Social work with interpreters in the disability sector : Developing practice principles

Journal article

Connor, Shona, Zubrzycki, Joanna and Foreman, Dayle. (2021). Social work with interpreters in the disability sector : Developing practice principles. Australian Social Work. pp. 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1080/0312407X.2021.2001833
AuthorsConnor, Shona, Zubrzycki, Joanna and Foreman, Dayle
Abstract

This study explored social workers’ experiences of working with professional language interpreters in the disability sector with the goal of developing guiding principles for practice. Despite clients from diverse backgrounds increasingly accessing disability services, interpreter-mediated social work in the disability service context is an under-researched field. Six social workers participated in semistructured interviews. Findings suggest that social work with interpreters is a field of practice comprising practical and interactional challenges, requiring a high degree of professional discretion to optimise client outcomes. Emerging from the research are potential guiding principles for practice emphasising training, adaptability, interprofessional collaboration, person-centredness, and reflexivity.

IMPLICATIONS

Interpreter-mediated social work in the disability sector presents unique challenges as a practice context.

Interpreter-mediated social work is characterised by a complex professional inter-culture, requiring social workers and interpreters to mediate professional power and role negotiation to achieve effective service delivery.

Guiding principles for practice may emphasise training, adaptability, interprofessional collaboration, person-centredness, and reflexivity.

Keywordssocial work; disability; interpreter; interprofessional practice; interprofessional collaboration; interprofessional power; cultural factors; professional training; patient care; culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) clients; people with a hearing disability; deaf clients; non- english speaking clients; Australia
Year2021
JournalAustralian Social Work
Journal citationpp. 1-9
PublisherRoutledge
ISSN1447-0748
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1080/0312407X.2021.2001833
Scopus EID2-s2.0-85120542712
Web address (URL)https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0312407X.2021.2001833
Open accessPublished as non-open access
Research or scholarlyResearch
Page range1-9
Publisher's version
License
All rights reserved
File Access Level
Controlled
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online29 Nov 2021
Publication process dates
Accepted31 Oct 2021
Deposited19 Oct 2023
Permalink -

https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/8zwvx/social-work-with-interpreters-in-the-disability-sector-developing-practice-principles

Log in to edit

Restricted files

Publisher's version

  • 21
    total views
  • 0
    total downloads
  • 2
    views this month
  • 0
    downloads this month
These values are for the period from 19th October 2020, when this repository was created.

Export as

Related outputs

The slow interview? Developing key principles and practices
Young, Charlotte, Zubrzycki, Joanna and Plath, Debbie. (2020). The slow interview? Developing key principles and practices. Qualitative Research. 21(4), pp. 481-497. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468794120935300
Cultural responsiveness in action: Co-constructing social work curriculum resources with aboriginal communities
Bennett, Bindi, Redfern, Helen and Zubrzycki, Joanna. (2018). Cultural responsiveness in action: Co-constructing social work curriculum resources with aboriginal communities. The British Journal of Social Work. 48(3), pp. 808 - 825. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcx053
Knowing, being, and doing: Aboriginal and non-aboriginal collaboration in cancer services
Zubrzycki, Joanna, Shipp, Rick and Jones, Victoria. (2017). Knowing, being, and doing: Aboriginal and non-aboriginal collaboration in cancer services. Qualitative Health Research. 27(9), pp. 1316 - 1329. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732316686750
Critical social work with unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people: Restoring hope, agency and meaning for the client and worker
Nelson, Deborah, Price, Elizabeth and Zubrzycki, Joanna. (2017). Critical social work with unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people: Restoring hope, agency and meaning for the client and worker. International Social Work. 60(3), pp. 601 - 613. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020872816637663
Getting it right: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge and practices in Australian social work education
Bessarab, Dawn, Green, Sue, Zubrzycki, Joanna, Jones, Victoria, Stratton, Katrina and Young, Susan. (2016). Getting it right: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge and practices in Australian social work education. In In M. A. Hart, A. D. Burton and K. Hart, G. Rowe, D. Halonen & Y. Pompana (Ed.). International indigenous voices in social work pp. 133 - 148 Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Getting it right: creating partnerships for change. Integrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges in social work education and practice
Zubrzycki, Joanna, Green, Sue, Jones, Victoria, Stratton, Katrina, Young, Susan and Bessarab, Dawn. (2014). Getting it right: creating partnerships for change. Integrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges in social work education and practice Office of Learning and Teaching.
Integrating Human Rights and Trauma Frameworks in Social Work with People from refugee Backgrounds
Zubrzycki, Joanna, Nelson, Deborah and Price, Elizabeth. (2013). Integrating Human Rights and Trauma Frameworks in Social Work with People from refugee Backgrounds. Australian Social Work. https://doi.org/10.1080/0312407X.2013.777968
Collaboration and relationship building in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social work
Zubrzycki, Joanna and Crawford, Frances. (2013). Collaboration and relationship building in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social work. In In B. Bennett, S. Green and S. Gilbert & D. Bessarab (Ed.). Our Voices: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Work pp. 181 - 205 Palgrave Macmillan.
"Getting it right: Creating partnerships for change": Developing a framework for integrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges in Australian social work education
Young, Susan, Zubrzycki, Joanna, Green, Sue, Jones, Victoria, Stratton, Katrina and Bessarab, Dawn. (2013). "Getting it right: Creating partnerships for change": Developing a framework for integrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges in Australian social work education. Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work. https://doi.org/10.1080/15313204.2013.843120
Educating Australian social workers in the post-apology era :the potential offered by a 'whiteness' lens
Young, Susan and Zubrzycki, Joanna. (2011). Educating Australian social workers in the post-apology era :the potential offered by a 'whiteness' lens. Journal of Social Work. 11(2), pp. 159 - 173. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468017310386849
A good way of doing business! Working together to achieve improved outcomes for Aboriginal people in NSW cancer services
Simpson, Lee, Reid, Isabel, Zubrzycki, Joanna and Jones, Victoria. (2011). A good way of doing business! Working together to achieve improved outcomes for Aboriginal people in NSW cancer services. Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal. 35(2), pp. 13 - 15.
What do we know? : the experiences of social workers working alongside Aboriginal people
Bennett, B., Zubrzycki, Joanna and Bacon, V.. (2011). What do we know? : the experiences of social workers working alongside Aboriginal people. Australian Social Work. 64(1), pp. 20 - 37. https://doi.org/10.1080/0312407X.2010.511677
Social justice and the integration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander worldviews in Australian social work practice and education
Zubrzycki, Joanna. (2011). Social justice and the integration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander worldviews in Australian social work practice and education. In In P. Kriese and R. E. Osborne (Ed.). Social justice, poverty and race: Normative and empirical points of view pp. 127 - 140 Rodopi.
Personal and professional boundaries in Australian social work: A study of the self in practice
Zubrzycki, Joanna. (2009). Personal and professional boundaries in Australian social work: A study of the self in practice Lambert Academic Publishing.
International recruitment in child protection: The experiences of workers in the Australian capital territory
Zubrzycki, Joanna, Thomson, Lorraine and Trevithick, Pamela. (2008). International recruitment in child protection: The experiences of workers in the Australian capital territory. Communities, Children and Families Australia. 3(2), pp. 30 - 38.
Knowledge and skills used by social workers working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Zubrzycki, Joanna. (2008). Knowledge and skills used by social workers working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people [Dataset]. Australian Catholic University. https://doi.org/10.26199/acu.86578
Aboriginal Australians
Zubrzycki, Joanna and Bennett, Bindi. (2006). Aboriginal Australians. In In W.H. Chui and J. Wilson (Ed.). Social Work and Human Services Best Practice pp. 192 - 210 The Federation Press.
‘Dad, where are we going to live now?’ Exploring fathers’ experiences of homelessness
Mcarthur, Morag, Zubrzycki, Joanna, Rochester, Anthony and Thomson, Lorraine. (2006). ‘Dad, where are we going to live now?’ Exploring fathers’ experiences of homelessness. Australian Social Work. 59(3), pp. 288 - 300. https://doi.org/10.1080/03124070600833212
Exploring the construction of personal and professional boundaries in social work
Zubrzycki, Joanna. (2006). Exploring the construction of personal and professional boundaries in social work. Aotearoa New Zealand Social Work Review. 18(3), pp. 4 - 12.
Rural social work practice in the United States and Australia: A comparison
Saltman, Joan, Gumpert, J., Allen-Kelly, Kandie and Zubrzycki, Joanna. (2004). Rural social work practice in the United States and Australia: A comparison. International Social Work. 47(4), pp. 515 - 531. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020872804046258
Preparing social work students for policy practice: An Australian example
Zubrzycki, Joanna and McArthur, Morag. (2004). Preparing social work students for policy practice: An Australian example. Social Work Education. 23(4), pp. 451 - 464.
Preparing social workers for policy practice
McArthur, Morag and Zubrzycki, Joanna. (2004). Preparing social workers for policy practice. Social Work Education. 23(4), pp. 451 - 464.
Hearing the stories of Australian Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islanders social workers: Challenging & educating the system
Zubrzycki, Joanna and Bennett, Bindi. (2003). Hearing the stories of Australian Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islanders social workers: Challenging & educating the system. Australian Social Work. 56(1), pp. 61 - 69.
Exploring the intersections of self; practice and education: Social workers as parents; educators and practitioners.
Zubrzycki, Joanna. (2002). Exploring the intersections of self; practice and education: Social workers as parents; educators and practitioners. Women in Welfare Education. 5(September), pp. 33 - 43.