In 2008, in Canadian child welfare, an estimated 235,842 child maltreatment investigations took place, suggesting that 39.16 per 1,000 children were involved with the child welfare system (Trocmé et al., 2010). Child welfare... [ view full abstract ]
In 2008, in Canadian child welfare, an estimated 235,842 child maltreatment investigations took place, suggesting that 39.16 per 1,000 children were involved with the child welfare system (Trocmé et al., 2010). Child welfare workers have the vital role of promoting the safety of children and strengthening the family system. Indeed, child welfare workers have a difficult task and require several sources of information to offer the most appropriate services for children and families. Evidence-informed practice (EIP) can offer a comprehensive practice framework, and is the consideration of: case context, client preferences, worker/supervisor experiences, and research evidence (Nevo & Slonim-Nevo, 2011). However, an important piece of EIP, research, is often missing from child welfare practice (Horwitz et al., 2013). The use of research in child welfare has been shown to increase service user positive outcomes (e.g., Glisson, Hemmelgarn, Green, & Williams, 2013), as well as child welfare organizational factors (Collins-Camargo & Royse, 2010). This presentation will illustrate an evaluation of a novel EIP program that aims to increase individual child welfare worker’s use of research in practice.
Participants were randomly selected, at the team level, from one child welfare organization in Ontario, Canada. Participants attended five modules over a three-month period, for a total of 10 hours of dedicated learning time. Supervisors (n=15) and workers (n=50) attended separate sessions. Based on theory and empirical research, the curriculum focused on: 1) The role of evidence-informed practice in child welfare, promoting leadership and self-efficacy of using research; 2) Research methodology; 3) Linking research methodology to research questions; 4) Implications for practice; and 5) Sustaining the use of research in practice.
The intervention was evaluated using a pre- and post-test design. Pre and post measures include: EIP knowledge and frequency of use; attitude towards evidence-based practice; likelihood of adopting evidence-based practice; confidence in using research in practice; perception of barriers to using research in practice; frequency of discussing research; leadership use of research; relationship with supervisor; team cohesiveness; supervisor practice support; and number of times research was used in the previous month.
Thus far, findings have been positive, with significant changes from pre to post-test in key areas. Knowledge of EIP increased significantly (p<.001) from pre to post-test. Participants indicated a significant (p<.001) increase in confidence in using research after completing the EIP curriculum. Social work literature suggests that self-efficacy (the belief that one can set and achieve a goal) is an important piece to using research, thus, it is reasonable to posit that the same may be true in the child welfare context. Barriers to using research may be subjective and can influence a worker’s confidence and use of research. The significant decrease (p<.005) in barriers to using research is important and demonstrates that it may be the perception of barriers that is important.
There are limitations to this evaluation, including the use of self-report measures and the lack of a control group. Further, this is a pilot intervention, as it is one of the first of its kind. The findings of this evaluation cannot be generalized to the wider population, yet suggest important factors to consider when promoting the use of research in individual child welfare worker practice.
Program evaluation and quality in child welfare , Other topics
