Week 2 Social Policy Intro

• Social Work
• Higher Education (degree)

Good morning:

Sign in please and take a name tag- write your name large enough for me to read

Vote for your two student reps

Write name on post it and leave on desk at front

When you think about social policy what things come to mind?

How can social workers apply their understanding of social policy?

1. To prioritize personal advancement over societal change
2. To remain detached from larger social issues
3. To influence policy development and implementation
4. To conform to existing unjust policies

What knowledge do social workers gain from understanding social policy?

1. A narrow perspective focused solely on personal experiences
2. Detailed information on individual client cases
3. Technical skills unrelated to social issues
4. Insights into societal inequalities and their root causes

How does understanding social policy empower social workers?

1. It makes them passive recipients of governmental decisions
2. It restricts their advocacy efforts for social change
3. It enables them to challenge systemic injustices
4. It limits their ability to effect meaningful change

What role does social policy play in the work of social workers?

1. It is a secondary consideration for social workers
2. It solely affects the administrative side of social work
3. It shapes the resources available for client support
4. It has no impact on the social work profession

Why is it important for social workers to understand social policy?

1. To advocate for effective social interventions
2. To prioritize personal values over societal impact
3. To avoid engaging with government systems
4. To focus solely on individual clients' needs

Class Activity

15- 20 minutes

In groups of 5 research some of the current government priorities consider the impact of these on social work-

 present your ideas to the class.

basw.co.uk

Survey- www.poverty.ac.uk

Survey –  completed by the public in an attempt to define necessities/ deprivation items

Class exercise:

Break into groups of 5 and complete the survey- feedback to the class your results.

Some examples of questions, your group will need to think about: 

Necessary or not?

• Appropriate clothes to wear for job interviews
• Regular payments into an occupational or private pension
• Fresh fruit and vegetables every day
• Heating to keep home adequately warm

Necessities

The long recession and austerity measures have taken their toll and people in the UK now consider many things which in the past were viewed as essential to no longer be necessities of life.

Less than 50% of the population currently believes these items are necessities:

1. Presents for friends or family once a year

2. Replace worn out clothes with some new ones

3. A small amount of money to spend each week on yourself, not on your family

4. Friends or family round for a meal or drink at least once a month

5. A holiday away from home for one week a year, not staying with relatives

6. Replace worn out furniture

7. An outfit to wear for social or family occasions such as parties and

weddings

8. Children’s friends round for tea or a snack once a fortnight

Agitator

Pioneer

social investigator

Clear conception of the society YOU want to see produced

Class Exercise- 

Social work contributions

Group work :-

In small groups spend time searching information on Eileen Younghusband. 

What can you find about her and her impact?

What do you consider a social problem to be?

Welfare

What do you understand about the term welfare?

Who is the current UK Prime Minister?

1. Rishi Sunak
2. Boris Johnson
3. Liz Truss
4. Keir Starmer

Who was the Prime Minister of the UK from 1997 - 2007 and is known for being a prominent left-wing politician?

1. Margaret Thatcher
2. David Cameron
3. Boris Johnson
4. Tony Blair

This politician served as the leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister of the UK from 1979 - 1990.
They are considered one of the most iconic right-wing politicians in British history.

Who is it?

1. Harold Wilson
2. Jeremy Corbyn
3. Teresa May
4. Margaret Thatcher

Who is known for leading the right-wing UK Independence Party (UKIP) and being a prominent advocate for Brexit?

1. Nigel Farage
2. Angela Rayner
3. Theresa May
4. Jeremy Corbyn

Which UK politician is associated with the left-wing Labour Party and served as the leader from 2015- 2020

1. David Cameron
2. Nigel Farage
3. Jeremy Corbyn
4. Boris Johnson

Who was the left-wing politician who founded the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK?

1. Harold Macmillan
2. Alec Douglas-Home
3. Clement Attlee
4. Eileen Younghusband

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.