Family complexity in child welfare - A comparative study on family intervention

Social workers around the world deals with family complexity in their everyday practice. How social workers understand family and family complexity will possibly influence their assessments and discretions leading to decisions... [ view full abstract ]

Social workers around the world deals with family complexity in their everyday practice. How social workers understand family and family complexity will possibly influence their assessments and discretions leading to decisions about intervention. Children’s welfare constitute an important policy area in many countries. However, orientations may vary from a focus on child protective and risk oriented approach to a broader family welfare approach (Khoo et al 2002; Gilbert et al. 2011; Samsonsen, 2016). In our presentation, we will direct attention to how social workers in the child welfare/protection services in two different welfare contexts (Norway and Mexico) reflect upon family and family complexity, and furthermore how their assessments and discretions in relation to a specific case lay ground for decisions about interventions in the family. The study aims to explore social workers discretions leading to intervention (or lack of intervention), as well as similarities and differences between the two countries.
The study is part of a larger research project: Family complexity and Social Work in different welfare regimes. The project is funded by NORFACE/Welfare State Future and the overall aim is to compare family policies and family-based social work in four different welfare regimes; de-familialised, partly de-familialised, familialised and re-familialised welfare states (Hantrais, 2004). Data will be collected from four services areas: 1) child welfare, 2) drug/alcohol abuse, 3) migration and 4) mental health.
The current study has a case study design, which is concerned with the complexity and the nature of the case at stake (Stake, 2013; Bryman, 2003). The vignette used in the study describe a complex family situation involving issues related to the four above mentioned service areas. Vignettes has been recognized as a powerful tool to investigate professional decision-making (Kriz & Skivenes, 2013) and judgements (Smithson, 2000). The vignette study approach will be combined with a focus group method, which allows the participants to respond to each other’s views and a dynamic exploration of attitudes, beliefs and reactions in a way that may be difficult in one-on-one interviews (Bryman, 2003). Directed content analysis (Hsies & Shannon, 2005) will be applied to explore how social workers reflections and discretions to the case, and how they would approach the family and intervene to the case described in the Vignette. The analysis will be directed by Hantrais’ (2004) welfare regime typology. Data collection period is from January 2016 to April 2016.
Preliminary findings will be presented with focus on social workers discretions and assessment leading to interventions, as well as similarities and differences between social workers both within- and across the two welfare regimes. Practical implications of social worker’s conceptions, leanings and discretions influence on social work practice with complex families in child welfare/protection will be discussed.