Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- Foreword
- Notes on contributors
- Introduction
- One Student-led services
- Two International placements: learning from a distance
- Three The outside looking in – an independent social worker’s experience of practice educator work
- Four ‘Do you have to be white to pass this course?’ Developing support for black and minority ethnic students in a predominantly white area
- Five Men in social work education: building a gendered alliance
- Six Hidden in plain sight: use of an arts-based method for critical reflection
- Seven Getting our hands dirty: reconnecting social work education as if the earth matters
- Eight Social media for students in practice
- Nine Developing placement capacity in the third sector
- Ten Observations of student practice: what difference does observer qualification make?
- Eleven Filling the gap: constructive responses to the erosion of training standards for practice educators
- Twelve The concept of integrity in relation to failing and marginal students
- Thirteen Cultivating discretion: social work education in practice and the academy
- Index
Eight - Social media for students in practice
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 September 2022
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- Foreword
- Notes on contributors
- Introduction
- One Student-led services
- Two International placements: learning from a distance
- Three The outside looking in – an independent social worker’s experience of practice educator work
- Four ‘Do you have to be white to pass this course?’ Developing support for black and minority ethnic students in a predominantly white area
- Five Men in social work education: building a gendered alliance
- Six Hidden in plain sight: use of an arts-based method for critical reflection
- Seven Getting our hands dirty: reconnecting social work education as if the earth matters
- Eight Social media for students in practice
- Nine Developing placement capacity in the third sector
- Ten Observations of student practice: what difference does observer qualification make?
- Eleven Filling the gap: constructive responses to the erosion of training standards for practice educators
- Twelve The concept of integrity in relation to failing and marginal students
- Thirteen Cultivating discretion: social work education in practice and the academy
- Index
Summary
Introduction
This chapter examines social media in social work practice contexts and settings and explores how agencies, organisations and practitioners can ensure that it is used safely. In social work practice, the barriers to engagement with social media and, in particular, the concerns about practitioner, service user and carer privacy and confidentiality are amplified. This chapter explores the opportunities that social media presents in practice contexts, as well as the possible threats. New communication technologies have the potential to contribute a great deal to social work practice benefitting service users, and practitioners, adding novel dimensions to practice, but only as long as they are used ethically by practitioners who are aware of the importance of professional boundaries. This chapter draws on a small piece of research with practice educators about their use of social media with students. Reflective questions are posed throughout to encourage the reader to consider the use of social media in their own practice.
Definitions
As with any new development in social work, a range of terms start to appear that need deciphering. Included here is a very brief definition of some of the most popular terms used in this chapter and their relevance to social work practice:
• Social media. Social media is a publishing and broadcasting medium (BASW, 2012). Social media is part of Web 2.0 technology, which is designed around user interaction. Social media users can connect and interact with Web-based content. Social media has the potential to promote and communicate news, information and ideas. It is potentially a powerful mechanism for raising awareness of social work issues and social justice.
• Social networking sites. A social networking site (SNS) is an online space where people can build their own profile, share content (eg photographs or films) and connect with others. An example here is Facebook, which is used as both a social networking tool by individuals and as a marketing tool by businesses. It has also been used to explore values and ethical dilemmas related to social work practice, as will be discussed in this chapter. LinkedIn is another SNS that connects professionals with each other, and allows them to share information, interact and post comments.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Practice Placement in Social WorkInnovative Approaches for Effective Teaching and Learning, pp. 121 - 132Publisher: Bristol University PressPrint publication year: 2016