Room to Relate in Centrelink? Attempts to Engage Supportively by Drawing on Guidance from Social Workers

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Author(s)
Primary Supervisor
Boddy, Jennifer
Other Supervisors
Chenoweth, Lesley
Hajkowicz, Stefan
Year published
2016
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Contact with the Australian social security and human service provider Centrelink offers opportunities for vital support, both financial and social. However, it can also invoke significant challenges, particularly where people struggle to relate and to make their voices heard. Centrelink has been criticised extensively as beset by machine-like bureaucratic processes, stigmatising ‘participation’ expectations, intrusive compliance interactions and a customer service framework inadequate for the serious needs of people seeking assistance.
There has been extensive research attention to constrictive aspects of the Centrelink ...
View more >Contact with the Australian social security and human service provider Centrelink offers opportunities for vital support, both financial and social. However, it can also invoke significant challenges, particularly where people struggle to relate and to make their voices heard. Centrelink has been criticised extensively as beset by machine-like bureaucratic processes, stigmatising ‘participation’ expectations, intrusive compliance interactions and a customer service framework inadequate for the serious needs of people seeking assistance. There has been extensive research attention to constrictive aspects of the Centrelink context. In keeping with this, interest in the small but significant body of social workers in Centrelink has largely focused on their struggles to maintain professional discretion and insulate themselves from challenging organisational surroundings. There has been less attention to alternative directions and organisational attempts to develop more freedom around relating in service situations despite recognition of the need for such. This dissertation addresses a gap in understanding by considering the relational challenge in Centrelink with reference to some alternative developments which have attempted to draw on social workers to guide service provision towards supportive relationships.
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View more >Contact with the Australian social security and human service provider Centrelink offers opportunities for vital support, both financial and social. However, it can also invoke significant challenges, particularly where people struggle to relate and to make their voices heard. Centrelink has been criticised extensively as beset by machine-like bureaucratic processes, stigmatising ‘participation’ expectations, intrusive compliance interactions and a customer service framework inadequate for the serious needs of people seeking assistance. There has been extensive research attention to constrictive aspects of the Centrelink context. In keeping with this, interest in the small but significant body of social workers in Centrelink has largely focused on their struggles to maintain professional discretion and insulate themselves from challenging organisational surroundings. There has been less attention to alternative directions and organisational attempts to develop more freedom around relating in service situations despite recognition of the need for such. This dissertation addresses a gap in understanding by considering the relational challenge in Centrelink with reference to some alternative developments which have attempted to draw on social workers to guide service provision towards supportive relationships.
View less >
Thesis Type
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Degree Program
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School
School of Human Services and Social Work
Copyright Statement
The author owns the copyright in this thesis, unless stated otherwise.
Item Access Status
Public
Subject
Social work, Australia
Social services, Australia
Centrelink