Routes to and through clienthood and their implications for practice

Abstract

Abstract People become clients of social work agencies by following a complex route, metaphorical or actual, through other attempts to help. This constructs the nature of the social work interaction. In community care services, routes to clienthood may become more complex with a wider variety of agencies being involved in a single person's case; social workers will have to be the guide through this network. Clienthood is best understood as a process through which clients become aware of issues, are impelled and sometimes compelled to obtain services, follow various options, come to see an agency as relevant, make contact, are taken into it and processed. They occupy different positions as clients throughout their contact, before ceasing to be clients. Assessment of routes to clienthood should include their importance to the relationship, the complexity of the route and factors which affect the client arising from the route taken. Practice implications include the value of clients' understanding the route to clienthood, how it has affected them, and the continuing path they must take, the nature of the intended clienthood and its effects on other people and agencies and understanding of the colleague-client balance.