British Journal of Social Work - Advance Access

Editorial

Popple, K. — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:04:34 PST

Developing Anti-Oppressive Services for the Poor: A Theoretical and Organisational Rationale

Strier, R., Binyamin, S. — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:13:53 PST

The present article aims to encourage social services to adopt an anti-oppressive perspective in the development of services for people living in poverty, and proposes some theoretical and organisational considerations to transform these services. In the last three decades, neo-liberal and managerial ideologies have consistently favoured social policies that generate high levels of poverty, an anti-welfare political climate, punitive welfare reforms, periodic budgetary cutbacks and the subsequent decay of the social service sector. These processes impaired the capacity of many social services to respond to the needs of the most vulnerable constituencies. They also undermined the social workers' ability to fulfil some of their main social missions: promoting social change and pursuing social justice. The present article calls for social services for the poor to restore this fundamental social mission by adopting an anti-oppressive approach. The article is organised around three sections: first, it examines the relationship between poverty and oppression; second, it reviews the relevant literature on anti-oppressive organisations; and third, it lays down the theoretical and organisational principles of the development of anti-oppressive social services for the poor.

Deciding to Detain: The Use of Compulsory Mental Health Law by UK Social Workers

Campbell, J. — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:41:06 PST

A History of the Present: Uncovering Discourses in (South African) Child Welfare

Schmid, J. — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:45:32 PST

Foucault's analytical methods of archaeology and genealogy reveal that South African child welfare thinking cannot be clearly divided into an apartheid and post-apartheid epoch. Rather, this history of the present identifies that a Child Protection discourse continues to dominate current child welfare legislation and policies, both at a state and an agency level, even while the language of a Developmental Social Welfare discourse is utilised. The dominance of the Child Protection discourse allows service users and service providers to be constructed in such a way that maintains the use of an intrusive, individualistic approach to child welfare that effectively overlooks the impact of structural factors on the lives of vulnerable children and their families. Archaeology and genealogy provide valuable tools for uncovering the dominant and marginalised discourses and for analyzing the circulation of power within a particular child welfare system.

A Critical Reflection on the Involvement of 'Experts by Experience' in Inspections

Scourfield, P. — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 01:10:15 PDT

Recent research conducted in the UK for the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) suggested that there was no evidence to indicate that the involvement of service users and lay assessors in service inspections improved the quality of inspections. However, recently, CSCI has initiated a project to involve ‘experts by experience’ in their service inspections. Here, the term ‘expert by experience’ has been adopted to describe users of social care services. However, the appropriateness of this usage has not been without some challenge and various conceptual difficulties have been raised in how the term is used. Reflecting on reports published by CSCI, this paper considers whether the choice of the word ‘expert’ in this context is really appropriate and also whether, although well intentioned, the involvement of ‘experts by experience’ is too confused in its rationale to actually empower the people using the services being inspected. The paper concludes by suggesting that the current inspection body—the Care Quality Commission—would do well to review both the terminological and conceptual confusion in respect of this practice.

Professional Boundaries: Crossing a Line or Entering the Shadows?

Doel, M., Allmark, P., Conway, P., Cowburn, M., Flynn, M., Nelson, P., Tod, A. — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 06:32:57 PDT

This article explores the professional boundaries guidance for social workers. It presents research findings from the formal literature, from agency codes of practice, from telephone interviews with regulatory and professional bodies and from an exercise using ‘snowballing techniques’ in which informants responded to brief scenarios illustrating boundary dilemmas. The findings suggest that formal research plays little part in the guidance that individuals use to help them determine professional boundaries. Similarly, only 10–15 per cent of informants made regular reference to regulatory and professional codes of practice, with an even smaller percentage quoting specific sections from these codes. A slightly larger group (15–20 per cent) made fairly regular reference to their agency's policy documents. However, a clear majority relied on their own sense of what is appropriate or inappropriate, and made their judgements with no reference to any formal guidance. Agency guidance tended to ignore the ambiguous areas of practice and seemed to act as an insurance policy, brought out and dusted off when something goes awry. The authors caution against ever-increasing bullet points of advice and prescription, and advance a notion of ethical engagement in which professionals exercise their ethical senses through regular discussion of professional boundary dilemmas.

Developing New Understandings of Independence and Autonomy in the Personalised Relationship

Leece, J., Peace, S. — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 06:32:56 PDT

The personalisation of adult social care has the potential to create support that is individualised, and it is the reality of this support relationship that forms the basis of this article. To date, there have been few studies that focus on the association between care users and their workers. Here, we consider research from a Ph.D. study that allows for comparison between two sets of relationships: between disabled adults and homecare workers employed by a local authority, and between disabled adults using direct payments to employ their own personal assistants. The research pays attention to the meanings attached to the concepts of independence and autonomy, with a model of autonomy applied to aid clarity and develop our understanding of complexities in support relationships. The research uses a grounded theory approach with qualitative interviews of matched samples of respondents, providing new evidence about the personalised relationship. Based on the research, we argue that direct employment of support workers appears to facilitate greater autonomy for disabled adults than traditional homecare relationships. However, the research goes on to suggest that greater autonomy for disabled adults may have a downside for support workers.

Editorial

Blyth, E., Masson, H. — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 06:32:55 PDT

Objects of Concern: Caring for Children during Care Proceedings

Beckett, C., McKeigue, B. — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 21:56:35 PDT

This article is the second to look at the fifty-nine children who were made subject to care proceedings in one local authority area in the financial year 2004–05. It focuses on what happened to children during the proceedings and considers how well those responsible for their care during this time (the local authority and others involved in the court process) performed in terms of providing the children with parental care during the process. While the local authority in question performed well in relative terms, nevertheless, in respect of the duration of the process and the number of placement moves to which children were subjected, many of the children were subjected to a great deal of bewildering change, complex routines and large numbers of adults going in and out of their lives. The authors suggest that the process will tend to objectify children if it becomes too focused on decision making for the future, at the expense of thinking about their needs in the here and now. We conclude with some suggestions as to possible ways of improving things.

Young People's Views of the Child Protection System in Scotland

Woolfson, R. C., Heffernan, E., Paul, M., Brown, M. — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 22:21:12 PDT

Child protection investigations and the number of children on Child Protection Registers are high and constantly rising. In the UK, professionals are bound by legislation to uphold the rights of children and young people in matters that concern them and impact upon their lives. Previous research that examined young people's perceptions of the Child Protection System (CPS) has shown many areas of dissatisfaction. In this current Scottish study, eleven children and young people (six aged between twelve and fifteen years, five aged sixteen years or over) were consulted about their experience of the CPS in a Scottish local authority. Each participant had been the focus of a CPS investigation within the previous eighteen months. This current study used semi-structured individual interviews to elicit the views of children and young people about the CPS and their views about improvements that could make the CPS more effective. This study found that young people are willing and able to discuss their perceptions of child protection services. The results highlight areas of deficit in the CPS that could be amended in order to engage young people more effectively. In addition to confirming areas of dissatisfaction and revealing key anxieties, the participants made positive suggestions for improvement.

Moral Sources and Emergent Ethical Theories in Social Work

Gray, M. — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 22:23:40 PDT

This paper examines the feminist ethics of care as an emergent ethical theory that casts ethical dispositions in a different way to the deontological focus on duties and rules and consequentialist–utilitarian focus on minimising harm. It is closer to, though different from, virtue ethics with its focus on moral character. The paper highlights the philosophical tensions within and between these disparate theories, suggesting nevertheless that discussions about ethics are enriched by these diverse influences. Since it is not possible within the scope of this paper to deal with all of these ethical theories in depth, following a brief overview of the more established theory of deontology, virtue ethics and the ethics of care are discussed. While the feminist ethics of care attempts to provide a more complete view of morality and ethics in social work, there are important philosophical problems with which social work needs to engage in order to discern whether it offers a better understanding of morality than existing approaches in social work ethics and whether it can address the complexities of the problems social workers deal with and the harsh practice environments in which they work where the ‘practice of value’ is becoming ever more difficult and strong reasons to care must be found.

Agency and Silence: Young People Seeking Asylum Alone in the UK

Chase, E. — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 22:23:39 PDT

This paper presents findings from a Department of Health-funded study into the emotional well-being of young people seeking asylum on their own in the UK. It discusses how young people accounted for only partly disclosing information about the circumstances surrounding their quest for asylum and subsequent aspects of their lives since arriving in the UK. Foucault's panoptic mechanism and its focus on the effects of power as dispersed through scrutiny are applied as a theoretical framework to contextualise these experiences. The paper shows that young people's decisions about how much of their current or past lives they share with others are more complex than indicated by earlier research. The paper argues that, for many young people, the predominant impetus for selective disclosure was a desire to retain a degree of agency as they navigated their way through immigration, asylum, social care, health and education systems and simultaneously sought to establish themselves in the social world. These findings have implications for how social care (and other) professionals engage and work with young people seeking asylum alone.

Building Bridges in Liverpool: Exploring the Use of Family Group Conferences for Black and Minority Ethnic Children and their Families

O'Shaughnessy, R., Collins, C., Fatimilehin, I. — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 01:06:45 PDT

There is little national or international research that examines how Family Group Conferences (FGCs) are being used with, or viewed by, black and minority ethnic (BME) children and families. This paper describes the implementation and evaluation of a FGC project by Building Bridges, a service commissioned to address the psychological and mental health needs of BME children and their families in Liverpool (UK). The evaluation uses both quantitative and qualitative information to explore the use of the FGC model within diverse communities and contexts. The authors conclude that although the model is effective and culturally appropriate, there may be challenges in terms of the range and depth of needs that can be met through the FGC intervention model. Suggestions are made for maximising the cultural application of the model and recommendations are made for further research to explore the views of BME children and their families.

Smarter Working in Social and Health Care: Professional Perspectives on a New Technology for Risk Appraisal with Older People

Manthorpe, J., Kharicha, K., Goodman, C., Harari, D., Swift, C., Iliffe, S. — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 22:26:15 PDT

There is growing emphasis on prevention, personalisation and self-care or active citizenship in England. This paper reports on the Smarter Working in Social care & Health (SWISH) study of the development of an information technology system that allows older people to assess their own health and to receive personalised feedback and considers the implications for social work practice and commissioning. The study took place in two London areas (2005–7). Its objectives were 1) to refine a method to improve access to information and services, and to identify older people at risk, and 2) to examine the potential of the method to enrich public sector information and to profile local populations to inform local commissioners. A multi-method approach consolidated findings from focus groups and interviews with older people and professionals. Under the first objective, views were mixed. The existing health risk assessment tool was seen as comprehensive, with the capacity to identify low-level risks to well-being, although possibly burdensome. Under the second objective, social workers and managers were uncertain how to make use of local population data and to the capacity of local resources to meet information needs. Messages for practitioners and managers are drawn.

Further Reflections on Habermas's Contribution to Discourse in Child Protection: An Examination of Power in Social Life

Houston, S. — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 01:15:29 PDT

Hayes and Houston's positive review of Habermas's contribution to discourse in family group conferences (in this journal) has been challenged by Garrett. In this paper, one of the authors replies to Garrett but extends the analysis through a more considered, developed and detailed examination of Habermas's thoughts on power in social life. This leads to a conceptual framework that enables the participants in the conference to exercise power in a positive manner. In developing this earlier analysis, the paper also acknowledges Garrett's argument that Bourdieu helps us to understand the nature of constraining social structures in child protection. However, Bourdieu's ideas are subsequently challenged on the grounds that they lack a competent formulation on human agency—a faculty that Habermas cogently elucidates. This enlarged understanding of agency, it is argued, offers a theoretical resource that fits better with the ethos of emancipatory social work.

Comparing Possible 'Child-Abuse-Related-Deaths' in England and Wales with the Major Developed Countries 1974-2006: Signs of Progress?

Pritchard, C., Williams, R. — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 23:43:07 PDT

This paper explores ‘child abuse-related deaths’ (CARD) and possible CARD rates of children aged from birth to fourteen years over the period 1974–2006. It uses the latest available WHO mortality data to compare England and Wales outcomes with the other major developed countries (MDC), to see how much progress has been made in reducing actual and possible CARD in England and Wales and the other MDC. The results tell a relative ‘success story’ for England and Wales, whose violent CARD rates of children have never been lower since records began and who have made significantly greater progress in reducing violent possible CARD than the majority of the other MDC. Moreover, England and Wales were only one of four MDC whose CARD deaths, primarily the responsibility of the children protection services (CPS), fell significantly more that ‘All Causes of Death’, the primary responsibility of medicine. Though there is an overlap of services, the greater improvement in the CPS-related deaths than those primarily related to child health reflect well on the CPS. This should help to offset something of the media stereotypes and be a boost for the morale of front line staff of the CPS and the families whom they serve.

Looked After Children and the Ethic of Care

Holland, S. — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 23:43:05 PDT

This paper draws on the growing field of literature that discusses the relevance of the ethic of care to social work. It is argued that an ethic of justice predominates in looked after children policies and practice, which can serve to underplay the relevance of the traits associated with an ethic of care. Using case examples from a small-scale longitudinal qualitative study of looked after children and care-leavers, the author notes that care is likely to be found in relationships beyond formally ascribed carers and that relational aspects of interactions with social workers are important, despite the lack of opportunity to develop these relationships. Like most people in society, these young people are care-givers and care-receivers, reminding us of the interdependency of human relationships and potentially alleviating some of the ‘othering’ of these young people as care-recipients. It is suggested that the care system pays attention to informal, complex networks of care relationships that may be held by young people and encourages continuity in formal and informal care relationships. It is also suggested that interdependency be acknowledged and valued alongside a goal of self-sufficiency for care-leavers.

Four Perspectives on the Quality of Life of Children at Risk Kept at Home and Removed from Home in Israel

Davidson-Arad, B. — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 04:07:05 PDT

This study compares quality of life (QOL) assessments of two groups of Israeli children at risk, those kept at home and those removed from home, made by four assessors: the caseworker who made the decision, a professional uninvolved in the decision, the child, and a parent. Findings based on 120 assessments of 30 children showed that all four assessors rated the QOL of the children in alternative care higher than that of the children at home, that the children and their parents consistently rated the children's QOL higher than the professionals, and that there was no significant difference in the ratings of the case workers and the uninvolved professionals. Despite the study's methodological limitations, these findings point to the possible benefits of placement for children at risk, and provide grounds for believing that caseworkers' QOL assessments are not biased by attempts at self-justification.

Brothers and Sisters of Disabled Children: The Experience of Disability by Association

Burke, P. — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 00:13:38 PDT

This paper examines the impact of childhood disability on brothers and sisters in the family. Evidence is drawn from two research studies undertaken by the author, mainly within the Yorkshire and Lincolnshire region of the UK, and demonstrates that siblings experience ‘disability by association’ due to the interactive effect of living with a disabled brother or sister. The intent is not to suggest that disability itself is causal in this relationship; rather, it is to improve our understanding of how disability impacts on the family, is reacted to by others in the wider social setting and how, in turn, this impacts on siblings. This research comments on the family experience, utilising both quantitative and qualitative data drawn from 116 families with 344 children, of whom 118 had a disability. The experience of living with a disabled brother or sister is evidenced by both positive and negative effects on the families participating in the research. Themes explored include the nature of siblings' caring activities, disadvantage and restrictions, together with a need to inform professional assessments of sibling needs.

Bonding, Bridging and Linking: How Social Capital Operated in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina

Hawkins, R. L., Maurer, K. — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 21:15:40 PDT

In the past decade, social capital has been explored internationally in the disaster and social work literature, particularly in terms of historical oppression and limited economic resources of disadvantaged communities. Social capital in the United States, however, has had less integration. Using a qualitative grounded theory approach, we examine the different types of social capital (bonding, bridging, and linking) through a social work lens. We examine how social capital operated in the lives of 40 families following Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Louisiana. We attempt to understand how residents utilized their social capital to survive the storm, relocate, and rebuild their lives and communities. Results indicate residents, especially those with low incomes, relied on, built upon, and collapsed all levels of social capital for individual, family, and community survival. Participants described a process through which close ties (bonding) were important for immediate support, but bridging and linking social capital offered pathways to longer term survival and wider neighborhood and community revitalization. This paper also discusses how social capital inclusion in social work can strengthen or hinder individual and community development following a catastrophic event.

A Critically Informed Perspective of Working with Resettling Refugee Groups in Australia

Westoby, P., Ingamells, A. — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 23:53:08 PDT

Although there have been many critiques of the central role that trauma plays in social work practice with refugees, nevertheless, trauma discourse maintains a powerful shaping force on service delivery in Australia, intersecting with, and gaining power from, managerial discourses that specify individually focused approaches to practice. The outcome is a double bind for refugee populations, who quickly learn that, in this country, identifying themselves as vulnerable is a pathway to resources, yet, who then find themselves caught in processes that have precarious effects for agency. Trauma work, the paper argues, however necessary at some points, is overemphasised and over-legitimised, and a range of critiques are drawn on to substantiate this. Revisiting some of the traditional disciplinary bases of social work and human services may facilitate organisations and practitioners to engage more proactively and reflexively with people who arrive as refugees across a broader range of tasks associated with re-establishing themselves in a new country.

Narrative and Rhetoric in Social Work Education

Rutten, K., Mottart, A., Soetaert, R. — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 23:35:38 PDT

This article starts from the narrative turn in the humanities and the social sciences in general and social work in particular to explore the study of fictional narratives in social work education. Rhetoric is presented as an important perspective for social work by focusing on the work of the rhetorician and literary critic Kenneth Burke (1897–1993), specifically on his theory of dramatism. The dramatistic pentad is introduced as an analytical tool to study fictional narratives. In a case study, a play and a film by a Dutch–Flemish theatre collective are jointly analysed by students from the Master of Social Work and Welfare Studies programme at a Flemish university. This rhetorical perspective gives social work students the opportunity not only to study fictional narratives, but also to reflect upon their own practice.

To Have and to Hold: Questions about a Therapeutic Service for Children

Sudbery, J., Shardlow, S. M., Huntington, A. E. — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 04:28:48 PDT

Therapies for children and young people that using ‘holding’ as an intervention for severe difficulties with attachments are controversial and raise many questions. At least one major professional organisation has stated that these therapies should be banned. This paper discusses the implications of a study of a service for children (and their families where appropriate) described as having attachment difficulties or a diagnosis of attachment disorder and where ‘holding’ techniques are employed as part of the therapeutic intervention. The views of a range of stakeholders (including children, young adults who had previously used the service, purchasers, outside professionals, and staff) about this service were collated directly by interview. The article identifies how this study can refine and inform the broader questions about ‘attachment and holding’ therapies. Proponents argue that the service offered provides effective assistance for some of the most hurt and difficult children in society. Opponents state that some of the techniques involved have not been evaluated, are ethically questionable and are not based on a validated theoretical mechanism. This paper highlights a number of core questions about attachment and ‘holding’ therapy and the findings of the study provide a commentary on these questions.

Familial Homicide and Social Work

Drakeford, M., Butler, I. — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:02:51 PDT

This article focuses on the relatively new offence in the UK of familial homicide and contrasts the experience of two women whose children died violently at the hands of their partners and examines the actions of those public agencies that were associated with the events surrounding the children's deaths. In this way, the article demonstrates how far social work practice, in accommodating to the current of the times, may have moved away from the defence of disadvantaged women and failed to speak and act on their behalf.

More Responsibilities, Less Control: Understanding the Challenges and Difficulties Involved in Mothering in the Context of Domestic Violence

Lapierre, S. — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 05:52:54 PDT

Limited work has looked specifically at the issue of mothering in the context of domestic violence, and there is a particular dearth of empirical work that focuses on women's experiences of mothering in these circumstances. This article reports the findings of a study that investigated women's experiences of mothering in the context of domestic violence, and is concerned with the challenges and difficulties that abused women face in regard to their mothering. The author argues that these challenges and difficulties arise from the interaction between the particular context created by the violence and the broader institution of motherhood. More specifically, the article focuses on the following two elements: the women's increased sense of responsibility in regard to their children and their loss of control over their mothering. The findings suggest that in order to support these women, professionals need to understand the challenges and difficulties that they face, and to be mindful not to exacerbate the women's sense of responsibility and loss of control.

A Study of the Carers Strategy (2000): Supporting Carers in Wales

Seddon, D., Robinson, C., Tommis, Y., Woods, B., Perry, J., Russell, I. — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:47:17 PDT

The Carers Strategies in England and Wales herald opportunities to develop new ways to support carers. This paper reports findings from a five-year study looking at the Carers Strategy in Wales. It presents interview data arising from fieldwork with carers and statutory and voluntary sector staff. Our findings highlight a gap between the positive perceptions of staff concerning improvements in the availability and types of support to carers and carers' everyday experiences. Whilst staff suggested that the Carers Strategy has encouraged the development of innovative services that broaden the parameters of support to carers, this was not always reflected in carers' experiences. Staff highlighted changes to the carer assessment process that specify carer-defined outcomes must be made explicit as having had a positive effect on the commissioning and delivery of new services. However, only a limited number of carers were in receipt of these services and they reported problems relating to their organisation and delivery. This paper offers insights that are instructive to practitioners as they seek to implement person-centred and outcome-focused approaches to supporting carers. The need to pay closer attention to carer-defined outcomes and capture carer perspectives on the quality of services is highlighted.

The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and People with Dementia: Implications for Social Worker

Dwyer, S. — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 23:57:57 PDT

This paper looks at the implications of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, (which are an extension of the Mental Capacity Act 2005), for older people with dementia. The safeguards are likely to apply to a small minority of people with dementia. They involve a thorough assessment process by qualified and experienced professionals. Other aspects of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 that are protective of people with dementia who are found to lack capacity to decide on care home entry, will also be discussed. Despite the welcome protection afforded by the Mental Capacity Act, older people who lack capacity and who are placed in care homes, do not benefit from the same level of checks and balances that people have who are sectioned under the Mental Health Act 1983.

Adult Mental Health in a Changing International Context: The Relevance to Social Work

Ramon, S. — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 03:41:39 PDT

Keeping Service User Involvement in Research Honest

McLaughlin, H. — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 01:36:33 PDT

Service user research has increasingly become a significant development on the research landscape. This article seeks to critically examine this development and to identify ways in which service user research can retain its honesty and avoid the twin dangers of either becoming a tokenistic exercise or being seen as a panacea. In particular the article highlights issues concerning our conceptions of service users, recognising both the benefits and costs of service user involvement in research and begins to open up discussions on the contribution of service user research to knowledge development. The article also argues that we need to subject such research to the same standards of scrutiny and critique we would apply to other research approaches if service user research involvement in research is going to develop further.

Social Work Ethical Decision Making in an Inter-Disciplinary Context

Yeung, K. S. S., Ho, A. P. Y., Lo, M. C. H., Chan, E. A. — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 07:21:43 PDT

In order to strengthen social work students' competence in ethical reasoning, three inter-disciplinary seminars were organised in which a group of final-year social work and nursing undergraduates jointly discussed and reflected on ethical decision making. Both social work and nursing students respected a client's rights to make decisions and choices, but they attributed different priority to this ethical principle when it came to making decisions on which professional intervention was based. Social work students continued to regard self-determination as the primary principle, whereas nursing students made a shift in principle from autonomy to a duty to care. The differences in applying professional values are conceived as the result of a web of personal, cultural, professional and organisational features. It is suggested that both the theory and practice of social work ethical decision making can be advanced by more individual reflection grounded on a plurality of perspectives.

Supporting the Birth Relatives of Adopted Children: How Accessible Are Services?

Cossar, J., Neil, E. — Sun, 31 May 2009 21:50:34 PDT

This paper focuses on how birth relatives in England and Wales can access adoption support services, using data obtained from a mapping study of adoption support services. The survey aimed to gather data from all local authority adoption agencies, voluntary adoption agencies and adoption support agencies in the second half of 2005. The questionnaire included questions relating to how local authorities provided birth relative support services, how birth relatives could access them and how agencies promoted them. The response rate was 63 per cent. Answers to open questions relating to the provision of services and access were examined. Four patterns were found in relation to local authority arrangements for provision of services and the role of the independent sector in these. Seven different models of accessing services were identified. Low uptake of services was found to be a problem and the advantages and disadvantages of the different models of accessing services are discussed.

A Certain Moment: Some Personal Reflections on Aspects of Residential Childcare in the 1950s

Webb, D. — Fri, 29 May 2009 00:28:58 PDT

The paper's point of departure is the residential care of children—and especially girls and young women—during the 1950s. The approach of what was then known as The Church of England Children's Society is reviewed in light of its origins in Victorian philanthropy, and this is linked to the author's memories of the life of a person responsible for running one of the Society's homes. Her working life stretched from when the Society's founder was still an influential force to the late 1950s by which time the foundations for the ‘modern’ approach to looked-after children had been laid. The moral certainties that underpinned the approach at the home are considered, including the merits of such clarity, despite these appearing to contemporary eyes so limiting. This ‘backwardness’ is set alongside the concerns that are voiced today about the widely seen failings of modern residential care, particularly for girls and young women. Drawing on the work of Gramsci, the paradoxical inversion of the ‘reactionary’ past and the ‘progressive’ present are considered in terms of a contrast between an earlier clarity borne of faith and conviction and a contemporary hesitancy towards the enforcement of norms and values that are unendingly contested.

'My Son Gave Birth to Me': Offending Fathers--Generative, Reflexive and Risky?

Walker, L. — Tue, 26 May 2009 23:55:45 PDT

This paper analyses key findings from narrative intrviews with 16 (ex) offender fathers. All fathers interviewed served custodial sentences, ranging from 6 months to 14 years, and were on licence at the time of interview. This research focuses on the ways in which this group of marginal men reflect on their perceptions, practices and aspirations as fathers. It seeks to understand how they make sense of fathering in the context of criminality. The research shows that the social, cultural and economic context in which many of these men are parenting is very complex and demanding. It points to the impact of prison on their relationships with their children and partners and highlights the role of their families in supporting their parenting/fathering. In this paper I argue firstly, that the ‘costs of crime/imprisonment’ for many of these men is very high and secondly, that fathering can be productive, resourceful and generative in the ‘context of offending’, where the deficit model of fathering is the norm.

Help-Seeking by Foster-Carers for their 'Looked After' Children: The Role of Mental Health Literacy and Treatment Attitudes

Bonfield, S., Collins, S., Guishard-Pine, J., Langdon, P. E. — Tue, 26 May 2009 23:55:44 PDT

Factors that influence the help-seeking steps for looked after children with mental health problems were explored within the context of a help-seeking model, as were foster-carers' Mental Health Literacy (MHL) and help-seeking attitudes. Using a cross-sectional and between groups design, data on variables likely to be related to help-seeking by foster-carers were collected from a sample of 113 foster-carers and 108 looked after children within the East of England. Results demonstrated that although foster-carers had high MHL overall, it did not significantly influence the first help-seeking step of ‘problem detection’. More favourable help-seeking attitudes significantly influenced the second help-seeking step of ‘perceived need’ for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). The results from the logistic regression analyses found MHL and help-seeking attitudes, in combination with the presence and impact of a mental health problem, and foster-carer education, to be significant predictors of specific help-seeking. Forty-nine per cent of children were found to have an apparent mental health problem and were not receiving a service from CAMHS. As such, both MHL and help-seeking attitudes have important roles to play in facilitating CAMHS use by this population.

An Audit of Assessment and Reporting by Approved Social Workers (ASWs)

Davidson, G., Campbell, J. — Sat, 23 May 2009 01:26:48 PDT

This paper examines the routine practice of Approved Social Workers (ASWs) in adult mental health services in Northern Ireland. It begins with a review of existing literature on the ASW role before describing how a retrospective audit, using a mixed methods approach, was used to collect data on eighty-four assessments carried out to determine whether compulsory admission to hospital was needed. Respondents were also asked to consider how such assessments might be affected by proposed changes to the law in this field. The key findings highlighted a number of areas of practice that may be improved. There were inconsistencies in how the assessments were recorded and an uneven distribution of workloads across ASWs. Some problems were identified with inter-agency working and, in a quarter of the assessments, the ASW reported having felt afraid or at risk. The authors make a number of recommendations, which include: the use of a standard reporting procedure; that organisations should consider how to deliver a more even distribution of ASW workload; that protocols should be developed that ensure that ASWs are not left alone in potentially risky situations; and that joint assessments with General Practitioners should be required, rather than just recommended.

The Social Work Profession and Subjective Well-Being: The Impact of a Profession on Overall Subjective Well-Being

Graham, J. R., Shier, M. L. — Wed, 06 May 2009 00:16:55 PDT

This research analyses social work practitioners' workplace experiences of their subjective well-being (SWB), the social scientific concept of happiness. From an initial survey of 700 Canadian social workers, thirteen respondents with the highest SWB scores were interviewed. Respondents reported that their high SWB scores were partially a result of available practice opportunities associated with the profession, their ability to recognise professional boundaries and limitations, the role of specific practices that are associated with the profession of social work, social work principles and respondents' perception of their professional self. The conclusion considers implications for workplace practices, social work education and further research.

Awareness, Acceptance and Action: Developing Mindful Collaborations in International HIV/AIDS Research and Service

Abell, N., Rutledge, S. E. — Sat, 02 May 2009 00:49:48 PDT

Responses to the global pandemic of HIV/AIDS are enhanced when all parties have opportunities to express their needs and goals, assess their capacities for contributing to desired change and recruit support where resources, skills or expertise are required. The sense of urgency, strongly held beliefs and deeply seated anxieties that often accompany HIV-related illness challenge potential collaborators to be both mindful and strategic as they work together for success. Key concerns associated with international social work collaboration are examined with attention to mindfulness principles of awareness, acceptance and action. Emphasis is placed on developing awareness of complex motivations and on making accurate personal, social and environmental assessments. Collaborators are encouraged to accept the implications of culturally derived preconceptions, act intentionally, based on realistic expectations for partners' contributions, and sustain momentum over the long haul. Recommendations are offered for planning and implementing respectful international collaborations in HIV/AIDS service and research.

Recognizing the Limitations of the Political Theory of Recognition: Axel Honneth, Nancy Fraser and Social Work

Garrett, P. M. — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:31:30 PDT

A number of writers, located within the field of social work, have suggested that the ethics and politics of recognition provide a body of theorization that can assist social workers in their day-to-day encounters with the users of social services. However, within social and political theory, the literature on recognition has generated a rich and complex critical literature, which, to date, has been neglected within this emerging social work discourse on the theme. This article, therefore, will seek to extend the existing theoretical parameters by drawing attention to some of the contemporary critiques directed at recognition theorists. In this context, it will be maintained that the contributions of Axel Honneth, whose theorization is being promoted with social work, is problematic because it is prone to what is termed ‘psychologization’. In contrast, the feminist theorist, Nancy Fraser, has provided a more convincing articulation of recognition that also gels, in part, with the more persuasive accounts of the multifaceted nature of oppression and subjugation present in the discourse of social work. In conclusion, however, it will be maintained that recognition theory, tending to focus too exclusively on micro encounters and interactions, pays insufficient attention to the role of the neo-liberal state.

Mental Health and Older Women: The Challenges for Social Perspectives and Community Capacity Building

Fawcett, B., Reynolds, J. — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 01:21:47 PDT

Older women tend to be either rendered invisible in relation to considerations of mental health or, conversely, constructed as potential mental health problems. In this article, we draw attention to the position of older women with regard to current debates in the mental health field. It is argued that, within the UK and Australia, the prioritization of the management of risk and what an older woman cannot do rather than what she can adversely affects not only her mental well-being, but also the contribution that she can make to the community in which she lives. We argue that the fostering of strengths-based community capacity building, which includes proactive, innovative and flexible underpinning practice principles, has the capacity to expand rather than reduce horizons for older women, to confront restrictive and discriminatory barriers and to enhance quality-of-life factors.

The Expected Working Life of a Social Worker

Curtis, L., Moriarty, J., Netten, A. — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 00:32:44 PDT

This article reports on an innovative way to measure the expected working life of social workers and social care professionals using a methodology already developed in studies of health care professionals. Previous work has estimated that the expected working life of a doctor is 25 years compared with 15 years for nurses and 28 years for pharmacists. In this work an estimate of the number of years a social worker uses his or her qualification is provided. It appears that at eight years and 13 years, the expected working life of a social worker and social care worker is shorter than these health care professionals and that gender differences are less apparent. It suggests that there is some evidence of exit to other professions and concludes that further research is needed to identify its extent and some of the underlying reasons why this should be the case.

Increasing Care Options in the Countryside: Developing an Understanding of the Potential Impact of Personalization for Social Work with Rural Older People

Manthorpe, J., Stevens, M. — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 00:08:22 PDT

The article examines the possible impact of the personalization of social care services in England on older people living in rural areas and those supporting them in formal and informal roles. It focuses on the development of personal budgets. Interviews were conducted with 33 participants from professional, community and voluntary organizations in 2008. Findings were that the potential flexibility arising from choice and control might be much appreciated by some older people in rural areas; however there were concerns that local variations would affect the capacity to tailor support and to sustain developments. The long-term effects of personalization need to be monitored and assessed to ensure equitable outcomes in rural areas; and, while there may not be significant differences between rural and urban areas, the rural dimensions of adult social care need to be more rigorously explored.

Lost in Translation: How Child Welfare Workers in Norway and England Experience Language Difficulties when Working with Minority Ethnic Families

Kriz, K., Skivenes, M. — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 01:50:45 PDT

This article explores the challenges that social workers in child welfare agencies in Norway and England experience when working with minority ethnic families who are not proficient in the country's language. This study is based on fifty-three interviews in which social workers reflected on an open-ended question that addresses the differences between working with minority ethnic children and their families and white children and their families, provided they believed that there were any differences at all. This study shows that social workers encounter several challenges when using interpreters in their work with minority ethnic families: social workers lose information and they lose time and trust. In addition, the lack of a common language pre-empts the types of interactions that are necessary to establish a good relationship with minority ethnic families. We found that there are hardly any differences between the two countries, even though England has historically had more extensive experience with ethnic minority families and more stringent anti-discrimination laws. The findings also suggest that minority ethnic families may lose out on accurate assessments and access to services due to problems arising from the use of interpreters. We discuss four sets of implications for practice, including strong ethical guidelines for and testing of interpreters, training of social workers in working with interpreters, affirmative strategies on the part of local authorities to eliminate language-related barriers for ethnic minorities and pro-active child welfare systems that address the challenges language differences pose to the child welfare work.

Have Communication Technologies Influenced Rural Social Work Practice?

Brownlee, K., Graham, J. R., Doucette, E., Hotson, N., Halverson, G. — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 21:31:02 PST

Recent advances in communication technologies have the capacity for addressing many of the challenges identified with rural and remote social work practice, such as scarcity of professional resources, professional isolation and limited access to supervision and professional development. The purpose of this exploratory, qualitative study was to examine how developments in communication technologies have influenced the way social workers practise social work in rural and remote Canadian areas. In-depth interviews were conducted with thirty-seven clinicians. The findings suggested that having access to communication resources, such as the internet, Telehealth and Telepsychiatry, appears to be positively addressing some issues of rural and northern practice. While the role of communication technologies could be further developed as a means of addressing some of the limitations of distance and fewer professional resources in these areas, it simultaneously risks imposing an urban-centric bias upon social work practice in rural and remote communities.

What Factors Relate to Good Placement Outcomes in Kinship Care?

Farmer, E. — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 21:31:01 PST

Since recent legislation and other developments are likely to lead to increased use of placements with kin, this paper considers the evidence base about the factors that relate to good outcomes in kinship care in England. It is based on a study using case file reviews on 270 children, half of whom were in kin and half in stranger foster care, and interviews with a sub-sample of thirty-two family and friends carers and a number of social workers, parents and children. The placement outcomes considered were placement quality and disruption. The study found that the kin placements that were most likely to disrupt were those in which children were older at placement, showed difficult behaviour, there was an absence of high carer commitment and contact was not supervised. There were also lower levels of disruption in placements with grandparents and when kin carers had been approved as foster carers and so received financial and practical support. However, poorer quality placements lasted significantly longer in kin than in stranger foster care. Moreover, the outcomes of kin placements turned out to vary widely by local authority. The implications of these findings for policy and practice are considered.

A Comparative Survey of Aotearoa New Zealand and UK Social Workers on the Role of Religion and Spirituality in Practice

Stirling, B., Furman, L. D., Benson, P. W., Canda, E. R., Grimwood, C. — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 22:45:43 PST

Increasingly, social work is being challenged to consider the role of spirituality and religion in practice and education as the profession has witnessed an expanding interest in the integration of spirituality, motivated by the recognition of spiritual diversity as an important component of human experience, cultural competency and anti-racist social work practice. In response to the lack of international empirical research in general, and relating to spirituality in particular, cross-national survey research was conducted in Aotearoa New Zealand (ANZ) and the UK as part of a larger multi-national study of social workers' attitudes about the role of spirituality in their practice. Although the two countries share some cultural similarities due to the impact of secularization, British settlement and colonization in ANZ, there are also significant differences related to the unique multicultural make-up of ANZ, emphasizing the indigenous Maori and the centrality of spirituality within a Maori worldview.

Looked After Young People and their Social Work Managers: A Study of Contrasting Experiences of Using Computer-Assisted-Self-Interviewing (A-CASI)

Morgan, A., Fraser, S. — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 05:53:40 PST

Audio-computer-assisted-self-interviewing (A-CASI) is used by many child-care agencies in the UK, as a way of recording the views of children in the care of local authorities. This study considers A-CASI's use in two such local authorities in England. It contrasts how the A-CASI methodology is experienced by children and young people and by child-care managers, and explores how A-CASI may be contributing to the participation of young people in the delivery and management of their care. The study reveals a strong belief in A-CASI from a large number of participants, young people and managers. But managers express concern about many organizational constraints on the effective use of A-CASI data in their agencies. The paper discusses the enthusiasm of the young people for using A-CASI; the concerns of managers; and the opportunities for social workers in using A-CASI in their practice settings.

The Age of Opportunity? Revisiting Assumptions about the Life-Long Learning Opportunities of Older People Using Social Care Services

Hafford-Letchfield, T. — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 19:44:40 PST

Shifting national policy in the UK emphasizes choice, independence and social inclusion for older people using social care services through the promotion of healthy, active lifestyles and increasing user involvement (Department of Health, 2006). Older people are a diverse population. Their definition of a ‘life worth living’ and support necessary to achieve this are cited as paramount within public policy formation. Simultaneously, older people coming into contact with social work are primarily conceptualized as ‘a challenge’ within the current social, economic and political environment, in which ageing is perceived as a time of difficulty and loss ultimately leading to increased structured dependency (Townsend, 2006). This paper makes links between discourses on life-long learning within public policy with those in social care. Both are concerned with increasing participation, citizenship and social justice for older people. It highlights contradictions between aspirations towards life-long learning derived from Freirean approaches seeking to promote ‘active ageing’ with negative political rhetoric about the burden of ageing and practice of managed care. Social workers play an important part in facilitating learning opportunities within their relationships with older people. Where and how these might be used to promote more inclusive strategies and approaches within practice for the engagement and further emancipation of service users is explored.

Social Work Practice and Lone White Mothers of Mixed-Parentage Children

Harman, V. — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 05:34:46 PST

Integrative Seminar in a Geriatric Consortium

Spira, M., Teigiser, K. — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 23:05:34 PST

Integration of knowledge and skills is a process essential for the education of social work students. This paper describes an integrative seminar designed for students who participate in a consortium, sponsored by the Hartford Partnership Program for Aging Education (HPPAE). The seminar enables students to deepen the relationship between classroom and fieldwork learning. Beyond that, this integration process teaches students leadership skills as they contribute social work values and knowledge to inter-disciplinary teams in their field settings and collaborate with others as they develop professionally.

The Parent Concerns Questionnaire: A Reliable and Valid Common Assessment Framework for Child and Family Social Care

Sheppard, M. — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 06:59:04 PST

A major government inspired effort to improve standardisation of practice has, in recent years led to the development of key instruments to guide assessment and intervention in child and family social care. This has occurred against a background of the development of an increased policy emphasis on prevention, appropriate responses to need, information exchange, and evidence based practice. The Common Assessment Framework (CAF) has been developed for widespread use by various practitioners/professionals in relation to work with children and families with ‘additional needs’ but below the level of child protection. However amongst the criticisms of CAF is that it has no demonstrated reliability and validity. The Parent Concerns Questionnaire (PCQ) has been developed in research on child and family social care. It is an instrument generically applicable to this area, and consistent with the framework used in CAF and the Common Assessment Framework. This article reports on extensive tests of reliability and validity of PCQ. The PCQ is shown to have face, concurrent and construct validity, and internal and test-retest reliability in child and family social care populations. The implications of this, and potential use, for practice are discussed.

Bullying of Social Workers: Outcomes of a Grounded Study into Impacts and Interventions

van Heugten, K. — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 00:40:52 PST

Workplace bullying has become recognized as a costly workplace problem that may be relatively common in the human services. However, the topic remains underexplored with respect to social workers. In the absence of discipline-specific information, relying on data derived from research with other professions can lead to untested assumptions about causes and about appropriate interventions. A qualitative study was undertaken with seventeen social workers who reported that they had been bullied in the workplace. Whilst participants had experienced significant distress and reported at least a temporary decline in work-related confidence, most considered themselves wiser as a result of their experiences and did not perceive a lasting diminishment of their professional opportunities. There were, however, exceptions to this positive outcome and these appeared to be related to discrimination against participants with minority group status. Grounded analysis led to explanatory theories that locate bullying in the context of stressful changing workplaces in which professional people experience status uncertainty, and compete for job control and respect. Conversely, prevention and intervention require the adoption of health-promoting organizational policies that foster supportive working environments and relationships.

Social Workers Serving Poor Clients: Perceptions of Poverty and Service Policy

Monnickendam, M., Katz, Ch., Monnickendam, M. S. — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 09:06:48 PST

This qualitative study extends current research on social workers' perceptions of poverty and the views of their roles by investigating how these perceptions are manifested in actions. How are the perceptions of poverty, poor clients, and the roles and the responsibilities of social work directors of council social services in Israel reflected in their definition and implementation of the services’ poverty related policy, i.e., the services they offer the poor and the services they recommend creating for the poor, within the cultural and situational context of people living in poverty in Israel. A focus group with eleven directors and in-depth interviews with six directors were conducted. The study shows that poverty perceptions are reflected in service policy. Directors were unsure of their professional role and responsibilities with regard to poverty, preferred intervention at the individual or family level over policy-practice, did not perceive the poor as a target population, did not direct their efforts at the poor, and consequently did not develop poor client centred services.

'If We Don't Get Back to Where We Were Before': Working in the Restructured Non-Profit Social Services

Baines, D. — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 20:23:07 PST

Drawing on data collected as part of a larger study of the experience of restructuring in the nonprofit (voluntary) social services in Canada and Australia, this article explores the responses to four overlapping interview questions regarding what drew nonprofit social service workers to the sector, what were the positive and negative aspects of working in the sector, and, if given the power, what is the one thing they would change. Responses to these questions highlight the way social service workers wish they could work, factors that impede this work, decrease worker autonomy and increase management control over their labour process. These new findings will be compared to findings from an earlier study of restructuring in the public and nonprofit Canadian social services, highlighting the way that changes in the labour process suppress or facilitate the empowerment of workers, including their capacity to dream of a better future.

Managing Restructured Social Services: Expanding the Social?

Aronson, J., Smith, K. — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 00:27:43 PST

This paper reports the early findings of a qualitative, longitudinal study of women managing health and social services in southern Ontario—a context that has been subject to successive rounds of restructuring and managerial reforms. Study participants, all women with extensive practice backgrounds and long-standing commitments to progressive public services, were critical of yet deeply implicated in organizational practices they judged at odds with the interests of clients and communities. The findings reveal how they negotiate this complex positioning within and against the logic of managerialism to find ways to insert social justice agendas. Even as managerial imperatives pressed them to subordinate these agendas, they found ways to extend the reach of their programmes to those increasingly excluded from receipt of public support and to politicize and expand the scope of their organizations' work. By naming such practices and strategies—often experienced in isolation and as somewhat improvised and formless—the study seeks to contribute to the critical literature on social service management. Participants' experiences open up important questions about both the strains and the opportunities in managers' positioning that will be the focus of ongoing data-gathering and analysis.

Managers' and Staff Experiences of Adult Protection Allegations in Mental Health and Learning Disability Residential Services: A Qualitative Study

Rees, P., Manthorpe, J. — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 23:47:05 PST

Adult protection policy slowly developed in England and Wales during the 1990s. In the same decade specialist residential services expanded for people with mental health problems and with learning disabilities, some of which were secure or semi-secure in status. Many referrals to adult protection systems emanate from this sector but few result in conclusive outcomes. This article reports on and considers adult protection workings in these settings. Data from interviews with 13 residential unit managers and 10 care workers, who were suspended following an allegation but later exonerated, are presented. Perceptions of the development of adult protection practice, policy and legislation were that these have generally led to positive outcomes. However, these data reveal other outcomes including service disruption, stress for residents, staff and managers. Service managers commented particularly on how the application of policy and practice enhances but also upsets the services they provide. Multi-agency collaboration, transparency of practice, training, reflective practice, and effective supervision of frontline staff, appeared to assist managers and care workers in negotiating the positive and negative experiences of the implementation of adult protection systems.

Social Work Doctoral Students in the UK: A Web-Based Survey and Search of the Index to Theses

Scourfield, J., Maxwell, N. — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 20:38:52 PST

Despite traditionally having low numbers of doctoral students, social work research is currently undergoing expansion at doctoral level. Professional doctorates are starting up, which are highly applied to practice and include modules as well as a thesis, and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) has now recognized social work as a separate discipline for doctoral training. The aims of this research project were to identify who these social work doctoral students are, what they are researching and what their experience is of doctoral study. Quantitative and qualitative data were generated via a web-based survey of social work doctoral students across the UK—those on professional doctorates as well as Ph.D.s and those engaged in full-time and part-time study. The data were subject to bivariate analysis. There was also a search conducted of the Index to Theses for doctoral theses on social work topics over a ten-year period. Findings from both elements of the research are presented in relation to student demographics, employment and funding, type of doctorate, methodology and student satisfaction.

'My Expectations Remain the Same. The Student Has to Be Competent to Practise': Practice Assessor Perspectives on the New Social Work Degree Qualification in England

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 23:40:58 PST

Research has emphasized the importance of practice learning to social work qualifying education but has tended to feature social work educator and student perspectives more strongly than the views of those responsible for assessing students' practice in the field. This article draws on 195 responses to a postal questionnaire sent at two points in time to practice assessors working with students from nine social work qualifying programmes run in six higher education institutions collected as part of the evaluation of the new social work degree qualification in England. While practice assessors described changes in their role and in the opportunities available to students, they also emphasized continuities, particularly in the skills that they expected students to possess. The key difficulty they identified was the heavy workload resulting from combining their role as practice assessors with their other responsibilities at work. Increases in the number of social work students and changes to the organization of services are likely to create further pressures on practice assessors. Given that these issues are faced by a number of different professions, the article concludes that there is potential for future studies to look at the experiences of practice educators across different professional qualifying programmes.

Evaluation of a Healthy Families America (HFA) Programme: A Deeper Understanding

Whipple, E. E., Whyte, J. D. — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 23:40:57 PST

Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of a Healthy Families America (HFA) programme in meeting its goals and better understand the role of therapeutic alliance. Methods: One hundred and sixty-three families and their Family Support Worker (FSW) enrolled in an HFA programme completed five sets of measures over a five-year time frame. Results: Descriptive statistics provide a socio-demographic and programme involvement profile. Families demonstrated positive health and child development-related outcomes. Families improved in their ability to provide a positive home environment; children successfully met developmental milestones; and FSWs were highly effective in engaging families and creating a working alliance. Conclusions: Programme strengths and weaknesses are discussed within an international context with implications for future research in this area.

Performing 'Initial Assessment': Identifying the Latent Conditions for Error at the Front-Door of Local Authority Children's Services

Sun, 18 Jan 2009 16:05:18 PST

This article draws attention to the faulty design elements at the front-door of children's local authority services, arguing that current attempts to increase safety, through the formalization of organizational procedures and their enactment by IT systems, may have had the contrary effect. We argue that the analysis of errors in organizational settings should focus on immanent systemic weaknesses, particularly the ‘latent conditions’ for error that generally increase the risk of failure. Reporting the findings from a two-year ESRC-funded ethnographic study, and examining the local adaptations of practice arising in the performance context of the ‘modernized’ front-door of children's services, we draw attention to the short-cuts that the current configuration of the initial assessment system appears to necessitate, given the immutable timescales and excessive audit requirements. New modes of governance can clearly play a central role in error management, but the design of an effective system needs to be based on the needs of users and on a thorough understanding of their working practices.

No Recourse, No Support: State Policy and Practice towards South Asian Women Facing Domestic Violence in the UK

Anitha, S. — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 07:00:50 PST

This paper examines the extent to which government policy and practice meet the needs of women with insecure immigration status who are experiencing domestic violence. The research on which this paper is based was conducted between January and June 2007 and included qualitative interviews with thirty South Asian women who were barred from receiving public funds (known as ‘no recourse to public funds’ (NRPF)) due to their status as recent marriage migrants, who were living in the North West and Yorkshire regions of England. This paper examines the complex legislation that governs the entitlement of women with NRPF who are facing domestic violence, women's experiences of social service practice, its impact on the safety and welfare of the women and their children, and suggests a way forward.

When Things Go Wrong! Placement Disruption and Termination: Power and Student Perspectives

Parker, J. — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 00:33:02 PST

Practice learning, or field education, represents a key component of qualifying social work education in many countries and disruption or potential failure can have profound implications for all involved. It is perhaps surprising, given its centrality, that there is so little research or theorizing undertaken into the termination of placements from any perspective. This paper examines what is known about disrupted, marginal or failing placements in social work programmes and seeks to examine and theorize the perceptions and experiences of students in England who have been through the process, exploring power issues and imbalances. The study on which this paper is based sought to develop and enhance future responses to placement disruption from all stakeholders in practice learning.

Social Work Students: Stress, Support and Well-Being

Collins, S., Coffey, M., Morris, L. — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 22:36:07 PST

This appears to be the first piece of research in the UK to focus exclusively on stress, support and well-being of social work students. The findings of a postal questionnaire indicated no statistically significant differences related to gender, age, year of study or family commitments. Social work students enjoyed a high sense of personal accomplishment. They enjoyed their work with users. Students undertaking part-time work were subject to significantly more demands than other students. Important support was obtained from fellow students, course tutors and practice teachers, but significant numbers of students experienced problems with low self-esteem and emotional exhaustion. They would probably benefit from additional opportunities for mutual group support, individual tutorial support and stress management courses. Wider structural issues include the need for more adequate funding for students to reduce the need to undertake part-time employment. Findings from this study encourage a focus on intervention at different levels to reduce stress with individual students, groups of students, practice teachers, course staff and the institutional environment.

'A Friend and an Equal': Do Young People in Care Seek the Impossible from their Social Workers?

McLeod, A. — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 23:00:51 PST

Recent policy initiatives have begun to recognize something that has long been indicated by research findings and by studies of young people's views: that, for children in local authority care, having a positive and sustained personal relationship with their social worker promotes their well-being. This article presents findings from a research study in which the views of young people in care were elicited on the role of the social worker. Their response, that a good social worker is like a ‘friend’ and an ‘equal’, appears to challenge notions of the professional social work role. However, attention to the detail of what the young people meant by these terms demonstrates that, in fact, they are compatible with social work values and best practice. It is argued that, in order to accord with these young people's wishes and with research findings on what promotes best outcomes for looked after young people, social workers must be enabled to give more time to sustained direct work with children in care. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

The Emerging Social Pedagogical Paradigm in UK Child and Youth Care: Deus Ex Machina or Walking the Beaten Path?

Coussee, F., Bradt, L., Roose, R., Bouverne-De Bie, M. — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 22:57:30 PST

This article is prompted by the finding that social pedagogy—although not a familiar concept in the UK—is now being taken up with greater interest (Petrie et al., 2006; Lorenz, 2008), especially in the field of early childhood education and residential child and youth care. Social pedagogy is believed to be able to promote shared values and skills across different fields in education and care that were, until recently, sharply distinguished from each other (Petrie, 2005). In this article, we reflect on the recent developments in the import of social pedagogy into the UK. Next, we comment on the assumed potential of the concept of social pedagogy. In connection with these comments, we make a plea for explicit recognition of ‘the social’ in social pedagogy. We endorse the historical reflections on German social pedagogy made by Lorenz (2008) and will add some considerations driven by our involvement with the development of social pedagogy in the UK. In the final discussion, we highlight the potential of social pedagogy as a perspective on social work (cf. Hämäläinen, 2003).

Striving towards Inclusive Research: An Example of Participatory Action Research with Older Lesbians and Gay Men

Fenge, L.-A. — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 05:55:29 PST

This paper sets out to explore the implications of participatory action research (PAR) as a method of encouraging older people from minority groups to have a ‘voice’ in defining knowledge, theory and practice about their lives. Recent policy in Britain has promoted the recognition of diversity of experience in later life (Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, 2006) and the importance of working with older people as equal partners (Audit Commission, 2004). At the same time, notions of partnership and service user involvement in both research and practice development are now firmly established within health and social care practice. Despite this, the needs of older lesbians and gay men are still very much invisible within mainstream policy and practice (Heaphy et al., 2004). PAR approaches seek to address issues of power, politics and empowerment (Bradbury and Reason, 2001) and therefore offers an inclusive method of working with marginalized and excluded voices. This is important in research with minority groups, as their experiences can be masked by imposing mainstream categories and assumptions (Pollner and Rosenfeld, 2000). The paper considers participatory action research as a methodology for inclusive social work research and uses a case study to explore the methodology. It reviews the ‘cycle’ of research using the six principles for working with disempowered groups identified by Whitmore and McGee (2001). The paradoxes involved in participatory research are explored, including issues of inclusiveness and exclusivity, and the possibility of ‘untold truths’ (Lundy and McGovern, 2006). The challenges involved in striving for inclusive and empowering research methodologies are discussed, exploring the implications for ‘outsider’ researchers, and the challenges of working with ‘variant truths’.

Professional Doctorate Programmes in Social Work: The Current State of Provision in the UK

Scourfield, J. — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 23:06:20 PDT

The paper presents the findings of a survey of UK professional doctorate programmes that have a social work element. The aim was to provide an initial description of the extent and nature of current provision. The survey was conducted via academic community e-mail lists and followed up with telephone interviews. Findings are presented about the universities offering programmes, longevity of programmes, numbers of students, students' employment and employer support, degree nomenclature, programme structure, successful aspects of programmes and their approach to handling the relationship between research and practice. Some tentative conclusions are presented about the possible ways forward for social work professional doctorates and avenues for further research about these degrees.

Place Matters: The Significance of Place Attachments for Children's Well-Being

Jack, G. — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 11:34:01 PDT

Whilst the social work literature rightly pays considerable attention to the importance for children's development and well-being of their attachments to people, there has been virtually no consideration of the role which is also played by their attachments to place. Drawing on research from fields such as human geography and environmental psychology, the significance of children's place attachments for the development of their identity, security and sense of belonging is examined. Evidene is also presented about the ‘shrinking world of childhood’, in which children's independent access to their surroundings is becoming ever more restricted as a result of parental fears, and the implications of this trend for the development of children's place attachments. Government policy relevant to these issues, including strategies designed to develop more ‘child-friendly communities’, is critically reviewed, together with evidence-based practice recommendations designed to improve the well-being of looked after children by promoting their place attachments.

Going for Brokerage: A Task of 'Independent Support' or Social Work?

Scourfield, P. — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 12:30:17 PDT

It is argued that for the agenda to ‘personalize’ social care in the UK to be successful, adequate systems of support brokerage need to be in place. Where brokerage is situated organizationally and ideologically is not inconsequential, both in terms of the accountability, profile and quality of the ‘brokers’ and the extent to which service users can feel properly in control of their own care or support. Many involved in support brokerage argue that independence from statutory bodies is a key principle. However, models of support brokerage have been suggested that propose brokerage as a possible function of the statutory social care sector. The paper traces how and why the ‘new’ language of brokerage has emerged in official discourses of adult social care. It also discusses the various ideas about what brokerage is and who is supposed to undertake it. It is considered whether support brokerage should be regarded as a form of social work, which is not currently the case. Were independent support brokerage to expand its role in the adult social care system, the question would arise of where that would leave social work with adults. These developments expose conflicts and tensions in New Labour's modernization agenda.

Social Work and Disabled Children's Childhoods: A Foucauldian Framework for Practice Transformation

Curran, T. — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 20:31:28 PDT

This paper examines how social work operates as a system of exclusion and inclusion and influences disabled children's childhoods. It is based on an action research project that aimed to promote ‘listening’ to disabled children in social work. A Foucauldian framework is applied to deconstruct discourses, analyse their use in practice and form a cycle of practice transformation. Three stories are presented from the action research project to illustrate how practitioners' conditions, discourses of childhood and disability and ethical statements limit or enhance disabled children's opportunities. The cycle of practice transformation is developed from analysis of the project and Foucault's approach to ‘ethical practices’. This suggests a different purpose for welfare in which service provision aimed to liberate, protect and meet the needs of disabled children is not enough. The cycle aims to generate more ‘desirable’ forms of subjectivity that are enjoyed by disabled children. The Foucauldian framework provides an ethical basis for dialogue with members of organizations of disabled people that, it is argued, is especially relevant to transformation of relations of vulnerability and the involvement of others in disabled children's childhoods.

Working with Alcohol and Drug Use: Exploring the Knowledge and Attitudes of Social Work Students

Galvani, S., Hughes, N. — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 20:43:42 PDT

Many social workers in the UK work daily with the social harms linked to problematic substance use. Historically, however, their drug and alcohol training needs have been overlooked. This study set out to achieve two key objectives: (i) to assess social work students' knowledge of, and attitudes towards, working with people with substance problems; and (ii) to develop and test a questionnaire to meet this objective. A four-part self-completion questionnaire was developed and administered to a purposive sample of 156 social work students. The focus of this article will be on the results of Part 2 of the pilot survey, which focused on the students' attitudes towards, and knowledge of, substance use. One hundred and twenty-one completed questionnaires were used as the basis for analysis. Three factors emerged as the key explanatory factors demonstrating significant relationships between them: ‘knowledge’, ‘support from colleagues’ and ‘legitimacy of role’. Social work training needs to recognize the need for alcohol and drug education within social work qualifying programmes in order that future social workers will feel equipped with the knowledge and legitimacy to do their job and meet the needs of people who have problems with alcohol and drugs.

Deadlocked Dialogues in Child Welfare

van Nijnatten, C. — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 20:45:59 PDT

In the interactions with families, child welfare workers investigate the parental capability to guarantee their children's safe and prosperous development. A main strategy of child welfare workers is to encourage parental reflection, which may help parents to consider the family problems from a more remote position. Findings from a two-fold case study show that the conversational mode of professionals and clients are crucial to bring about this reflective position. Both the professionals' abstract and layered approach and the legal context of family intervention may restrain clients to take a reflective position and to better see the nature of their problems and the ways to solve them.

The Social Worker versus the General Social Care Council: An Analysis of Care Standards Tribunal Hearings and Decisions

McLaughlin, K. — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 06:11:46 PDT

The General Social Care Council (GSCC) is the regulatory body for the social care workforce in England.¹ It maintains the Social Care Register and has the power to refuse an applicant entry onto the Register and to instigate proceedings to have those on the Register removed if they deem the social worker in question has committed misconduct. As it is a criminal offence for anyone whose name is not on the Register to call themselves a social worker, the GSCC has extensive powers in relation to the social care workforce. This paper analyses cases in which social workers have been through the GSCC's regulatory process, disagree with the decision and have exercised their right to appeal to the Care Standards Tribunal. Using a critical content analysis, several themes are identified that give cause for concern about the workings of the GSCC, its Committees and the Care Standards Tribunal itself. It is noted that there is an inherent imbalance of power in the proceedings, which heavily favour the GSCC and are detrimental to the social worker's chance of receiving a fair hearing. In addition, areas in which social workers' ‘out of work’ lives have been considered to be within the remit of GSCC investigation and censure are highlighted. It is pointed out that a new morality of appropriate behaviour is being overseen by a government-appointed organization. The findings and areas of concern identified are of particular concern to social workers and social care professionals who find themselves increasingly subject to surveillance and censure by the GSCC. The conclusion considers some key points that require further discussion within social work and indeed the wider political realm.

Making Decisions about Who Should Be Barred from Working with Adults in Vulnerable Situations: The Need for Social Work Understanding

Stevens, M., Manthorpe, J., Martineau, S., Hussein, S., Rapaport, J., Harris, J. — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 07:42:53 PDT

This article reports on an element of recently completed research that aimed to explore factors leading to placement on the Protection of Vulnerable Adults (POVA) List—a barring list unique to England and Wales. A multiple methods approach was adopted, involving in-depth quantitative analysis of POVA referral records and a set of discussion groups and interviews investigating how decisions were being made. This article focuses on this latter element, setting out and discussing the overall schema for decision making resulting from the analysis, which identified an interplay between emotional and moral responses to the individual referred and evidence about the alleged misconduct. The importance of involving all stakeholders in the development of such a decision-making system is raised through the research and the implications for social workers are explored.

Workplace Violence towards Social Workers: The Australian Experience

Koritsas, S., Coles, J., Boyle, M. — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 02:57:13 PDT

Workplace violence is common in health-related occupations that involve substantial contact with clients, such as nursing, general practice, pre-hospital care and emergency medicine. Research has also been conducted that explores violence in social work; however, the majority has emerged from the UK and USA, and is limited due to definitional shortcomings and the scope of violence. In Australia, there is a paucity of research that has explored the prevalence of violence in social work. Thus, the aim of the research was to determine the prevalence of six forms of workplace violence, and determine factors that may predict the occurrence of violence towards social workers. A questionnaire was developed that focused on social workers' experiences of six forms of violence (verbal abuse, property damage/theft, intimidation, physical abuse, sexual harassment and sexual assault). The questionnaire was randomly distributed to 1,000 social workers across Australia. Participation was voluntary and social workers completed the questionnaire anonymously. Analyses revealed that the majority of social workers (67 per cent) had experienced at least one form of violence in the past twelve months. The most common form of violence was verbal abuse followed by intimidation, and sexual assault was the least common form of violence experienced. Factors that predicted violence emerged for all six forms of violence examined. Based on the results of this research, it can be concluded that workplace violence is common in social work, particularly verbal abuse and intimidation. Factors that predict violence can be used to develop interventions aimed at preventing and managing workplace violence.

Beyond Homo Economicus: Recognition, Self-Realization and Social Work

Houston, S. — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 21:03:15 PDT

This paper builds on Ferguson's important contribution to the debate on personalization in social work that appeared in the British Journal of Social Work in 2007. Whereas Ferguson approached the topic through the lens of political philosophy, the account below draws on critical social theory to examine not only the nature of personalization, but also its supportive pillar of individualization. In particular, Axel Honneth's critique of individualization in modern society is presented before setting out his ideas on the need for self-realization through inter-subjective recognition. The implications of Honneth's position are then considered in terms of four interrelated dimensions of social work practice, namely: (i) social work as symbolic interaction; (ii) social work as care; (iii) social work as respect; and (iv) social work as validation. It is argued that this constellation of practices poses a direct and necessary challenge to a social work of personalization.

Conceptualizing Young People's Strategies of Resistance to Offending as 'Active Resilience'

Murray, C. — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 08:31:03 PDT

This paper draws on the Quest for Identity study, which comprised secondary analysis of interviews with young people who have never offended (‘resisters’) and young people who have offended, then ceased (‘desisters’), as well as peer led focus groups with resisters. However, the paper focuses solely on the semi-structured interviews with 62 young resisters and addresses the research question as to how they maintain their resistance to offending. Contrary to the passivity associated with non-offending, it is argued that in maintaining their resistance to offending young resisters engage in what I term ‘active resilience’. This is exemplified by a range of strategies employed by resisters, which includes: managing offending peers, taking temporal leaps, ‘othering’ offenders and telling atrocity stories. The concept of active resilience resonates with the key theoretical perspective associated with the social studies of childhood, which characterises young people as agentic social actors, and also with the resilience literature, with its recent perceptible shift towards acknowledging young people's contribution to their own resilience. The paper concludes with the implications of the findings for policy, practice and future research.

People in Places: A Qualitative Exploration of Recruitment Agencies' Perspectives on the Employment of International Social Workers in the UK

Hussein, S., Manthorpe, J., Stevens, M. — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 07:43:34 PDT

Social work and social care vacancies in England have partly been filled by international labour migration. Some staff are recruited from their home countries; others are recruited post arrival in the UK. The business of recruitment is often undertaken by commercial employment agencies; however, there is little literature on the workings of this sector. This article reports the first phase of a study of international recruitment in social care in England. It outlines the findings of a scoping review of the literature and of semi-structured interviews with a convenience sample of twenty recruitment agencies undertaken in 2007–08. The interviews revealed new information on employers' reported needs and preferences, on changing profiles of people seeking work in England, and staff motivations and ambitions. This article concludes that social care migration is a multifaceted phenomenon and that the position of intermediaries in the employment relationship, such as recruitment agencies, is largely but mistakenly ignored.

Social Work and the 'War on Terror'

Guru, S. — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:55:15 PDT

The terrorist attacks on the New York World Trade Centre and disturbances in Northern England in 2001, together with subsequent terrorist attacks in London in July 2005, have created in the public mind a concern about the direct threat posed to the safety of individuals and society. The government's response has been to mount a wholesale attack on terrorism and to wage a ‘war on terror’ whilst, at the same time, attempting to produce a cohesive society with a shared sense of belonging. Social work literature and practice have neglected these issues. The purpose of this paper is not to rehearse the causes of these events and responses, but to explore their relevance to social work and their implications for practice through a revival of more politically orientated radical and critical social work approaches.

Is Social Exclusion a Useful Concept in Children's Services?

Axford, N. — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 08:00:15 PDT

The concept of social exclusion has a high profile in children's services in the UK. But how does a focus on exclusion change the way in which services seek to define vulnerable children and help them? In particular, how does it compare with (i) a risk and protective factor model and associated attempts to meet need and (ii) efforts to tackle poverty? This article examines the influence of the concept on policy and practice by considering seven emphases commonly associated with a social exclusion perspective. It argues that the concept offers helpful insights into child well-being and the shape of children's services but that these could be exploited more fully, and that many of its perceived benefits in terms of service orientation actually sit well if not better within existing conceptual frameworks.

Towards Integrated Participation: Involving Seldom Heard Users of Social Care Services

Hernandez, L., Robson, P., Sampson, A. — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 20:43:38 PDT

Using information from interviews with forty-one service users and thirty-two staff from eight organizations, a practice model is developed to show how those typically excluded from user participation be included into everyday participation to develop services and policies. The practice model outlines the processes necessary to promote and institutionally embed participation. The uncertainties and tensions that arise from these activities are also discussed. The value of the findings presented in this paper is that they provide information about how service user participation may be achieved.

Squeezing the Toothpaste Tube: Will Tackling Court Delay Result in Pre-Court Delay in its Place?

McKeigue, B., Beckett, C. — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 06:36:58 PDT

This article is the first to report on a study that tracked all the care proceedings initiated by an English local authority over a one-year period, obtaining factual information and opinions from the social workers involved in the case through the use of guided interviews. The main objective of the researchers was to contribute to understanding of ways in which children are kept waiting in difficult and insecure situations for decisions to be made about their long-term future. This article focuses in particular on the problem of delays that occur prior to a case coming into the court arena. The article offers evidence that current initiatives to reduce court delay may have the unintended result of increasing pre-court delay.

The Views of Children and Young People on Being Cared For by an Independent Foster-Care Provider

Selwyn, J., Saunders, H., Farmer, E. — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 04:17:51 PDT

This paper reports some of the findings from a study (Farmer et al., 2007) commissioned by an independent foster-care provider, Foster Care Associates, to examine the progress and outcomes of children in their care over a one-year period. This is the first published study to ask children and young people placed with an independent fostering provider (IFP) about their views on the care they have received. While most children and young people were very positive about their placements and the support and activities provided for them, the research also raised questions about the stability of placements within the IFP sector and the promotion of children's friendships.

Assessing the Influence of Religious Beliefs and Practices on Parenting Capacity: The Challenges for Social Work Practitioners

Horwath, J., Lees, J. — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 08:13:54 PDT

The 1989 Children Act emphasizes the importance of giving due consideration to the child's religious persuasion. Yet, government assessment guidance provides practitioners with very little assistance in terms of establishing ways in which religious beliefs and practices influence family life. This is concerning at a time when considerable attention is being paid in the media to the negative influences of religious beliefs on parenting and Britain is becoming increasingly diverse. Drawing on a literature review of seventy-seven papers on religion and parenting, consideration is given to some of the challenges encountered by social workers when assessing the influence of religious beliefs on parenting. These challenges include: a lack of clarity with regard to what is meant by ‘religion’; small-scale research studies with limited scope; a focus on perceptions of the influence of religious beliefs; disregard for both social workers' own views about religion and the ways in which these views are likely to influence practice. Moreover, poor preparation on social work training programmes and minimal support from supervisors mean that practitioners do not feel confident exploring religious beliefs and practices with families. All these factors lead to a significant influence in many families' lives being ignored.

Teaching Social Workers to Harness Technology and Inter-Disciplinary Collaboration for Community Service

Rosenthal Gelman, C., Tosone, C. — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 06:52:25 PDT

Relatively little has been written encouraging social workers to use communication technologies for community service purposes, such as education and advocacy with general populations, and empowerment of individuals, groups and communities, especially marginalized and voiceless populations traditionally served by social workers, to tell their own stories using these media. This paper reviews relevant literature on the use of media in social work, presents examples of ways visual technologies have been used to serve populations-at-risk, and briefly describes a course jointly offered by a school of social work and a school of the arts intended to teach students the use of various technologies for community service purposes. The application of social work practice, theory, research and policy to media production reflects a little-explored potential modality for micro and macro intervention, and thus is an innovation in the field, combining service learning, inter-disciplinary collaboration and application of social work knowledge through technology. We also argue that social workers should become competent in using media to harness their power for intervention with and on behalf of clients, and to positively and actively shape the way clients and our profession are portrayed and viewed in the larger world.

Caring as a Moral, Practical and Powerful Endeavour: Peer Care in a Cambodian Orphanage

Emond, R. — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 00:30:54 PDT

Research on children's participation in domestic life has tended to focus on the experiences of those living within families. This article reports on a pilot project, undertaken in one Cambodian orphanage, which focused on the care that children provided to themselves and to one another. It argues that not only were such care practices manifest, but they were understood by children to contribute to their power and status within the orphanage as well as the construction of their individual moral self-identities. The boundaries of relationships between children were defined and redefined through care-related actions.

Conducting Needs Assessments in Children's Services

Axford, N. — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 08:31:21 PDT

Recent years have witnessed a revival in the popularity of measuring need in developing and developed countries as a precursor to distributing health, education, housing, social security and social care resources. The concept of needs-led children's services has particular purchase in England and Wales, where there is a legal requirement for local authorities to identify and assist ‘children in need’. Yet, children's services agencies have consistently struggled to do this meaningfully and efficiently. This article analyses the strengths and weaknesses of needs assessments in the field before discussing new methods that are appearing. The final section considers how to encourage children's services to shift resources into the new methods.

Building and Sustaining Local Co-ordination: An Australian Rural Community Responds to Domestic and Family Violence

Wendt, S. — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 22:48:11 PDT

The aim of this paper is to share a story about how a rural community in South Australia strived to work more collaboratively and effectively to respond to domestic and family violence in their local area. Human service workers in the community raised concern about clients' needs not being met, lack of co-ordination amongst services, confusion amongst service providers of who was doing what, and lack of understanding of the complexities of violence and abuse amongst workers. As a result, a qualitative, interpretative study involving face-to-face semi-structured interviews with twenty-two human service workers and two women who had experienced domestic and family violence was undertaken to examine the barriers to working collaboratively at the local level. Once barriers to co-ordination were identified and talked about, workers were able to visualize their local response. This included naming practice strategies to build co-ordination and integration of workers and agencies to create sustainable long-term practice, and advocating as a community for the re-introduction of domestic violence specialized services and programmes to meet local needs.

Predictors of Role Legitimacy and Role Adequacy of Social Workers Working with Substance-Using Clients

Loughran, H., Hohman, M., Finnegan, D. — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 19:17:24 PDT

Role adequacy (feeling knowledgeable about one's work) and role legitimacy (believing that one has the right to address certain client issues) have long been key theoretical constructs regarding explanations why various helping professionals are reluctant to address drug misuse problems with clients. This study examines these concepts in a sample of social workers and social work students. Using regression analysis, it was determined that the social workers who had more clients with drug problems, had taken a course in drug work and had support for their role were more likely to feel legitimate in their work with drug-using clients. Training in drug use identification and intervention, being male, having more clients with drug problems and role support predicted role adequacy. Having a Master's degree, work setting and job function were not related to role adequacy or role legitimacy. Implications for social work education are discussed.

A Systematic Review of Structural Equation Modelling in Social Work Research

Guo, B., Perron, B. E., Gillespie, D. F. — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 22:30:21 PDT

Structural equation modelling (SEM) is serving an increasingly important role in developing knowledge for the social work profession. Numerous advances have made the software more user-friendly, enabling users to conduct analyses without fully understanding the underlying assumptions or the implications from their analytic decisions. Unlike other fields, there have not been any published reviews in social work research that systematically describe and critique the use of SEM. This study systematically reviewed how SEM is used in social work research and the extent to which it reflects best practices. Thirty-two articles from top-ranked social work journals published from 2001 to 2007 were examined. Of the different types of SEM, the most commonly used was confirmatory factor analysis. Strengths of the research reviewed included examining models and measures not previously tested empirically and generating new insights into old topics through the use of SEM. Weaknesses included significant model modifications without theoretical justification or substantive interpretations. Suggestions are offered for improving applications of SEM in social work research. Specifically, we encourage social work researchers to test competing models, to make model modifications only when theoretically justified, to detail the process of making modifications and to use estimation procedures appropriate to the data.

Parental Monitoring, Religious Involvement and Drug Use Among Latino and Non-Latino Youth in the Southwestern United States

Parsai, M., Marsiglia, F. F., Kulis, S. — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 07:17:48 PDT

The purpose of this study was to examine parental monitoring practice and religious involvement (protective factor) and substance use among Hispanic and Non-Hispanic adolescents in the Southwest of the US. We also relied on social control theories to guide our investigation of why adolescents may choose not to use drugs. The sample was n = 1087 adolescents, the age ranged from thirteen to fifteen years, and the gender distribution was approximately equal. There were 71 percent Hispanics and 29 percent non-Hispanics in the sample. A number of measures were used including recent substance use, religiosity, religious affiliation, parental monitoring, parental permissiveness, parental norms, and acculturation. Linear regressions were used to examine the relationship between the variables of interest and the outcomes. Although the effect sizes of the significant relationships were modest, our findings are of interest because they reinforce the importance of the role of parents in the lives of their adolescents and supports previous studies that find that parents have great influence on children's behaviours including substaince use. The results suggest that adolescents benefit from having clear rules from their parents concerning substance, and from believing that there is some kind of consequence attached to their behavior. This study is useful to practitioners, social workers, educators and other professionals working with parents and adolescents.

Child Welfare Interventions: Patterns of Social Work Practice

Hayes, D., Spratt, T. — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:47:45 PDT

Some 10 years ago one of the authors embarked on a research study examining the potential for social workers to shift from a child protection to a child welfare practice orientation (Spratt, 2000; 2001; Spratt and Callan, 2004). The research reported here develops that work; examining how social workers respond to ‘child care problems’ (CCPs). The results indicate that Northern Irish Health and Social Services Trusts (equivalent to Local Authorities in England and Wales) have responded to social policy goals to balance the protection of a lesser number of children whilst meeting the welfare needs of the greater by reducing the number of referrals designated ‘child protection investigations’ (CPIs) and increasing the number of CCPs. Closer analysis reveals, however, that a filtering system has been developed by social workers to address perceived child protection risks within CCP cases. Paradoxically, this leads to early closure of the more concerning cases, with service provision largely confined to the least concerning. The authors argue that the ways in which social workers balance social policing and supportive functions in practice may indicate possible responses to an increase in referred families anticipated within Every Child Matters (Chief Secretary to the Treasury, 2003)

Social Support Use as a Parental Coping Strategy: Its Impact on Outcome of Child and Parenting Problems--A Six-Month Follow-Up

Sheppard, M. — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 19:24:54 PDT

Long standing policy and practice interest in Prevention and Family Support has been reiterated in recent years in the Every Child Matters programme. At the same time, however, official concerns have been expressed about the high thresholds operated by mainstream Children's Services, whose focus is, to a considerable degree, on safeguarding children. This concern emanates from a recognition that many applicants who do not receive a service because of the thresholds operated, have considerable needs. Without access to services, it is thought, there is a danger that they will end up being re-referred with greater problems and higher risks to the children. This paper focuses on this issue by carrying out a longitudinal comparative study on outcomes for families who, while having child and parenting problems, did not qualify for a service because of the high thresholds operating. In particular it focuses on the relationship between their social support and outcomes at six months. The findings show a significant relationship between the adequacy of some forms of support and positive outcomes. The significance of this for policy and practice is explored, including recognition of the importance of informal support to outcomes.

Performance Measurement in Adult Social Care: Looking Backwards and Forwards

Clarkson, P. — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 07:27:06 PDT

Approaches arising from the publication of performance data for adult social care in the UK nationally have led to unintended and often perverse consequences. A case is made in this paper for examining locally-based models, which offer substantial benefits to both managers and practitioners, and by extension, service users. Whilst there is no shortage of statements outlining the intentions behind monitoring performance in this setting, actual evidence as to its benefits is lacking. Different approaches to performance measurement (both in the UK and elsewhere) and their relevance to recent debate, particularly that which advocates the wholesale abandoning of performance monitoring, are examined. This review of existing evidence, as opposed to rhetoric, suggests that a different approach, involving the local collection and interpretation of data, offers an opportunity for workers to foster a culture of enquiry. Such a change in emphasis may require the implementation of a different set of incentives to those previously in operation.

Unified Assessment: Policy, Implementation and Practice

Seddon, D., Robinson, C., Perry, J. — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 08:13:26 PDT

The introduction of single and unified assessment processes across England and Wales heralds opportunities to develop more consistent approaches to the assessment and management of care that are underpinned by an agreed evidence base and inform the development of person-centred, outcome-focused support. This paper presents key findings from a qualitative study that considers the implementation and effects of unified assessment on direct practice in general and care management in particular. Drawing on interview and focus group data that reflect the experiences of strategic and operational staff, this paper describes key challenges to the development and implementation of unified assessment procedures, highlights the ways in which unified assessment has facilitated positive changes to practice and explores aspects of unified assessment where translation into practice has proved difficult. It suggests that unified assessment promotes the more consistent application of eligibility criteria and encourages more creative approaches to both care and service delivery planning. However, considerable variability in the nature and volume of information collected by practitioners, who expressed reservations about the domain approach to assessment, is noted and problems relating to the sharing and management of information are highlighted. Recommendations to inform assessment practice across the UK are presented and areas for staff training are identified.

Paying the Piper and Calling the Tune: Power and the Direct Payment Relationship

Leece, J. — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 04:29:13 PDT

This paper provides empirical evidence from original research, which investigated the impact on the support relationship of the direct employment of workers, by direct payment users. The study used a grounded theory approach, with questionnaires to measure job satisfaction and stress, and in-depth interviews with respondents. It explored and compared the experiences of eight direct payment relationships with eight traditional service delivery homecare relationships. The research reveals the importance of the concept of power in helping us to understand the effect of direct employment and, based on this research, makes some suggestions for policy and practice.

The Impact of Regulatory Fitness Requirements on Disabled Social Work Students

Sin, C. H., Fong, J. — Sat, 31 May 2008 06:05:53 PDT

The Disability Commission of Great Britain conducted a Formal Investigation into the impact of regulatory fitness requirements on disabled people in three public sector professions, including social work. This article reports on the types of fitness requirements that have an impact on disabled social work students, and how these are interpreted and implemented in practice. IN terms of the regulatory framework, there is a requirement for mental and physical fitness in England and Wales, but not in Scotland. These requirements appear more stringent for social work students than for qualified social workers. There is no explicit mention of the Disability Discrimination Act in the regulatory framework. Key stakeholder organisations find fitness requirements unclear and articulated the need for clearer guidance for practice purposes. Different challenges present at different stages of social work education and there is a variety of ad hoc management strategies leading to the potential for discrimination against disabled people.

Labelling Clients 'Risky': Social Work and the Neo-liberal Welfare State

Pollack, S. — Fri, 30 May 2008 00:30:02 PDT

The literature on neo-liberal transformations of the welfare state and forms of governance—inspired by Foucault's concept of governmentality—has much to offer theorizations of the role of social work in contemporary society. Rather than assuming a top/down analysis in which power is located within individuals or institutions, power is ‘not a matter of imposing a sovereign will, but instead a process of enlisting the cooperation of chains of actors who "translate" power from one locale to another’ (Garland, 1997, p. 182). The profession of social work occupies an intermediary space, charged with ‘translating’ state power to individuals, families, groups and communities. In this paper, I use the experience of criminalized women to bring to life the theoretical understandings offered by neo-liberal analyses of the regulation of social marginality. I focus particularly on one key feature of neo-liberal governance—'risk thinking'—and examine the gendered nature of risk as a neo-liberal regulatory strategy across the penal–welfare complex. I conclude with a discussion of lessons learned from criminalized women about social work and risk assessment.

Women in No Man's Land: The Abortion Debate in the USA and Women Terminating Desired Pregnancies Due to Foetal Anomaly

McCoyd, J. L. M. — Tue, 27 May 2008 21:15:33 PDT

Abortion is a politicized and contested topic in many countries. In the USA, it is subject to particularly polarized debate and increasingly stringent policies. Women who terminate a desired preganancy due to diagnosis of foetal anomaly (TFA) are stuck in the middle of the debate. The debate is framed as "pro-life" vs. "pro-choice" though neither camp fits the experience of women who TFA. These women report a sense of responsibility and love toward the foetus that they refer to as their baby, yet they also make use of the choice to terminate the pregnancy when fetal anomaly is diagnosed. This article summarizes the historical context of abortion in the USA and then reports findings from qualitative data about the impact of the abortion debate on women who TFA. The social work person-in-environment perspective is shown to be crucial to assisting women in their coping.

Assessing Student Social Workers' Professional Suitability: Comparing University Procedures in England

Currer, C. — Wed, 21 May 2008 02:14:25 PDT

Universities providing social work education and training must ensure that those who qualify as social workers are ‘suitable’ or ‘fit for practice’—a gate-keeping role that has been discussed in a number of different national settings. In England, the introduction of registration for both qualified and student social workers has brought assessment of standards of professional conduct to the fore. For qualified workers, there is a single national ‘conduct procedure’ involving a public panel hearing. In relation to student social workers, procedures are particular to each university, albeit subject to scrutiny by the professional body, which has, to date, offered little guidance. This paper reports on a study comparing procedures in different universities. These were found to vary in relation to a number of factors, such as whether professional suitability is an academic or disciplinary matter; the name of the procedure and rationale; its focus and scope; the personnel involved and possible outcomes. The paper concludes that such variation is in the interests of neither students nor the profession, and that the professional body might helpfully offer more guidance to universities, as well as being specific about their own role in relation to aspects of registration.

Infants in Australian Out-of-Home Care

Zhou, A. Z., Chilvers, M. — Mon, 12 May 2008 05:43:51 PDT

This paper presents findings from a study examining the out-of-home care (OOHC) experiences of children aged less than one year (infants), based on data collected by the NSW Department of Community Services (DoCS), Australia. The purpose of the study is to develop a profile of infant children in OOHC and to better understand why so many young children require OOHC services and their experiences with the child welfare system. Using administrative data, we employ both descriptive and multivariate analysis to explore how child, child maltreatment history and system factors are related to the placement of infants in care. Our results are in line with research conducted in the USA and UK. The most notable finding is the high child protection reporting rate and high entry rate by infants and by Indigenous infants in particular. The tendency for infants to stay in care longer than other children, coupled with a high entry rate to care, has and will continue to have a significant impact on the child welfare system and its consequences. The implications for development of policy and early intervention programmes are discussed.

Impact of Problem-Based Learning on Social Work Students: Growth and Limits

Lam, D. O. B. — Wed, 07 May 2008 01:32:43 PDT

Social workers are expected to constantly improve their knowledge and experience and respond quickly to new challenges. Educators appreciate the significance of learning how to learn to prepare students for real-life demands at work. For these reasons, problem-based learning (PBL) has been used experimentally in the training of different disciplines including social work. In recent years, the University of Hong Kong implemented PBL to cultivate social work students' self-directed learning and group learning/collaboration abilities. A PBL Questionnaire was devised to assess the growth of students in these areas. Students were invited to fill in the PBLQ at the beginning and at the end of the PBL programme. Two focus groups of graduates and agency supervisors were also conducted to see how PBL training might affect work performance. The PBLQ scores reflected a varied personal growth profile across the different student cohorts. The training stimulated their growth in employing multiple sources of learning, directing their own learning goals and activities, and teamwork collaboration. But growth in group learning abilities was not found. While there was positive feedback from the graduates and supervisors, generalization of the findings requires more rigorous exploration.

A Qualitative Examination of Power between Child Welfare Workers and Parents

Bundy-Fazioli, K., Briar-Lawson, K., Hardiman, E. R. — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 03:51:52 PDT

This qualitative study examines the distribution of power in the working relationship between child welfare workers and parents mandated to services due to child abuse and/or neglect. In child welfare settings, the relationship between workers and parents is complicated by institutional power structures governing rules and regulations for practice. Paradoxically, workers are expected to share power with families through the implementation of empowerment, collaboration and strength-based practices. This article focuses on three emergent themes: parents' and workers' feelings of powerlessness, their ability to each wield power in the relationship, and their perceptions of how power should be distributed. The emergent themes are discussed through the lens of three power constructs—hierarchical and imbalanced, negotiated and reciprocal, and shared and balanced power—as a theoretical and conceptual framework. Our findings indicate that how workers and parents choose to interact may influence service outcomes.

Cane of Love: Parental Attitudes towards Corporal Punishment in Korea

Yang, S. — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 06:49:45 PDT

Safeguarding and System Change: Early Perceptions of the Implications for Adult Protection Services of the English Individual Budgets Pilots--A Qualitative Study

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 03:57:44 PDT

Cash for care or consumer-directed services are increasing in scope and size in Europe and North America. The English Department of Health initiated a pilot form of personalised support for adults (Individual Budgets) in 13 local authorities that aimed to extend opportunities for users of social care services to determine their own priorities and preferences in the expectation that this will enhance their well-being. This article reports on and discusses interviews undertaken with adult protection leads in the 13 Individual Budgets sites about the linkages to their work, their perceptions of the launch of the pilots and the policy s fit with safeguarding and risk agendas. The interviews were undertaken as part of the national evaluation of the pilots, which aims to evaluate outcomes and identify the contexts and mechanisms of those outcomes. Findings of this part of the study were that the adult protection leads were not central to the early implementation of Individual Budgets and that some of their concerns about the risk of financial abuse were grounded in the extent of this problem among current service users. The implications of their perceptions for the roll out of Individual Budgets are debated in this article with a focus on risk and the policy congruence between potentially competing agendas of choice and control and of protection and harm reduction.

Bullying of Lesbian and Gay Youth: A Qualitative Investigation

Mishna, F., Newman, P. A., Daley, A., Solomon, S. — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 04:05:26 PST

The preponderance of bullying research does not address sexual orientation as a possible factor. The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of service providers and youth advocates working with lesbian and gay communities in order to increase understanding of bullying of lesbian and gay youth. In depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine key informants from various education and social service settings. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Inductive data analysis was conducted using a constant comparative method. Six major categories emerged: prevalence, sites and perpetrators, institutional and community factors, effects of bullying, and barriers as well as strategies to address bullying. Several dimensions of bullying that may be specific to lesbian and gay youth (e.g. pervasiveness across their social ecology and risks to coming-out; sexual prejudice in the media; and ‘conversion bullying’) suggest the importance of investigations to support development of targeted, multi-sectoral interventions.