Future proofing child protection social work

Published date18 September 2017
Date18 September 2017
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/JCS-06-2017-0025
Pages202-210
AuthorDavid Shemmings
Subject MatterHealth & social care,Vulnerable groups,Children's services,Sociology,Sociology of the family,Children/youth,Parents,Education,Early childhood education,Home culture,Social/physical development
Viewpoint
Future proofing child protection
social work
David Shemmings
Abstract
Purpose How might the profession of child protection social work be future proofed, i.e. remain intact
and of value beyond its present existence? The paper aims to discuss this issue.
Design/methodology/approach This is a discussion/think piecepaper, in which the author argues that
foregrounding the art and science of helping relationships is a way forward. Recognising and promoting the
centrality of helping relationships is the direction in which the author believes (or is it hopes?) social work
should head, because more of the sameis not, in the authors view, possible to sustain for much longer.
Treading the well-worn but pot-holed path of box-ticking, endless risk assessment and perfunctory statutory
visiting is likely to lead to continuing problems retaining social workers and, for those who do stay, increased
burnout, compassion fatigue and secondary trauma, each of which interrupts or delays the development of
working alliances with family members.
Findings Growing reliance on thresholdsand checklists to assessrisk has served to increasereferrals. As a
result,social workers spend much of theirtime on triaging and filteringrather than working with the childrenand
families that mostneed help and protection. Further, it is not what is in the practitioners toolkit thatmatters:
rather, itis a defined set of personal skillsand qualities that tips thebalance to achieve lastingchange. Thus, in
order to future proofsocialwork, we would do well to deepenour understanding of how helpingrelationships
can lead to lasting change. Supporting social workers in this work is not just the responsibility of individual
practitionersand theirprofessional bodies,action also needs to be takenat governmental andmanagerial levels.
Originality/value This is a discussion/think piece.
Keywords Social work, Child maltreatment, Child protection, Epistemic trust, Helping relationships,
Relationship-based practice
Paper type Viewpoint
Introduction
Gazing portentously into the future is an unwise project at the best of times; and we certainly are
not living in those at the moment. So I will not try to predict when it might happen, but I believe
social work is fast reaching the point where its over-reliance on form-filling, procedures and
bureaucratic solutions to human problems is threatening its raison dêtre.
How might the profession be future proofed, i.e. remain intact and of value beyond its present
existence? In this discussion paper, I argue that foregrounding the art and science of helping
relationships is a way forward. Recognising and promoting the centrality of helping relationships
is the direction in which I believe (or is it hope?) social work should head, because more of the
sameis not, in my view, possible to sustain for much longer. Treading the well-worn but
pot-holed path of box-ticking, endless risk assessment and perfunctory statutory visiting is likely
to lead to continuing problems with retaining social workers and, for those who do stay,
increased burnout, compassion fatigue and secondary trauma, each of which interrupts or
delays the development of working alliances with family members.
Received 14 June 2017
Revised 30 July 2017
Accepted 5 August 2017
David Shemmings is a
Professor at the Centre for
Child Protection, University of
Kent, Canterbury, UK.
PAGE202
j
JOURNAL OF CHILDREN'S SERVICES
j
VOL. 12 NO. 2/3 2017, pp. 202-210, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1746-6660 DOI 10.1108/JCS-06-2017-0025

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