Relationship-based Social Work Research Articles

Subverting, challenging and working within bureaucratic and managerialist systems: strategies for upholding relationship-based social work practice

ABSTRACT Where once relationships with service users was considered the bedrock of practice, social work has been shaped by bureaucracy and managerialism, with increased focused on risk management, control, fragmentation of services, standardisation and accountability. Employing reflexive thematic analysis, qualitative data from 16 interviews with frontline social workers in Northern Ireland was analysed through the four expressions of power framework to assess strategies used to subvert, challenge, and work within bureaucratic systems and managerialist forces to uphold the foundational principles of relationship-based practice.

The relational recession in social work: adult social care in the age of austerity

ABSTRACT The primary resources available to social workers are themselves, with building and using effective relationships central to the social work task. More than a decade of austerity policies has impacted how social workers practice. The current barriers to relationship-based practice in work with adults are such that we are experiencing a relational recession – that is the inability to practice in a way that prioritises the relationship. The present article will evaluate two key barriers to relationship-based social work: 1) The current context of austerity and new care management, 2) The emotional demands of the role. Practice can emerge from the relational recession through a shift from case management supervision, towards a supervisory relationship which replicates the conditions required for relationship-based practice to flourish.

The social pedagogy toolkit: relationship-based social work with adults

ABSTRACT This article examines the urgency and centrality of relational social work with adults. It discusses the relevance and potential of social pedagogy for empowerment and social justice and introduces a Social Pedagogy Toolkit for social workers. Written by a Principal Social Worker and Lecturer in Social Work, it discusses threshold concepts in social work education, arguing the need for creative resources that support transformative processes. It concludes with a discussion on further development and application of the toolkit.

Emerging opportunities for relationship-based social work? Finnish social workers’ reflections on utilising digital environments during two phases of the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT Social work focuses on the social relationships, which the COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact. The article explores Finnish social workers’ reflections on utilising digital environments in client relationships during the pandemic. The article is framed by relationship-based social work. The data consist of two datasets that together form a continuum: Finnish social workers’ personal diaries from mid-March to the end of May 2020, and interviews with 17 diary writers conducted in April and May 2021. The research questions are: What kind of challenges related to relationships can be identified in the early phase of the pandemic? What were the facilitators for conducting relationships as the pandemic continues? What kind of practice began to emerge as the pandemic proved to be long-standing? The diaries and interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Three themes were identified: relationships drifting into danger, reconstitution of relationships and emerging opportunity for relationship-based social work. The results demonstrate serious challenges, but also new opportunities, as well as temporal variation and contextual change related to relationship-based social work during the pandemic.

The Quintessence of Relationship-Based Youth Work and Temperament of Youth Workers

The professionality of youth work has long been questioned and challenged. This study examined the social work relationship of youth worker with young people in the context of Hong Kong. Youth service setting was adopted as a showcase of relationship-based social work practice. The understanding of relationship can be easily distorted by the pragmatic focus of practice, yet, it should not only be regarded as a means for youth workers to get in touch with service users. A qualitative inquiry with heuristic direction was chosen. Personal perceptions and particular stories of 10 senior practitioners were gathered as a form of knowledge through in-depth interviews and a rigorous process of coding, data analysis, and interpretation. Findings suggested that trustworthiness in social work relationship was highly valued. Youth workers did not consider themselves as experts in dealing with young people’s problem. Rather, they possessed multiple roles and were able to manage the interplay of relationships and boundaries in a close and highly charged intersubjective encounter. This study summarized a list of necessary qualities of a youth worker, namely curiosity, genuineness, sensitivity, perspicacity, non-authoritarian, acceptance, and charisma. Youth workers should possess these specific characteristics in order to engage in a voluntary and trustful social work relationship with young people despite working under the current therapeutic trend in social work. Both the youth work in Hong Kong and the function of youth workers had to be thoughtfully repositioned so as to respond to the changing needs of young people and the society nowadays.

Letting go of ‘the way things are done here’: from reflection to disruption in local authority social work

ABSTRACT In 2015, Brighton and Hove Children’s Services embarked on a reorganisation and a new Model of Practice to promote relation ship-based social work. New Lead Practitioner roles were created to work at the interface between front-line social workers and man agers to promote reflection and service development in a range of contexts. A reflective practice group led by an external consultant was established to support the development of the role. This paper will explore the experience of one Lead Practitioner of being part of the reflective practice group and how it enabled her to take up the new role and support change in the wider organisation. It will explore how the role of the facilitator, the techniques utilised and the members of the group created a disorientating, destabilising effect that created a context to dismantle preconceived assumptions of ‘the way things are done here’ and supported change in the wider organisational culture. The author provides examples of how she attempted to create this experience on the ‘outside’ to support a shift from bureaucratic, procedural-dominated practice, to new ways of doing things in front-line social work.

Remote service delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic: Questioning the impact of technology on relationship-based social work practice

Abstract The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic caused widespread lockdowns, social distancing measures, restrictions to businesses and the closure of buildings. During this time social workers were required to adjust to remote practice, adopting technological adjuncts for continued engagement with service users. This article reports on qualitative interviews with fourteen front line social workers practicing during the pandemic in Northern Ireland, exploring the impact of remote delivery and technology on relationship-based practice. Findings highlight negative outcomes on relationship building and social worker self-care, alongside concerns that efficiency would be prioritised over future face-to-face contact with service users. The adoption of alternative methods of communication through technology has disrupted the core principles of relationship-based practice and has meant that, without proper planning or staff training, alternative models of delivery, which may have enabled some form of continuation and centralisation of relationship-based practice are under explored and require further investigation.

Relationship-Based Social Work with Adults, Heidi Dix, Sue Hollinrake, Jennifer Meade (Eds.)

Relationship-Based Social Work with Adults, Heidi Dix, Sue Hollinrake, Jennifer Meade (Eds.)

‘She Made You Feel like There’s Hope’: Gaining a Better Understanding of How Children Negotiate Their Relationships with Social Workers from Their Own Accounts

Abstract Recent years have seen a re-emergence of international interest in relationship-based social work. This article uses children’s accounts of their relationships with social workers to build on previous research to promote children’s safety and well-being. Interviews were undertaken with 111 children aged six- to eighteen-years old across ten different local authorities in England, as part of the evaluation of Munro, Turnell and Murphy’s Signs of Safety pilots within the Department for Education’s Children’s Social Care Innovation Programme. The interviews reveal four key findings: that children look for care and reciprocity in their relationships with social workers and this can be achieved through listening and small acts of kindness; that they are adept at recognising aspects of social workers’ verbal and non-verbal communications which indicate to the child whether they are listening and interested in them; that there are times in which children are particularly vulnerable especially if parents are resistant to engagement or children’s trust is broken; and that children actively use their agency to control their communication and engagement. The article concludes by highlighting children’s relational resilience and the importance of ensuring opportunities for children to develop new relationships with social workers when previous relationships have broken down.

Incorporating ACEs in relationship-based social work practice: The Family Life Stories workbook

This article describes the development of the ‘Family Life Stories’ practice workbook. The initiative emerged from a pilot social work strategy in Northern Ireland to utilise the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) research in frontline practice. ACEs research is currently having a significant impact on health and social care policy and practice across the UK. This article proposes that ACEs-awareness has potential benefits for child welfare social work, encouraging consideration of parent/caregivers’ and children's lives beyond presenting referral concerns, with many parents involved with child welfare services known to have experienced multiple adversities themselves. However, when applied in a reductionist manner, ACEs-informed practice risks amplifying parental powerlessness, exacerbating feelings of shame and blame, and rendering structural inequalities invisible to assessment. Based on systemic and narrative therapeutic principles, the Family Life Stories workbook and guidance seeks to address concerns by using participative mapping activities. These assist practitioners to have purposeful conversations with parents in ways that promote engagement. The workbook aims to provide opportunities to consider with parents how previous experiences have influenced their life stories, the impact on their current situation, and their wishes for their children – maximising the benefit for parental wellbeing and engagement, while maintaining a focus on child safety. Although lacking a rigorous independent evaluation, feedback from social workers involved in the pilot demonstrates provisional acceptability to practitioners and parents. This novel practice approach provides one example of how to use the ACEs research to promote sensitive relationship-based practice within a social justice framework.

Adverse Childhood Experiences and Social Work: Relationship-based Practice Responses

Abstract Individuals with higher numbers of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been found to be overrepresented amongst users of social services. This poses challenges for service providers in seeking ways to incorporate knowledge about ACEs in the calibration of service provision, and for social workers as to how they might use such knowledge in their day-to-day practice. The key contribution of this article is as a position piece that aims to map out a possible response to the ACEs evidence from social work. Practice needs to be informed by an understanding of the causes and consequences of trauma in the lives of individuals and groups. Short-term interventions based on proximal causes have resulted in a fundamental misunderstanding as to the aetiology of the problems experienced and to the types of interventions required to facilitate their amelioration. ACEs research offers a new understanding of how connecting trajectories are formed and maintained in ways that integrate biological, psychological and sociological concepts. In this article, we have made selective use of key texts and studies in the social work literature to illustrate how relationship-based social work may be appropriated and repurposed to align with interventions to mitigate the effects of ACEs.

Service users' perspectives of social treatment in social service departments in Israel: Differences between standard and poverty-aware treatments.

This article uses mixed methods to examine service user satisfaction with social work treatment in social services departments (SSDs) in Israel-its level, the factors that influence it and its experiential dimensions. A total of 235 service users (SUs) from 11 SSDs were interviewed for this study. They were divided into three groups: (a) SUs receiving standard treatment; (b) SUs participating in poverty-aware programs and (c) SUs receiving a poverty-aware standard treatment. The quantitative findings indicated a significant higher level of satisfaction among the SUs who had been included on poverty-aware programs or received a poverty-aware standard care compared to SUs who had received standard treatment. Additionally, high reported levels of satisfaction were influenced by the frequency of meetings between the service user and the social worker, while the history of care in the SSD had no apparent impact on satisfaction levels. The qualitative analysis indicated that high levels of satisfaction were linked to the service user perceiving the social worker as active, supportive and respectful, and as responsive to the user's emotional and material needs. These findings are discussed in the context of the Poverty-Aware Paradigm and relationship-based social work.

Gillian Ruch, Danielle Turney and Adrian Ward (eds.), Relationship-based social work: Getting to the heart of practice.

Gillian Ruch, Danielle Turney and Adrian Ward (eds.), <i>Relationship-based social work: Getting to the heart of practice.</i>

Relationship-based social work and electronic communication technologies: anticipation, adaptation and achievement

ABSTRACT While social workers continue to recognise the centrality of relationship in social work practice they are now trying to build and mediate relationships with service users in a context fundamentally changed by technology. The paper suggests that different modes of electronic communication are not simply add-ons to society but are altering the social texture of society including the ways that people relate and interact with others. The relationship base of social work is not immune or dislocated from the explosion of social media and electronic communication which is occurring in the wider society and, therefore, attention needs to be paid to the impact of these new technologies on the way in which social work is practised. Using qualitative research with early career stage social workers in Ireland this paper aims to contribute to knowledge on this emerging dimension of social work practice.

Staying in Touch in the Digital Era: New Social Work Practice

ABSTRACTThe findings of a small-scale empirical study are drawn upon to explore the concept of social presence and the way in which it can contribute to meeting service users’ expectations of relationship-based social work. Findings from the study highlight the role of mobile communication technologies in establishing social presence with service users, and an argument is made for the proactive use of mobile devices as a component of direct practice. However, such emerging digital social work practices will require practitioners, and social work organizations, to respond positively to new ethical and organizational challenges.

Empathy, social intelligence and relationship-based social work

Empathy and social intelligence are key ingredients in promoting good quality relationships, both personally and professionally. The evolution of social intelligence and other ‘mind-reading’ skills account for much of the success of our species. They help foster understanding and co-operation. Children who are in relationship with empathic, emotionally intelligent parents and other family members also develop raised levels of empathy and emotional intelligence. Children who suffer abuse, neglect and rejection, whose parents possess low levels of empathy and social understanding, are less likely to develop healthy levels of social intelligence. This puts them at risk of experiencing stress in relationships. It also increases their chances of developing poor mental health, problematic social behaviour, and not dealing well with life stressors. High empathy and socially intelligent social workers are likely to establish good working relationships with their clients. A good working relationship, or therapeutic alliance, needs to be in place before the social worker can effectively deliver her service, provide support, advocate, give advice, administer treatment, or deliver an evidence-based practice.

Hearing the voices of kinship foster carers in Northern Ireland: an inquiry into characteristics, needs and experiences

This study describes an investigation into the characteristics, needs and experiences of kinship foster carers in Northern Ireland. By adopting a mixed-methods approach with 54 carers, a number of salient themes was captured. The respondents were predominantly grandparents who experienced a significant incidence of health-related issues. The cohort also endured high levels of stress, particularly at the beginning stage of the foster placement. Consequently, their need for practical, emotional and respite support was most evident. In terms of the children for whom they cared, many required help at school, and some presented with challenging emotions and behaviours. Overall, these findings emphasised the importance of relationship-based social work and demonstration of accurate empathy to the carer.

‘Stumbling through’? Relationship-based social work practice in austere times

In recent times relationship-based practice has become a familiar term in social work practice and education. Despite its widespread adoption, how relationship-based practice is understood varies widely. Drawing on contemporary conceptualisations of the child and family and individuals as psychosocial subjects experiencing social suffering, this paper explores how current social work practice can be understood in the context of neoliberalism and austerity. Setting these ideas in an historical context helps to inform our understanding as to why social work seems to be the focus of sustained political discontent and scrutiny, making it difficult to retain a balanced relationship-based professional stance. Contemporary responses to the current challenges of everyday practice are outlined and the contribution of psychodynamic and systemic ideas to promoting relationship-based practice is explored. The paper concludes by considering how the concept of social systems as defences against anxiety can inform our understanding of the resistance amongst practitioners to relationship-based practice and emphasises the importance of reflective spaces and places for developing and maintaining integrated, mature relational approaches to practice which impact on practice at both the individual casework and social structural level.

(Re)Valuing Relationships in Child Protection Practice

Relationship-based social work practice with Australian Indigenous families, within an anti-oppressive framework, is considered effective in child protection work. However, procedural and legalistic approaches to child protection, as well as limited cultural competence, can limit the capacity of workers to develop relationships and take action that empowers vulnerable Indigenous families and communities to care safely for their children. This qualitative study, conducted in Australia, examines the inter-relationships between practitioners, agencies, families and community members expressed in day-to-day child protection practice with Indigenous families. There were tensions and constraints on relationship-building between practitioners and clients, between Indigenous and non-indigenous practitioners, and between government and non-government agencies. The findings support arguments to re-value and strengthen the concept of relationship-building as a foundation for practice. All practitioners must have greater support to build the culturally respectful relationships required for positive change, and more scope to work in partnership with families.

Coaching, Supervision and the Social Work Zeitgeist

With reference to Local Authorities in England, this paper acknowledges the intensified critique of the managerial context in which social work is carried out. It recognises that professional supervision has been in jeopardy, as principles of corporate line management have overshadowed the approaches of the past, and most particularly the supportive components. However, recent developments have reinvigorated the interest in relationship-based social work as well as relationship-based supervision. Surprisingly or not, it is executive and business coaching that is seen as offering fruitful techniques for front line managers and practitioners, with the possibility of encouraging the progress of this particular trend.