Care and Control
Risk has increasingly become a central concept in social work practice, arguably
replacing need as the primary driver for intervention. This shift has made more visible
the longstanding tension between care and control. On the one hand, social
workers are required to provide care and support to individuals and families in their
own right; on the other, they must exercise control to prevent harm to the individual,
others, or wider society. Navigating this boundary is a core feature of social work,
demanding that practitioners balance compassion with authority in complex and
uncertain circumstances.
The prominence of risk is linked to the emergence of a ‘risk society’ (Beck, 1992),
where risk has become a cultural and policy concern. Within practice, social workers
are required to engage with concepts such as likelihood and severity of harm, risk
communication, and the use of organisational risk assessment frameworks. These
developments have shaped the profession’s understanding of human relationships
and behaviour through the lens of risk, embedding risk management at the heart of
decision-making systems.
One of the challenges of this focus is the potential for defensive practice, where
professionals prioritise risk avoidance over the wellbeing of service users. Such an
approach can undermine trust, collaboration, and the empowerment of individuals.
Central to this issue are two aspects of social work practice: assessment and care
planning. Both require practitioners to make boundary decisions informed by
knowledge, professional judgement, and ethical reasoning. An over-emphasis on
risk, however, may narrow assessments and reduce the scope for creative and
person-centred interventions.
To counteract this, strengths-based and person-centred approaches are
increasingly emphasised. These models encourage social workers to focus on the
capabilities and aspirations of individuals, rather than solely on deficits or dangers.
Positive risk management is particularly important, moving away from total risk
aversion towards a more balanced perspective. This involves seeking to maximise
the benefits of an activity or decision while reducing the likelihood and severity of
potential harm. Such practice depends on skilled assessment, building trust with
service users, and enabling collaborative decision-making that recognises both risks
and opportunities.
Risk has increasingly become a central concept in social work practice, arguably
replacing need as the primary driver for intervention. This shift has made more visible
the longstanding tension between care and control. On the one hand, social
workers are required to provide care and support to individuals and families in their
own right; on the other, they must exercise control to prevent harm to the individual,
others, or wider society. Navigating this boundary is a core feature of social work,
demanding that practitioners balance compassion with authority in complex and
uncertain circumstances.
The prominence of risk is linked to the emergence of a ‘risk society’ (Beck, 1992),
where risk has become a cultural and policy concern. Within practice, social workers
are required to engage with concepts such as likelihood and severity of harm, risk
communication, and the use of organisational risk assessment frameworks. These
developments have shaped the profession’s understanding of human relationships
and behaviour through the lens of risk, embedding risk management at the heart of
decision-making systems.
One of the challenges of this focus is the potential for defensive practice, where
professionals prioritise risk avoidance over the wellbeing of service users. Such an
approach can undermine trust, collaboration, and the empowerment of individuals.
Central to this issue are two aspects of social work practice: assessment and care
planning. Both require practitioners to make boundary decisions informed by
knowledge, professional judgement, and ethical reasoning. An over-emphasis on
risk, however, may narrow assessments and reduce the scope for creative and
person-centred interventions.
To counteract this, strengths-based and person-centred approaches are
increasingly emphasised. These models encourage social workers to focus on the
capabilities and aspirations of individuals, rather than solely on deficits or dangers.
Positive risk management is particularly important, moving away from total risk
aversion towards a more balanced perspective. This involves seeking to maximise
the benefits of an activity or decision while reducing the likelihood and severity of
potential harm. Such practice depends on skilled assessment, building trust with
service users, and enabling collaborative decision-making that recognises both risks
and opportunities.
