Being Parents and Workers: Qualitative Insights from Child Protection Workers

Abstract

As a parent of their own children, balancing home and work for child protection workers (CPWs) can be difficult. This may contribute to the sustainability of the CPW role for those workers who are also parents, and to the complexity of establishing viable child protection services (CPSs). This paper explores CPWs experiences of being both a parent and a CPW. Findings, drawn from a larger case study which aimed to investigate CPW work practices and the challenges caused by them for workers, will be used to explicate this issue for workers and the organisation. Fifteen CPWs employed by a busy, moderate‐ to high‐risk CPS participated in the larger case study with 14 participants undertaking qualitative semi‐structured, open‐ended interviews. Data pertaining to the dual roles of being a parent and a CPW were categorised into categories, minor categories and sub‐categories. The two sub categories represented in this paper are: ‘CPWs: Life as a Parent’ and ‘CPWs: Parent as a Worker’. Being a parent and a CPW impacted on both professional practices and personal parenting experiences. Strategies by the organisation that supported parent workers in maintaining family‐work balance assisted CPWs to be able to maintain stability in their role. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.‘Being a parent and a CPW impacted on both professional practices and personal parenting experiences’Key Practitioner MessagesBalancing child protection roles with parenting roles is difficult.CPW roles impact on parenting and parenting roles impact on child protection work.Family‐friendly workplace policy for CPWs is required to benefit CPW health and promote sustainability in this role.