CASE WORK PROCESS

Aloka Manamudali
MSW/2013/11
 Road Map
1. Introduction to agency
2. Service user’s information
3. Service user identification
4. Analysis of strengths/problems/needs
5. Goal and planned intervention
6. Implemented activities
7. Case review
8. Terminations
9. Experiences gained
10. Theories
11. Professional development
12. Suggestions
 Bolawalana Nimala Maria Vidyalaya
Name : Nimala Maria Vidyalaya

Address : Bolawalana, Negombo.

Location : Quarter Km’s away from the Colombo

Negombo main road.

Mission : “දරුවන්ගේ හැදියාවන්, හැකියාවන් හා

නිපුණතා හදුනාගෙන, නූතන තාක්ෂණික
ග ෝකයට උචිත, අනාෙත සමාජයට අවැසි,
යහපත් ආකල්පයන්ගෙන්
පිරිපුන්, උදාර ගුණ දහමින් ගහබි,
නිර්මාණාත්මක පුරවැසියන් බිහිකරලීමයි”.
History : School started in 1856 by Mr. C.P. De Silva as a
privet primary boys school which named as
Bolawalana Boys School. In the beginning it
was made of clay and Sinhala tiles. Four
students were attended as the beginners of
the school.
Brother John Joshep the later principle of this
school dedicated very much to development of
the school. In 1904 he changed the name of the
school as “Roman Catholic Boys School”.
In 1920 Franciscan sisters started a girls school
close to the boys school named as “Bolawalana
Girl’s School”. Sister Mary Agnes was the founder
of the school.
After 60 years the two schools were combined and
created a mix school.
 In 1985 the school started A/L classes in
Commerce and Arts streams.
In 2005 School changed its name as
We/Ne/Bolawalana Nimala Maria Maha
Vidyalaya.
Social Background :
The school is located very close to the
Bolawalana church. Primary school buildings
are in the premises of the church. So there is a
close relationship among school and the
church. The students who are studing here
coming from Bolawalana, Akkarapanaha,
samurdigama, kadasuridugama,
Harischandrapura and periamulla. Those are
very much poor and colony villages located in
Negombo area. So most students have varies
family problems according to their family
backgrounds.
Principal : Mr.K.D.R.D.W. Fernando
Vice Principals : Mr. S.I. Satharasinghe
Ms. W.J.M.A.F. Rowell
No of Teachers : 50
No of Students : 1400
Type of School : Maha Vidyala
Ethnicity : Sinhalese school
Sinhala - 1379
Muslim - 15
Tamil - 06
Religion : Roman catholic school
R. Catholic - 914
Buddhist - 325
School Resources

St. Mary’s statue

Music and dancing class rooms
Library
Laboratory
Toilets
Home science laboratory
Staff room
School office room
Canteen
English activity room
1- 13 class rooms
Water facilities
Special class room for Agriculture
Management of the School
Principal

Development Administration

Finance & Development Security Academic Nonacademic

Administration

Old students 1-5 6-13

Well wishers
Developmental committee Teachers Librarian
Students
Clark
labor
Security
Services they offer

Rather than educating, this school provides a counseling

service to the students. According to my observations the
primary principal Mrs. Merlin is the best counselor in that
school. She involves with the students problems and work
with their families also.
Most teachers and workers who work in the school office
are very much close and kind to the students.
Some teachers provide books and instruments etc. to their
students, spending their own money, because of the
students poorness.
 Introduction to the Service user
Name : Nethmi Ganithya Peiris
Age : 8 Years
Address : No.25, Samagi Mawatha,
Daluwakotuwa.
Birthday : 2006. 03.15
Grade : Grade 3
Mother : Machine operator
Father : Three-wheeler driver
Ciblings : One elder sister and one younger sister
Interests : Watching TV
Social class : Lower middle class
Family type : Nuclear isolated family
Identification of Service User
Lack of communication skills
Lack of social skills
Lack of academic skills
Lack of sensory motor skills
Lack of vocational skills
Not concern about self hygiene
Sucking thumb isolately.
A difference could be observed when walking
Referral
Took her to the Negombo General Hospital – Dr. Loreta and Dr.
Stanly Fernando
Problem
Mild mental retardation and attention difficulty
Analysis
•Born on the normal weight.
•Mother went abroad when she was two years old.
•Highly sick after mothers departure.
•Grandmother took her responsibility.
•Isolated after mothers departure.
•Mother came to Sri Lanka when she was five years
old.
•Parents were too busy with economical problems.
•In nursery she hasn’t done any educational work.
•Parents didn’t identify her mental condition. They
thought she is silly.
Her mother got another baby when she was in
grade one.
 She spend her all day alone after came back from
the school.
 Her elder sister doesn’t like to play with her.
Parents got complaints from grade one class
teacher that she is week in education.
Same complaint came from grade two.
Grade three teacher also didn’t like her.
Class mates are not friendly with her. Because she
has wounds' in her legs.
She is in a separate desk with another girl.
Attachment theory describes how human beings respond within
relationships when hurt, separated from loved ones, or perceiving
a threat. In infants, attachment as a motivational and behavioral
system directs the child to seek proximity with a familiar caregiver
when they are alarmed, with the expectation that they will receive
protection and emotional support. Bowlby believed that the
tendency for primate infants to develop attachments to familiar
caregivers was the result of evolutionary pressures, since
attachment behavior would facilitate the infant’s survival in the
face of dangers such as predation or exposure to the elements.
The most important tenet of attachment theory is that an infant
needs to develop a relationship with at least one primary
caregiver for the child’s successful social and emotional
development, and in particular for learning how to effectively
regulate their feelings. Fathers or any other individuals, are
equally likely to become principal attachment figures if they
provide most of the child care and related social interaction. In the
presence of a sensitive and responsive caregiver, the infant will
use the caregiver as a “safe base” from which to explore.
Needs based on doctors advice

she needs more love and attention.

Spend more time with her.
Find some friends for her.
Do small educational activities with her.
Goal
To make Ganithya’s mental and physical condition better.

Planned Intervention
To explain Ganithya’s present situation to her parents.
To build up an understanding between Ganithya and her
parents.
To make Ganithya more neat and tidy when attending to the
school.
To build up a close relationship with her sister.
To give more understanding about Ganithya’s situation to her
class teacher.
To make a friendly relationship with her class mates.
To help the teacher to plan special activities for Ganithya.
Refer Ganithya to a child specialist through her parents.
 Implementation
•Explained Ganithya’s present situation to her parents.
• Build up an understanding between Ganithya and her
parents.
• Made Ganithya more neat and tidy through her parents.
• Discussed about Ganithya’s situation with her class teacher.
•Gave love and affection to her to my best to improve her
mental condition.
•Discussed with her class teacher to plan special activities for
Ganithya.
• Referred Ganithya to a child specialist through her parents.
•Generally parents of primary students were educated through
a visiting lecturer on how to look after their children.
Case Review

Ganithya attend to school clean and neatly than earlier.

Her mother has reduced imposing punishments to her.
Ganithyas parents spend more time with her.
Her class teacher has understood that she needs special
attention.
Her sister give a chance to play with her.
 Follow Up Arrangements

The class teacher of Ganithya was entrusted

with the task of monitoring, evaluating and
taking follow up action as there is no other
suitable person for this task than her.
 Experienced Gained
The system of getting approval to attend to this type of work in
school was experienced.
Working in a different environment specially in a school was
experienced.
I had to be a part of the school system to work with students.
How to built up relationship with teachers and students.
How to identify a problem of a child.
Identifying the resources available to overcome the problem
and how to make use of them.
Developing counseling skills.
Could build up self confidence.
All in all I gained the experience in social case work tools such
as listening, observation, interview, relationship and home
visits.
Techniques Used
1. Counseling techniques.
2. Supportive techniques
Being with client.
Encouragement and reissuance
Facilitation
Self confidence building of the client
3. Resource enhancing techniques
Knowledge and information enhancement
Related Theories
Attachment theory
 Professional Development with
Evidence
I am confident that I got a professional development
through this field work assignment.
Class teacher’s observation
“Aloka now Ganithya attend to school neatly and tidy. She
speaks more than earlier. You have made a change”.
Parents Observations
“Ganithya now go to the school happily.”
 Suggestions
The school teachers knowledge on social work is
very little. They misunderstand social work with
social services. Therefore if they could be given a
knowledge and understanding on social work
better service could be expected from them.
Thank You