Factors contributing to the quality of children’s court social work reports

• Main Author: Sebopela, Matlhogonolo Priscilla
• Published: 2012
• Subjects: Social work practice; Global Social Work Standards; Juvenile courts; Social case work reporting; Social work with children
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/5158

M.A. === The Global Social Work Standards as outlined by Sewpaul & Jones (2004) aspire for social work education and training to equip social workers with relevant knowledge and skills. This would enable them to practice in a range of contexts applying different social work methods and techniques, while recognising the interconnectedness that exists within and across all systems at micro, mezzo and macro levels. Human service organisations that employ social workers should ensure adequate provision of resources and professional staff, with a range of expertise and appropriate qualifications to facilitate quality service delivery. As social work practice is interconnected with other systems and does not operate in a vacuum, social workers are often expected to interact with clients, communities or other professionals. They should therefore be competent and able to practice within the value perspective of the profession, guided by the professional code of ethics and values. A social worker’s report is one form of interaction and communication between the social worker and others, among whom are children’s court presiding officers. Children’s courts use social workers reports to assist them in decision making pertaining to matters relating to children. Although social workers are expected to be competent in record keeping and report writing by the time they graduate, the quality of their reports is often questioned by other professionals who use them to assist in decision-making. With this state of affairs, there is growing concern about the quality of social work reports, and the social work fraternity is asking the question, “what are the factors that contribute to the quality of reports compiled by social workers for children’s courts?” and “what should be done to ensure that social workers adhere to standards of proficient report writing?”