Abstract
SummaryThe COVID-19 pandemic signalled a radical shift in health and social care services globally. In UK, many of the people with existing social care needs were identified as ‘clinically vulnerable’ to COVID-19. Those at greatest risk were encouraged to adhere to additional public health measures that inadvertently exacerbated social disadvantages. Social workers were challenged to ‘dig deep’ to continue to provide services as usual. However, problems implementing new ways of working were reported but not examined in-depth through research. Our study explored experiences and perceptions of social workers responding to the first wave (April–July 2020) of COVID-19, in England, UK. Interviews with thirteen social workers, all working in the West Midlands region, were conducted via telephone or online video. Transcripts were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. We use ‘managing uncertainty’ as a central concept underpinning the four themes identified after analysis: (1) providing social care at a physical distance, (2) negotiating home/work boundaries, (3) managing emerging risks and (4) long-term implications for social work. We discuss our findings in the context of resilience and organisational adaptation. Social workers in our study demonstrated resilience in action and rapid adaptation to new practices, but equally expressed concern about short-term efficiencies being prioritised over individual service user needs.
Highlights
The 2020 pandemic caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) most commonly termed ‘COVID-19’ dramatically and suddenly impacted on societies across the globe
In-depth interviews were conducted with thirteen social workers
Post-structuralist perspectives on resilience provide a critical view on the positioning of social workers in relation to power and the empowerment of service users (Prowell, 2019). Applying this post-structuralist lens on our findings reveals how, in relation to resilience, social workers in this study established new remote working practices during the pandemic that inadvertently reinforced material inequalities experienced by service users
Summary
At the time of this study, public health legislation in England had been introduced to protect the population that distinguished categories of clinical vulnerability—the risk of experiencing COVID-related complications (NHS, 2020). People defined as high-risk, included those undergoing targeted cancer treatment and people taking high dose steroids, were advised to ‘shield’ by not leaving their home and by avoiding unnecessary contact. People defined as moderate risk included individuals, for example over the age of seventy years, with severe asthma, heart disease, diabetes and/or are pregnant were advised to remain vigilant and strictly maintain physical distances from people outside their household. COVID-19, and the implemented public health measures, inadvertently exacerbated existing vulnerabilities (Miller and Lee, 2020) and inequalities derived from ethnicity, age and economic deprivation (Bowleg, 2020).
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