Family Social Work Research Articles

Failing to learn from teachers: the Social Work Early Career Framework in England

This article presents a critical analysis of the Social Worker Early Career Framework in England, planned for national roll-out in September 2026 to replace the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment for children and family social workers. The Social Worker Early Career Framework is based on the existing Teacher Early Career Framework in England, launched nationally in 2021. The article argues that both the problematic experience of its counterpart in teaching and the existing evidence around similar initiatives already implemented in social work suggest that the Social Worker Early Career Framework is highly unlikely to achieve its stated aims. These discussions are followed by a consideration of why the Social Worker Early Career Framework is being introduced despite this existing evidence. It is suggested that a relatively small, opaque and overlapping policy network dominating children’s services reform in England provides a possible explanation.

Nurturing ideas, practices and knowledge circulation in child and family social work: results from a collaborative project

ABSTRACT This article reports from a research and development project aiming to improve support for parents with children in out-of-home care in Sweden. The project was carried out in collaboration between the authors and around 60 social workers organized in improvement teams during 2019–2021. The aim of the article is to explore the turnout in three of the participating teams. At the start of the project, social work with parents of placed children was described as ‘stuck in a rut’, in spite of numerous alerts on improvement needs. As parent support can concern a wide range of actions, and as there was no specific evidence-based programme to recommend, the collaborative project focused on nurturing new ideas and practices. In the initial phase, the teams formulated about 30 ideas covering new forms of support and improved prerequisites for a shared parenthood. A fourth of these ideas were turned into new practices that were tested in the services. The most frequent practices concerned information, crisis support and contact visits. The findings indicate that the breakthrough of new practices was dependent on a new translation of parents’ rights and parent support which resulted in a new understanding of how to perform support without outcompeting a child's perspective. The translation process was highly influenced by the project interactions and knowledge circulation in which service user voices seem to have been especially vital.

‘Being a Social Worker … It's in My DNA’ Retaining Experienced Child and Family Social Workers: The Role of Professional Identity

ABSTRACTThe retention of experienced child and family social workers is a significant issue in the United Kingdom, the United States and Europe. Failure to retain experienced practitioners has serious implications for the protection and support of vulnerable children. Existing research and workforce interventions have focused on the support of early‐career social workers to prevent exit. Relatively few studies have examined what can be learned from experienced social workers who have remained in the profession long‐term. This study captures the voices of experienced stayers. Data consist of interviews with social workers (n = 58) across 11 local authorities in England who have remained in practice for ≥8 years. Findings suggest that a strong sense of professional identity (PI) sustains social workers and promotes retention. For experienced social workers, staying in the profession long‐term involves navigating a series of identity challenges over the course of their career, conceptualized here as Critical Career Episodes (CCEs). Based on these findings, we suggest that retaining experienced social workers involves support to navigate CCEs alongside meaningful opportunities for learning and development. We identify three key factors that support and sustain ongoing PI development and support retention: generativity, specialism and mobility. The article concludes with recommendations to support workforce retention.

Psychometric Properties of the Family Resilience Assessment Scale for Children With Disabilities in China

The study aimed to explore the factor structure and psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Family Resilience Assessment Scale for Children with Disabilities (FRAS-CWD). Due to the complexity of family resilience and the particularity of disabilities, there is a lack of reliable and valid tools to evaluate family resilience for children with disabilities in China. Data were collected from 767 Chinese parents of children with disabilities. Item analysis (IA), exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to test the discrimination of items, determine the factor structure and model fit, also with a Cronbach’s alpha for reliability test. EFA analysis yielded a 34-item 7-factor structure of the FRAS-CWD, which demonstrated satisfactory model fit by CFA analysis. The FRAS-CWD also showed good internal consistency. The FRAS-CWD is reliable and valid for evaluating family resilience for children with disabilities in China, reflecting the Chinese socio-cultural characteristics. Relevant professionals and practitioners such as family therapists and social workers can use the FRAS-CWD to assess family strengths and facilitate intervention for families of children with disabilities experiencing adversity.

The use of critical reflection in one-to-one supervision in children and families social work in England: an evidence review

The use of critical reflection in one-to-one supervision in children and families social work in England: an evidence review

Manualisation in child and family social work: a comparative study of Norway and Wales

The article examines the use of manuals in child and family social work in Wales and Norway and considers their application in the structuring context of New Public Management and evidence-based practice. It is based on findings from a comparative survey-based instrument distributed to social workers. The problem statement is: what are social workers’ attitudes to and experiences of manuals in professional practice? The key research foci are: ‘How often do you use manuals?’; ‘Why do you use manuals?’; and ‘To what degree do you think manuals are useful to ensure the quality of the work you perform?’ Both workforces use manuals, though more so in Norway than in Wales. This is related to the fact that there is direct and stronger pressure from governmental agencies in Norway than in Wales for provider organisations and workers to deploy manuals. The uptake of manuals in Wales appears to be prompted more by worker self-selection and/or imitation of their usage in cognate practice settings. Norwegian workers to a larger extent than those in Wales think that using manuals enhances the quality of work. We discuss possible conceptual, institutional and practitioner-based reasons for the varied relationship between manuals and their application and highlight under-researched areas.

Family Social Work Interventions Model To Promote Family Cohesion Among The Users Of Social Media In Uasin-Gishu County, Kenya

In the rapidly evolving digital age, social media has become an integral part of daily life, significantly influencing family dynamics and cohesion. This study explored the impact of social media on family cohesion and examined possible family social work intervention models to promote family unity among users in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. Utilizing a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, the research gathered quantitative data through surveys of 400 respondents and qualitative insights from focus group discussions and key informant interviews. The findings revealed that 72.1% of participants supported the establishment of clear boundaries and rules around social media use to enhance family cohesion, with a mean score of 3.84. Additionally, 70.3% agreed that regular family activities strengthened family bonds, while 68.8% acknowledged the positive impact of family therapy on communication within social media-using families. The study also found strong support for educational initiatives on healthy social media use, with 71.3% of respondents endorsing their effectiveness. Hypothesis testing confirmed a significant relationship between family social work interventions and improved family cohesion, evidenced by a Pearson correlation coefficient of .648 and a significant chi-square result (p < .001). The study concludes that structured social work interventions, such as setting boundaries, promoting family activities, and providing education, are crucial in maintaining family cohesion in the context of increasing social media usage. These findings offer valuable insights for social work practitioners, policymakers, and families seeking to balance digital engagement with family unity

Practitioner Perspectives on Agency Social Work in Children and Families Social Work in England

Abstract This article examines practitioner perspectives on agency social work in Local Authority Children’s Services Departments in England. There have been ongoing concerns about the use of agency workers, relating to cost, quality and impact on services, despite a recognition that temporary staff may be needed for a range of reasons. However, recent labour shortages and the escalating costs of agency staffing are fuelling calls for some form of regulation of agency workers. The article reviews literature on agency workers from the UK and elsewhere. It presents demographic survey data about agency workers drawn from a five-year longitudinal study on the recruitment and retention of child and family social workers and reports qualitative data from forty semi-structured interviews with social workers in Year 4 (Johnson et al., 2022) of the project about their experience of agency social work and agency social workers. The findings indicate several reasons for choosing agency work, pay being the most significant but by no means the only one. The advantages and disadvantages of agency work for workers, employers and service users are considered, and suggestions are offered about further research to assist in understanding how employers can identify and address recruitment and retention factors to reduce dependence on agency staff.

Ethnicity and Child and Family Social Work Practice, Community Resilience in Kashmir and Taiwanese Working Carers

Ethnicity and Child and Family Social Work Practice, Community Resilience in Kashmir and Taiwanese Working Carers

Suicide Attempts and Influencing Factors

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the applications to the Emergency Departments in …. province between 2019 and 2023 due to suicide attempts and to provide guidance for social preventive programmes. Material and Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted with the approval of the …. University Non-Interventional Research Ethics Committee, dated 21 September 2023 and numbered 176-176-09. The study examined The archive of the …. Provincial Health Directorate was consulted to obtain records of cases of suicide attempts among individuals aged 13 years and over between the years 2019-2023. These records were examined between 1 November-31 December 2023. Results: A total of 947 patients participated in the study, 635 of whom were women. The majority of suicide attempts (43.2%) occurred between the ages of 13 and 24 years. The highest number of suicide attempts occurred between 18:00 and 23:59 (40.5%) and in summer (29.8%). The highest number of suicide attempts occurred in August (10.5%). The majority of those who attempted suicide were primary school graduates (47.0%) and unemployed (39.4%). The suicide attempt rate of farmers (42.9%) was significantly higher than other occupational groups (p=0.009). Family problems (31.3%) were the most common reason for suicide attempt. The most common method of suicide attempt was drug-toxic substance use (92.6%). Among the study participants, 21.1% had attempted suicide previously. Among those who attempted suicide, 24.2% had a previous psychiatric diagnosis. Medication (activated charcoal) was administered to 60.4% of the suicide attempters, while psychiatric consultation was requested for 11.5%. A total of 69.5% of the suicide attempts resulted in a single interview. Conclusion: Most of the suicide attempters were adolescent and young age group, female, illiterate, primary school graduate and unemployed. According to our study, the most common causes and methods of suicide attempts were familial problems and drug-toxic substance use. It is recommended that regulations should be implemented to ensure psychiatric consultation for all suicide attempters and that the follow-up and treatment of suicide attempters should be carried out by a team consisting of family physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers.

The meaning of social cohesion in preventive family support: a practitioners’ perspective

ABSTRACT Promoting social cohesion through early childhood services has become a priority on the political agenda. Despite joint academic and political attention, a consensus on what social cohesion is, is lacking. While child and family social work is framed as ideal to foster social cohesion, there is little knowledge on what this may mean. The aim of the current study is to analyse the meaning making of child and family social work practitioners regarding social cohesion in Flanders (Belgium). An explorative multiple case study was performed in child and family social work in three neighbourhoods in Flanders. The Critical Incident Technique was used with practitioners (N = 28) to understand how they conceptualise social cohesion and viewed their role in promoting this community-oriented outcome of early childhood services. The results suggest that practitioners focus on the inter-individual and relational components of social cohesion rather than on the socio-political components, which contrasts with the politicising function that child and family social work is supposed to fulfil.

Digital storytelling as virtual work integrated learning: the Mia project in child and family social work education

ABSTRACT Digital Storytelling as a pedagogical tool in higher education is still an emerging technology with great potential for growth and innovation. While there has been a growing interest in the pedagogies of storytelling, its adaptation in digital classrooms is not yet fully realized. This paper reports on a current project developed within the social work program that focuses on applying programmatic approach to assessment and curriculum design using digital storytelling. The project was designed to create safe and supported learning environment for students that encourages the development of practice skills while exploring sensitive topics and issues pertinent to working with children.

The Visibility of a Socio-Economic Dimension in Day-to-Day Child and Family Social Work Practice in Wales

Abstract This study explored how day-to-day social work practice with children and families in Wales responds to poverty, building on case studies already published in the other three UK nations. A case study design was used. The sites were locality teams in two local authorities, differing in their children looked after rates and trajectories of these over time. Qualitative research methods included practice observations; interviews with staff; focus groups; mapping of decision-making processes; and a sample of family case narratives. In one local authority, the range of data was similar to the other UK nation case studies. However, in the second, data collection was adapted to the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) lockdown context. Some evidence was found of narratives that emphasised the cultural, rather than material, aspect of poverty, and blamed parents for making inappropriate spending choices. Poverty alleviation was generally seen as outside of social workers’ control and requiring earlier help before social services involvement. In one of the local authorities, there was some awareness shown of the impact of poverty on parenting. In the other, that took part in the study during 2020, the exacerbating effects of families in lockdown were described, including the lack of family support due to pandemic restrictions.

Systemic failures in New Zealand's child-welfare and Family Court proceedings underlie and perpetuate child offending

Early childhood offending onset (before age 14 years) is associated with increased risk of lifecourse offending and poor life outcomes. The vast majority of children who offend in Aotearoa New Zealand (N.Z.) have had involvement with the child-welfare system prior to offending. Why does this engagement with statutory systems not prevent the trajectory into offending, nor its persistence into the youth-justice system (aged 14–18)? This study interviewed 33 key stakeholders (including family members, lawyers, police officers, social workers, psychologists, school and cultural leaders) on the systemic issues they had experienced with children who had offended and their families. Interviews were transcribed and analysed by the authors. Barriers to effectively responding to offending (and, more importantly, prevention of offending in the first place) included child-welfare engagement that was delayed and ineffective; deficit-focused engagement with families and children; under-resourced Family Court systems that delayed court proceedings and further hindered effective child-welfare intervention; and systemic shortfalls that continued once a child had offended, with widespread uncertainty as to how best to respond or access appropriate resources. Earlier and more effective intervention with children and families with child-welfare concerns is needed to prevent and reduce offending and victimisation of and by children.

Navigating social work practice research challenges: collaboration, participant rights and ethics

In this article, we discuss the challenges in engaging with research participants from marginalised communities, including from some minority communities where there are interconnecting issues of poverty, racism, school exclusion, family breakdown and sometimes youth crime. This is aligned with experiences of developing research partnerships with local services in evaluation work. Two research case studies, from evaluation research with child and family social work and the youth justice system, discuss experiences of researching within inner-city areas, navigating researcher–practitioner relationships and maintaining ethical research standards. In both cases, entering the research field presented challenges related to sensitivities and distress experienced by participants. Our case-study discussions demonstrate how the researchers responded to risk and unwitting involvement with young people in conflict, in prison and experiencing family bereavement. Highlighted is the vital importance of local agencies providing accurate information about the families and young people that the researchers are asked to contact in order to ensure that respect and research ethics are upheld and no trauma is caused. Planning and building trust are key to ensuring that time is given for respectful engagement and that agencies are ready for ongoing support and follow-up as needed. The article will explore how these methodological considerations can be taken forward.

Family Stress Processes Underlying COVID‐19–Related Economic Insecurity for Mothers and Fathers and Children's Internalizing Behaviour Problems

ABSTRACTCOVID‐19 and its economic fallout have resulted in unprecedented financial insecurity and material hardship for many American families, with a disproportionately negative impact on children and families from socioeconomically disadvantaged contexts. The current study applied the family stress model to examine the family processes underlying pandemic‐related economic insecurity and children's internalizing behaviours. Online survey data from an economically diverse sample of mothers and fathers, who experienced at least one type of pandemic‐related economic insecurity in the United States (N = 259), were collected across two longitudinal time points in the early weeks of COVID‐19: (1) 14 April and (2) 30 April of 2020. Parental depressive symptoms, negative partner relationship quality and harsh parenting were tested as mediators. Results from the path model showed that pandemic‐related economic insecurity was associated with higher levels of parental depressive symptoms, which were then associated with higher levels of negative partner relationship quality. Negative partner relationship quality was subsequently associated with more harsh parenting, which was then associated with increased child internalizing behaviours. Indirect effects were found for all hypothesized mediators. The family stress model can be applied and extended to the early COVID‐19 period. Child and family social work implications include targeting parents' mental health, relationship quality and parenting behaviours, as well as directly addressing financial and material hardship, to mitigate the adverse effects of pandemic‐related economic insecurity on children's mental health.

Child and Family Social Work as a Space for Promoting Social Cohesion

ABSTRACTPromoting social cohesion is frequently mentioned as an objective for child and family social work from a policy perspective. However, it is unclear how policies shape concrete child and family social work practices. The aim of the current study is to analyse how early childhood services in Flanders (Belgium) commit to the promotion social cohesion. An explorative multiple case study in Flanders, using (non)participatory observations (N = 40), was performed in child and family social work practices to answer the following research question: What is going on in child and family social work regarding the promotion of social cohesion? The research indicates that in the context of child and family social work, it is important to pay attention to the meaning of these light encounters as a possible way to foster social cohesion. Given the importance of light encounters in child and family social work, a reflection on the role of the infrastructure should be made. To end, a clear need and challenge became visible regarding the diversity in child and family social work practices. It is necessary to reach a diversity of families, but this implies that practitioners have the knowledge and know‐how in approaching and dealing with diversity issues.

‘Race’, Ethnicity, and Experiences of Practice: Perspectives of Child and Family Social Workers Working in England

This article reports a portion of the findings from a 5-year longitudinal study on child and family social work, commissioned by the Department for Education. The study explored issues relating to child and family practice over the five years, utilising a mixed-methods design, including large-scale surveys, quantitative telephone interviews and semi-structured interviews and culminating in an annual report, published by the Department for Education at the end of each wave. This article focusses on wave four, and on the semi-structured interview phase, which explored how practitioners felt their racial or ethnic identity impacted on their experiences of practice. Five themes were developed across the different topics explored in the interviews; structures and organisations; workforce and colleagues; lack of diversity; working with families and intersectionality. This article presents these themes as part of the challenging context of inclusivity and anti-racism in contemporary social work, and makes recommendations regarding workforce diversity, training needs and reducing the additional burden carried by social workers from minoritized ethnicities, by amending the regulatory requirements of practitioners, education providers and continuing professional development recording.

A preventive mental health service for substance use disorder: harm reduction

Harm reduction is a pragmatic approach to reducing the harmful consequences of alcohol and drug use or other high-risk activities, including a variety of strategies, ranging from safer use to controlled use and abstinence. The primary goal of most harm reduction approaches is not to deny or condemn harmful behaviors by individuals, but to work with the individual or community to minimize the harmful effects of a particular behavior. The present review addresses some of the most recent developments related to harm reduction policy, prevention and treatment programs. This review aims to increase public awareness by presenting some of the current information and developments on harm reduction as a tertiary preventive mental health service for substance use disorders that concern all health professionals, especially psychiatrists, general practitioners, family medicine specialists, psychologists, social workers and nurses working in the field of dependence.

Social and Emotional Functions of Institutional Touch in the Relational Care of Young Children

ABSTRACTThis study reports results concerning close embodied practices, involving touch, in early childhood care settings in Sweden during the COVID‐19 pandemic. The data—video recordings of everyday practices in contexts of childcare—were collected during various phases of the pandemic. The study demonstrates a broad range of uses of touch, by adults and children themselves in various age groups and for various social purposes. Touch as embodied intimacy was initiated by educators, and by children, both within their peer group and towards educators. Touch served the purposes of embodied intimacy, emotion regulation, social affiliation, social control, instructions and play. We highlight the detailed ways in which practitioners' actions sustain children's bodily integrity and provide them with embodied agency, participation and learning. Professional touch practices with young children are discussed in the context of ‘no‐touch’ views in social work and care work with children. It is suggested that insights into the social and emotional uses of institutional touch can inform social work practice, especially child and family social work, and residential care.