An organisation's most important resource is its people

The term, 'occupational social work' is not one that is commonly used in the UK or Ireland, although it is to be found in use in the United States and some other countries. None the less, despite its relative rarity as a term, it remains an important one. It refers to the application of social work knowledge, skills and values to workplace problems. This is not simply 'welfare work', as used in many companies and organisations. It is a lot more than that.

What has social work got to do with the workplace?

The idea that an organisation's most important resource is its human resource - its people - is now a well-established one, although it is unfortunately the case that the implications of that idea are often not thought through. People are the driving force of an organisation, the key to success, in the sense that an organisation which does not take care of its staff is likely to be at a significant disadvantage compared with organisations who do genuinely invest in their 'human resources' and make the most of what they have to offer - what is often referred to these days as 'human capital'.

DiNitto and McNeece (1997), writing in an American textbook, comment that:

A growing number of social workers are employed by such diverse agencies as high-tech firms, telephone companies, and manufacturing plants - and virtually every other type of business you might name. The primary job of many of these social workers is to help employees deal with the various types of personal problems that interfere with work performance, including substance abuse, illness and disability, marital and other family problems, and mental illnesses (p. 250)

So, if we accept that people (and how they are treated) are a key factor in the success or otherwise of an organisation, then it is clearly important to make sure that:

• staff are well equipped to deal with the challenges they face;

• potential difficulties are identified and dealt with at an early stage; and

• actual problems arising are carefully assessed and dealt with appropriately.

Any competent manager and human resource adviser should be able to address the first two of these, but it is the third that can overstretch in-house resources, particularly when the problems are complex and/or multilayered. It is when such problems arise that an occupational social work input can be very useful, in so far as a skilled and experienced social worker can:

• assess the situation;

• explore possible solutions or means of alleviating the situation;

• identify possible resources that could be drawn upon;

• support all concerned in managing the situation as effectively as possible.

Social work knowledge, skills and values can be brought to bear on not only specific problems as they arise, but also on policy development relating to the areas concerned.

What are social work knowledge, skills and values?

A full answer to this question would be a very long one indeed (see Thompson, 2000). However, in brief, they can be summarised as follows:

Knowledge

• Human psychology: communication, relationships, emotional responses.

• Society and culture: power, conflict, discrimination; group dynamics.

• Law and policy: legal requirements, rights, duties, guidelines.

• Problem-solving methods: counselling, mediation, resource finding.

Skills

• Interpersonal skills: communication, negotiation, handling conflict

• Analytical skills: assessment, planning, evaluation.

• Self-management skills: handling pressure, time management, continuous professional development.

• Problem-solving skills: empathy, 'reading' social situations, networking, staying focused.

Values

• Treating people with dignity and respect.

• A commitment to equality and diversity. • Not being judgmental.

• Building on people's strengths.

Of course, none of these is unique to social work, but it is the combination of the above (and a whole lot more besides) that makes social work distinctive.

What problems can occupational social work tackle?

'People problems' is the short answer. That is, where employees are having difficulties which are adversely affecting their performance and/or commitment. This includes (but is not limited to):

• stress and workload management issues; •

 bullying and harassment;

• depression, anxiety or other mental health problems;

• alcohol and/or drug abuse;

• interpersonal conflict; • poor teamwork;

• barriers to learning and development;

• grief reactions as a result of loss or trauma;

• discrimination; and

• aggression and violence.

These can be tackled directly through carefully targeted problem-solving interventions or more broadly through contributions to policy development, training and other such organisational processes. In this way, occupational social work can make a very important positive contribution to the well-being of employees and the effectiveness of the organisation. As Skidmore et al. (1997) comment:

Human relationships can bring satisfaction and joy, but also - for many people - suffering, insecurity, and other difficulties. Social work is one answer to challenges related to communication, feelings, and human actions. (p. xi)

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