Integrating the Approaches
The components of this triangular model are not mutually exclusive - no one point on the triangle is ‘right’ whilst others are ‘wrong’ ways to proceed. In good practice, they will lock together, like the pieces of a jigsaw, to ensure that technical knowledge, ethics and rights together inform professional actions.
Rational/Technical Approach - "Doing Things Right"
If social worker Lottie takes an exclusively rational/technical approach to practice and does not pay attention to social structures, she will restrict social work to individualised interventions in relatively narrow areas of need. Whilst ‘correct’ in an administrative sense, she may miss opportunities to help change the environmental, social or economic conditions in which people live. Equally without an ethical component to her thinking, she will lose sight of the moral justification for actions taken. Legal duties must be accurately weighed in the balance with moral ones, and ethical frameworks provide an important benchmark for a critical perspective on the legal frameworks for practice.
Moral/Ethical Approach - "Doing Right Things"
If social worker Salina takes an exclusively moral/ethical approach to practice and does not pay attention to rights, she will miss important understandings about how moral and ethical codes express beliefs about rights and notions of their curtailment. She may keep to narrow a focus on the right thing to do if she ignores people’s position in the broader social context. Equally, without a rational/technical component to her thinking she may miss important legal requirements, unconsciously engaging in practice that does not observe legal rules.
Structural/Rights-Based Approach - "Rights Thinking"
If social worker Nasa takes an exclusively structural/rights-based approach to practice, and does not pay attention to technical legal frameworks, she will miss important legal mandates that can support her in promoting rights. Law has a key role in regulating the use of power. Equally, without a moral/ethical component to her thinking, she will practise without reference to important moral principles, and miss the opportunity for them to inform her response to competing rights and interests.