Taking Rights Structurally: Disability, Rights and Social Worker Responses to Direct Payments

Abstract

Summary This article examines the link between a justice and rights discourse and disability policy and practice. Specifically, it considers social worker responses to direct pay ments, a policy which has been linked to a discourse of social justice and rights. The article initially considers the nature of justice and rights, arguing that these can plausibly be seen to be grounded in the idea of autonomy and that a rights or justice based social policy and practice must be grounded in the protection, enhancement and development of the capacity for autonomous action. The article then presents partial findings of a research project, which sampled social workers' views and attitudes towards direct payments in three local authorities. The findings suggest that social workers are aware of the link between direct payments and autonomy and are generally very supportive of the move to a rights based approach to policy and practice as evidenced by programmes such as direct payments. The paper also concludes that structural constraints limit social workers' ability to fully function from a rights based approach to disability.