BJSW Advance Access published online on March 26, 2008
British Journal of Social Work, doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcn029
What Are Child-Care Social Workers Doing in Relation to Infant Mental Health? An Exploration of Professional Ideologies and Practice Preferences within an Inter-Agency Context
Correspondence to Johanna Woodcock Ross, School of Applied Psychosocial Studies, Faculty of Health and Social Work, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK. Email: Johanna.woodcock.ross{at}plymouth.ac.uk
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Abstract |
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Infancy is a crucial time for interventions to reduce later developmental difficulties. In England, recent policy has required children's service delivery to be redesigned to attend to infant mental health across all four tiers of NHS provision through inter-agency networks of child-care professionals. The policy identifies child-care social workers as primary care professionals, able to recognize early infant mental health problems, promote mental health and prevent deterioration. Our paper explores whether, as a profession, English child-care social workers are well prepared in terms of their knowledge, ideological beliefs and professional acculturation to implement such changes to their practice. Empirical information is provided from a funded, independent evaluation of the implementation of the NSF policy at a local level. Data from professional focus group interviews describe and compare the differing professional ideologies and professional practice preferences within the infant mental health network of an English NHS Primary Care Trust in an urban local authority. The findings identified obstacles that were personal–ideological, cultural and structural in nature. Progress towards achieving the NSF policy standards appeared slight.
Keywords: Infant, mental health, social work, child, inter-professional working
Johanna Woodcock Ross is Lecturer in Social Work at the University of Plymouth and her research publications concern the social work assessment of parenting, social work communication skills and UK perspectives in global comparative research. Lucy Hooper, Research Assistant for this study and postgraduate in psychology, has researched acquired brain injury in childhood and parental stress and coping. Dr Elizabeth Stenhouse is Senior Lecturer in Midwifery Research at the University of Plymouth and has published research concerning diabetes in pregnancy and mother–child interaction. Professor Rod Sheaff is Professor of Health Services Research at the University of Plymouth and his research publications concern the relationships between organizational structures, organizational processes and policy outcomes in the health sector, and in public sector and ‘third sector’ organizations more widely.