Using Q methodology to understand how child protection social workers use attachment theory

Children and childhood in Chile

Journal of Comparative Social Work ◽

10.31265/jcsw.v14i1.236 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 141-164

Author(s):

Ida Bruheim Jensen ◽

Ingunn T. Ellingsen ◽

Ingunn Studsrød ◽

Manuela Garcia Quiroga

Keyword(s):

Social Workers ◽

Child Protection ◽

Q Methodology ◽

Current Theory ◽

Childhood Studies ◽

Child Protection Services ◽

Contextual Risk ◽

The Social ◽

Children And Childhood

EnglishThis study explores understandings of children and childhood among 21 social workers from five child protection services in Chile. To help grasp multiple ideas about children and childhood, we use Q methodology and the ‘child visibility’ concept. The object is to explore dissimilar and/or similar views on child visibility among social workers and the characteristics of these viewpoints. The results reveal three distinct views on child visibility. Based on the characteristics of these perspectives, we have conceptualized the workers associated with them as: activists, buffers and experts. The activists vigorously seek children’s own perspectives, and produce an image of capable children with unique perspectives. The buffers and the experts, however, typically define children’s needs from their own perspectives. Nevertheless, through differing logics, the experts focus on children’s vulnerability and protection needs, while the buffers are more inclined to view children in terms of their contextual risk and on the margins in an underfunded child protection context. Despite these differences, there are shared viewpoints among the social workers, for example, by understanding children as relational. The results are discussed in light of current theory within childhood studies. SpanishNiños e infancia en Chile: Perspectivas de los trabajadores sociales.Este estudio explora las concepciones que sobre los niños y la infancia desarrollan 21 trabajadores sociales de cinco servicios de protección infantil en Chile. Para comprender estas múltiples ideas, utilizamos la Metodología Q y el concepto de “visibilidad del niño”. El objeto es explorar perspectivas similares o diferentes respecto a la visión que tienen los trabajadores sociales sobre este grupo social, así como las características de esos puntos de vista. Los resultados revelan tres tipos de visión distintivos sobre los niños. Con base a las características de estas tres perspectivas, hemos conceptualizado a los trabajadores sociales asociados con ellas como: activistas, baluartes, y expertos. Los activistas buscan vigorosamente las perspectivas de los propios infantes y producen una imagen de que los niños poseen capacidades y perspectivas únicas. Los otros dos grupos, sin embargo, típicamente definen las necesidades de los niños desde sus propias representaciones. A través de lógicas distintas, los expertos se enfocan en la vulnerabilidad de los infantes y sus necesidades de protección; mientras los baluartes están más inclinados a ver a los niños en términos de sus propios riesgos contextuales, y en los márgenes de un contexto de protección infantil con financiación insuficiente. A pesar de estas diferencias, existen puntos de vista comunes entre los trabajadores sociales, por ejemplo, al entender a los niños en términos relacionales. Estos resultados son discutidos a la luz de las teorías actuales dentro de los estudios de la infancia.

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Exploring the experiences of social workers in working with children suspected to have fetal alcohol spectrum disorders

Adoption & Fostering ◽

10.1177/03085759211011735 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 45 (2) ◽

pp. 155-172

Author(s):

David J Gilbert ◽

Raja AS Mukherjee ◽

Nisha Kassam ◽

Penny A Cook

Keyword(s):

Social Workers ◽

Social Services ◽

Child Protection ◽

Prenatal Alcohol Exposure ◽

Alcohol Exposure ◽

Fetal Alcohol ◽

The Social ◽

Prenatal Alcohol ◽

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum ◽

Lack Of Knowledge

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is one outcome from prenatal alcohol exposure. Social workers are likely to encounter children with the condition, due to the greater likelihood of prenatal alcohol exposure among children in social services settings. This study explores the experiences of social workers in working with children suspected of having FASD and the support offered to social workers, the children and their families. Semi-structured interviews followed by qualitative framework analysis were conducted with seven child and family social workers along with one child protection solicitor who had experience of handling FASD cases. The two main themes that emerged from the data were a lack of knowledge about FASD and the paucity of diagnosis. Lack of knowledge among the social workers was linked to difficulty in managing children suspected to have the condition, feelings of frustration and normalisation of challenging behaviours. The paucity of diagnosis led to an under-emphasis of FASD in assessments, a dearth of specialist services and confusion about its specific effects in contexts of multiple substance misuse and harmful socio-environmental factors. The need for increased FASD awareness within social services and the development of FASD-targeted support for children and families is highlighted. Social workers would benefit from the inclusion of FASD-focused training in their curricula and professional development plans. Improving the diagnostic capacities of health institutions would address the paucity of diagnosis and raise the profile of FASD, especially in the social services setting.

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Service user violence against social workers in Italy: Prevalence and characteristics of the phenomenon

Journal of Social Work ◽

10.1177/14680173211009188 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 146801732110091

Author(s):

Alessandro Sicora ◽

Urban Nothdurfter ◽

Barbara Rosina ◽

Mara Sanfelici

Keyword(s):

Social Workers ◽

Social Services ◽

Child Protection ◽

Service User ◽

Online Survey ◽

Professional Relationship ◽

Effective Prevention ◽

Client Violence ◽

Prevention Programmes ◽

Victims Of Violence

Summary Client violence in social services is perceived as constantly increasing in Italy, raising deep concern. This article presents the results of the first online survey on the phenomenon. Involving 20,112 social workers, the aim was to determine the prevalence and forms of client violence towards social workers and to identify key factors associated with such events. Findings The results suggest that the vast majority of Italian social workers experience client violence during their careers. Verbal aggression and threats were most common forms of violence, followed by physical attacks and property damage. Young and less experienced social workers appeared more likely to be victims of violence, as well as those who more frequently work in isolation or without their colleagues’ support. Social workers in child protection services, services for adults and municipality services accessible to the entire population were found to be at higher risk of client violence. The social workers considered the quality of the client/professional relationship and communication skills to be critical in preventing and dealing with aggression by users. Unfulfilled clients’ expectation was considered to be one of the main factors contributing to frustration and the consequent hostile behaviour. Applications Violence against social workers is a ‘wake-up call’ that makes the weakening of welfare services, and therefore of professional social work, more visible. The first nationwide study on service user violence reported by this paper may significantly contribute to raising awareness about the phenomenon in Italy and to the devising of effective prevention programmes.

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Decision Making in Child and Family Social Work

10.1332/policypress/9781447354444.001.0001 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Clive Diaz

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Social Workers ◽

Child Protection ◽

Protection System ◽

Senior Managers ◽

Policy And Practice ◽

Parents And Children ◽

Children And Parents ◽

Selling Point ◽

New Research

This book presents new research on the extent to which parents and children participate in decision making when childcare social workers are involved and it considers two key meetings in depth: child protection conferences and child in care reviews. There is currently a great deal of interest in how social workers can work more effectively with families and in particular give children a voice. There is also considerable public and media interest in the child protection system, in particular relating to how children are safeguarded by social workers. This book will argue that unless we listen to (and act upon whenever possible) the views of children it is very difficult to safeguard and offer them an effective service. The unique selling point of the book will be that it is based on original solid empirical research following interviews with multiple stakeholders across two local authorities in England including children (n=75), parents (n=52), social workers (n=11, independent reviewing officers (n=8) and senior managers (n=7). This book will consider how 10 years of austerity has impacted on the child protection system and it will have a particular focus on how current practice leads to children and parents often feeling oppressed and excluded in decision making about their lives. The book promises to be authoritative and informed on issues on the ground and very relevant to both policy and practice.

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Future proofing child protection social work

Journal of Children s Services ◽

10.1108/jcs-06-2017-0025 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 12 (2-3) ◽

pp. 202-210 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

David Shemmings

Keyword(s):

Social Work ◽

Social Workers ◽

Compassion Fatigue ◽

Child Protection ◽

Secondary Trauma ◽

Working Alliances ◽

Helping Relationships ◽

Content Type ◽

Personal Skills ◽

Lasting Change

Purpose How might the profession of child protection social work be “future proofed”, i.e. remain intact and of value beyond its present existence? The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach This is a discussion/“think piece” paper, in which the author argues that foregrounding the art and science of helping relationships is a way forward. Recognising and promoting the centrality of helping relationships is the direction in which the author believes (or is it hopes?) social work should head, because “more of the same” is not, in the author’s view, possible to sustain for much longer. Treading the well-worn but pot-holed path of box-ticking, endless risk assessment and perfunctory statutory visiting is likely to lead to continuing problems retaining social workers and, for those who do stay, increased burnout, compassion fatigue and secondary trauma, each of which interrupts or delays the development of working alliances with family members. Findings Growing reliance on thresholds and checklists to assess risk has served to increase referrals. As a result, social workers spend much of their time on triaging and filtering rather than working with the children and families that most need help and protection. Further, it is not what is in the practitioner’s toolkit that matters: rather, it is a defined set of personal skills and qualities that tips the balance to achieve lasting change. Thus, in order to “future proof” social work, we would do well to deepen our understanding of how helping relationships can lead to lasting change. Supporting social workers in this work is not just the responsibility of individual practitioners and their professional bodies, action also needs to be taken at governmental and managerial levels. Originality/value This is a discussion/“think piece”.

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Containment: Exploring the concept of agency in children’s statutory encounters with social workers

Childhood ◽

10.1177/0907568218810101 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

pp. 98-112 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Fiona Morrison ◽

Viviene Cree ◽

Gillian Ruch ◽

Karen Michelle Winter ◽

Mark Hadfield ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Work ◽

Social Workers ◽

Child Protection ◽

Significant Contribution ◽

Work Practice ◽

Social Work Practice ◽

Ethnographic Study ◽

Theoretical Understanding ◽

Children’S Agency

This article examines children’s agency in their interactions with social workers during statutory encounters in a child protection context. It draws from a UK-wide ethnographic study. It finds that much of social workers’ responses to children’s agency in this context are best understood as a form of ‘containment’. In doing so, it offers an original and significant contribution to the theoretical understanding of children’s agency, as well as its application in social work practice.

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