Hybrid journal (It can contain Open Access articles) ISSN (Print) 0045-3102 - ISSN (Online) 1468-263X Published by Oxford University Press[419 journals]
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Authors:Maglajlic R; Ioakimidis V. Pages: 1189 - 1191 Abstract: Writing this editorial, in the UK on the 3 March 2022, we are acutely aware of how different it may read by the time the third issue of the 52nd volume of the Journal is published. It is written seven days after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and at the end of the UK University and College Union (UCU) ten-day strike over work conditions and pension cuts in the Higher Education Institutions in this country. All the lives and livelihoods affected by social work privately and professionally are undergoing violent and turbulent changes almost on daily and monthly basis. We write it as a time capsule of hope, despite our knowledge of all the challenges that lie before all of us. Only eighteen months into our role as the Editors of the BJSW, the Editorial Team, Editorial Board, BASW, all social workers, and people who interact with social workers across the globe have lived through a global pandemic and several natural disasters. Invasion of the Ukraine isn’t even the first violent political conflict to impact our colleagues and communities across the globe, with on-going violence in Colombia, Palestine, Syria, Yemen, Sudan and Myanmar also taking place during this relatively brief period. PubDate: Thu, 21 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac058 Issue No:Vol. 52, No. 3 (2022)
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Authors:Malone P; Canavan J. Pages: 1192 - 1212 Abstract: AbstractAll states grapple with the challenges of protecting children and ensuring their development. For minority world states, whilst there is a longer history of established systems focused on the protection and welfare of children, transformation and change are ever-present characteristics of such systems—reflecting the ongoing pursuit of greater effectiveness in meeting the needs of service users. Recent trends suggest an increased focus on prevention and family support amongst child protection systems, with some national and regional states re-organising services in this direction. Alongside these central policy and practice reforms, academic literature has emerged to support those considering and planning for system change and improvement in child protection. In this article, we first propose a conceptual framework for studying system change in child protection, building on the work of Coffman and Wulczyn, but incorporating three further orientations: system culture and climate; implementation science; and leadership. Secondly, using Ireland’s experience of developing and strengthening the prevention and family support dimensions of its child protection system as a case study, we assess the value of the framework and possible revisions to it for future use. PubDate: Mon, 28 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcab097 Issue No:Vol. 52, No. 3 (2021)
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Authors:McDermid S; Trivedi H, Holmes L, et al. Pages: 1213 - 1230 Abstract: AbstractFoster carers characterise a highly diverse workforce that shares the choice to provide a home and family for children who can no longer reside with their family. This diversity makes supporting and providing for carers’ training needs a complex task for fostering services. Understanding what might influence their engagement in training would be useful. This article outlines themes related to foster carers’ engagement with social pedagogy, using data from the Head, Heart, Hands (HHH) programme evaluation. Analysis of interviews with seventy-six foster carers over a period of three years is presented. The emerging themes were used to devise an illustrative typology of receptiveness to training. The themes relate to the perceived impact of HHH on their practice and compatibility with the existing children’s social care (CSC) system. The article explores the factors that may influence foster carers’ positioning within the typology. The contributions that such a typology might make to the wider evidence base across CSC, in terms of the implementation and potential impacts of intervention, are discussed. PubDate: Fri, 23 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcab152 Issue No:Vol. 52, No. 3 (2021)
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Authors:Holt A; Birchall J. Pages: 1231 - 1248 Abstract: AbstractChild and adolescent violence towards grandparent kinship carers is a significant and yet under-researched phenomenon. This study draws on data from thirty-six in-depth interviews which include grandparent carers who are experiencing such violence, and professionals from a range of backgrounds whose work intersects with this problem. The study highlights how the kinship care context shapes the violence, its impacts and, in turn, carers’ help-seeking practices. The findings highlight that social workers must better understand the barriers that prevent grandparent kinship carers from asking for help, and improve their responses to such requests. Recommendations for social work practice include asking the right questions, engaging in effective risk assessment, taking a trauma-informed approach, avoiding the language of coercion and improving its response to grandparents’ own articulated support needs. PubDate: Tue, 27 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcab156 Issue No:Vol. 52, No. 3 (2021)
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Authors:Leena B; Arie R. Pages: 1249 - 1268 Abstract: AbstractArab society in Israel is undergoing modernisation and secularisation. However, its approach to disability and mental illness is still dominated by religious and traditional stereotypes, as well as folk remedies and community practices. The present study examines differences in Muslim social workers and Imams’ recommendations in marriage/divorce and child custody cases of persons with intellectual disabilities (IDs) or mental illness. The study has two goals: (1) To examine differences in recommendations between Imams and Muslim social workers and (2) to explore variables related to their differential recommendations as observed in their responses to vignettes. Quantitative study using vignettes resembling existing Muslim religious (Sharia) court cases. Muslim social workers (138) and Imams (forty-eight) completed a background questionnaire, a religiosity questionnaire and a questionnaire that included twenty-five vignettes constructed by the researcher based on court rulings, adapted for the study. Muslim social workers tended to consider the religious recommendation when the family of person with ID or mental illness was portrayed in the vignette as religious. The same applied to Imams, albeit to a greater extent. The findings call for raising awareness amongst social workers and academics regarding the importance of religion and tradition in formulating professional recommendations. PubDate: Fri, 23 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcab137 Issue No:Vol. 52, No. 3 (2021)
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Authors:Vager-Atias E; Krumer-Nevo M. Pages: 1269 - 1286 Abstract: AbstractYoung people from ethnic minority groups are at the centre of public concern in modern societies. This article presents the findings of a qualitative study that critically examines the discourses of thirty-three social workers who work with young people of Ethiopian ethnic origin in Israel. The findings reveal three key discourses: the social inclusion discourse, the meritocracy discourse and the social conflict discourse. Alongside the dominance of conservative discourses and neoliberal perceptions of youth and sociocultural group relationships, the findings reveal the existence of a competing critical discourse. The discussion offers a critical and contextual analysis of the field of social work with youth as the basis for a renewed discussion of basic assumptions, values, professional role perceptions and work directions. It notes the critical models that recognise and oppose oppression as an alternative to policymaking, training and practice processes regarding young people from social minority groups. PubDate: Mon, 05 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcab146 Issue No:Vol. 52, No. 3 (2021)
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Authors:Cocker C; Cooper A, Holmes D. Pages: 1287 - 1306 Abstract: AbstractThis article argues for a transformation in the protection and safeguarding needs of young people during their transition between childhood and adulthood. In order to explore with local authorities how they would address some of these challenges, the authors facilitated four national workshops with principal social workers, senior and middle managers (n = 88) from approximately one-third of Local Authorities in England (n = 52) from both Children and Adult social services. Participants discussed enablers and barriers to local and regional approaches to transitional safeguarding at practice, managerial, strategic and multi-agency levels. Findings from the workshops showed many examples of commitment to improvement and change, despite funding constraints and system barriers. No single local authority had a coherent and comprehensive approach to Transitional Safeguarding. Although some partnerships had started to lead innovation, it was still too early to demonstrate any effective impact throughout all systems, including whether outcomes for young people had improved. Participants also emphasised that young people should be involved as key stakeholders in developing appropriate responses. The system changes required to improve Transitional Safeguarding practices are complex and involve a re-configuration of the ‘risk’ versus ‘rights’ paradigms that permeate societal responses to the protection of young people. PubDate: Sun, 17 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcaa238 Issue No:Vol. 52, No. 3 (2021)
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Authors:Dixon J; Donnelly S, Campbell J, et al. Pages: 1307 - 1324 Abstract: AbstractDementia may make adults more susceptible to abuse and neglect and such mistreatment is recognised as a human rights violation. This article focusses on how the rights of people living with dementia might be protected through the use of supported decision-making within safeguarding work. The article begins by reviewing the aims and scope of adult safeguarding services. It then describes how the concept of ‘legal capacity’ is set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and how this differs from the concept of ‘mental capacity’ in the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Focussing on practice in England, it is argued that tensions between the CRPD and domestic law exist, but these can be brought into closer alignment by finding ways to maximise supported decision-making within existing legal and policy frameworks. The article concludes with suggested practice strategies which involve: (i) providing clear and accessible information about safeguarding; (ii) thinking about the location of safeguarding meetings; (iii) building relationships with people living with dementia; (iv) using flexible timescales; (v) tailoring information to meet the needs of people living with dementia and (v) respecting the person’s will and preferences in emergency situations. PubDate: Mon, 14 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcab119 Issue No:Vol. 52, No. 3 (2021)
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Authors:Wyder M; Barratt J, Jonas R, et al. Pages: 1325 - 1340 Abstract: AbstractWhilst recovery theory in mental health has become increasingly influential, much of the focus has been on individualistic understandings. This study aimed to explore the relevance of a family-based recovery framework developed by the authors. This framework explored the CHIME (Connectedness, Hope, Identity, Meaning and Purpose, and Empowerment) tenants of recovery from the perspectives of the consumer, the family role of providing recovery-oriented support and own recovery. Two Action Learning Sets (ASLs) were conducted with Family Peer Workers: the first ASL focused on presenting and receiving feedback on the framework and this feedback was integrated into a new model, which was represented and refined at a second ASL. The results highlight that recovery processes are strongly embedded within family networks, which can be composed of different individuals, relationships, roles and experiences. Furthermore, recovery processes are not static and individual family members can be at different stages. Whilst CHIME provides a useful framework, it did not encapsulate the experiences of loss and complicated grief many families face. A relational framework that encapsulates the interaction of recovery experiences between different family members as well as grief and loss can guide clinicians to support family’s capacity to encourage recovery of individual members as well as ameliorating the family’s psychological distress. PubDate: Mon, 19 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcab149 Issue No:Vol. 52, No. 3 (2021)
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Authors:Regehr C; Paterson J, Sewell K, et al. Pages: 1341 - 1361 Abstract: AbstractSocial workers and other professionals providing mental health services are regularly required to make high-stakes decisions in situations characterised by conflicting demands. To better understand the factors that drive clinical decision making in situations of risk and uncertainty, we used a design-based research framework to pilot a new approach for improving professional decision making. The programme, which combined simulated interviews, a master class series and personal monitoring of real-time decisions, was designed to focus explicit attention on biological, emotional, cognitive and contextual influences on decision making. Preliminary results from a pilot study suggest that during and immediately following the intervention, clinicians demonstrated new insights into their decision making processes. In addition, they reported benefitting both from the opportunity to reflect individually and share reflections with others. Physiological data demonstrated an association between stressful decisions in real-world clinical practice, elevated heart rate and emotional responses. Qualitative data suggested that client risk represented only one aspect of decision making that resulted in emotional and physical responses, and others included team dynamics, socio-evaluative stressors and organisational and societal factors. This innovative decision making programme creates new opportunities for integrating research, practice and education and shows promise of improving social work practice. PubDate: Sat, 12 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcab131 Issue No:Vol. 52, No. 3 (2021)
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Authors:Abbott S. Pages: 1362 - 1379 Abstract: AbstractThere is little empirical research focusing on how social workers experience the law in their everyday professional practice, and still less on how mental health social workers experience assessment for compulsory admission under mental health law. The article is informed by a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, drawing on in-depth interviews and practitioner diaries with social work Approved Mental Health Professionals (AMHPs), providing exploration of how social work AMHPs experience compulsory assessment under mental health law in practice. This is revealed as a socio-relational process, involving a focus on the person in their environment in relation to others, such as family and professionals. Ethical challenges realising human rights social work practice are illuminated. This draws attention to how space for such practice can be eroded by systems conditions. The importance of amplifying the voice of the person assessed is highlighted in the context that their voice is severely diminished during the process of assessment. The article provides insights on the complexity involved in compulsory mental health practice, drawing attention to trust as an important concept. Finally, the article argues that realising human rights-oriented AMHP practice requires social work to challenge systems conditions that erode the ability to do so. PubDate: Mon, 19 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcab145 Issue No:Vol. 52, No. 3 (2021)
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Authors:Chisholm J; Petrakis M. Pages: 1380 - 1397 Abstract: AbstractRecovery-oriented practice (ROP) is being steadily adopted worldwide. The current research examined the perspectives of clinicians about ROP pre-implementation at a clinical mental health service. The method was a survey consisting of fourteen questions regarding implementation of ROP and clinicians reported self-efficacy about work within a ROP framework. The research design was mixed methods couched within a narrative approach. It was exploratory and social constructivist in nature. This article explores quantitative data. Participants were 203 mental health clinicians from multidisciplinary backgrounds—including social work, nursing, occupational therapy, psychiatry, psychology, other medical and other allied health. There were 142 females, 46 males; 15 did not specify their sex. Results showed that clinicians perceived their practice was recovery-oriented 83.6 per cent of the time. Overall, 81 per cent chose the most recovery-oriented statement prior to formal training in ROP. This study concludes that clinicians are committed to the implementation of ROP. They do not believe ROP is easy to implement; however, they do believe it can be successfully implemented in the clinical treatment setting. With the support of stakeholders, these findings may be used to aid the ongoing implementation of ROP into the study service, and add to social work literature. PubDate: Wed, 14 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcab125 Issue No:Vol. 52, No. 3 (2021)
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Authors:Meadows K; Moran N. Pages: 1398 - 1415 Abstract: AbstractHuman rights are described as central to the social work profession. However, whilst principles of human rights are generally accepted as fundamental to social work, their application in specific practice settings is far more complex and the perspectives of social workers themselves are largely absent in the literature.This research explored the perspectives of nine social workers in integrated mental health teams in a National Health Service (NHS) Trust in the north of England. Participants took part in semi-structured face-to-face interviews investigating the role of social workers in enacting rights-based social work in integrated mental health services, the issues they face and aspects of good practice. Participants identified rights-based approaches as inherent in their practice but lacked an adequate language to describe this work and confidence in using specific legislation. All described a lack of available training (post-qualification) and support, and the impact of a lack of both time and resources, in enacting rights-based work. The research suggests a need for further training in human rights, increased support for social workers in enacting rights-based work and for a language of human rights to be more effectively embedded in organisations. PubDate: Thu, 24 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcab126 Issue No:Vol. 52, No. 3 (2021)
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Authors:Dewanckel L; Schiettecat T, Hermans K, et al. Pages: 1416 - 1434 Abstract: AbstractIn the face of growing social, economic, political and demographic challenges, many European welfare states have been confronted with barriers in realising the social rights of certain groups of citizens. This phenomenon has often been referred to as ‘the non-take up of social rights’. Considering the core mandate and key principles of social work as a practice-based profession and academic discipline, we argue that social work should have a key role in knowledge and practice development on understanding and combating the non-take up of social rights. Our integrative contextual literature review, nonetheless, demonstrates that there is a tangible scarcity of theoretically and empirically grounded social work research that generates fruitful and in-depth insights into the socially unjust situations and complex dynamics behind these processes of non-take up. This article therefore aims to identify and discuss the key knowledge gaps in the existing body of research on non-take up. As a result, we address critical foci for a future empirical social work research agenda to munition social work practice development that strongly accentuates the substantial realisation of social rights and accordingly contributes to social justice. PubDate: Fri, 04 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcab117 Issue No:Vol. 52, No. 3 (2021)
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Authors:Barciela Fernández S; Lorenzo Gilsanz F, Martínez Herrero M. Pages: 1435 - 1455 Abstract: AbstractAbout 56 percent of the world’s population lives in urban environments. In more economically developed countries, this percentage is considerably higher. Increasingly, cities’ more vulnerable and culturally diverse neighbourhoods are the context of violent conflicts linked to interconnected socio-economic (inequality), ethnocultural (discrimination) and public-institutional (delegitimation) causal factors. Social outbursts such as London (2011) or Husby’s (Stockholm, 2013) riots are amongst the most notorious recent examples of these. Both the frequency and intensity of these conflicts are only expected to worsen as the economic impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic takes hold. This article introduces the ‘Theory of Rupture Frames (TRF)’, which offers a new three-dimensional explanatory model of violent conflicts in vulnerable neighbourhoods with high socio-cultural diversity. The ‘TRF’, it is argued, offers a novel and suitable framework for founding and guiding social work’s preventative and healing-oriented interventions facing these. This is in relation to the TRF’s dual potential for (i) contributing to the theoretical understanding in the social work profession of this type of conflict and for (ii) offering a tool for guiding the assessment of needs and strategic planning of social work-led actions in the context of the neighbourhoods affected by the conflicts or at risk of their outburst. PubDate: Tue, 27 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcab159 Issue No:Vol. 52, No. 3 (2021)
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Authors:Furlong M; Brophy L. Pages: 1456 - 1473 Abstract: AbstractThe present contribution seeks to strengthen the capacity of social workers to respond to the experience of potential or actual conflict. In this project, an initial stage involved scanning the available literature. This process yielded two general findings: (i) most of the available literature is specialist in nature and (ii) the available social work literature concentrates on conflicts between workers and clients. The second stage in the exercise develops a set of linguistic distinctions, for example that disagreement can be distinguished from confrontation. Building on this set, three vignettes are examined as concrete sites in which formulations of, and responses to, conflict are developed. An outline of symmetrical and complementary processes is then introduced. This theoretical material is central at the consideration of a final, more complex vignette—an engagement that consolidates, and then extends, the themes developed earlier in the paper. A general proposition is raised: deliberately engaging with the issue of conflict offers opportunities for personal and professional growth. More specifically, it is suggested that those who tend to avoid conflict can usefully experiment with leaning into, rather than away from, disagreement whilst those who tend towards directness can usefully practice behaviours that engage with difference more obliquely. PubDate: Mon, 19 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcab153 Issue No:Vol. 52, No. 3 (2021)
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Authors:Dollinger B. Pages: 1474 - 1491 Abstract: AbstractIn a critical examination of evidence-based approaches, the contribution argues for the development of a concept of causality that is sustainable for social work in order to explain why it has an impact. Two special features of social work are important in this respect: it is confronted with relatively high complexity and service users shape the effects of social work in their interactions with professionals. A social work conceptualisation of causality should consider both aspects, and it should be analytically grounded in interactions between professionals and service users. However, their interrelated practices do not stand alone. Interactions are always reflexively accompanied by the participants. The awareness and expectation that social work measures (should) have consequences is part of the practice of social work and its effects. PubDate: Tue, 15 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcab133 Issue No:Vol. 52, No. 3 (2021)
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Authors:Moshe-Grodofsky M; Allassad Alhuzail N. Pages: 1492 - 1510 Abstract: AbstractThe value of equine-assisted interventions that promote growth and learning is increasingly recognised in professional practice. The aim of this study was to examine how equine-assisted intervention enhanced personal and professional growth for social work professionals. Arab social workers from the social service department in the Bedouin city Hura, Israel participated in three workshops based on the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA) model. Observations conducted through the workshops, debriefing sessions with participants and fourteen in-depth semi-structured interviews were analysed. Analysis exposed the importance of space in promoting development. Specifically, participants described the value of space for self-reflection, the importance of the space within and between relationships and space as a site for team building. Changes amongst the participants from dependence on external instruction to autonomous decision making, enhanced spontaneous activity with the horses and mutual assistance were identified. This is the first equine-assisted learning workshop and research conducted with social workers in Israel. The results highlight the value of equine-assisted learning as a new avenue to help grow social work professionals as they continue to work with their clientele. Results suggest that there is potential for equine-assisted interventions to support social workers internationally. PubDate: Fri, 04 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcab113 Issue No:Vol. 52, No. 3 (2021)
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Authors:Watermeyer T; Yan M. Pages: 1511 - 1528 Abstract: AbstractWhile acknowledging mutual alignment in their critique of social work’s dominant Eurocentric lens, indigenous and indigenization of social work have thus far forged separate routes. Indigenous social work predominantly focuses on groups in the settler colonial states of North America and Australia where the term ‘indigenous’ as an official identity category is embraced by groups to signify their a priori territorial claims, traditional way of life, and distinct world views. Indigenization of social work, on the other hand, primarily deals with the effective transmission of praxis in non-western regions. Yet complex linkages between the two exist that impacts the trajectory of indigenization of social work. This article draws upon indigenous theorizing and transdisciplinary learning to examine the neglect of highly charged concepts such as ‘indigenous’ and relationally notions of indigeneity within the social work indigenization discourse in China. Further, grounding the analysis within the liminal sphere of China’s ethnic minorities, particularly the case of Tibet Autonomous Region, it presents a preliminary discussion on potential ways to conceptualize ways forward. PubDate: Wed, 14 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcab064 Issue No:Vol. 52, No. 3 (2021)
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Authors:Kim Y; Maleku A, Lim Y, et al. Pages: 1529 - 1551 Abstract: AbstractRefugees’ successful integration into US society requires adaptation to economic, financial and social norms. Despite the importance of considering financial challenges (financial stress and financial anxiety) and financial capacity (financial literacy and financial self-efficacy) in reaching personal financial goals, literature examining the relationship between financial challenges and capacity—critical in refugee resettlement and integration—is sparse and fragmented. This study explored financial challenges and capacity amongst resettled African refugees (N = 130) in the southern USA using data from a larger community-based participatory research study that used a mixed-methods approach. We explored socio-demographic differences in financial stress, financial anxiety, financial literacy and financial self-efficacy across African refugee subpopulation groups. Our study highlights the importance of social work advocacy for data disaggregation, which helps establish the scope of the problem, unmask subpopulation differences and make vulnerable groups more visible to facilitate the development of tailored programmes and services to reach economic integration goals. We provide social work implications for data disaggregation in the current coronavirus context, which will leave long-term financial scars on refugee subpopulations. PubDate: Fri, 05 Feb 2021 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcab008 Issue No:Vol. 52, No. 3 (2021)
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Authors:Soukenik E; Haran H, Kirsch J, et al. Pages: 1552 - 1576 Abstract: AbstractAlthough discussions regarding the need to develop culturally responsive mental health services for resettled refugee populations in the USA have been burgeoning, efforts to comprehensively understand the unique barriers and facilitators of mental health services across refugee subpopulations remain fragmented. Our study explored the barriers and facilitators of mental health services experienced by the resettled Bhutanese refugee population in a Midwestern city in the USA using a two-phased sequential explanatory mixed-methods study (N = 46). Study findings draw much needed attention to culturally grounded solutions generated by the community to reduce barriers and increase facilitators of mental health engagement. Building on community-generated solutions and expanding the capacity of local community-based ethnic organisations will be the first step in providing services that are truly responsive to the cultural needs of the Bhutanese refugee population. Recognition of refugee communities’ unique collective strengths will be much needed to holistically collaborate with these new members of the society to promote mental well-being and foster a sense of inclusion and belonging, especially in the post-coronavirus pandemic context. Our study also contributes to emerging knowledge on methodological rigor in research amongst understudied, hard-to-reach populations. PubDate: Wed, 14 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcab123 Issue No:Vol. 52, No. 3 (2021)
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Authors:Tonsing J. Pages: 1577 - 1591 Abstract: AbstractThe purpose of this study is to explore the educational and resettlement experiences of Burmese refugee children in the USA. Transition and migration in itself are a difficult task for refugees due to the demands associated with adjustment to a new way of life in a different environment, and even more so for children, as the events co-occur with the developmental changes they experience. The study has employed qualitative research methods in the form of in-depth interviews to examine the subjective experiences of the participants. Using the purposive sampling method, twenty-eight Burmese refugee children participated in a one-on-one in-depth interview. Respondents ranged in age from ten to seventeen years, with the majority being girls (53.6 per cent). The average length of time in the USA was 5.8 years. Analysis of the data revealed three key themes that relate to school experience, bi-cultural dynamics and changing role expectations, and future hopes and aspirations. Implications for practice and future research are discussed. PubDate: Wed, 14 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcab142 Issue No:Vol. 52, No. 3 (2021)
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Authors:Leung V; Tan W, Chuang D, et al. Pages: 1592 - 1611 Abstract: AbstractIn multicultural societies, social workers often work with people of diverse cultural backgrounds. As one of the strategies to facilitate social workers’ cultural competence in diverse settings, they are often matched with clients of the same or similar cultural backgrounds. This practice is called ethnic matching and is commonly utilised in ethno-specific and immigrant-serving organisations. This practice has been extensively studied in the literature and is believed to be beneficial to treatment acceptability and service quality. Nonetheless, most of the existing literature focuses on the practitioner–client dyad without taking the broader context into consideration. This study adopted a multidimensional cultural competence approach to examine Chinese practitioners’ lived experiences of serving Chinese immigrants in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Six focus groups were conducted (n = 34), and data were analysed using a grounded theory approach. Results show themes across four levels: (i) personal: personal experience as a motivator; (ii) interpersonal: shared culture and language as a double-edged sword; (iii) organisational: service target shifts and increased difficulty to ethnically match and (iv) community: intracommunity heterogeneity and mismatch. This study provides recommendations for social workers, educators and policymakers to consider when applying ethnic matching in cross-cultural settings. PubDate: Mon, 07 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcab122 Issue No:Vol. 52, No. 3 (2021)
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Authors:Tartakovsky E. Pages: 1612 - 1631 Abstract: AbstractIn this article, we formulate a new bicultural model of social work with ethnic minorities. The suggested model connects acculturation orientations, professional interventions and burnout amongst social workers working with ethnic minority clients. We tested this model in a sample of Arab Israeli social workers (n = 299). The study results confirmed that ethnic minority social workers working with ethnic minority clients used interventions that may be classified as either rooted in the minority or the majority culture. Arab Israeli social workers used slightly more often interventions rooted in the minority than the majority culture; however, the two types of intervention were complementary rather than contradictory. Acculturation orientations of Arab Israeli social workers were connected to their choice of professional interventions. Specifically, a higher preference for separation was associated with more frequent use of professional interventions rooted in the minority culture. In contrast, a higher preference for integration was associated with more frequent use of interventions rooted in both minority and majority cultures. More frequent use of interventions rooted in the majority culture was associated with a lower level of burnout and a higher level of personal accomplishment, whilst more frequent use of interventions rooted in the minority culture was associated with a higher level of burnout. Based on the obtained results, an integrative approach to education and training of social workers and social work practice with ethnic minorities is advocated. PubDate: Sun, 13 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcab112 Issue No:Vol. 52, No. 3 (2021)
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Authors:Saxena A; Chandrapal S. Pages: 1632 - 1642 Abstract: AbstractThe social work profession is a practice-based profession that promotes social justice and advocacy for marginalised individuals. In spite of the fact that the policy practice is considered as crucial component of social work practice, the real participation of social workers in policy practice seems very less. It has a potentially significant influence on social work profession, both as a field of study and an area of practice. History is filled with an evidence showing that the policy practice paved the way for the development of social work profession as people used different social work skills to campaign for the formalisation of the social work profession. Social workers have been held up as exercising substantial power to influence policy being policy implementers (Schorr, A. L. (1985) ‘Professional practice as policy’, Social Service Review, 59(2), pp. 178–96; Scott, W. R. and Davis, G. F. (2007) Organisations and Organising: Rational, Natural, and Open System Perspectives, Upper Saddle River, Pearson Prentice Hall). Social workers having practice experience make them excellent advocates because they understand clearly the challenges confronted by their clients, including clients’ presenting problems, holistic environmental factors, and client strengths that can be drawn on so as to assist them. This article throws light on linkages between social work and social policy, policy practice in social work and role of social worker as a change agent in policy practice. PubDate: Sat, 12 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcab073 Issue No:Vol. 52, No. 3 (2021)
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Authors:Lynch D. Pages: 1643 - 1661 Abstract: AbstractPedagogy associated with engaging with the arts in social work education is a developing area of exploration and research. This conceptual article explores the potential use of Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS), which is a methodology where students look at artwork and discuss with peers. It draws on some existing literature on visual thinking or a similar pedagogical approach to stimulate thought and debate on the use of the methodology in contemporary social work education. The links discovered between VTS, critical inquiry and visual literacy highlight the relevance, and the potential of this methodology to contribute to student learning outcomes in direct practice social work courses through connecting skills-based competency with cognitive processes, such as critical inquiry and creativity. Engaging social work students in VTS can advance skills in observing, processing and communicating reasoning to peers in situations of ambiguity, which are critical for assessment and decision making in their future professional practice. There is a potential for students to engage with VTS in inter-professional education with medical, nursing and allied health students to facilitate communication and collaborative problem-solving. The article identifies the need for research to evaluate the use of VTS in the context of art-based pedagogies in social work. PubDate: Mon, 14 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcab121 Issue No:Vol. 52, No. 3 (2021)
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Authors:Roulston A; Cleak H, Nelson R, et al. Pages: 1662 - 1682 Abstract: AbstractStudents have identified practice placements (or practice learning) as the single most important factor of social work education, but it is usually where issues of professional suitability become apparent. Whilst most students successfully complete their placements, a number experience difficulty and a minority ultimately fail. Protecting the profession from students not deemed suitable for professional practice requires a rigorous gatekeeping function and fair standards. On receipt of written consent, we interviewed eleven social work students who failed placement, and accessed progress reports written by Practice Teachers/Practice Educators. Participants included nine females, mean age of 33 years, seven failed their final placement and eight had registered with university disability services. Professionally transcribed interviews were analysed using an adapted version of Braun and Clarke’s method. Identified themes included the impact of personal issues; importance of working relationships; use and misuse of power; assessment and decision-making processes and developing insight and useful feedback. Students valued the opportunity to reflect on their experience and provided clear recommendations for improving how Practice Teachers, on-site supervisors, Tutors and peers can provide a supportive learning experience for students who require additional support during placement, and how to communicate concerns regarding competence more effectively. PubDate: Mon, 14 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcab070 Issue No:Vol. 52, No. 3 (2021)
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Authors:Dai H; Jiang N, Li R. Pages: 1683 - 1702 Abstract: AbstractIncreasing turnovers of social workers under the managerialist system of service subvention in Hong Kong have aroused much concern, but systematic and evidence-based investigation of the problem remains limited, particularly at the organisational level. Using organisation-level data collected from the managers of 101 service organisations, this study examines how organisational characteristics and management practices associate with the turnover rates of social workers. The results show that starting salaries of social workers, income inequality between social workers and managers and service types of organisations affect the odds of emerging social worker turnover. Meanwhile, hiring practices that replace social worker positions with lower-paid jobs and lack of peer support in larger service organisations increase the odds of both emerging and severe turnovers of social workers. Differentiated employment terms and income stratification amongst social workers in the same organisation, however, do not have a significant relationship with social worker turnover. Our findings suggest that social workers tend to demonstrate solidarity as a professional group under the managerialist welfare and service administrations in Hong Kong. Organisational justice in salary distribution and organisational respect for their professional values and team spirits may retain them in service delivery for longer times. PubDate: Mon, 19 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcab148 Issue No:Vol. 52, No. 3 (2021)
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Authors:Hu H; Wang E, Si J, et al. Pages: 1703 - 1723 Abstract: AbstractThe turnover rate of social workers is extremely high and the predictive roles of professional identity and job burnout on turnover intention have not been explored in China. The study examined the relationship between professional identity and turnover intention, mediated by job burnout and moderated by a social work degree, amongst social workers in China. Based on a sample of 829 participants and the structural equation model method, the findings confirmed that professional identity per se was not related to turnover intention, and a mediating role of job burnout and a moderating role of a social work degree were identified. PubDate: Thu, 22 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcab155 Issue No:Vol. 52, No. 3 (2021)
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Authors:Ashcroft R; Sur D, Greenblatt A, et al. Pages: 1724 - 1746 Abstract: AbstractSocial workers are facing increasingly complex client needs during the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Because of the social distancing requirements of the pandemic, social workers have undergone transformative changes in practice with the rapid uptake of virtual technologies. The objective of our study was to understand the experiences of social workers during the first-wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a cross-sectional, web-based survey, comprised of close-ended and open-ended questions. Survey participants included social workers who were the members of a provincial social work association in Ontario, Canada. With n = 2,470 participants, the response rate was close to 40 per cent. Descriptive statistics were conducted on the close-ended questions. Two open-ended questions were coded using the thematic analysis. Nine themes were identified on the impact to social worker’s employment status: increased work-load; loss of employment; redeployment to new settings; early retirement; concern for personal health and safety; social workers in private practice seeing fewer clients; personal caregiving responsibilities; limiting recent graduates’ employment potential and social workers experiencing new opportunities. There were five themes on the impact on social work practice: clients with increasing complexities; challenges with transition to virtual care; benefits with transition to virtual care; adapting in-person services and personal well-being. PubDate: Tue, 27 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcab158 Issue No:Vol. 52, No. 3 (2021)
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Authors:Garrett P. Pages: 1747 - 1764 Abstract: AbstractDrawing on Shoshana Zuboff's (2019) The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, along with additional sources not ordinarily referenced in the social work literature, the article examines some of the economic and political imperatives that are driving forward new surveillance practices. The aspiration is to provide conceptual coordinates enabling practitioners, educators and those receiving social work services to arrive at a theoretically expansive sense of what may be occurring across a societal canvas. The focus is on a cluster of five enmeshed themes: first, what Zuboff means by ‘surveillance capitalism’; second, why this form of capitalism has appeared so quickly over the past couple of decades; third, what the tech corporations, such as Google, seek to achieve; fourth, how surveillance capitalists aim to eliminate chance by refining technologies so as to try and constitute us as predictable human subjects; fifth, the trajectory of surveillance capitalist interventions and how they are ‘doubling down’ on the processes of data extraction. Zuboff’s book was completed prior to the COVID-19 global pandemic and, in the latter part of article, it is argued that the current crisis will result in new forms of surveillance becoming socially embedded. PubDate: Mon, 21 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcab099 Issue No:Vol. 52, No. 3 (2021)
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Authors:Sen R; Kerr C, MacIntyre G, et al. Pages: 1765 - 1782 Abstract: AbstractThis article presents a thematic analysis of 100 articles which appeared in ‘SW2020 under COVID-19’ online magazine, authored by people with lived experience, practitioners, students and academics. The magazine was founded by an editorial collective of the authors of this article and ran as a free online magazine during the period of the first UK COVID-19 lockdown period (March–July 2020). It contained a far higher proportion of submissions from the first three groups of contributors, above, than traditional journals. The analysis is organised under four analytic themes: ‘Hidden populations; Life, loss and hope; Practising differently and Policy and system change’. The article concludes by describing the apparent divergence between accounts that primarily suggest evidence of improved working relationships between social workers and those they serve via digital practices, and accounts suggesting that an increasingly authoritarian social work practice has emerged under COVID-19. We argue that, notwithstanding this divergence, an upsurge in activism within social work internationally during the pandemic provides a basis for believing that the emergence of a community-situated, socially engaged social work is possible post-pandemic. PubDate: Thu, 20 May 2021 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcab094 Issue No:Vol. 52, No. 3 (2021)
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Authors:Garrett P. Pages: 1798 - 1798 Abstract: The British Journal of Social Work (2020). https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcab099 PubDate: Wed, 11 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcab157 Issue No:Vol. 52, No. 3 (2021)
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Authors:Dollinger B. Pages: 1799 - 1799 Abstract: The British Journal of Social Work (2021). https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcab133 PubDate: Tue, 28 Dec 2021 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcab251 Issue No:Vol. 52, No. 3 (2021)
Hybrid journal (It can contain Open Access articles)
