LA CONSOLACION UNIVERSITY PHILIPPINES

SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN SOCIAL WORK

MALOLOS, BULACAN

BASIC
PRINCIPLES OF
SOCIAL WORK
ADMINISTRATIO
N

PREPARED BY:

EMMANUEL RYAN P. FRANCISCO

1. THE PRINCIPLE OF SOCIAL WORK VALUES

As a social worker, we are embedded with the belief that every person
regardless of age, gender, race, color or economic status has dignity and
worth. This guiding principles serves as our fundamental values. In life we
have our own values which serves our guide in choosing/making
decisions. Likewise in Social Work Administration each agency has their
values that guides its employees in providing services to its clientele.

2. THE PRINCIPLE OF COMMUNITY AND CLIENTS NEEDS

As a social worker, we also serve the community and we all know that
each community is unique from the other. This also implies that every
community or clients within the community is unique and has
problems/needs that differs from the other communities. As as social work
administrator, we should be skilful enough to identify and study tediously
the community we are serving. We should always consider their needs in
providing services. One should also take into consideration the dynamics
of such community, hence we should always put in mind their culture,
belief and traditions before planning the intervention for them. Aside from
the mentioned above, a social work administrator should also remember
to WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY, this statement is different from
WORK IN THE COMMUNITY. Working WITH the community implies that
we allow the members of a society to actively participate in the process
from Assessment to Evaluation.
3. THE PRINCIPLE OF AGENCY PURPOSE
Life is a long journey, a long search for our own purpose. Each person
made by God has its own purpose of existence. This is same as Social
Agency, where all are created because it has a purpose or role in the
community. As a social work administrator, this principle reminds us that
we should always remember our agencys purpose of existence in
delivering service to our client. Objectives/ purposes should always be
clear to everyone who are working under one agency so as to harmonize
the professional relationship at the same time synchronizing the agencys
purpose and the agencys interventions.
4. THE PRINCIPLE OF CULTURAL SETTING

Culture as defined is the collection of the beliefs, behaviours, objects, and

other characteristics common to the members of a particular group or
society. Through culture, people and groups define themselves, conform to
society's shared values, and contribute to society. Thus, culture includes
many societal aspects: language, customs, values, norms, mores, rules,
tools, technologies, products, organizations, and institutions. This
characteristics makes every community unique from the other, with this a
 social work administrator should always consider the communitys culture.
In formulating programs and services for the community a good
administrator harmonizes cultural forms with his/her intervention. One
must take into consideration the respect of individual differences.

5. THE PRINCIPLE OF PURPOSEFUL RELATIONSHIPS

An agency is composed of many individual that works with a common

goal. Each individual is unique in a way that everyone has its strengths
and weakness. As an administrator, one must connect with his group or
staff to be able to have a harmonized relationship. Mutual acceptance
basically is the fundamental key in creating a purposeful relationship. The
administrator should be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of his
employees to be able to fully utilize the manpower within his group.

6. THE PRINCIPLE OF TOTALITY

The Administrator must look into the agency as whole and not by its parts
only. This basically means that the administrator should always put in mind
that and agency is made up of different parts (individuals, roles,
responsibility) which makes up an entire system. The administrator must
embed the sense of unity among his staff, he ensures that there is
equality. According to the philosopher Thomas Aquinas, all of the
employees, staffs, supervisors exist for the sake of the whole agency.
Because the purpose of the part is to serve the whole, any action that
damages a part of the agency or prevents it from fulfilling its purpose
violates the natural order and is morally wrong. This is called the principle
of totality.
7. THE PRINCIPLE OF PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY

An administrator serves as the role model in his company or agency. He

sets an example and lay outs the professional standards in his agency. To
be able to maintain the sense of professionalism among members of the
agency, the administrator should be consistently setting a good example
for his members. Also the administrator ensures that interventions or
services given to the clients adheres to the set professional standards of
his agency.

8. THE PRINCIPLE OF PARTICIPATION

In agency an administrator should always consider the suggestions,
comments and innovations of his employees. Doing so creates an
environment where every individual is able to participate in the planning
process. Participation is a key concept in a democratic process, this
ensures to emphasize shared responsibility among the members of the
agency.
9. THE PRINCIPLE OF COMMUNICATION
 Communication is a dual process of which the main goal is to have a
common understanding. An administrator ensures that there is an open
communication within his agency because any gap could create conflict
and compromises the services that will be provided to the clients. Also the
administrator ensures that line of communication within his agency is clear
so as to guarantee organized human effort and avoid conflict.

10. THE PRINCIPLE OF LEADERSHIP

A Leader is "a person who influences a group of people towards the

achievement of a goal"A leader by its meaning is one who goes first
and leads by example, so that others are motivated to follow him.
This is a basic requirement. To be a leader, a person must have a
deep-rooted commitment to the goal that he will strive to achieve it
even if nobody follows him. A requirement for leadership is personal
vision - the ability to visualize your goal as an accomplished fact; a
thing already achieved. A good Leader should have a realization
that the goal cannot be achieved alone, without the help of
others. To be a leader, one must have followers. To have followers,
one must have their trust. A good leader ensures that there is trust
within their relationship.

11. THE PRINCIPLE OF PLANNING

Planning is a vital part of the entire helping process, continuous planning ensures
the development of meaningful services. An administrator should consider to plan
with his members and their community they are working with, by doing this
everyone will have the chance to participate in the planning process. An Agency
should always have a method or a system in creating policies, interventions,
programs and services. Planning comes after the diagnosis or identifying the
problem, this phase is compose of purposeful sharing of ideas and setting of
goals and targets to ensure that all identified problems will be resolved.

12. THE PRINCIPLE OF ORGANIZATION

Organizing is a systematic process of structuring, integrating, co-
ordinating task goals, and activities to resources in order to attain objectives. An
administrator ensures that all staff work should be organized along with the
 schedules, structure, roles and responsibilities. Organizing lessen the occurrence
of conflict like overlapping of schedules, repetition of work. An organized agency
has the capacity to fully utilize all its resources whether internal or external
resources.
13. THE PRINCIPLE OF DELEGATION
A leader cannot stand alone, no administrator can perform all his responsibilities
at once because of this delegation is vital. The administrator delegates task or
responsibilities to his members according to his assessment (considering the
members ability, strengths, weaknesses and specialty). The main act of
delegating task to members of the agency shows the confidence of the
administrator to his subordinates.

14. THE PRINCIPLE OF COORDINATION

COORDINATION is defined as the synchronization and integration of activities,
responsibilities, and command and control structures to ensure that the
resources of an organization are used most efficiently in pursuit of the specified
objectives. Along with organizing, monitoring, and controlling, COORDINATION is
one of the key functions of management.

15. THE PRINCIPLE OF RESOURCE UTILIZATION

The agency has both an internal and external resources, the main role of an
administrator in resource utilization is that he ensures that all resources are
properly and systematically distributed and utilize. Also the administrator ensures
that all resources whether external or internal should be accounted.

16. THE PRINCIPLE OF CHANGE

Change is the only constant in this world that is why the main role of an
administrator in the change process is that he ensures that all members are
guided and informed during the change process.
A plan that fails corresponds to a change in the delivery of services or change in
the assessment process with this we can say CHANGE is dynamic or ever
changing. The plan needs to be re-assessed and reformat.

17. THE PRINCIPLE OF EVALUATION

To be able to fulfil or ensure that all objectives of the agency is fulfilled there
should be a continuous evaluation. This the part where the worker assess the
effectives of the services provided or the impact to person, community and
groups.

18. THE PRINCIPLE OF GROWTH

The administrator should always ensure that all members of the agency has the
chance to be able to grow professional, this entails continuous trainings,
seminars and technical assistance. The growth needs of the members of the
agency should be addressed or met by the administrator. A person who seeks
self-growth should allow challenges and opportunities.