;
- sub-groups may emerge and appear to be paying little attention or interest in the group;
- silent members may be unwilling to share their past experiences and significant events;
- hostile members may emerge and result in a certain amount of conflict; and
- supportive and caring group atmosphere may not be produced yet.

Comment: The student has done the same form of planning for Sessions 3 to 6. These sessions will not be
included here.

(D) The Ending and Transition Phase

Session Seven: Termination and Gathering

Objectives:
- complete and finish all the tasks that have been set in the group proposal;
- recognise the status and contributions of members; as well as the cohesion, effectiveness and
worthiness of the group;
- consider and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of members. (`give and get’ magic game); and
- terminate the group and make an overall conclusion and evaluation.

Content and Procedure:

- farewell party as termination game
- select and discuss their best life period, the most significant events and the happiest occasion
- enable them to combat the elderly’s negative valuation and image
- sharing of worker’s own feelings about the ending of the group
- reaching for and handling the ending feelings of the group members
- deal with members’ experience of termination appropriately and in a healthy way and help them work
through this experience
- discuss the issues of where they can get help in the future and how they can use their learning in the
group to cope more effectively with the adjustment problems in old age
- evaluate the group’s accomplishments and failures
- recognise the achievements and any changes of members
- administer the questionnaire on life satisfaction

Anticipated Difficulties:
- members’ dependency on the worker;
- the regressive behaviour of members;
- the emotional outburst like sadness or crying; and
- some may avoid termination by not coming to meetings or come late and minimise their involvement,
interaction with the other members.

Comments: Student has shown in her planning a good grasp of the group stages from pre-planning to
ending stage. She has given thoughts to the need to prepare and orientate members before the group
actually starts. Student has also planned the individual sessions and identified the anticipated
difficulties at different stages of the group. Some of the difficulties have been repeatedly mentioned over
a few sessions. Student could have identified some tactics in dealing with the problems.

13. Evaluation Format

1) By worker’s observation:
Certain areas of clients’ behaviour will be compared before and after the group sessions, such as
concentration power, frequency of mutual communication and interaction, willingness to share,
acceptance of others’ sharing and emotional state.

2) By members’ opinion:
Evaluation, ideas and feedback for improvement would be sought from members’ discussion.

3) By life satisfaction scale:

The results of members’ happiness and life satisfaction scale, including before and after joining the
group, will be compared in order to show the effectiveness of reminiscing group. Moreover, the worker
can assess members’ mental health condition and consider if any follow-up action or counselling
services is needed.

Comments: Although student has thought about evaluation, there is a tendency to use tool such as (3)
which may be difficult in evaluating the effectiveness of the group. As mentioned earlier, it is important
to select indicators that are measurable.
SAMPLE OF A GROUP SESSION PLAN (SESSION 3)

Objectives Programme Expected Results

1) use `sour food’ as a mean to - eat `sour food’ which is - the members will share their
share their life experience in the prepared by two members. life experience freely.
period of adolescence, thus - show them some pictures, or - their self-expression and sense
enhancing clients’ self-esteem wedding costumes grooming of identity will be increased.
and sense of identity. and cosmetics to stimulate their
reminiscence in adolescence.
Their marriage, efforts and
successful achievements will be
discussed.
2) reinforce group cohesion and - make an open discussion - the members will mutually
promote a supportive concerning the above topics such respect and support each other, a
environment. as their romance, love stories, supportive sub-culture will be
marriage, living and working created.
conditions.
3) encourage members to know - split them into sub-groups in - the members will take care of
each other better and be more order to increase their and understand each other more
concerned each other. interaction and self-expression. deeply.

Comments: Student further planned each sessions by matching session objectives with session contents.
In addition, she has spelt out the expected outcome in each section. As pointed out by her fieldwork
instructor, this would allow student to have a basis for evaluating the expected outcome and the actual
results. The fieldwork instructor had also commented on student’s tendency to state her expected
outcome in fairly general terms and she was made aware of the need to be mindful of the use of
observable/measurable indicators.

At this stage of her learning, student was able to demonstrate her ability to hold a few practice
dimensions together, that is, stating clear objectives, planning action strategies, anticipating the
desired outcome as well as difficulties. Student is beginning to appreciate approaching professional
practice in a planned and purposeful way and to attempt to articulate her practice and knowledge base
in a coherent manner. The objectives are generally well written and they could demonstrate the unique
role of the social work profession.

Student’s effort in applying and integrating classroom learning to writing this group proposal was
evident. She was able to argue for the benefits and effectiveness of using the reminiscing approach in
working with the elderly and the advantages of adopting a group work approach.

Having said that, an area that can be further improved lies in the review and use of literature. Student
could have been more forthcoming in the use of local literature. A description of the psychosocial tasks
would be helpful. It would also be better if the student could identify briefly some literature on
reminiscence group and show an understanding of the relationship as well as differences between the
reciprocal group model (which has been covered in the curriculum) and the reminiscence group as
planned.

Student should note that all citations found in the text should be found in a reference section at the end
of this proposal.
SAMPLE GROUP PROPOSAL (3)

Proposal on Parents Group

1. Name of the Group: "Everything start from parents"-Parents Group

2. Group Nature: Educational group.
3. Duration : from 26/4 to 31/5, total 6 sessions.
4. Time: every Friday, 20:30 p.m. - 21:45 p.m.
5. Target Group: - parents with children who have misbehaviour, like running
away from home or playing truancy.
- parents living in either SK or LK Estates of XX District.
6. Member(s): 8-10 persons

7. Rationale

Each person in the world has to take up different or multiple roles in different stages of their life. Couples
have to take up their parental role once their children are born. Through observation and experience,
many parents encountered different extent of difficulties in parenting especially when their children
misbehaved. "Misbehaviour" varies in kinds and forms, including running away from home, playing
truancy, shop-lifting, lying, smoking, etc. No matter what kinds of antecedents result to the
misbehaviour of the youths, it reflects one common thing - that is parents' dysfunction or ineffective
parenting.

Despite the deterioration of the function of the family in these recent years, the family is still one of the
most important primary institutions to provide basic socialization for the youth. Parents, act as the
"front-line person" who play a vital and significant role in child nurturing and in shaping their
behavioural pattern throughout his/her growing up process. This is particularly true for those who are
still in adolescence stage and rely on the family as the major source of influence on both beliefs and
behaviour (Craig, 1989). Hence, parent's ineffectiveness in parenting is one of the direct causes of
children's misbehaviour. Ng's study on runaway girls in 1987 supported that these girls usually
experience great family strains and weak family bonds. According to the summary of clientele
information of outreaching clients, problems with their families was one of the common problems
(HKCSS, 1988). Referring to the study of Carl A. Ek (1988) on the youthful runners, it further supported
that the runaway episode often started from the problematic relationships at home. A problematic
relationships provided the foundation of the running, and a specific fight that superseded any other past
encounter brought these problems to the front. And, a survey conducted by St James' Settlement and City
Polytechnic of Hong Kong (1990), over 70% of respondents (mothers) in Wan Chai District were facing
parenting problems and applying quite ineffective parenting methods, like physical punishment and the
use of blame to handle the children's behavioural problems.

On the other hand, parenting indeed is a cultural practice which reflects people's own values and
assumptions about parenthood and childhood as well as parental power. With regards to Chinese
traditional values and perceptions on parental concepts, parents are regarded as "authority figures" who
enjoy absolute power and control and children are regarded as inferior or the property of parents.
Parents tend to exercise their so-called "inborn" parental power or control over the children when they
feel necessary. Power struggles between parent-child are then more easily provoke which may only
exacerbate their relationship. Poor parent-child relationship definitely hinders the effectiveness of
parenting and parent-child communication, ultimately it may lead to the children's misbehaviour.
According to Wong's (1994) study, some parents in Hong Kong still find difficulties communicating
effectively with their children. Chinese people being described as inexpressive, not expressing their
feelings easily on the surface, and not habituated to use verbal praising in communication. They always
complain about their children in front of them and others and like to command their children to perform
according to their orders. On the other hand, they did not pay much attention to listen to their children's
feelings or opinions. Although the parenting methods seem to be effective in the past, they can hardly be
applied effectively to the children nowadays. Blaming, verbal complaint, bluffing or threatening, and
even physical punishment are the popular parenting methods adopted by Chinese parents. However,
these methods are regarded as obstacles to effective parent-child communication and interaction.

To conclude, effective parenting plays a vital role in shaping children's behavioural pattern. It closely
relates to the ways of exercising parental power, the quality of parent-child interaction and the ways of
conflict resolution. In order to tackle the misbehaviour among the youths, it is necessary to empower and
strengthen parents' effectiveness in parenting. Parent Effectiveness Training (PET) provides a
systematic and conceptual framework specific to these three areas. Therefore, this Parents Group, based
on the concept and the skills of PET and with the consideration of cultural variations, was specially
designed for the parents living in SK or LK Estates of XX District whose children are having
behavioural problem.

8. Objectives

The overall objective of the group is to enhance and strengthen the group members' capability in
effective parenting through a systematic training based on the PET approach. Besides the overall
objectives, there are specific objectives:

i. To facilitate the parents to reflect on the contemporary parental concepts.

ii. To facilitate the parents to exercise the parental power more effectively.
iii. To introduce a different perspective on conflict resolution in relation to the exercise of parental
power.
iv. To introduce various communication skills in order to improve the quality of parent-child
interaction.

9. Literature Review

a. Ideology of Parent Effectiveness Training (PET)

Parent Effectiveness Training (PET), developed by Gordon (1970, 1976, 1977, 1983), is the prescription
or blueprint for better relationships with children. It is a theory of interpersonal relationships that helps
to explain a great deal (though of course not everything) about what goes on between two persons in a
relationship (Gordon, 1976).

The core ideologies of PET can be concluded into three main areas : parental power, parent-child
conflicts, and the quality of parent-child interaction. First of all, its ideology on parental power is closely
related to the parent-child conflicts. Parents and children have their own needs and will act accordingly.
Conflicts may occur if the needs between both parties in conflict with each other. Gordon believes that
conflicts in families are usually resolved by one person winning and the other losing (win-lose method).
Most families are either authoritarian (i.e. parents win), or permissive (i.e. children win). However, both
of them are similar because ultimately one goes away feeling defeated and usually resentful or angry at
the other for winning. As long as parents adopt this traditional win-lose or power-based methods in
conflict-resolution, it means they will try to "exercise their power" which is equated with coercion
(Gordon, 1976). Parent-child conflicts cannot be resolved if parents do not give up - their influence,
authority, power, "parent prerogatives". Therefore, it is fair to describe parental power as the main
source of the parent-child conflicts.

The quality of parent-child interaction is another core ideologies of PET. It could be improved if parents
listened actively and carefully to the children especially when he or she owned the problems. "Problem
ownership" is also a core concept in the PET model. It emphasizes that parents should not assume
responsibility for solving problems their children own, rather they should encourage them to solve by
their problems by themselves. Parents are suggested to adopt a counsellor role by listening to children's
problems in an understanding and helpful manner by trying to help their children reach his or her own
solution to the problem. Parents play a non-intrusive helper's role. Ultimately, there will be an increased
in the possibility of children's responding more constructively to the parent's messages, thoughts and
ideas, therefore, leading to an improvement of the quality of parent-child interaction and reducing on
their potential conflicts.

To sum up, PET provides a different perspective for parents to make sense and reflect on their use of
parental power, the parent-child conflicts and the quality of parent-child interaction.

b. Implementation of the ideology of PET

PET aimed at developing communication skills and teaching a method of conflict resolution that is
neither permissive nor authoritarian. In order to foster the core ideologies of PET as mentioned above,
two principles were developed : congruent communication and non-coercive problem-solving.
Congruence as the skills of communication refers to accepting one's own feelings and communicating
them directly. According to this theory, congruent parents will tell the children what he/she (the parents)
feels when he/she is being upset by the children's behaviour. No criticism or command will be given. On
the other hand, non-coercion is suggested to be used as the problem-solving principle on parent-child
conflicts. To foster the ideas of congruent communication and non-coercive problem-solving, three sets
of skills were used : counselling skills (e.g. active listening, "I-message"). confrontation skills and
problems-solving skills (i.e. "no-lose conflict resolution").

To conclude, problem-solving is the cornerstone of the PET approach, presupposing the generous use of
active listening and the `I-message’ skills by the parents. Parents have to commit to open
communication with the children and to adopt a democratic conflict resolution approach so that the
ideologies can be implemented into practice.

c. How does PET help parents?

PET's core ideologies tackle the areas which cause the ineffectiveness in parenting among the parents
nowadays. For example, the power struggle between the parent-child in the daily life could be tackled
through reducing the parental power by using "no-lose conflict". The poor parent-child interaction can
be improved through the use of congruent communication style which is also preferable to compensate
for the deficits that arise from Chinese people's weak verbal expression and tendency to be unemotional,
unemphatic and implicit. On the other hand, their relationship and interaction can also be improved
through teaching the parents to understand the feelings and matter message of their children's behaviour
by active listening or the use of "I-message".

Several studies on PET proved that it helped parents to improve their parenting and communication
skills in different ways. Ng’s study (1993) of PET programme for parents in Hong Kong, was helpful for
the parents to discard outmoded methods of raising children and become more effective in meeting the
challenges of raising children in Hong Kong nowadays.

Last but not least, PET provides a systematic, structural conceptual framework for both the practitioner
and the learner which facilitate effective learning. PET provides a different perspective which is quite
simple and straight forward for parents to make sense of and reflect on these three areas. The skills are
simple and easy to follow.

10. Theoretical Framework

The Parents Group is chosen to be an educational one, that is, a kind of treatment group based on a
remedial model. As a remedial model, the purpose of the group is to increase or restore the members to
their former level of functioning. Indeed, this is coherent with this group’s purpose which aims at
empowering and strengthening the parents' effectiveness in parenting.

As a treatment group, there are some basic assumptions and principles to follow. For example, the
individual goals is treated as important as the group goals. It emphasizes the individual as the focus of
change. The group is used as a means as well as a context for the achievements of goals. Peer group
pressures, modelling between and among members, group rules and norms are likely to facilitate and
maintain individual change. Besides, the goals achieved in and through the group must be maintained in
the members’ social environment, that means their daily living experience. These principles will be
implemented through identification of the members’ common concerns and difficulties, the use of
role-play, open discussion, member's reflection on their real-life experience and collaborative inquiry in
the interaction.

Two primary purposes for the treatment group are being used in this case. For instance, this group for
parents having children with behavioural problem is oriented toward both education and support. First
of all, the purpose of educational group is to help members learn about themselves, their community as
well as the society. It aims at increasing member's knowledge and skills. Learning can be acquired in two
ways. First, through imparting information, knowledge and skills like the psychological development of
children or the "no-lose" methods to parents by expert-worker. Second, emphasise learning as a social
experience. Therefore, group discussion and group activities rather than didactic methods are being
focused. Indeed, group discussion foster learning. Through members self-disclosure at different levels to
the subject matter, members are likely to learn from each other - spectator therapeutic mechanism is
expected to take effect. In order to facilitate the characteristics of an educational group, the group size
will be small (8-10 persons) so that more opportunities for member-to-member communication and
group discussion can take place. Besides, the members of educational group are also bound by a common
interest in the materials to be learned as well as by their common characteristics and background. The
group composition is confined to those parents who have children with misbehaviours such as running
away from home or play truancy. The group composition is homogeneous (i.e. parents have similar
background, experience and concerns which ensure the stability of the group and the feeling of "same-
boat-phenomenon".) and heterogeneous (i.e. both the parents and their children will come from different
age group and classes. Even though their problems may be similar, their situation and the causes may
differ. This will be beneficial as it will enrich the member's experience in problem-solving.).

On the other hand, a group is not inherently therapeutic, and change does not happen automatically. It
occurs in a sufficiently safe environment which needs to be created and sustained by worker. The
development of this safe atmosphere requires the rudiments of basic human trust, as well as an
environment in which individuals can be vulnerable. In order to facilitate members self-disclosure of
their thinking, feelings, experiences, and then take risks and experience the therapeutic power of the
group, trust between worker-members and members-members is crucial. That is why this group also
focuses on the supportive element. Some core conditions will be created by worker in order to facilitate
a supportive and trustful atmosphere. The group is expected to allow members to experience instillation
of hope, acceptance, universalization, altruism, intellectualization, reality testing, mutual-aid
interaction, spectator therapy and ventilation. Therefore, the group is aimed at developing the feeling of
"same-boat-phenomenon", mutual support through collaborative discussion and inquiry. The members
in this group is expected to experience mutual support and learn the parenting skills together in a safe,
trustful environment.

11. Content of each sessions

Pre-group Interview

A pre-group interviews will be conducted for each participants before the group starts. Worker wanted to
grasp more understanding on participant's background, concerns and needs in order to decide whether
they fulfil the requirements. The group nature, objectives, content and the worker's role will be clarified.
Worker will also try to identify individual's goals and expectations in order to set the baseline for later
evaluation. Their individual goals will become the group goals.

Session 1 - Beginning Phase

Objectives/Content :
a. To build rapport between worker and members.
b. To contract and set up group norms.
c. To identify the common concerns among members in order to create the feeling of being in the
same-boat.
d. To instil hope and facilitate members to experience how their problems can be handled in the
group.
e. To collect members’ feedback and opinions of the group design.

Means :
1. Game will be used to facilitate members interaction.
2. Video will be used to start off the discussion.

Sessions 2 - Working Phase

Topic : Parental Power I
Objectives/Content :
a. To facilitate members to reflect on their parental concept, the use of parental power in relation
to children's misbehaviour.
b. To provide alternative perspectives on the exercise of parental power for the good of both parent
and child.
c. To collect members opinion and feedback on this session.

Means :
a. Videotape will be used to start off the discussion.
b. Group discussion based on real-life experiences of the members will be used for reflection.
c. Board and flow-chart will be used to summarize the common elements throughout the
discussion.
d. Role-play will be used to facilitate members to practice alternative ways in exercising parental
power. Feedback will be given from both worker and members.

Session 3
Topic : Parental Power II -Conflict Resolution Part 1.
Objectives/Content :
a. To facilitate members to understand the correlation between parental power and parent-child
conflicts.
b. To help members to re-examine their methods/models, rationale, feelings, difficulties and the
outcomes in resolving parent-child conflicts.
c. To introduce the two models (Win-Lose or Lose-Win) as conflict resolution.
d. To facilitate members to print out the disadvantages or advantages in applying these two
models in conflict resolution.
e. To collect members feedback on this session.

Mean :
a. Videotape about typical parent-child conflicts will be used to start off discussion and introduce
the two models of conflict resolution.
b. Group discussion will be used with the aim of facilitating members self-disclosure.
c. Real-life experience is suggested for facilitating member's reflection on parent-child conflict
resolution.

Session 4
Topic : Parental Power II - Conflict Resolution Part 2.
Objectives/Content :
a. To facilitate members to revise and summarize the content of last session.
b. To introduce the "No-lose" methods for conflict resolution with concrete examples.
c. To allow members to discuss its applicability, constrains and shortcomings.
d. To facilitate members practice in a group setting.
e. To collect members feedback on this session.

Means :
a. Videotaping of member's practice in order to facilitate their learning.
b. Group discussion in order to enrich their perspectives on "no-lose" method.
c. Role-play their real-life experience or scenario to help members reality testing.

Session 5
Topic : Effective Communication Training I
Objectives/ Content :
a. To help members to understand the matter message of children's misbehaviour.
b. To facilitate members to define the "problem ownership" specific on children's misbehaviour.
c. To introduce various communication skills for members to improve on parent-child interaction
and handle children's misbehaviour.
d. To allow the members to practice and gain feedback from others in a group setting.

Means :
a. Board will be used to lead the group discussion in order to enhance member's revision on
previous communication strategies that have been learned.
b. Case studies will be used in order to lead members to discuss “problem ownership".

Session 6
Topic : Effective Communication Training II
Objectives/Content :
a. To facilitate members to reflect on their parent-child interaction - communication pattern.
b. To help members to increase their awareness and reflection by re-experiencing their usual
parent-child interaction/communication pattern.
c. To introduce various effective communication strategies (e.g. Active and Reflective Listening,
"I-message" and the use of alternative solutions) for different situation.
d. To explore and clarify members difficulties, concerns and questions in application.
e. To collect their feedback and experience on this session.

Means :
a. Simple questionnaire will be used to facilitate members to describe their parent-child
interaction pattern and feelings.
b. Role-play the scenario about typical parent-child communication pattern of daily issues.
c. Videotape recording will be used to record members' role-play in order to facilitate awareness
and reflection of their communication pattern.
d. Board will be used to summarize the characteristics, nature and function of various
communication strategies.
e. Group discussion for stimulating member's self-awareness and try to solve their query together.
Termination Phase : Graduate Ceremony
Objectives/Content :
a. To evaluate members experience and comments of the training course.
b. To help members to identify how they learn from the group in order to reinforce them to learn
in the same way in future.
c. To recognize members' efforts, motivation in playing their role as parents.
d. Individual follow up or referral will be arranged for those who need it.

Means :
a. This session will be conducted as a ceremony.
b. Certificate will be delivered to all the members.

12. Worker's Role

Worker acts as a change agent, who also decides on specific purpose and the structure of the
group. Worker is also a teacher/trainer and a resource person of structure for group discussion, impart
information, knowledge and specific skills training . Worker also acts as a group facilitator who need to
follow the flow of the group and facilitate the members' interaction, discussion and reflection on specific
subjects. Worker will instil an element of hope in the future and also motivate members to improve
coping skills through self-help and mutual aid efforts. Worker will foster group norms and encourage
members to share, discuss and try out new strategies. In order to facilitate the function of an educational
group, worker will concentrate on both the individual learner and the group as a whole, as a vehicle for
learning, reinforcement and discussion.

13. Preparation work

a. Source of Recruitment

Group members were recruited from the following sources :

1. Open recruitment.
2. Internal transfer from the outreaching team.
3. Cases of SWD XX and XX Family Service Centre.

b. Medium of Publicity
Poster with details of group objectives, duration of the group, target population, number of sessions, time
and place of meetings will be prepared and posted up in the centre as well as the notice board of the
estates. Copies of the poster will be given to the outreaching workers and the family workers to introduce
the group to the clients who may be needed or interested in joining the group.

14. Evaluation

Evaluation of the effectiveness of the group will be conducted in several ways. First of all, summary
recordings of each sessions will be done by worker. This is helpful to evaluate worker's performance,
group dynamics, member's interaction and the group development. Moreover, time will be given to the
members at the end of each sessions to voice out their feelings, opinions regarding their group
experience and areas for modification. This will be helpful for worker to re-structure the group sessions
with consideration of the needs of members. At the end of the group, an open-ended questionnaire will
be prepared for the members in order to collect their feedback on their group experience, what they have
learned from the group and the group design.

Group members are also requested to self-report their changes after joining the group since the
interpersonal changes cannot be measured directly. Last but not least, individual learning goals will be
set as the baseline to evaluate whether their capability in effective parenting has been
enhanced/strengthened or not. Evaluation of each member would be based on where individual
member’s starting point was.

Supervisor’s feedback on group proposal (2nd draft)

Dear A,

I try to pick up our discussion on the PET group. I am not for replicating PET as though it is the desired
way of parenting. I don't think there is a universal way of parenting, and then there is cultural variation
to consider. Obviously, parenting is a cultural practice which reflects our values and assumptions about
parenthood and childhood, and about parental power. If indeed social workers here implement PET in
high fidelity, they must be oblivious to the "local" experience.

What I am for is to bring in the ideas of PET (ideology, concepts, and prescriptions), particularly
regarding the use of parental power, the quality of parent-child interaction, and parent-child conflicts,
as a different perspective. We choose PET simply because it poses different views which parents having
difficulty with their children will find novel - and provocative as well. This is our intention - to provoke
parents to debate and to reflect on their experience as parents. We are not here to teach them to practise
PET in their daily life. That will have endorsed a view of professional superiority even though we have
little base at all of what our superiority is founded upon - other than that there are a few books on PET
and that it has been popular among practitioners in Hong Kong as an imported social technology.

If ever this group is useful to parents, its worth lies in the facilitation it provides to parents in reflecting
on the use of parental power, on their intent of using parental power in a certain way, on children's
experience of parental power, and on alternative views of parental power and how to use it - for the good
of both parties. It is the quality of reflection, of collaborative inquiry, of examining alternative views,
and of making new sense of their current experience, and ultimately of understanding children's
perspective. In short, the group experience is one that "teaches" parents to become their own personal
scientists - and the group is educative in this sense.

How are we going to "design" the group experience in such a way that the group will indeed be helpful
to parents as we intend to? This is what group planning is about, other than laying down the parameters
(such as group size, membership criteria, time and frequency of meetings, etc.). We can approach this
question in various ways. Say, we start with group work model. It will be the way for people who are
"theory" driven. Think about "Social Goals Model", "Remedial Model", and "Reciprocal Model" of
social group work. Each model is an abstract representation of what the group experience will be like
given certain positions be taken along a number of dimensions - worker's role vis-à-vis members' role,
goal formulation, programme activities, quality of group interaction, etc. We may start by giving the
group a label which suggests what the group is about and what it is like, e.g. support group. We may
begin with a conception of the worker's role, or an outline of the group content. In our case, students
invariably approach the "design" task with a highly routinized way - session plans listing out the session
goals and the sequence of worker-led planned activities that members will do.

In our last supervision session, I tried to start by anticipating what members will look for when they
enter into the group. Why do they join? What motivated them? How will they approach the group
situation? How will people interact with one another in the beginning, and how will the pattern as well
as quality of group interaction evolve and change over time? What sort of group conditions we wish to
provide the members so that they can work on the business of the group - debating, examining, reflecting
on what it means to be a parent and what makes one a good parent to children. Thus, instead of
beginning with an introduction of PET, we begin with an introduction on what parents are concerned
about - and draw their personal concerns and stories out in the process. If ever we raise the issue of
parental power and whether and how parental power should be used, we are not urging members to
accept Thomas Gordon's doctrine - that they should relinquish their parental power. Rather, the issue of
parental power and its use must be raised as something central to their life - their narratives of
parenting experience. We anticipate personal problems, confusion, negative emotions (anger,
frustration, worry, self-blame, etc.). We prepare to facilitate the group processes in a way that is
responsive to the moment-to-moment change in the quality and content of group interaction. When
people talk about problems, we help them to foster a "we-in-the-same-boat" feeling. When people talk
about individual problems, we encourage reflection and interpersonal learning. Our "design" of the
group (or group plan) embodies our image of what the group is like, what sort of experiences people will
have in the group, and how such experiences will be rendered available to the members.

So start working on the group design and "visualize" what the group will be like to the participants - in
the first session and over time toward its end.
SAMPLE PROPOSAL FOR MASS PROGRAM

1. Background

The mass program of Health Education Day for the Elderly is recreational and educational in nature. The
details of the proposed mass program are:

Date: 2 September
Time: 2:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Name of Program: Health Education Day for the Elderly
Place: The BB Community Hall
No. of People: 90
Method of Recruitment: The student workers will promote the mass program in the gold card meetings
and select 90 members by lucky draw.

2. Rationales

a) The social planning model of community organisation practice is applied to this mass program. The
BB Estate has the largest elderly population in the AA District, comprising about 4000 elderly
households. Although the need of the elderly for health education is apparent, there seems a lack of such
educational programs for them. From our observation, the majority of elderly face problems relating to
the ageing process such as mental and physical deterioration. We see health education for the elderly as
a way of improving their quality of life. The goals of health education are to increase their knowledge on
health; to prevent and remedy their physical health deterioration; to enhance their community life; and
to improve their living condition.

b) At another level of observation, we noticed there were three fast-food outlets, one Chinese restaurant
and one food kiosk in the BB Estate. Although these food outlets were extremely popular for their
delicious and inexpensive food, we are doubtful of their hygiene standards and the nutritional value of
the food sold. We felt that the elderly’s physical health condition and their eating habit are closely
related. We feel strongly that health education with regards to healthy diet for the elderly in the BB
Estate should be promoted.

c) The information gathered on the health conditions of the elderly in the BB Estate also pointed to the
importance of organising a health education day. We have also consulted with the supervisor of the XYZ
Multi-Service Centre for the Elderly and gathered the centre’s view on the organising of such a program.
We will target at both healthy and sick elderly of the Centre. We are confident that the proposed mass
program can meet the needs of the members of the Centre. We believe that this health education program
is needed and will be welcomed by the elderly.

3. Objectives

a) To introduce the importance of eating healthy food and doing exercises;

b) To raise the elderly health consciousness;
c) To teach the members to have a basic understanding of healthy diet and
simple health knowledge;
d) To facilitate the interaction amongst the members; and
e) To provide a recreational and fun activity.
4. Budget

Income Expenditure

Members’ Fee 1. Drinks @$2.5 X 110 $275

@$5 X 90 $450 2. Photographs 50
Centre’sSubsidy $205 3. Prizes for the
Colouring Competition 60
4. Prizes for Games 100
5. Prizes for Lucky Draw 50
[Link] 30
7. Plastic Plates and Forks 10
8. Food for Games 30

Total Income $655 Total Expenditure $655

5. Working Schedule

Date Time Schedule & Division of Labour

25/7-31/7 - contacting guest - Student 1 (S1)
- preparing the colouring competition’s pictures - Student 2 (S2)
1/8-7/8 - contacting and sending the formal letter to the guest (S1)
- preparing the colouring competition’s pictures (S2)
8/8-14/8 - promoting the colouring competition to the members in the golden and
silver card club meetings (S2)
- preparing the graduation certificate of the Health Education Group (S2)
15/8-21/8 - promoting the colouring competition to the members (S2)
- preparing the games for the mass program (S1)
- preparing the prizes and souvenir (S1)
- preparing the graduation certificate (S2)
22/8-28/8 - collecting the colouring competition forms and pictures (S2)
- preparing the games for the mass program (S1)
- preparing the prizes and souvenir (S1)
- design the decoration of the mass program
29/8-1/9 - design and prepare the decoration, tools and instruments of the mass
program (S1 & S2)
- preparing the detailed contents of the Health Education Day for the Elderly.
(S1 & S2 as M.C.)
2/9 Health Education Day For The Elderly
6. Program Schedule of the Health Education Day for the Elderly

Time Program Objectives Resources Labour

needed needed
2:00- Entering - table and volunteer
2:30p.m. chairs at the reception-
reception. ists (2).
2:30- Addressing - give a brief introduction for the - portable - 2 M.C.
2:40p.m. members to warm up and tune in. amplifier,
cordless mic.,
mic stand.
2:40- A Talk & - to teach the members to have a basic - overhead - 1 guest
3:10p.m. Presenting understanding of healthy diet and projector, speaker
Souvenir simple health knowledge. screen, slides,
drinks
3:10- Mass Game 1 - to test the elderly’s knowledge of - 4 boards or - 2 M.C. and
3:25p.m. healthy life and healthy diet. cardboards, 1 6 volunteers
- to provide a recreational and fun table
activity.
3:25- Lucky draw - to have a short break - members’ - 2 M.C. &
3:30p.m. - to enhance the atmosphere name list, 1 centre’s
questions on staff
healthy diet,
gifts.
3:30- Mass Game 2 - to raise their consciousness of health. - puzzles, 3 - 2 M.C. & 6
3:45p.m. - to facilitate the interaction amongst boards pins. volunteers
the members.
3:45- Lucky draw & - to have a break and some drinks. - drinks - 2 M.C., 1
3:55p.m. a break - to derive the member’s sense of joy - member’s staff & 6
and happiness. name list, volunteers
questions,
gifts.
3:55- Mass Game 3 - to introduce the importance of eating - fruit or food, - 2 M.C. & 6
4:10p.m. healthy food. 3 tables, volunteers
- to raise their consciousness of health. plates, forks.
- to provide a recreational and fun
activity.
4:10- Graduation - to reward and encourage their health - certificates - 2 M.C. &
4:15p.m. of the consciousness. centre-in-
participants charge.
4:15- Presenting - to give them reward. - gifts - 2 M.C. &
4:25p.m. prizes for centre-in-
winners of the charge.
colouring
competition
and games

7. Evaluation:

The following areas will be evaluated in the mass program:

a) the appropriateness of the content of the mass program;
b) the increase in knowledge of the elderly after the mass program; and
c) the level of satisfaction for the recreational activity of the elderly;

The program will be evaluated by:

a) the worker’s and observer’s observation; and
b) the elderly’s responses.

Comment: Students have attached the following appendices to the proposal which will not be included
here.
APPENDICES:

I. Students’ records of action taken in contacting guests and volunteers and outcomes

II. The setting of the BB Community Hall for the Health Education Day for the Elderly

Comments:

The mass program is an opportunity for students to acquire good organising skills and in this case,
students have shown a good level of organising skills and skills in attending to the management of the
entire mass program. Students have also learnt to co-work together and in their delegation of tasks and
responsibilities. However, the proposal has placed more attention on the organising tasks and the
details of the program rather than on the rationale of the program and integration of theoretical
knowledge to practice. The latter could have been better articulated and integrated. For instance, the
students need to relate the social planning model of community organization practice to this mass
program. Students could have also applied theory and knowledge of community education (Chan, 1994
in Kam et al.) and program planning. The objectives seemed overstated. The program contents were far
more superficial than they claimed to be. In terms of the educational elements, it seemed that the
students had a stereotype on the elderly and were not flexible enough to upgrade the impact of the
program by introducing further knowledge or raising their health consciousness. Students could also
have commented on the potentials and limitations of educational mass programs of this nature; and look
at the proposed program in the wider context of effort and services already existing in the estate.
SAMPLE REFLECTION JOURNAL AND FIELDNOTES

Daily log on 9th February

Office work (14:00p.m.-19:00p.m.)

Content :

I had received Y‘s phone call this afternoon. He asked whether he could come to our centre to play a
while. Then, he also suggested to introduce one of his friend, S, to me. I told him that he could come any
time he wanted but I might not be available to meet him. Finally, he did not show up as scheduled.

Apart from this, I also used my office hours to have sharing with colleagues and reading references about
runaway girls.

Reflection :

First of all, regarding Y‘s call, I was made more aware of my own attitude. As a matter of fact, my
hesitation arose immediately when I realised that the call was from him. This was mainly due to what I
had heard from my colleagues about him. I had decided to give up this case because of his past history
and family background. Besides, I had decided to give myself a “time-out” from him in the near future
because of his attitudes and gestures towards me that I perceived as unhealthy and should be discouraged
from a worker’s perspective. Indeed, I felt strongly that he behaved liked a boy who was chasing after the
opposite sex rather than treated me as a friend or a worker. It did matter whether this was his recurrent
behaviour towards the opposite sex or not, the rumours about us was going around the group. This may
distort my worker’s role and hinder my work in the future since messages spread easily among the
youths in SK as they knew each other well. Thus, I had to stop the rumours before it became
uncontrollable and a “time-out” policy was preferable for cooling down their interests to this event.
Actually, I wondered what was his intention to come to the centre. Indeed, he used to be an “old-timers”
of SK and he was one of our clients before. It was not necessary to ask for my permission to come to the
centre. By the way, I did not expect his sudden phone call and therefore did not know how to handle it.
I had consulted my team leader for his advice. Finally, I told Y that he was welcomed but I might not be
available. However, he still insisted on coming at four o‘clock.

Afterwards, I tried to calm down and think over the issue again. I did consider how to handle it if he
asked to see me. Finally, I decided to adopt a “wait and see” policy so that more time and space would be
given for observing Y‘s real intention. This policy may be helpful for both parties. I could then be calm
and would not react too strongly or too cool towards him. I would also be able to observe his
intention/needs without being bias and he would also not receive the “wrong message”. By “wrong
message” I meant it would not make him think that he was someone special to me if I reacted too strongly
or too cool. I planned that if he behaved as the same before and I would tell him that I did not like his
attitude or the pattern of our interaction at all. As long as I respected him as a human, a friend and I
would like to be respected in the same way. He will be asked to consider other’s feelings. Even though
many people may say that to be considerate of other’s feelings is a difficult thing for the delinquents or
street kids to do, it does not mean that makes it legitimate for them not to do so. Sometimes they may not
know they make others feel uneasy if the other persons do not tell them their true feelings in their process
of interaction. Perhaps it was because many people, including social workers, accepted that these were
the characteristics of delinquents. However, I thought that OR social workers, as one of the social control
agents, represent the norms and expectations of the mainstream society and it is our obligation to try to
link these group of youths to the mainstream society. Thus, we should try to impose appropriate
expectations and be a good model towards them.

On the other hand, I began to worry when he finally did not show up. I was afraid whether my attitude
over the phone was too rough and cool which could have made him felt uneasy. So I tried to share my
worries with a colleague who comforted and reassured me that I had not done anything wrong and it was
normal for the delinquents not to show up even though the visit was suggested by themselves. One of the
characteristics of these youths is that they are always changing their minds or plans. Since they are easily
attracted by something or someone else on the street and they usually act according to their moods.
Therefore, I need not be surprised or anxious if the youths did not show up as planned. My worries
dissipated when one of my colleagues who had just returned from SK told me that he saw Y playing
happily with his friends.
During this process, my attitudes, standpoint and feelings to this event showed my internal dilemma that
mainly because I did not understand him too much. I was deeply preoccupied with the version described
by my colleagues. However, their version or description were not so clear and what I heard about him
was that he was dangerous, problematic, troublesome and not our OR clientele. Personally, I strongly
believed that Y still has his own needs and may want to seek our service. Even though a clinical
psychologist may be preferable for his case, but as long as it is unavailable in XX District just yet, we
should try to help him before he became worse. Obviously, these standpoints were contrasting to each
other and that was why I could not find the balance between them and how to make up my mind in this
situation. I felt very confused indeed. I will use more time to rethink about this incident because it may
happen frequently and may affect my service delivery too.

With regards to my sharing with colleagues, there are some critical and valuable points that I would like
to discuss. Firstly, some colleagues commented that environmental factors played a vital parts in
affecting and hindering the effectiveness, motivation, generalization of those social activities arranged
for the youths in order to widen their experiences. The environmental factors including the social
structure and infrastructure, etc. were very inadequate and had even lost the contact and linkage with the
mainstream society. Even though workers tried very hard to provide all different kinds of social activities
for them, their motivation or interest still could not be sustained mainly because of the constrains of the
local community. For example, there are only football or basketball fields provided in the community
and therefore the daily social activities or interests of the youths are being confined. Football or
basketball became part of their life. Even though OR workers tried very hard to arrange new, exciting
social activities for them, it was still difficult to motivate or interest them.

Another local problem was created owing to the inadequate infrastructure. Take football as an example,
since the young people used almost all of their leisure time in this activity. Football became part of their
life and the only skilful things that they knew. Many of them may regard the chances of joining a big
football team as the only path to a better future or career. Therefore, those people who were good at
playing football and has connections with the football organizations became the hero and influential
person in the local community. Their charisma or influence over the youths is out of our imagination
thus the influence of OR workers may be undermined. My team leader suggested that it was no point
challenging the status of these people or tried to exclude them because of our different standpoints. In
fact, we are encouraged to handle the situation more skilfully and there is no need to feel inferior to them.

Apart from these, the sharing also disclosed some of the reasons that hindered the cooperation between
OR workers and the parents. It was difficult for the parents to understand the ideology, values and the
ways of intervention of outreaching work. They could not understand why an OR worker would still be
chatting with a girl at midnight. Their misunderstanding was understandable since I, myself, did not
think that it was appropriate for any worker to chat with clients till so late into the night. Even though
they might be handling a “crisis” case, worker should still try to contact client’s family so as to reduce
their worries.

Field observation with a colleague at LK (8 p.m. - 11 p.m.)

Content :
Unlike SK, many youths gathered at the playgrounds of LK. I had provided counselling service to a girl
named Y who was introduced by my colleague. Details will be given in the fieldnotes. There was no other
significant incident being observed.
Supervisor’s Feedback on daily log (9th February):

Dear A,

The reflection part in this daily log has something important for our deliberation. I muse over the fact
that outreaching social workers are comfortable with the idea of "giving up a case" (Y). It reminds me of
the case that doctors deliberate on which patient they would save - and give up on others. What does it
mean by giving up a case in the outreaching social work context? Does it mean avoiding that person, or
taking no interest in that person, or ignoring that person? Will that remind us a moment of doubt about
our ethical standard?

I am not sure what sort of advice you got from your colleagues. And it is important for you to examine
the sort of advice you got - for the underlying ideology and assumptions embodied in such advice. I think
the sort of kids' rumour running around became a deterrent in that you couldn't put things in
perspective. It is only normal that kids have such fantasies and joke around about this. Thus, it will only
be something ordinary for young social workers to come across such experience. I think it is our part to
help the kids to frame the situation in a way that commensurate with the norms of the adult world, and
that is why social workers are such an important link between young people and the adult world in the
transition process of emerging into adulthood.

I can appreciate your need for peer support in the work place. For social workers, given the fact that
they practise in uncertainties, getting peer support has good survival value. We are perpetually living in
self-doubt, wisdom that comes only with hindsight, and value dilemmas. The sort of reflection on
yourself - as you did here - is important. You are going to re-think about that experience many times,
and each time may bring some new insights to you.

I have an interesting observation regarding outreaching social workers' (in your team) view of
environmental factors in shaping the lives of these young people. They strike me as pessimistic and
fatalistic in orientation. They are in fact making the excuse that we have tried but ...”. This kind of
attitude is not re-assuring nor self-assuring. I suppose parents constitute an important part of the
environment. Yet, you had the observation that outreaching workers in effect operate as though they are
not the partners of these parents.

Daily log on 12th February

Office work (10:00a.m.-12:00p.m.)

Content :

I used the office hours to finish my daily log and fieldnotes.

OR Team Meeting (Feb.) (14:3op.m.-17:30p.m.)

Content :

Generally speaking, the team meeting was divided into a few parts which included workers’ reports on
their case & group progress, locality dynamics of both SK and LK, the progress of the football match and
the coming school programs. Drug problems was predicted to prevail again both in LK and SK. Since
more and more `big brothers’ had turned to sell soft drugs to their `lieutenants’. Therefore, the youths in
these districts are expected to take soft drugs or relapse again as they could get the stuff more easily.

Reflection :

The meeting was carried out in a free and open atmosphere. Even I as a new student worker was
respected by the team and invited to voice out my opinions. The feeling of equal footing made it easier for
me to adjust to such a formal environment.

The meeting indeed is a good channel to facilitate the communication among staff and that was
beneficial for the teamwork. Besides, colleagues could update their information of the changing district
dynamic which would facilitate our work. As a matter of fact, it is not possible for any worker to know all
the changes in the local district. Definitely, having updated information would help us to design new and
appropriate strategies. It is valuable for me, or any worker to participate in the team meeting.
Supervisor’s Feedback on daily log (12th February):

In the Outreaching team meeting, we have a glimpse of how a knowledge of the "district dynamics" is
drawn on in planning the work of the team. Given the prediction that there will be more drug problems,
does it mean that the team is going to combat the problem (as a community issue) or to tune-up for drug
counselling? If the drug problem is a community-wide concern, I find it difficult to appreciate why the
team adopts an individualist-therapeutic orientation.

Another observation made - which I consider important too - is how the team manages internal
communication and what function such communication serves.

Fieldnotes on 9th February

I would like to use the narrative approach to write my fieldnotes. This can not only help me to recall the
whole incident but also my thoughts, feeling and response at that particular moment as well. This way
may help me to understand myself more including the schema, value, ideology and the way I make sense
of the situation/client. Therefore, the structure of the paper will follow the case development (more or
less like the summary recording) and I will express my point of view whenever I feel necessary or
meaningful. So, I do not know whether you think such an unstructured or messy free-flowing writing
style is appropriate or not. I would like to know whether this style will make it difficult for you to
understand my reflection on my work. Regardless, I hope you can give me some opinions especially in
this area.

Counselling an emotionally beset girl in an unstructured, unplanned occasion

While doing my field observation with a colleague at LK tonight, I had counselled a girl, named Y at the
playground. As a matter of fact, my intervention was unplanned since the whole incident happened
unexpectedly. I would also describe my intervention as “piecemeal” since I may never see the girl again.
Follow-up services may not be available in the future.

As a new outreaching social worker, I was introduced to the youths including this girl by my
colleague. At the initial stage, I did not pay much attention to her and she refused to tell me her name
either. At the first sight, I sensed that she was unhappy and from the expression in her eyes and her
gestures, I could tell that she was troubled. I could not tell concretely, but I did feel it.

Then, my colleague brought us to the football field. Y disclosed her name and the school she
studied to me. (She was a Form 5 student at XX Secondary School in the XX District.) When we arrived,
I was told to sit around and wait for my colleague. Y sat with me but kept a great distance. I was not
surprised or embarrassed of her attitude or my situation as this was a normal response to stranger,
somehow I was the stranger to her and vice versa. Apart from several times of eye contact with her, we
did not say much. However, I tried to voice out my feelings about her twice when we were staring at each
other. I said : “You seemed very unhappy. What’s wrong?” and “Nothing” was her only reply. Her
response was understandable since we had yet to build up our rapport and she did not know me much. It
was hard for anybody to express or talk about their feelings in such condition. Besides, I would also
consider her response as a denial which was the normal response when people were being scrutinized.
Indeed, I did not expect anything to happen at all. I did it just because I sensed how unhappy she was and
wanted to express my care and concern for her. Besides, I also wanted to give her a message that I was
ready to help if she wanted. As a matter of fact, the kinds of worker’s roles ought to be determined by the
client. Regarding her response, I did not want to increase her resistance further but gave her time to
think, I did not take further step at that point in time. Both of us were silent and we sat there while my
colleague was busy with the other youths. After almost 20 minutes, Y suddenly came to sit beside me and
suggested that we waited for my colleague at the nearby playground. I did not see any reason to refuse
and in fact the environment there might be more conducive for us to talk. After informing my colleague,
she took me to a children's playground and there was no one else around.

She then kept talking about herself after we had settled down. She talked about some episodes
in her school life, her interest, her future, the teachers and all the other things. In fact, all the episodes
were piecemeal and had no linkage to each other. She jumped topics very frequently and sometimes I had
difficulty following. I listen and tried not to interrupt her so as to make sense of what she was saying and
understand her “style”. I have made these observations: (1) Even though she was talking about some
episodes of her daily life which may seem to be “small matters” in the eyes of others, I tried hard to listen
and understand because all these “small matters” were related to her and reflected herself individually.
For instance, I believed that all episodes were parts of her life and it was not important to focus on
whether there were big events or small/daily matters. What is important, is how the client makes sense
of these episodes; (2) I had tried several times to ask for clarifications when I did not understand but it
seemed to be in vain. She was quite nervous and kept talking in the way she wanted to and ignored my
comments or questions. I then realized that she needed me as a listener, a target for her ventilation rather
than anything else. She had determined my role at this point; and (3) I was considering the relationship
between us. As I mentioned before, we were still very new to each other. Therefore, I thought about
whether she just wanted to have a small chat with me, or this was her natural style, or even the warm-
up phase for her later exposure. So, I would like to wait and see through exploration and observation.
Overall speaking, I played a listener role and tried to be empathic, non-judgmental, permissive and
accepting. As I recalled the way I make sense of the client and my response, I would say that my schema
was largely operated under the ideology of Client-Centered Approach.

Indeed, I would describe Y as a reprisal person from the episodes she disclosed. She always
broke into fights with schoolmates if they started first. She did the same to others as they did to her. Apart
from this, she did not have a happy family life as heated-quarrels with her parents happened everyday.
Besides, she wanted to quit school two months ago because she did not want to study in the art class
anymore. Since this was her teachers choice rather than hers. She felt helpless to control her life by her
own. She was followed by an outreaching social worker of other agency. She told me that she had tried
to write all her suppressed feelings, emotions, unhappiness to the teachers through the weekly log book
and was disappointed with the teachers response every time because they simply said, “After reading
your log, I did not know what to say. But I thought that the most important thing is to forget everything
and concentrate on study.” I could understand her disappointment and sense of helplessness for she had
tried hard to seek help from others. It was understandable why she stopped doing so. Actually, she did
not want to seek help from her outreaching worker or others either as she did not like them very much.
Her support system or outlets for ventilation were inadequate. She had no one to turn to when she had
problems. This would definitely weaken her stress coping abilities especially when she encountered
family problems. I felt she was depressed, helpless and angry. I noted that she repeatedly said that no one
could help her. In view of her emotional state and her blocked support systems, I was determined to share
her story and be an outlet for her to ventilate.

So, I decided to counsel her and helped her ventilate. In order to do the latter, core conditions
were created through my empathic attitude, unconditional positive regard, genuineness as well as
acceptance. At the same time, exploration-description-ventilation was used in order to help her to
describe and explain the facts concretely and to ventilate her feelings associated to these facts. So, I
started from the problem that beset her most in the here-and-now situation. I asked her to think about the
areas that beset her most. Family problem was mentioned as the one that beset her all along. Then, I tried
to get her consent and asked whether she would like to talk about her family problems with me. Indeed,
the counselling process could not carry out without the client‘s participation. She refused at first as she
believed that it would not help. After my further encouragement, she finally nodded her head and agreed
to talk about it. She commented that she had some difficulties to express and asked for my help, so I told
her to close her eyes first and take a deep breathe. Then, I asked her to describe either her family, her
family life, her parents or whatever she felt about it. She requested for 5 minutes to think about it. She
tried to hide her whole body into her jacket when she was thinking. “Troublesome” was the first word she
used to describe her family. She said that her parents had heated-quarrels everyday. Her parents would
scapegoat her or blame her every time they quarrelled. She was numb to it already. As a matter of fact,
she had tried her best not to make any response to their unreasonable condemnation so as to avoid further
argument with them. She would leave her house and hang out till very late at night whenever they
quarrel. However, she admitted that she could not hold her temper sometime. Like the night before,
when her parents had heated-quarrels again, she tried not to get involved at first. However, she was
annoyed, provoked and started a heated-quarrel with them when they started to pick up the old issues
again. As she mentioned that her parents always pick on old issues in their quarrels, I asked her to clarify
which “old issue” annoyed her a lot. It is worth remarking that the “old issue” here was very important to
giving some insights into her family relationships, Y’s childhood development as well as the main
reasons for her hatred towards the family.

She said one of her sisters had sexual intercourse with a relative in the wild- camp. Her parents,
especially her father was very angry and scolded her severely by using “unacceptable”, “intolerable”,
“humiliated” wordings. Her sister was blamed for not having self-respect, for being indulgent, cheap and
was told that her behaviour was not forgivable. She was condemned as the sole person who had to take
responsibility in the whole incident. Finally, her sister could not stand their condemnation any further
and ran away from home till now.
 To Y, this incident only further deepen her hatred for her parents. Y was convinced that her
parents rather than her sister had to take the sole responsibility for the incident. In fact, she felt pity and
sorry for her sister regarding this incident. If her parents had lived with them all along and take
responsibilities as parents, her sister or even herself would have low chances of developing undesirable
behaviours. Apparently, they were separated from their parents when young and had to live with
relatives separately. The whole family lived together again after almost 15 years later and by then her
parents had with them with two more daughters. It was really a hard time for her to live under other‘s
roof. She could not receive adequate care and concern all along. Sense of being abandoned without any
explanation from her parents aroused her hatred and grievances. Therefore, she condemned her parents
for not fulfilling their role as parents and therefore did not have the rights to be parents. To sum up, Y
strongly believed that her parents should not blame her sister or pick on the issue again because they
were the one who should confess and feel guilty. Besides, she expected her parents should realize that
they owed them so much and therefore did not have the right to demand anymore. They should not
expect their children to be normal, good or ideal like those who grew up under the care and concern of a
normal family. Their parent-child relationship was irretrievable.

Up to here, I would like to express my assessment towards Y‘s beset-family problem. I would
try to understand her situation in the following ways: (1) She did have a poor family life. The parent-
child relationship could be described as detached, deadlock and conflicting. This was mainly because Y
as well as her parents had different expectations of each other; (2) I would describe Y’s family as a
problematic one - almost every family members had problems. Thus, the background of it was quite
complicated and could not be resolved within a short period of time; (3) Y was experiencing the
developmental stage of early adolescence. It was normal that the youth tended to struggle for power with
parents (authority). This tendency plus the deep-rooted hatred for her parents, causes Y to desire so
much to run away from the control of her parents. This may further undermine the family‘s relationship;
(4) It was understandable how much Y disliked to stay at home. She did not want to and also did not
know how to live with both the parents and her brother. Since they all grew up in different environments
and did not know how to adjust themselves to the new family system. I would comment that not only Y,
but the whole family was suffering from these deep-rooted problems and hatred. (5) She pushed herself
too much for trying to forget everything. As a matter of fact, it became a psychological burden that would
beset her more. She needed to release all her suppressed feelings, hatred first.

Base on the above assessment, I believed that Y‘s family problems needed more time to work on
and worker’s intervention was preferable. Since I could not intervene too much in this case, therefore I
would try my best to facilitate her to ventilate her suppressed feelings and emotions. If she is empowered,
she may adjust to her family life more easily and she may not suffer further. According to system theory,
when one part of the system changes, the other parts of the system will change too. Therefore, as one part
of the family system, if Y could manage her emotions and life much better, that would bring positive
effects to the whole family. The family problems may be allowed to release to a certain extent through
this interaction process.

At the latter part of the counselling, I tried to convey to her my understanding of her situation
and all her feelings through reflective discussion. Like her feelings of being abandoned by her parents
without knowing the reasons, the ice between the family‘s members, the feelings of living under other’s
roof and her hatred for her parents. I tried to convince her that all these feelings were normal and
understandable. In addition, verbal praising were given to her for her efforts in avoiding further conflicts
with her parents and it was beneficial for both parties that she left home to take a walk for a while
whenever they were quarrelling. her action could avoid further deterioration of parent-child relationship
and Y could feel much better herself. On the other hand, she was asked to seek someone to help her to
ventilate her suppressed feelings first before seeking other ways of coping in her situation. I explained to
her that if she could not ventilate her feelings and was still affected by it, she could not fully function.
Since it was very late at night then, my colleague and I escorted her home first. Last but not the least, she
was urged to find someone to talk about whenever she needed. I would be available if she wanted to.

Honestly, what I could do for her is very limited and I believed that the counselling conducted
as above might not help her in a great sense. What I could do at this stage was to listen to her, convey to
her my care and concern and try to helped her to ventilate. She was still very unhappy and felt useless
after talking with me. As I knew that she had a better relationship with my colleague, I reported the
whole incident to her immediately and urged her to give her help if possible. However, my colleague
provided another perspective on the whole incident. First, she never heard about her family story all
along and therefore she did not know whether what she disclosed was real or not. Thus, she wondered
whether she was only seeking attention by telling me such a “story”. She claimed that Y was a strange
girl and her mood swung easily. Therefore, she asked me not to worry about the incident too much and
she would talk to her if possible. No matter what, even though I did not know the girl well, I believed
what she said to me as reflected in her feelings and non-verbal gesture (she kept crying when she was
telling her story) was logical. It was not important for me whether she was attention seeking or whatever.
The most important thing for me is to give care, help and concern when she needed at certain point. Yet,
I was only an episode in her life.

Supervisor’s Feedback on field notes (9th February):

This entry of field notes captures an "informal counselling" episode - the first you had in the placement.
I think there are several things we can learn from analysing your experience. Before that, I would like to
comment on the textual style in writing field notes. You wish to prepare a narrative account of what you
came across in that episode. Narrative is a textual form in which the subject describes his/her flow of
experience in an event. That means it is written in a first-person, active voice. In your case, it is not
entirely a narrative account. At different points, you tried to offer your analysis in an objective, distant
manner. I am not saying that a narrative style of entering field notes is good. Many researchers use a
third-person, objective manner of writing to record observations of events, people, and processes.
However, this textual style is inappropriate if the researcher-observer is a participant in the event.

In the episode, you had the first experience of trying to engage a "potential client" in a counselling
conversation. You offered quite a detailed description of the "sizing up" process before she finally
disclosed to you part of her life story. At first, you could not see the coherence in what she told you about
her life. It was like a mosaic - "piece-meal and no linkage". I agreed that these pieces are all meaningful
to her, even if the meaning is not immediately apparent to us.

I learned more about this girl, and about girls like her, being brought up in a family where intimacy is
replaced by conflict. She felt cut out from the world which did not give her a sympathetic listening. If
indeed she was attention-seeking - as how your colleagues made sense of her behaviour - she did the
right thing. Seeking attention is a way of seeking help, and it is much healthier than not seeking
attention, the latter will be a sign of resignation and withdrawal from life. From her story, we have a
glimpse of her family and her life in it - and we should be even more concerned about the ecology of
development for these "at risk" young people. What we do not have, however, is the parents' stories, and
that is why I find it of value for you to meet the parents of these young people and to experiment a
modality of intervention that may help to change the quality of life at home.