Task Centred Approaches emerged from social work to provide structured case management as an alternative to unstructured approaches. It focuses on breaking problems down into discrete tasks to be addressed sequentially through agreed upon goals and involvement in small, manageable steps. While practical, it relies on clients being rational and able to define problems and desired outcomes.

1. Task Centred Approaches to
Helping
Nathan Loynes

2. Task Centred Approaches
Emerged from the field of Social Work, but can be
applicable to any endeavour involving casework
with people.
Evolved as a response to unstructured reactionary
casework management.

3. Task Centred Approaches
It can be seen as ‘atheoretical’ meaning that
it has ‘real life’ practical application.
You might think of this as a ‘bottom up’
process (i.e. working with practical
elements of people’s lives) rather than
subscribing to a strong ‘top down’
theoretical discipline: Contrast person
centred approaches.

4. Task Centred Approaches
• Task Centred work is systematic and
rooted in ‘Behavioural Psychology’.
• (Contrast Person Centred approaches)
• The task centred process is rooted in an
presupposition of ‘cause and effect’.

5. Howe, 1987
• Problems are broken down into
constituent parts and dealt with discretely.
• Goals are set, but, mutually agreed.
• Involvement proceeds in small, sequential
manageable steps.

6. Doel: There are four stages
1. Developing a focus on the problem
through effective questioning e.g.
DeBono’ White Hat processes.
2. Reaching agreement: Goals and
contract.
3. Develop goals into manageable tasks
(Chunk Down)
4. Ending and reviewing the work (APIR
and Reflection)

7. There is a critique of the Task
Centred Approach
• Success assumes that the client is rational
(Cf Solution Focussed and Person
Centred approaches)
• It relies on the clients ability to make
sense of what is wrong and what is
wanted.
• What is wanted depends on motivation
and feasibility

8. Conclusion
• Task centred approaches are pragmatic
and hence do not rely on a great
theoretical application of expertise on the
part of the mentor.
• TC approaches are able to achieve
tangible results very quickly.
• Clients are able to appreciate the benefits
of this approach, especially if results are
tangible and timely.

9. Practitioner’s mandate (anti-
oppressively, please!)
• Task Centred approaches can prevent
‘drift’ in casework and allows the
practitioner to define certain aspects of the
relationship including some of the goals.
However, Marsh and Doel are at pains to
express that this mentor goal setting
should be achieved with agreement and in
an anti-oppressive manner.