Hybrid journal (It can contain Open Access articles) ISSN (Print) 0045-3102 - ISSN (Online) 1468-263X Published by Oxford University Press[424 journals]
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Pages: 693 - 697 Abstract: In his essay evaluating the nature and effectiveness of the ‘machine wrecking’ movements of the early nineteenth century, Hobsbawm (1952) argued against stereotyping these movements as misguided attempts by backward labourers to slow down the progress of mechanisation. Instead, he noted that for many workers involved in these movements, their opposition to mechanisation was driven by a range of concerns, from fears of unemployment and the disruption of their communities, to the escalation of industrial conflict and the use of ‘machine wrecking’ as a bargaining tool. Despite the complex political and sociological origins of these movements, historical oversimplification has reduced this historical event to a caricature often invoked in discussions about the ethical challenges posed by technological advancement. PubDate: Fri, 17 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcad081 Issue No:Vol. 53, No. 2 (2023)
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Pages: 698 - 717 Abstract: AbstractDepressive symptoms are one of the most common mental health problems in later life. Although previous studies examined the social determinants of depressive symptoms, older adults’ attitudes towards ageing (ATA) and the underlying mechanisms are understudied, especially in developing country contexts such as China. The objective of this study was to examine the association between ATA and social participation, and their influences on depressive symptoms among older Chinese adults. The data were drawn from the 2014 baseline wave of the China Longitudinal Ageing Social Survey, and 8,568 respondents aged sixty years or older were included in this study. Path analysis was used to test the hypotheses. The results indicate that both psychological loss and psychological growth (i.e. two types of ATA) had a direct effect on depressive symptoms. In addition, ATA were likely to mediate the relationship between social participation and depressive symptoms among older people. In conclusion, this study emphasises the importance of older people’s ATA in reducing depressive symptoms and how engaging in social activities could modify ATA and further reduce the risk of depressive symptoms. PubDate: Thu, 16 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac118 Issue No:Vol. 53, No. 2 (2022)
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Pages: 718 - 736 Abstract: AbstractThere is variation in provision of social care in prisons. Our research aimed to understand variation across adult prisons in England and Wales, including: (1) what social care is provided' (2) who delivers social care' (3) what peer support initiatives are used' (4) what social care indicators are relevant' and (5) are there differences between prison type and social care provision' We analysed Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) reports (published 2017–2020) from 102 prisons. From these reports we extracted and analysed data on social care provision. Elements of social care are not consistently delivered; need assessments (81.4 per cent) and referrals (75.5 per cent) were most frequently reported. Different providers (health care/social care/prison) deliver social care. Forty-one prisons (40.2 per cent) included peer support (formal to informal). We found no notable differences between prison categories and social care delivery, although, within category D prisons, a significantly larger proportion of those with a disability reported receiving support they needed. Inspection reports highlighted that prison social care should mirror community social care, but we could not fully evaluate this due to reporting issues. Social care provision varies; effectiveness of different models is not yet known. We provide recommendations to improve social care reporting within HMIP reports. PubDate: Sat, 13 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac145 Issue No:Vol. 53, No. 2 (2022)
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Pages: 737 - 754 Abstract: AbstractThe article discusses the results of a research study on social work during COVID-19 in Slovenia. Governmental measures to prevent the spread of the disease have increased the need for assistance to various groups of people but at the same time limited their access to social services. The main research question was to what extent social workers and social services were able to reorganise and adapt to crisis conditions and how this relates to the role of social work in society. Data were collected using mixed methods: online survey and interviews with social workers. Content analysis and selective coding, thematic analysis and univariate descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. The analysis shows that the ability of social workers to respond to the growing and changing needs of people during the pandemic depended on the context in which they worked. Social work was perceived as more effective and responsive in social services where professional autonomy was assured and valued and where horizontal relationships existed between staff and management. The study contributed to a better understanding of the context in which the pandemic occurred and identified some structural barriers to successful social work that are internationally comparable and relevant. PubDate: Thu, 11 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac149 Issue No:Vol. 53, No. 2 (2022)
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Pages: 755 - 771 Abstract: AbstractDeciding about priority cases in waiting lists is a controversial activity. However, it is a well-known challenge for many social workers. This article addresses two questions related to this problem: how do social workers, as moral agents, experience the policy context in which they must prioritise cases, and what stance do they take towards it' Building on a previous study where a practice of case prioritisation was observed, semi-structured interviews were conducted (n = 11) to explore these questions. The data were analysed through an inductive process of deepening interpretation. The findings paint a picture of ambivalence: the professionals adhere to the policy guidelines of neutrality, priority for the worst-off and equal application of criteria, which are at the same time contradicted by their lived experience. The decision-making process appears to be much more contextual, particularistic and interpretative than the policy guidelines suggest. Questions are raised as to why this reality remains hidden after a discourse of simple rule-following. PubDate: Wed, 10 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac150 Issue No:Vol. 53, No. 2 (2022)
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Pages: 775 - 793 Abstract: AbstractEmerging knowledge from the behavioural economics field has the potential to expand social workers’ repertoire of tools to facilitate clients’ behavioural change and enhance policy design. However, social work training and practice do not traditionally incorporate this school of knowledge. As an initial step to bridge social work and behavioural economics, this article introduces behavioural economic concepts to social workers. In particular, it (i) reviews behavioural tendencies that are irrational, (ii) introduces seven behavioural intervention tools (commitment devices, defaults, incentives, social comparison, planning, messaging, and simplification and salience) to address these irrationalities, (iii) discusses cautions when applying these tools, (iv) introduces potential applications in micro and macro social work practice, (v) outlines steps to incorporate behavioural economic concepts into programme/policy design and (vi) addresses ethical considerations. Enhancing social workers’ knowledge of behavioural economics can facilitate interdisciplinary communication, collaboration and cross-fertilisation. Whilst social work practice may benefit from incorporating behavioural intervention tools, social workers’ rich practice wisdom can contribute to advancing ways through which nudge interventions further facilitate cognitive changes to bring about sustainable behavioural changes. PubDate: Tue, 16 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac153 Issue No:Vol. 53, No. 2 (2022)
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Pages: 794 - 811 Abstract: AbstractExtensive job turnover is a pressing concern in social work. This article reports the result of a mixed-methods study with newly qualified social workers (NQSWs) about their experiences during their first five years in the profession. What career patterns can be discerned and what are the NQSWs’ motives for staying in or leaving a particular job' The theoretical point of departure is that careers must be understood from several interacting perspectives, as individual motives and objectives meet and interact with contextual conditions. The findings from interviews and a questionnaire indicate that most NQSWs have changed employment three to eight times during a five-year period. Most quit because of bad working conditions, although some changed jobs as part of an incremental development towards achieving a particular position. Three different types of careers are found: turbulent, goal-oriented, and safe careers. NQSWs are only partially rational regarding career decisions, and most decisions are made pragmatically, especially for those with turbulent careers, which most of the respondents experienced. PubDate: Wed, 17 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac154 Issue No:Vol. 53, No. 2 (2022)
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Pages: 812 - 830 Abstract: AbstractMental health stigma by health care practitioners is well established with few education interventions implemented in Australia. Depth of field is a growing body of health humanities research that draws on healthcare consumers as legitimate experts (by experience) to co-design health professions education.This research aimed to explore whether a co-designed (with mental health consumers) education intervention shifts knowledge, attitudes and behavioural intentions of current and future health care practitioners towards caring for people who have experienced mental health issues.A convergent parallel mixed method design was used to collect data utilising a validated anti-stigma assessment tool at two time points pre- and post-intervention (n = 80) followed by qualitative data from semi-structured interviews (n = 10). Descriptive analysis, Wilcoxon Sign-Rank test to compare pre-post responses and interview data were thematically analysed.Collectively, data showed positive shifts in knowledge, attitudes and behavioural intentions towards people who have experienced mental health issues. Three main themes: Making connections: The power of storytelling; Knowledge and attitudes towards Borderline Personality Disorder: Shape, strengthen, challenge; and Inspiring change in health care practice.Co-designed education can positively impact health care practitioners’ knowledge, attitudes and behavioural intentions and has the potential to reframe mental health education toward recovery-oriented practice. PubDate: Tue, 23 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac155 Issue No:Vol. 53, No. 2 (2022)
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Pages: 831 - 847 Abstract: AbstractIn this article, the effects of social isolation which can lead to increasing feelings of loneliness and abandonment for some are examined. The article analyses findings which emerged from a qualitative study carried out with older people in three distinct areas in Scotland (city, rural and urban) who were shielding during Covid-19. It focuses on the ways in which social isolation affected them and the extent to which information and communication technology (ICT) and telecare technologies served to mitigate key aspects. The key themes which emerged from the research included loneliness as ‘multi-layered’, with these layers including ‘disconnections between loneliness and social isolation’; ‘well-being reversals’; ‘neighbours as strangers’; ‘disjointed communities and co-production’ and ‘service abandonment’. Additional themes which emerged focused on ‘ICT rebounds and evolvement’ and ‘hope, buoyancy and reciprocity’. These layers and themes can be seen to have longer term significance with regard to the implications for social work and social care planning as we move forward. They also emphasise the need for greater cohesiveness between health, telecare and social care services. PubDate: Tue, 30 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac157 Issue No:Vol. 53, No. 2 (2022)
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Pages: 848 - 865 Abstract: AbstractThis article presents a scoping review of the existing research on the use of digital data in social work. This review focuses on research that includes empirical investigations of digital data on citizens in social work practices. The purpose of this review is to map the emerging field of research and contribute knowledge of the role of digital data on citizens in social work. This review includes twenty-eight articles published between 2013 and 2020, and concludes that data pervade almost every aspect of social work and that there is a variety of research on the use of data in social work. However, detailed analyses of data that describe and conceptualise the production, circulation and utilisation of data are few. In consequence, this article introduces and discusses concepts from other data-laden fields of research, and calls for further research that addresses the challenges presented by digital data used in social work. PubDate: Mon, 05 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac158 Issue No:Vol. 53, No. 2 (2022)
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Pages: 866 - 881 Abstract: AbstractThe implementation in England of a Social Care Workforce Race Equality Standard (SCWRES), initially confined to social work, started with a first set of eighteen volunteer local authorities (LAs) in 2021. This article discusses a rapid evaluation of the SCWRES during its first year. We used Normalization Process Theory (NPT) to better understand the implementation process of this initiative. Thirty-one interviews were undertaken in 2021. Transcripts were analysed using the constant comparative approach and emerging themes were then mapped onto the NPT framework and its four main constructs. Using these we found some lack of clarity over the aims and data demands of the SCWRES (coherence), but generally substantial personal and employer investment in the intervention (cognitive participation); implementation was assisted by personal support to the LAs from senior managers at national level (collective action); and there was general constructive reflection and positive feedback about the SCWRES (reflexive monitoring). Barriers to implementation of new initiatives might be expected during a global pandemic. However, support for the SCWRES was generally high and participants considered they had learned much in its first six months despite pandemic pressures. This article highlights aspects of implementation to be addressed in any further SCWRES rollout. PubDate: Fri, 09 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac161 Issue No:Vol. 53, No. 2 (2022)
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Pages: 882 - 899 Abstract: AbstractOver-indebtedness has become an increasingly common issue in Europe and a growing concern for social work. In Sweden, budget and debt counsellors are the main actors guiding over-indebted individuals towards financial well-being. This study analyses how budget and debt counsellors rhetorically make sense of and justify their service provision. The research data consist of interviews with thirty-nine counsellors, supported by vignettes. The analysis shows that counsellors make sense of their service by constructing two guiding principles: to promote financial agency, centred on upholding the client’s autonomy and self-determination in solving the debt problems, respectively, to promote financial change, centred on providing the advice, guidance and practical support required to alleviate the client’s debt problems. These two guiding principles construct the client’s capability and responsibility to deal with their debt burden differently and motivate the counsellors to take different courses of action in relation to the client. Counsellors’ sense-making talk can thus be said to both reproduce and challenge predominant policy discourses emphasising citizens’ personal responsibility for creating welfare. The findings are discussed in relation to their implications for social work policy and practice. PubDate: Wed, 07 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac162 Issue No:Vol. 53, No. 2 (2022)
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Pages: 900 - 920 Abstract: AbstractThis article analyses Finnish children’s experiences of post-separation parental stalking as a form of domestic violence and explores how the capabilities approach (CA) can help social workers understand the issue and support children. The data consist of thematic interviews with eighteen children and young people (aged 4–21 years) whose father or stepfather has stalked their mothers after separation. The theory-driven data analysis was carried out by utilising the CA as the theoretical framework. Our findings show that parental stalking undermines children’s well-being by compromising their safety and reducing their capabilities to use their agency. The study deepened our understanding of issues that children value in their lives and of their possibilities to exercise their agency under parental stalking. Our findings suggest that social workers can support children’s agency and their chances of living out their values through interventions which provide internal and external protection. It is important that social workers create a situated understanding of children’s experiences through a relationship in which children are considered sentient individuals who are listened to and valued. The article offers a novel contribution to the application of the CA in social work involving children exposed to parental stalking. PubDate: Wed, 07 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac163 Issue No:Vol. 53, No. 2 (2022)
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Pages: 921 - 938 Abstract: AbstractSweden, as a welfare state, has a long tradition of providing formal home care and support to their citizens in their own homes, either through home care services or personal assistance. A large percentage of frail elderly and persons with disability who receive formal home care require personal and intimate care, such as help with eating, showering, getting dressed and personal hygiene. Managing intimacy and safeguarding the care recipient’s integrity pose particular challenges for staff. The aim of this qualitative interview study is to describe and analyse care workers’ (CWs) and personal assistants’ (PAs) strategies for managing situations and challenges related to provision of personal and intimate care in the context of formal home care. Semi-structured interviews with eleven CWs and nine PAs were conducted. Our analysis reveals a complex repertoire of relational and communicative strategies, within an overall approach—which we labelled ‘empathetic attuning’—of relating to the current situation and task at hand whilst safeguarding integrity. These strategies were intertwined with dimensions of time. The possibility to accomplish satisfactory personal and intimate care rests on structural and organisational conditions that promote sustainable working conditions, where relations characterised by continuity, integrity and respect can be realised. PubDate: Fri, 09 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac164 Issue No:Vol. 53, No. 2 (2022)
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Pages: 939 - 955 Abstract: AbstractThis article reports findings from a study on the effect of the adjustments or ‘easements’ that were made to the 2014 Care Act when measures to manage the impact of COVID-19 were introduced in England in 2020. Only eight local authorities (LAs) implemented the changes permitted. The experiences of five are explored in this article. Data were collected in 2021 through interviews with Directors of Adult Social Services and other senior managers in these LAs and analysed using a thematic approach. Participants referred to the challenges under which they were working pre-pandemic, including resource pressures and problems recruiting and retaining staff. Despite the conditions attached to adopting easements these LAs had done so because of the uncertainties they were facing. All ceased to use them within a short time because they could manage without them. They had been shocked by the concerted opposition to easements and the time necessitated in responding to this. They contrasted their experiences with the apparent ease with which NHS colleagues had been able to change their practices. The experiences of these LAs may contribute to planning for the continuity of social care in any future emergency. PubDate: Wed, 07 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac165 Issue No:Vol. 53, No. 2 (2022)
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Pages: 956 - 976 Abstract: AbstractThis study aimed to examine the differences in perceived disaster preparedness between Asian Americans and other major races in the USA, namely, Whites, African Americans and Native Americans, and how information-seeking behaviours and self-efficacy (i.e. perceived ability in conducting preparedness behaviours) mediated these racial differences. Data used were from the 2017 National Household Survey conducted by US Federal Emergency Management Agency and included 4,493 respondents. Multiple mediation analysis with percentile and bias-corrected bootstrapping was performed. Results showed that the perceived preparedness level of Asian Americans was lower than that of Whites and Native Americans. Asian Americans’ lower level of self-efficacy explained their disadvantages in perceived disaster preparedness compared with Whites, African Americans and Native Americans. The disadvantages of Asian Americans relative to Native Americans were also attributed to fewer information-seeking behaviours. Based on these findings, disaster-related social work services and intervention strategies can be developed to improve the preparedness mechanisms within the Asian American community and reduce racial disparities in disaster planning. PubDate: Wed, 07 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac166 Issue No:Vol. 53, No. 2 (2022)
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Pages: 977 - 993 Abstract: AbstractThe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis has had an unprecedented impact on Spanish society regarding health and social issues. The purpose of this study is to analyse the potential relationship that may exist between social and personal factors and the levels of psychological distress experienced by the Spanish population during lockdown. A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted using an ad hoc online questionnaire consisting of forty-three questions. The survey was administered to a sample of 3,436 people that were living in Spain during the second extension of the State of Alarm. A linear mixed model with random intersection has been used. Our findings demonstrate the intersectional vulnerability of young women and the impact different factors such as a COVID-19 diagnosis, experiencing symptoms compatible with COVID, an existing disability, a previous illness or solitary confinement may have on psychological distress levels. Conversely, higher resilience levels have shown a correlation with lower psychological distress levels. PubDate: Fri, 09 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac167 Issue No:Vol. 53, No. 2 (2022)
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Pages: 994 - 1018 Abstract: AbstractBackgroundAdolescent mental health is a global public health concern and parental migration has been identified as a risk factor. However, the effect mechanism remained unclear.MethodsA total of 2,737 participants (mean = 11.93, SD = 1.23) were recruited from twelve schools in migrant-sending areas in Zhejiang and Anhui provinces. The participants responded to items in Child Depression Inventory, Parent–Adolescent Communication Scale, Olweus Bully or Victim Questionnaire and socio-demographic questions. Serial multiple mediation models were analysed using the bootstrapping method.ResultsCurrent and previous left-behind (LB) experience were significantly associated with higher risks of depression, non-suicidal self-injury and suicidal ideation (p < 0.05). Mother–adolescent communication and school bullying victimisation, in serial order, mediated the effect of current LB status on mental health (p < 0.05). In terms of previously LB adolescents, parent–adolescent communication was a standalone mediator (p < 0.01) and the serial mediation effect of parent–adolescent communication and school bullying victimisation was significant.ConclusionsLack of parent–adolescent communication and school bullying victimisation acted as risk factors for the negative effect of LB status or experience on adolescent mental health. The importance of these two interpersonal factors motivates future intervention initiatives to support the mental health of LB adolescents from an integrated perspective. PubDate: Mon, 12 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac168 Issue No:Vol. 53, No. 2 (2022)
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Pages: 1019 - 1035 Abstract: AbstractThis article examines social workers’ views on care order decisions in Finnish child welfare where the decision-making procedure takes place in either the social work or court domain depending on the parties’ consent or objection to the care order proposal. Exploring this parallel decision-making system provides insights into the less studied characteristics of non-adversarial decision-making compared with those of adversarial decision-making. Based on the interviews of twenty-nine social workers, the findings present a binary view of social workers: the court domain is mainly seen as being an arena for the legal safety for families whereas the social work domain is a psychosocial, fluent and smooth arena for making care order decisions important to family members. The study points out potential misuse of the social work domain. Additional safeguards are suggested to complement the existing legal, professional and ethical safeguards as well as the re-evaluation of the role and nature of consent as a divider of the decision-making procedures. PubDate: Mon, 12 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac169 Issue No:Vol. 53, No. 2 (2022)
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Pages: 1036 - 1054 Abstract: AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic may have resulted in front line social workers experiencing job stress, burnout and other psychological distress. Little is known about the work-related stress experienced by Chinese social workers during the pandemic. This study focused on the job stress of social workers from Mainland and Macao. The research aims of this study included: (1) testing whether there is a difference in job stress between social workers from Mainland and Macao during the pandemic and (2) identifying mediating factors that helped explain such regional differences. An online survey collected data from 292 social workers in Mainland China and 108 from Macao in 2020. Mainland participants reported significantly higher job stress than Macao participants. Regional differences in job stress amongst Mainland and Macao social workers were partially attributed to their age and professional role identity. More attention needs to be paid to social workers in Mainland China as they experience higher job stress than their counterparts from Macao. Future research is needed to examine other factors (e.g. job demand and financial compensation) that may contribute to such regional differences. PubDate: Sat, 10 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac170 Issue No:Vol. 53, No. 2 (2022)
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Pages: 1055 - 1076 Abstract: AbstractThe workplace support, job burnout and income are powerful predictors of turnover intention, yet the potential mechanisms remain not fully understood amongst social workers in China. Framing the job demands-resources model, this study established a moderated mediation model to test the role of job burnout in mediating the association between workplace support and turnover intention, as well as the role of income in moderating the above mediating process. A survey was distributed to social workers from the China Social Work Longitudinal Study in 2019 to investigate their demographic information, Maslach’s Burnout Inventory, workplace support and turnover intention, and 4,704 respondents were included in the final analyses. The results showed that workplace support of social workers was negatively associated with turnover intention. Moderated mediation analyses revealed that monthly income buffered the negative association amongst the triad of workplace support, job burnout and turnover intention. The findings suggest that the government and social service agencies need to provide workplace support and offer a satisfying salary to reduce job burnout and turnover intention of social workers. PubDate: Tue, 13 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac171 Issue No:Vol. 53, No. 2 (2022)
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Pages: 1077 - 1098 Abstract: AbstractThe interpersonal harms that young people experience beyond their families have been documented internationally as have the challenges of protecting those effected using existing child welfare systems. Concern about this in the UK has led to development of ‘contextual’ child protection systems—capable of targeting the peer group, school and community contexts where extra-familial harm (EFH) occurs. This study examined whether reviews of serious incidents (serious case reviews (SCRs)) provide an evidence-base for understanding the contextual dynamics of EFH and/or developing contextual responses. SCRs (n = 49) from 2010–2020, where adolescents were harmed in extra-familial contexts, were analysed over two stages. Stage 1 involved thematic coding under four research questions. Using a framework analysis, Stage 1 themes were grouped around according to: contexts associated with EFH; the nature of social work responses and case review recommendations. Findings suggest that SCRs provide a limited account of the contextual dynamics of EFH. Whilst reviews illustrate that social work responses rarely address the contextual dynamics of EFH, many reviewers have neglected to focus on this shortfall when recommending service improvements. For case reviews to inform contextual child protection systems, information provided to review authors and the design of review requires adaptation. PubDate: Mon, 26 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac172 Issue No:Vol. 53, No. 2 (2022)
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Pages: 1099 - 1116 Abstract: AbstractSocial work professionals in urban contexts struggle to serve different groups equally. Critical social work literature advocates critical reflexivity in social work practices. Focusing on existing support practices, it encourages scrutinising the implicit ways social work practices can maintain and reproduce power imbalances and othering structures. However, it has not examined the tensions connected with phases in which the first contact between clients and professionals occurs and clients’ engagement in social work programmes begins. Stimulated by an empirical research into parenting-support in a city in the Netherlands, this article examines theoretically the notion of ‘encounter practices’ through which professionals reach out to people considered in need of support but not asking for help. We disentangle how encounter practices can be interpreted through different understandings of professional engagement, emerging from either critical or affirmative traditions of social work. The encounter context poses specific challenges for critical reflexivity, but it also offers the possibility of exploring one’s social positioning in relation to others through informal micro-interactions preceding the instalment of professional relations between professionals and parents. Drawing on insights from urban studies, we distinguish ‘fleeting’, ‘convivial’ and ‘engaged encounters’ as different levels of encounter that allow unsettling othering structures in outreach practices. PubDate: Fri, 16 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac173 Issue No:Vol. 53, No. 2 (2022)
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Pages: 1117 - 1141 Abstract: AbstractLived experience leadership is part of a broader international trend towards service user involvement in public services yet little is known about services developed and delivered by people with lived experience of the criminal justice system. Our innovative study, coproduced by two formerly imprisoned community practitioners and an academic researcher, aims to amplify the voices of people delivering and using a lived experience-led crime prevention project. Using photovoice methods, in which people use cameras to document their realities and advocate for change, we explore the potential of lived experience leadership to drive individual and social change. Some of the compelling images produced by the group are showcased, revealing how in contexts of suffering, social exclusion and negative expectations, forms of inclusive, loving, hopeful community praxis can be impactful. We conclude that allegiances between community practitioners and social workers could begin to disrupt harmful and oppressive structures and create locally led, hope-filled service provision. To broker such allied practices, we include a self-audit for social and community workers, inviting reflections focused on this ambitious goal. PubDate: Fri, 16 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac174 Issue No:Vol. 53, No. 2 (2022)
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Pages: 1142 - 1160 Abstract: AbstractSocial work doctoral education is charged with the task of generating and critically evaluating knowledge to inform and transform professional practice. To promote the foundational values of social justice and diversity in social work, scholars highlight the importance of multiple ways of knowing and multiple ontological perspectives in social work knowledge generation. Yet, critical scholars have raised concerns about a reviving dogmatism in the philosophical and theoretical orientations (e.g. positivism and empiricism) of social work knowledge. Recent studies also show a significant gap between research and social justice in the social work doctoral curriculum. Critically reflecting and problematising this ‘social’ phenomenon, I argue that it is essential to engage in ongoing theorising to resist dominant discourses, represent marginalised voices in social work knowledge and furthermore, to teach students how to theorise in doctoral education. Drawing from Foucauldian theories on knowledge and power, this article first contextualises the dangers of dogmatism in knowledge generation in social work. Then, I provide a brief review of the historical development of theorising, introducing Richard Swedberg’s work on the topic, particularly his four steps in the ‘process of theorising’. How this noble sociological ‘theory of theorising’ can be incorporated into social work is discussed. PubDate: Wed, 21 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac176 Issue No:Vol. 53, No. 2 (2022)
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Pages: 1161 - 1182 Abstract: AbstractThe Social Work Department of a large Australian health service has led an organisation-wide risk identification reporting system providing oversight of family violence cases. The availability of this data offered a unique opportunity for robust evidence collection of the victim survivor experience, and the clinical response, over an eight-month period during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The audit of family violence notifications and clinical notes (n = 283) identified 36 per cent of cases were impacted by pandemic-related factors. Psychological (69 per cent) and physical abuse (64 per cent) were the most identified forms of family violence. Multiple pandemic-related stressors were evident, including financial stress (38 per cent), housing instability (27 per cent) and unemployment (22 per cent). Telehealth was seen as both an opportunity for further control by perpetrators as well as a strategy to stay connected with at risk and isolated patients. Two focus groups with clinical staff (n = 16) described evidence of an increased shared sense of responsibility amongst multidisciplinary colleagues towards family violence presentations during COVID-19. The findings contribute to emerging knowledge about risks and barriers impacting victim survivors during disasters, such as pandemics, and offer strategies for improving practice. Findings highlight the important role of social workers in data collection and analysis to inform their practice. PubDate: Fri, 14 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac184 Issue No:Vol. 53, No. 2 (2022)
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Pages: 1183 - 1203 Abstract: AbstractMinority communities have borne a disproportionate burden of health, social and economic consequences during the pandemic. By engaging in policy-shaping processes, social workers can contribute to the development of beneficial policies for minority communities. When working in cross-cultural environments with majorities and minorities, social workers must develop cultural competence to be effective in policy practice. Despite the importance associated with cultural competence in policy practice (CCPP), little empirical evidence exists regarding what is required of social workers in order to engage in culturally competent policy change during the pandemic. In the present study, we address this lacuna through the theoretical framework of culturally competent policy practice. Drawing on twenty-one in-depth interviews, which were conducted at two time points during the pandemic with social workers who work with ultra-Orthodox minority communities in Israel, we demonstrate that CCPP involves the combination of two perspectives—contextual and structural. These include identifying and analysing social problems from a local and global perspective, reshaping the problem through self-awareness and critical awareness of power relations, and applying cultural competence skills that reflect the unique characteristics of the communities. This article discusses the strengths and limitations of CCPP, especially when implemented in changing social and political situations. PubDate: Fri, 07 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac185 Issue No:Vol. 53, No. 2 (2022)
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Pages: 1204 - 1224 Abstract: AbstractLike many settings worldwide, Hong Kong has recently been combatting the COVID-19 pandemic. Ethnic minorities have reported perceived discrimination via local media outlets. They have been stereotyped as virus spreaders due to the increasing number of confirmed cases and untraceable COVID-19 clusters in Hong Kong. Using a social justice framework, this qualitative study explores gaps in COVID-19 prevention practices to eliminate systemic barriers for ethnic minorities in Hong Kong. Fifteen interviews were conducted with social service providers who worked closely with ethnic minority groups (South and Southeast Asian groups from low-income households, foreign domestic workers and asylum seekers and refugees) during the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong. This study yielded six themes using thematic analysis as follows: (i) lacking mental health support for diverse ethnic minority groups; (ii) lacking efforts to eliminate perceived discrimination; (iii) existing language barriers across diverse services; (iv) lacking channels to disseminate accurate information; (v) a need for advanced technology and (vi) lacking appropriate surgical mask sizes for some ethnic minority individuals. This study recommends culturally responsive practices in Hong Kong. PubDate: Thu, 10 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac207 Issue No:Vol. 53, No. 2 (2022)
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Pages: 1225 - 1242 Abstract: AbstractPrior to the COVID-19 pandemic, social work and social care practitioners had some the worst working conditions of any sector in the UK. During the pandemic, data revealed that social care occupations had higher COVID infection and mortality rates than the general population. The article reports the changing working conditions (measured via the Work-Related Quality of Life scale) and well-being (measured via the Short Warwich–Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale) of UK social care and social workers across three timepoints between May 2020 and July 2021 through an online cross-sectional survey of working conditions and well-being. Analysis of variance demonstrated that both well-being and working conditions were significantly poorer in July 2021 (phase 3 [n = 1,606]) than the previous two phases (n = 2,523 and n = 2,424, respectively), suggesting that both working conditions and well-being worsened within the social care and social work workforce across the pandemic. Furthermore, each of career satisfaction, working conditions, control, general well-being and home–work interface predicted poorer well-being at Time 3. Whilst chronically poor working conditions can lead to poorer individual psychological and physiological health outcomes, our findings highlight continually poor conditions in this sector, with potential further impacts on organisations and the service users that social care workers support. It is therefore important that individuals, organisations and government develop mechanisms to support these critical workers during and following the pandemic. PubDate: Wed, 16 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac214 Issue No:Vol. 53, No. 2 (2022)
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Pages: 1243 - 1262 Abstract: AbstractPeople with care and support needs were often badly affected by Covid-19, although the impact on people employing Personal Assistants (PAs) has not been addressed. We aimed to explore the experiences of people employing PAs during the pandemic to inform care systems and social work practice. Remote qualitative interviews were conducted with seventy PA employers across England in 2021–2022. Data were analysed thematically to explore salient themes. The Covid-19 pandemic elucidated role tensions of PA employers: Navigating care arrangements during a time of unprecedented uncertainty reinforced participants’ role as an employer, but exposed some aspects of employment responsibilities and legal obligations that participants felt ill-equipped to manage. Reports of contact with or by social workers were few and not perceived as helpful. The often-informal nature of PA arrangements and its blurred relational boundaries affected participants’ expectations of their PAs. PA employers would welcome support from social workers in their employment role and flexibility with care plans, albeit with greater autonomy over their Direct Payment (DP) budget to enhance the potential of this arrangement. In the context of declining DP uptake in England, our study offers some potential explanations for this, with suggestions for systemic change and social work practice. PubDate: Wed, 07 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac228 Issue No:Vol. 53, No. 2 (2022)
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Pages: 1263 - 1265 Abstract: Living a Good Life with Dementia: A practitioner's Guide, MurphyLiz Leach and PatelJayna, St Albans, Critical Publishing, 2021, pp. viii + 312, ISBN 9781914171567, £24.99 (pbk) PubDate: Thu, 07 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac064 Issue No:Vol. 53, No. 2 (2022)
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Pages: 1265 - 1267 Abstract: Youth Migration and the Politics of Wellbeing. Stories of Life in Transition, ChaseElaine and AllsoppJennifer, Bristol, UK, Bristol University Press, 2021, pp. 268, ISBN 978-1529209037, £26.99 (p/b) PubDate: Thu, 07 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac065 Issue No:Vol. 53, No. 2 (2022)
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Pages: 1267 - 1269 Abstract: A New History of Social Work: Values and Practice in the Struggle for Social Justice, PiersonJohn H., Abingdon, Routledge, 2022, pp. 1 + 220, ISBN: 978-0-367-11005-5, £33.29 (ebook) PubDate: Fri, 06 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac089 Issue No:Vol. 53, No. 2 (2022)
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Pages: 1269 - 1271 Abstract: Social Work Education: Indigenous Perspectives, RoySanjoy (ed.),New Delhi, SAGE Publications, 2021, pp. xxx + 235, ISBN: 978-93-5388-637-0 (hb), $52.00 (Paperback) PubDate: Fri, 20 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac100 Issue No:Vol. 53, No. 2 (2022)
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Pages: 1271 - 1273 Abstract: Shame and Social Work: Theory, Reflexivity and Practice, FrostLiz, Magyar-HaasVeronika, SchonevilleHolger and SicoraAlessandro (eds), Bristol, Polity Press, 2021, pp. iii–210, ISBN 978 1 4473 4408 7 (pbk), £26.99 PubDate: Mon, 04 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac130 Issue No:Vol. 53, No. 2 (2022)
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