In safe hands: Empowering young people with disabilities who receive assistance with intimate personal care

Authors

  • Patricia Muldoon St. Michael's Special School, Holy Angels, Chapelizod, Dublin
  • Gloria Kirwan Trinity College, Dublin

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1921/swssr.v17i3.801

Abstract

This article explores the potential for social workers to engage in empowering relationships with young people whose disabilities necessitate that they receive help with certain physical functions, some of which would be termed both personal and intimate. We look firstly at different perspectives within social work on empowerment and what social workers can do to support service users gain more control over their lives. Drawing on the findings of a study by Muldoon (2012), we explore the application of these empowerment concepts into the working relationships that social workers develop with young people who require daily assistance with intimate personal care, and through this exploration we draw attention to the importance of understanding empowerment as a micro-level as well as the more often discussed macro-level action in social work.

Author Biography

Gloria Kirwan, Trinity College, Dublin

Asst Professor of Social Work, School of Social Work and Social Policy

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Published

2015-05-19

How to Cite

Muldoon, P., & Kirwan, G. (2015). In safe hands: Empowering young people with disabilities who receive assistance with intimate personal care. Social Work and Social Sciences Review, 17(3), 94-107. https://doi.org/10.1921/swssr.v17i3.801
Received 2015-06-07
Accepted 2015-06-07
Published 2015-05-19