Vztah sociální pracovník‒klient v azylových domech v Jihočeském kraji
The social worker - client relationship in the South Bohemia region of the Czech Republik

Summary/Abstract: The article addresses the relationship between social workers at selected shelters in the South Bohemia region of the Czech Republic and their clients. It points out potential ethical problems in terms of the relationships between social workers and their clients. As professionals, social workers help their clients to reintegrate into society. In order to achieve this aim, their relationship must be professional, i.e. it must have clearly-defined boundaries. This pilot study presents the characteristics of such relationships in the context of the complexity of respecting professional boundaries between social workers and their clients in selected shelters. The pilot study research sample consisted of 10 social workers employed in shelters in the South Bohemia region. The data was collected via semi-structured interviews. The data analysis was open-coded, and the results were organised into a coherent text based on the following two categories: “Reflection of the social workers’ relationships with clients” and “Reflection of the social workers’ sympathies and antipathies in relation to clients.” The study critically evaluated the social worker - client relationship in the context of the ethical dilemmas that may arise in such relationships. In view of the nature of the research sample, the most frequently identified ethical dilemmas were control vs. help, intimate relationship, personal openness towards the client, social worker sympathy for the client, and antipathy towards client aggression.

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