Social Welfare Administration as a Method of Social Work

Introduction

Our country is aiming at sustainable social

development and social welfare. You will be interested

to know why the need for the practice of social

welfare administration as a method of social work

is gaining importance. It is because we have a large

number of social welfare and social development

settings. They include government departments,

Welfare Boards, Corporations, Social Welfare Agencies,

Non Governmental Organisation (NGOs), Inter

Governmental Organisations (IGOs), Community Based

Organisations (CBOs) etc. We also have a large number

of National, state and local level welfare and

development programmes. In addition, Panchayat Raj

institutions oriented to development work have also

been emerging as important institutional contexts

for the practice of Social Welfare Administration.

As our country faces the challenges of poverty,

unemployment, disability, destitution, ill health,

illiteracy, crime, suicide, violence, accidents etc.

our social welfare administration should also become

an effective social work method.

Meaning of Social Welfare

Administration as a Method of

Social Work

Social welfare administration is both scientific and

professional activity. It promotes social work practice

in administration. Therefore it is also called as social

work. It administers or implements special programmes

intended for vulnerable, disadvantaged and weaker

sections of the population such as women, disabled

children, chronically ill, the aged, scheduled caste/

scheduled tribes etc. through social work processes.

It also organises programmes for sustainable social

development. It also aims at the effective

implementation of the regular and special programmes

of social welfare agencies.

Social Welfare Administration translates social welfare

polices and social legislation into social work practice.

It administers the resources and personnel available

for social work practice. It ventilates the many choices

open to clients to adjust themselves as well as to

recover themselves from problem situations.

Social welfare administration also enhances the

psycho-social and economic functioning of the clients

and beneficiaries. Application of social work

administration in the fields of information technology

and e-governance is also very essential. This is

new area for the effective administration of social

and social welfare services, social security and social

work programmes at various levels. It can be used

by local self governments, governments, Non

governmental organisations, Intergovernmental

organisation, co-operatives and private and corporate

organisations. The target groups of this social work

method can be individuals, groups, families,

communities, agencies, organisations, committees

or departments.

Extent of the Use of Primary Methods

of Social Work

In a study on social welfare administration as a

method of social work you will be interested to know

how the primary methods of social work are used

in administration. The basic methods of social work

such as social casework, social group work, community

organisation, social action, etc., play a very important

role.

Social casework is used with individual beneficiaries

in the administration of social services. Social group

work is used with families, and groups, which are

at the heart of every society. Social group work is

also used in working with neighbourhood groups

and self help groups. It is also used to improve the

effectiveness of working of various committees, which

are part of social welfare administration. Community

organisation is used in resource mobilization and

equitable distribution of services at the community

level. It is also used to make effective the functions

of grama sabha/ward meeting under Panchayat Raj

Institutions. Linkages and coordination is also used

under social welfare administration. Social action

is used in bringing social welfare strategies and

collective action for analyzing, modifying and

formulating social welfare policies. It translates the

above into the administration.

Social work research plays a very important role

in social welfare administration. It provides scope

for action research, evaluate current programmes

and provides social work indicators and statistical

indices for developing strategies and programmes.

It also provides necessary data bases for e-governance

in Social Work Administration. Social welfare planning

is an important component of social welfare

administration.

Types of Services and their Delivery

Important types of social services are:

1) Education

2) Income transfer

3) Health and nutrition

4) Public housing

5) Employment and training

6) Personal social services

7) Services resulting out of social policy

There are seven types of social services and the

main function of social welfare administration is to

effect the administration of these social services.

The first social service namely education can be

conceptualized as pre-school/elementary/primary,

secondary, vocational, higher education, adult,

continuing and non formal education. It is delivered

either publicly or through cooperatives, corporate

bodies, non governmental organisation and private

organisations. It includes schools, colleges,

universities, training institutes, professional bodies,

internet facilities and e-learning facilities.

The second social service namely income transfer

is called social security in a general sense. The

service can be provided in the event of illness,

disability, destitution, unemployment, natural

calamities, violence, war etc. It is provided through

social insurance, social assistance, pension scheme

or labour welfare fund benefits. It is often collectively

administered. It is also delivered by Panchayat Raj

institutions or through local agencies. As social security

programmes have to reach a large population in

India, professional social workers have a responsibility

to administer internet facilities, electronic

conferencing,  e-governance at various levels in social

work practice and service provisions.

The third kind of social service namely “Health and

Nutrition” may be private operated, public operated,

or operated under health insurance system or through

people’s co-operatives. It can be non-profit or for

profit. In India, there are a large array of health

services for health care delivery. They include

specialised hospital/sanatoria, Medical College

Hospitals, District Hospitals, Taluk Hospitals,

Community Health Centres, Primary Health Centres,

Dispensaries, Nutrition bureaus and so on. In addition,

there are Maternal/Reproductive and Child Health

Centres, Family welfare sub centers, anganvadies

and so on at the local level.

The fourth social service is called “Public Housing”.

There are non profit housing corporations/boards,

and housing co-operatives. There is also housing

systems in plantations, slums and industrial townships.

There are also privately operated housing systems

in rural and urban areas. In India social welfare

institutions, Government departments, and local bodies

also deliver housing services. Indira Awas Yojana

is an important housing scheme of government of

India.

The fifth social service is “Employment and Training”.

Under social welfare administration, social work

methods are used to upgrade services for employment.

It is organised in the public sector as well as private

sector. It is also organised by special agencies,

professional bodies and trusts. Here imparting of

skills through training is an important function of

social welfare administration.

The following list includes items which would generally

be called “Personal Social Services”. They are care,

development, and welfare of the child, probation

and correctional services for the juvenile delinquents,

crime prevention programmes, welfare programmes

for prisoners, victims and their families, institutional

care for women and children, care and adoption by

special parents, family services and counselling, family

social work, continuance of community services and

protective services for the aged or geriatric social

work. Day care and pre-school programmes for the

children, referral programmes, holiday/vacation camps

for children, youth, parents, handicapped and the

elderly, income-assistance and care programmes for

average families, self-help and mutual aid programmes

among disadvantaged and handicapped groups,

counselling programmes for adolescents, marital

counselling, planned parenthood counselling, disability

counselling, aged counselling, specialized institutional

services for destitute, infirm, beggars, poor, persons

in moral danger etc. It also included De Addiction

centres and programmes for the care of alcoholics

and drug addicts, programmes for victims of HIV/

AIDS etc. It also includes human development

programmes and other social welfare services.

The seventh social service is other services resulting

from social policy. Transforming policy into social

and social welfare services and use of experience

and expertise in recommending modifications to

policies comes under this broad area. We have to

identify social inequities and social injustice and

have to solve social problems. In this regard dynamics

of leadership, job satisfaction and public relations

are essential. Upliftment of disadvantaged,

underprivileged and vulnerable section of society

such as women, children, old and infirm, disabled

and handicapped needs top priority. It also includes

special services for scheduled caste, scheduled tribe

and backward communities, and people of backward

areas and slums. In the context of large population,

relief and rehabilitation to migrants, social work

practice among migrant families and rehabilitation

of victims of natural disasters like floods, draughts,

earthquake, landslides, tsunami and so on are

situations in which social service in required.

The nature of social services requires social welfare

administration to act as an essential method of

social work practice. Administrative position of persons

who are associated with the provision of these social

services in India, are designated as secretaries/

administrator/directors, welfare officers, medical social

workers, psychiatric social workers, geriatric social

workers, family social workers, school social workers,

rehabilitation social workers, child development project

officers, block development officers, research officers,

local authority, social workers, project directors/

officers, inspectors of welfare funds etc.

In addition, the various fields of social work such

as medical social work, local authority social work,

social work in industry, social work in agriculture,

family social work, psychiatric social work, geriatric

social work, rural, urban, tribal and coastal

development, contain large scope for services which

need social work administration.

Creative literature in social work is another method

of social work used in administration. Creative

literature and creative media are used to bring out

literature on social work application in administration.

It can be in the form of fiction, serial, drama, dialogue

etc. which personalize social welfare administration.

So it can be seen that the extent of use of primary

methods in social work have wider coverage.

Social welfare administration has to play an important

role in the administration of creative, preventive,

promotive, developmental and statutory social welfare

services. Social welfare administration is not only

needed in the Government sector but it is also largely

used in the non governmental organisations, inter

governmental organisations, community based

organisations and in the cooperative sector.

Organisational Climate and Management

Process

Here we are concerned with organisations and primarily

structures for delivering social services, social welfare

services, and social work programmes. It can be

departments, social welfare agencies or non

governmental organisations. It can also be statutory

agencies for implementing welfare provisions.

We can discuss organisational climate as

organisational culture, environment, milieu and so

on. It is experienced by the members of an

organisation. It influences their behaviour. It is also

conceived as the value of a particular sets of

characteristics of an organisation. It distinguishes

one organisation from the other. Some of the

dimensions of the organisation climate are individual

autonomy, direct supervision, better performance,

rewards, team spirit, honest and open on individual

differences, fostering of development, application of

new ideas and methods, taking risks and freedom

for individual to regulate their behaviour. Managerial

values include autonomy, equity, security and

opportunity.

When we consider organisational climate and

management process we have several types of climate

and processes. In a democratic organisational climate

common standards based on policies, rules and

regulations govern activities and welfare of

beneficiaries. The leaders and superiors must develop

group feeling and co-operation among staff of the

organisation. Best way to maintain agency discipline

is the democratic way of trying to develop the work

groups, increase its cohesion and enable it to develop

standards of behaviour. The climate requires overall

progress of the organisation, sustainable human

relations and staff development programmes. It should

also bring out job satisfaction, beneficiary satisfaction

and productivity. In addition, effective supervision

is also essential.

Employees get an opportunity while in work to accept

challenges, serve others, earn money, enjoy prestige 

and status and can be creative and independent.

Initiative taking behaviour leads to high level of

activity and experimentations.

Happy and peaceful employer-employee relations,

employee-employee relations, care provider beneficiary

relations are the core of successful organisational

climate. Good management practices are essential

to improve organisational climate.

Some of the important management practices include

the following.

Fulfillment of defined social needs

Finding out growth opportunities and solutions to

problems

Handling of conflict

Equitable allocation of resources

Determining priorities

Assigning duties and functions

Social diagnosis

Making estimates and projections for future

Provision and selection of alternatives

Organisation of division of work

Scientific approach based on facts

Innovation and modification of services

Evaluation of results and making improvements

Ensuring economical and wise utilization of public

funds

Improving the quality of life of beneficiaries and

care providers

Application of methods, techniques and skills of social

work at every stage of management practice to improve

organisational effectiveness.

Programme Development

Social work education has opened new vistas of

social development. Programme development also

relates to transfer and utilization of technology.

Social work administration has effective applications

in this regard. It includes handing over of new

technology and use, modification and renovation of

existing technology for sustained social welfare

through a process of social work. It improves the

levels of living and quality of life of the target groups.

Programmes are developed by task forces – or task

groups, within the agency setting based on related

policies and legislations. It relates to controlling of

social, physical and mental ill health and morbidity.

It should increase the availability of major articles

and services for community consumption. Programmes

have to be developed for increasing social security.

Then there are vertical and horizontal process to

approve the programmes. Vertical processes include

approval by Local Self Government, District Planning

Unit, State Planning Board, Planning Commission

etc. and horizontal process include consideration

by various departments, institutes etc. at the same

level. Programmes are also to be developed for

redistribution of population, improved housing and

human settlements, attainment of skills, enrichment

of values, and knowledge and improvement in growth

opportunities. Programmes are also developed for

addressing the seven basic social services namely

education, Income Transfer, Health and Nutrition,

Public Housing, Employment and Training, Personal

Social Services and other services resulting from

social policy elaborated in this chapter.

 Programme development covers two major fields. One

is for Developmental social work practice and the

other for Panchayati Raj systems.

The goal of developmental social work is to develop

programmes for social development. It covers sociocultural, political, administrative, and social work

processes. All available resources of a state, community

or agency are pooled together. It harnesses the

capabilities of human service personnel of different

sectors. It also involves beneficiaries, families,

communities and care providers. In addition to the

traditional functions of social welfare, the processes

of developmental social work have to be administered

for sustainable social development.

We have to develop special programmes for egovernance, e-conferencing, Internet, use of

multimedia, information technology and online

programmes like interactive internet counselling to

cover social welfare needs of large populations with

in a limited time. Social workers have to apply the

above programmes and software along with social

work practice to reach every client, beneficiary and

care provider to become efficient social work

administrators.  E-governance also speed up

implementation of income transfer  and social  security

programmes, programmes of inmates of institutional

services and so on.

Another major area of programme development is

under Panchayat Raj based local self-governments.

There are a number of social services and social

welfare services under local self-governments. In

this regard programme development is a challenge

for the social work administration. It is in this context

that social welfare administration becomes a priority

based social work. Formulation of programmes requires

modifications and reformulations before the efficient

social work programmes are developed. In this respect .

we have to make use of legislations, special rules

and subordinate service rules to prepare and to

guide programme development.

Public Relations

With the increasing role of social welfare

administration as a method of social work, one of

its components like public relations becomes an

important programme of social welfare agencies. Public

relations is a major process of social welfare

communication and development support

communication. Public relations interpret ideas and

information from an agency to its publics. It also

enlist information, ideas and opinions from the public,

from the beneficiaries and from the care providers.

Such processes lead to harmonious adjustment of

an agency with its environment. Such an activity

also helps to enlist public support to the social welfare

agencies and its programmes.

The important objectives of public relations in social

welfare are:

1) Psycho social informational preparedness for the

beneficiary.

2) Building confidence in staff and care providers

by creating awareness regarding the agency among

its public.

3) Informing tax payers and donors about the problems

faced by the agency and how it functions to

meet the needs of social welfare. It also explains

how the money allotted to the agency is utilized.

4) It explains the benefits from the agency to the

clients and the community.

5) It is also a method of resource mobilisation as

well as increasing membership of the agency.

 There are a series of activities, which can be taken

up under public relations. They can be:

1) The observance of important days, weeks, year,

decades etc. of local, national, international

importance. The local days of importance are

foundation day of the agency and its anniversaries

and celebrations. The national days of importance

include observance of Independence Day, Republic

Day, Gandhi Jayanthi etc. International days of

importance include World Human Rights Day,

World Mental Health Day, Women’s Day, World

Disability Day, World AIDS Day, International

Literacy Day etc. It increases the image and

goodwill of the agency among its public.

2) Conferences, seminars, workshops etc. are

organized relating to the important functions of

the agency from time to time. It improves the

status of the agency. Here techniques of e-governance can also be utilized.

3) Significant contacts: The office bearer, Board

Member etc. contact important officials, leaders,

donors etc. and maintain cordial relationship

with them and inform them on the policies and

work of the agencies. The important personalities

and media men are either invited to the agency

or the representatives of the agency personally

meet them.

4) Public relation handouts, serials, newsletters,

journals, advertisements, etc. can be issued

explaining the services and products of the

agency.

5) Traditional cultural media like drama, dance,

song, puppet show etc. can be organised to

communicate the message of the agency to the

public. Personal contacts, visual media, printed

or written words and spoken words are also and Institutions

important. Radio, Television, other electronic and

satellite media can also be used in public relation

work.

The principles include focusing of groups/audience,

organisation of thematic publicity materials, providing

attention to needs of various clients, regular time

table in public relations work, formation and

functioning of public relations committees, enlisting

community participation etc.

The machinery for public relations includes official/

volunteer’s on public relations, task forces, groups

or committees. In sum, public relations work has

to be a sustained effort under social welfare

administration.

Understanding Conflict Resolution

There is need for the social work administrator to

understand conflict resolution. There can be a serious

disagreement and argument regarding some thing

important. It can be in the form of a serious difference

between two or more beliefs, ideas, interest,

programmes which cannot be reconciled. There can

be conflict between principles and privileges. Conflict

can also be between departments, agencies,

organisations, groups and individuals or vice versa.

Sometimes there will be conflict when one party

makes some conscious effort to frustrate pursuing

the goals or interests of the other party. This is

called intergroup conflict. There will be conflict like

intra-individual, Interpersonal, Intergroup, and between

organisations. Sometimes conflicts are inevitable and

in some cases desirable. The social work administrator

should understand the conflict from its very preliminary

stage and should take measures to resolve it. Conflict

resolution denotes final solving of the conflict. There

are a number of ways to resolve a problem, argument

or difficulty by applying social work methods,

techniques and skills.

Management of conflict is very essential. Conflict

can be managed as individuals work out differences.

The satisfaction of needs, cooperation and success

underlie each negotiation. The usual method of conflict

resolution is mutual negotiation by individuals, families,

groups or through consensus. Conciliation is another

method of conflict resolution in which the settlement

is reached in the presence of third party usually

a conciliation officer. Arbitration is yet another method

of conflict resolution in which the decision of the

arbitrator is binding on the parties. In most of the

social work contexts the negotiations should continue

until it is reconciled, as failure is usually not

acceptable.

For example, if there can be a conflict between the

doctor and the parent regarding a particular treatment

for a disabled child, the social worker has to bring

in an agreement. The parties and the conciliator

must remain calm and considerate and clear about

the requirements to attain an agreement.

Positive Climate

Social workers have a role in, and a responsibility

for the creation of positive professional relationship

with their colleagues. Workers must exercise conscious

control over their behaviour and in doing so they

come closer to the realization of good working

relationships.

When staff members and volunteers work in harmony

there seems to be greater likelihood that the agency

will attain its goals and that beneficiaries and care

providers will have a good experience together. Working

together in harmony, devotion and conviction will

lead to meaningful endeavours. Social worker uses

conscious self-control over himself/herself all the

time. The professional integrity of social worker is

based on the understanding that public interest is

above self-interest. The Professional constantly strives

to develop a sound professional philosophy based on

nurturing of values, attitudes, feelings and responses

for creating a positive climate. Positive professional

relationship is a feeling of mutual respect, trust

and confidence with one another. It can be experienced

rather than measured. It can be felt in most favourable

situations. For example: When people are warm,

friendly, relaxed, open, free with one another, it

creates an atmosphere of respect for human being

and for human values. Pride in the quality of work

done also creates a positive climate. It contributes

to success of total enterprise. Persons who are well

related to one another seek for an even higher

standard of performance. We have to consider that

every human being has dignity and worth, strength

and weaknesses and capacity for growth and change.

Trustworthiness, responsibility, articulating sound

philosophy for personal growth, good channels of

communication etc. ensures positive climate. A positive

climate is created when agency procedures and policies

are clear. Positive climate is also the result of sharing

of work together.

Social work studies social needs to understand them.

If we have to understand our groups, we meet to

understand the community situation in which the

group members live, their needs, influence of family

life and other social political forces affecting them.

Conclusion

In this chapter we studied the essentials of social

welfare administration as a method of social work.

It is both a specialized professional activity to

administer care provisions for the vulnerable and

disadvantaged section of the society as well as an

activity to achieve social development and

developmental social work practice. It uses scientific

methods of social work as well as skills in

communication, administration and management.

It organises and implements social welfare

programmes. It makes the social welfare agencies

efficient to administer its programmes and services.

We also observed that its major thrust is transferring

social welfare policies and social legislations into

programmes of social services, social welfare services,

personal social services and social work programmes.

The application of social work administration in e-governance sector is also essential.