Date post: | 18-Jan-2018 |
Category: |
Documents |
Upload: | claribel-caldwell |
View: | 221 times |
Download: | 0 times |
Social worker home visits to children and families: messages from our research
Dr. Karen Winter and Dr. Campbell Killick
PurposeBackground
Research process
Findings
Use of findings
BackgroundThe social worker home visit
What we know and we don’t know
What do we need to know more about?
Why do we need to know?
Research process Communication
Collaboration
Considered proposal
Content
FindingsPre –visit
During the home visit
Post home visit
Pre - visitCar as reflective space
Car as preparation
Car as vehicle to make connections between thoughts, feelings and intended actions
ContextNormalising Northern Ireland
Overwhelmed by the macro
Underwhelmed by the micro
Communication Underwhelmed by the microCommunication reduced to a checklistFocuses on the tangible/scientific – I saw, I spoke, I
soughtOmits the humane - touch, laughter, holdingOmits quality, significance
Misconnections Knowledge about children
Attitudes about and towards children
Demands of the job – bureaucratic versus relational
Risk to child and to self
The relationship We are guardians and custodians of the stories children tell us and the aspects of their lives they choose to share with us. This process of the oral translation of information from the child to the social worker and back again is a significant aspect to children’s identity formation. We move on into other jobs and roles taking those fragments of the child’s story with us. There is no room, no space and no permission for us to be part of that ongoing process of identity formation which begins with the basic conversation ‘I remember when you..’ We have to ask ourselves whether what we do now is the best way to help children form meaningful relationships, help them recover their shattered sense of identity and to re-establish their inner core’.
Use of findingsAudit
Materials
Training
Role of senior practitioner