Using power and authority in child protection practice (Ep.14)

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Transcript

0:01

Welcome to rich divine social work practice podcast. I am rich and I am a social worker. This podcast is about practice related issues. Self-development and transformation. It will give you knowledge, ideas and practical tools for being an effective social worker, supporting you with assessment skills. Direct work, dealing with conflict and importantly, helping you make a positive difference in the lives of children and families. Today. I'm going to be talking about using power and authority. In child protection practice. Before we get into that. I just want to give. An update in respect of a few things. Firstly. In the last episode. I shared that I was going to be doing a new webinar series in conjunction with. Basware. And the intention of the webinar series is. Hopefully for social workers too. Be able to access a very condensed form of training and part of this. Is because I think often half a day is trained in our whole days. Train in. Con. Be crammed in, I think often to a much shorter time span. And so I'm trying to, and also I'm aware that people are very busy and have a lot to do. And so these one and a half hour sessions are really going to be. Jam packed with knowledge, practical ideas and research. And hopefully we'll leave you feeling more confident and re-energized in the work that you do with families. The response so far as been incredibly positive. And so the first webinar that we have coming up, which is around talking to children and some of the challenges of that. Is nearly halfway to be in sold out. The following. Master class. Webinars are in managing conflict in child protection. How to overcome confrontation, resistance, and denial. So that you can feel confident balance in authority with compassion in forming collaborative relationships with parents. That's actually going to be a little bit of the theme of today's episode and is actually surprisingly litter out there in terms of helping us navigate the fact that lots of relationships in child protection can be quite conflictual. And in fact, it's almost an, an unavoidable ever-present feature of our work. And that's why it's quite surprising that there's not much out there in terms of writing and. Research. And then following on from that, we'll be looking at assessment in child protection. Again, assessment is one of those areas where fundamentally social workers are constantly making assessments. And so it's going to be an exploration of some really important ideas that I've developed. And, and cultivate it over the last 12 years. And then we'll be looking at things like working with trauma. How to survive in, in, in a child protection context, in terms of the time management skills. Th th the reason why I wanted to do that is actually time management. Is a really critical element to. Being able to make a positive difference in the lives of children and because I'm very disorganized and chaotic in the way that I would approach things and often quite fearful of doing difficult tasks. And so it put them off. I had to do quite a lot of reading around time management and found that a lot of the conventional. Time management ideas. Don't. Coalesce particularly well in a child protection context. So the certain ideas that I think lend themselves particularly well. And then there's a couple more around working with substance misuse. And then the final one is around moral distress. And that's essentially around the challenges of making decisions in child protection. We're constantly having to make decisions about whether a child should be subject to a child protection plan or whether we should enter into pre proceedings or care proceedings. I've at the conclusion of our parent and assessment, we should think about removing the child. And the, that. Webinar and masterclass we'll explore. How do we improve? The robustness and evidential rigor of those decisions so that we can make defensible decisions in service of The outcomes that children need from us. So that's a little bit about the Basware webinar series and you can check that out on there. Website. And if you have already booked onto the webinars, And then a massive fan queue. I appreciate. The everybody. That's already booked on and that will be coming along. The second. Point I wanted to mention. Is that if you listen to this podcast, either as a social worker, Or perhaps a team manager or service leader, and there's certain topics that you think would be helpful. For us to explore on this podcast. Topics that. Would support frontline practitioners to be able to do that job more effectively than please do get in touch. I'll leave my email in the show notes. It might be things as simple as how to chair a meeting, how to write case notes. How to. Right effective. Child to need plans or developed child protection plans. So, if you do happen to the ideas. Or suggestions then? Then please do get in touch. Is there anything else I want to say before we dive into this. Topic of coercive social work, using power and authority. One thing that. I think. I'll share, is that in January, I did this thing where. I have. I w I ran. Free miles every day for 30 days. And the intention behind it was this idea of doing something for 30 minutes for 30 days. And I managed to do it actually up until the 30th date and then I didn't do the 30th day. And then I did the 31st. So my intention was to do it for all of January. And I literally got to the penultimate day and then decided not to do it. So, I don't know what that says about mine. Psychology. And what it made me realize is that when you prioritize. Or make a commitment, you really can make the time available to do it. And so. I've now switched up the, the 30 days. I have 30 minutes into writing. Because the blog is something that I'm really passionate about and I find really meaningful. And one of the primary ways in which I learn and process information. And so I'm going to try and spend 30 minutes. For 30 days doing some writing and thought it just means that you have to write. Or as I did previously run it slightly inconvenient times. So you might have a window just before work. You might have a window at lunchtime. You might not have a window until 8 39 o'clock. But it was just a useful. Tool that I've been playing around with doing something for 30 minutes for 30 days. Right. Let's get into the topic of today's episode. Now I think the fundamental part of being a child protection social worker is to work with parents who quite frankly, Don't want to work with us. There are various reasons for this. And it is important that we seek to understand them while recognizing that none of them negates the fact that we frequently must interact with parents who would prefer that we were not involved in their life. And who communicate this to us. Indirectly and directly. And I'm just going to read. Section of. Harry Ferguson's book, child protection practice. He has a chapter on it. Called using good authority, working with resistance and involuntary clients. And he begins the chapter by. Quoting London borough Brandt 1985. I don't know if that's a serious case review perhaps. And it said authority is not a dirty word. Indeed. It must be brought officially from behind the errors of social work training onto the public stage. Not just of childcare law, but also into the practice of all social workers. We regard it as an incentive tool, agree ingredient in any work designed to protect children. And then he starts the chapter and he writes. Broadly speaking, there are two kinds of service uses in social work in child protection. Those who go to professionals for help because they have a problem. And those to whom professionals go with help because they pose problems for others or themselves voluntary and involuntary clients. Although this puts the matter rather simplistically, it does have the virtue of distinguishing between co-operative and uncooperative service users. Social outlet. Twitter has been quite poor at making this distinction. Most is written as if the service user is voluntary and stresses the importance of respect for them and their rights and empowerment and so that's Harry Ferguson's really excellent book child protection practice, which I'd highly recommend. Redone. So dealing with conflict, hostility, heightened emotion over in covert aggression and verbal abuse. And my experience is that it's the norm. Negotiate in these dynamics, these dynamics is the bread and butter of social work. And yeah. I've received surprisingly little preparation for this at university, and there is a distinct lack of research into this area of practice. How many focused and being a notable exception. And as a result, I was often left in doubt of my capability as a social worker. When my attempts to convey unconditional positive regard and emotional warmth. We're painfully frauded by distressed or angry parents. Social work. I was told it was about collaboration, empowerment, and anti discriminatory practice. However, despite my best efforts. If I'm honest, these ideas were rarely achieved if ever. At points. This made me wonder if I was cut out for the job. Because of the. Disjuncture between the work I was undertaken and the ideals espoused in social work, training and theory. In the words of demand, kidney. Probably done a terrible job of pronouncing that surname. Whose work I came across. Through reading. Andrea 10 hours, dissertation. Which is an extraordinary piece of writing and quite influential in my thinking. In the words of. I couldn't live up to the idealizations of the text and the high, high aspirations of the academy. As a result, I feel. I felt demoralized and at times disillusioned. So conflict really wasn't ever present feature of the work when fulfilling my role as a statutory social worker. To give you some examples. When I needed to spend time with a child, undertake an unannounced visits and look in the private spaces of their home. Some parents told me they didn't want me to spend time with their children or visit their homes. When I spoke to a parent about the impact that their drug use was having on their functioning and their child. Or the impact that domestic abuse was happening. Some parents would adamantly deny the extent that their substance misuse or domestic abuse and disagree that it was having any effect on their children. When I shared observations about the home conditions being unhygienic or unsafe, some parents would be affronted and vehemently disagree. When I had to deliver a pre proceed and his letter on apparent that we were entering into that phase. Some parents told me that all the concerns were fabricated and that my efforts should be redirected to a neighbor's child who situation was considerably worse. Primarily. Conflict arises out of the fact that I'm a representative of a statutory organization. Most of the parents I work with are not choosing to work with me and the service I represent. They want freedom from state intrusion into their private life. Mainly because of the fear. That this will eventually result in the loss of their child. I can't imagine many people would want involvement with a system where this could put. Potentially be an outcome. Even if it meant access to some much needed help. And I think. A failure to acknowledge this feature of our practice. Runs the risk that we become disillusioned with the profession when it doesn't live up to our hopes and acts and expectations. Or we blame ourselves when we are unable to convert, cultivate the type of relationship advocated for in social work literature. I was pointing it out by untrue to now enthusiastic in working with denied child abuse. Aspiring to ideal solutions. Leads the professional towards exhaustion and pessimism. Because those ideals do not equate well with the complex and contested day to day, realities of dealing with situations of severe child abuse. So, as I mentioned. Aye. Red Henry Ferguson's book, child protection practice. And in this book, key reference the neglected contribution of James Barber. And James Barba wrote a book. Eh, in 1991. Called beyond casework. And basically the book is essentially about how do we move from. Individually intervening and dealing with the issues and the challenges that some families are working with. And translate that individualistic model into a more. Community-based collective orientated approach to some of the issues that parents are working with. But in that book, he has a chapter. Called casework with involuntary clients and it, and I just thought it was a really brilliant chapter because he writes about. Working with involuntary clients in a way that I just don't see very often. So he writes in, in this book. Work with involuntary clients must begin with the recognition that the interaction between worker and client is based on conflict rather than cooperation. That social work with involuntary clients is a political, not a therapeutic process involving the socially sanctioned use of power. So paradoxically recognizing that our relationship with a parent is often based on conflict, I think can help us understand approaches and methods that reduce the conflict. And in this chapter by James Barba. He identifies free practice approaches. For. Contending with the challenges of establishing. Meaningful relationships with child protection. And I'll just give an overview of. Each of those free approaches. So the first approach is called casework by concessions. In this approach. Social workers will attempt to minimize or deny the fact that they are a representative of a statutory organization. That imposes. And restrictions on a parent's life. Social workers. Adopting this approach. Can feel uncomfortable with. The power bestowed upon them in that role and consider it anti-fat tickle to their values. They failed to recognize that the authority can be integrated into effective practice. And used in a constructive way to promote change. And so, as a result, what terms Barbara argues is that they seek to minimize or avoid conflict by making various types of concessions with parents. Various types of allowances. So that they can avoid the conflict. And avoiding the conflict is essentially trying to avoid. The recognition that there's some power within the relationship or that. That they have access to. And he noted that newly qualified social workers were especially vulnerable to this approach. As they seek to implement. Idealistic notions of relationship building. Or they refuse on ideological grounds to accept the power is a feature of being a child protection, social worker. However, what he argues is that. Because conflict is inherent in the relationship. Concessions can only be extended so far before a social worker has to exert their authority. At this point, the relationship fractures. And this can cause some social workers to become resentful and bitter because despite their best efforts to make concessions. To minimize the use of power or authority. The relationship turns fraught. As soon as the statutory duty has to be exercised. Equally. Parents can feel betrayed by a worker. Who seemed willing to extend some allowance or courtesy. And then when it ultimately came to it, impose this hatch a sanction, for example, We are now going to go to a child protection case conference. So that's casework by concessions where social workers feel uncomfortable with the power that, that they have. And try to minimize or avoid the use of power by making lots of allowances or concessions. But that becomes a point where if there continues to be concerns and a lack of change, the social worker is forced into a position of. Imposing. Start to tree element of that role. The second. Approach. He identifies his casework by oppression. And the second approach. In contrast to the first approach involves the social worker, embracing the conflictual nature of the role. And so the social worker readily and unflinchingly, imposes their expectations of what needs to change upon the parent. Utilizing the power inherent in the role to intimidate a parent. And I think that might be. Sometimes. Conscious. And sometimes. Slightly unconscious in terms of them not fully realizing. The way that they're perceived and the power that they're perceived to hold. Social worker can feel fully legitimized in this approach claiming for it to be in the service of the child's best interests. And tell him parents. Straight and forthrightly their wrongdoings is fully justified as a means of advocating on behalf of a child. In. Bye. Donald forest there. David Wilkins and Charlotte Whitaker using motivational interviewing. They call it this, the talent, the parent, what to do trap. And apparently they've done lots of observations of social workers. And it is a relatively common approach whereby. We see that the parent is facing a problem or experience, and a problem is having an impact on the child. And we're very quick to point them out and tell them what they need to do about it. And actually it's a really unhelpful and counter productive approach because it often generates more resistance. And increases. Denial rather than. Facilitate in a meaningful relationship that might bring about change. And what James Barber argues is that sometimes this can be done with us slight righteous, indignation. This. Telling the parents what to do in service of. Advocate him for what's in the best interest of the children. And he writes. Workers who set uncompromising and unilateral terms in their relationship. Are often guilty of trying to punish the client under the guise of social work practice. So that's the second. Approach that he identifies casework by oppression. Whereby we just utilize the power available to us. And be quite a far Rotarian and dictorial about what the parent needs to do. And we justify that approach in terms of being clear about what needs to happen for the children. The third approach. It's called negotiated casework and the third approach. Essentially attempt to reconcile the competing positions. And what. James Barber argues is that it is possible to promote empowerment while also acting as an agent of social control. And in pursuing this approach, a social worker. Must accept the conflictual nature of the relationship that is born out of the inevitable conflicts of interests. When social work involvement is mandatory. What Barbara writes is anything less is not only self-defeating. It is ultimately dishonest. So. The social worker as a representative of a statutory organization will almost always face some resistance. And to not recognize that that will be a feature of the work. He argues is not only self-defeating, but also ultimately dishonest. Therefore conflict should be made explicit by the social worker. And James Barba rights in place of helping relationship, then. The foundation of social casework with involuntary clients is a working relationship. Wearing client and work here prepare to work towards a speedy resolution of the problem and a reinstatement of the client's Liberty. And he identifies free aims for effective negotiation. Firstly negotiation involves looking for opportunities to maximize the participation involvement of a parent. Even within the constraints that be involved with a statutory service imposes. Secondly. He advocates for involving the client in the development of the intervention plan, rather than forcing a parent to submit to a plan that has already been worked out for them. And thirdly. He argues that a peaceful resolution despite really difficult circumstances. Conserve as a template for parents to problem solve in other areas of their life, especially when there might be some disagreement. And so following on from that he identifies six steps for. Negotiated casework. Clear in the air, identify legitimate client interests. Identify non-negotiable aspects of it. The intervention. Identify negotiable aspects of intervention negotiate the case plan. And then agree on the criteria for progress. So they are the free. Key areas casework by concessions. Where we don't want to. Acknowledge or own the power and try to minimize. And applicate. Responsibility of it. The second is case work. By pressure while we lean into it. Sometimes I'm wittingly. Making use of that. And then the third approach is negotiated casework. And. Yeah, identify six steps for negotiated casework. Now the first one. Clearer clearing the air. Resonate a lot with my experience of overcoming the hurdles. Consequential of. What coercive involvement with parents? So. I'll just explore that. Briefly. So, what he says is that when a social worker is mandated to be involved with a parent I child protection plan, pre proceeded as care proceedings. Then now this is his words. A social worker symbolizes the full might of the legal system. And at least to begin with. The worker would have no identity. Other than. The oppressor. Under such circumstances. All the social workers communications will be filtered through a haze of distrust, suspicion and hostility. Baba. Suggests, therefore that the social worker brings to the parent's attention. What brings them together? Given that there is a child protection plan or quarter. How can the social worker. And parent work together to achieve the aims of the plan or the order. So instead of it being a dispute between the individual worker and a parent, it is recognized. And framed as a dispute between a parent and society at large or the local authority. And he argues that this will increase the chance that the discussion. Does not degenerate into a personal dispute. From this stance. The social worker can empathize with a parent about how they feel about social work involvement and any resentment about involvement can be fully acknowledged. And he suggests that. Statements such as. You must feel pretty reluctant to work under these circumstances. Can be an open way to a Frank and full discussion of the relationship. Much of James Barba approach. I think aligns with the work of Andrew tonneau and Susie SX. And signs of safety. And. These ideas were revolutionary to me when I encountered them and forever changed my practice. I probably used to feel personally responsible and entangled in my relationship with parents. By realized after training in signs of safety, that it was more effective to establish common goals. And work together. In moving them forward. For example, I began to ask parents what they wanted to happen. And then they would often tell me that they don't want social care involvement. And then I could respond positively. Say in something like we don't want to be involved either. So let's think about how we can work together to show that social care don't need to be worried. Or to show that my manager doesn't need to be worried about the concerns that have been raised by X, Y, and Z. From that perspective. I can empathize with how negative feelings about social work involvement. Without taking it personally and then align myself with their goals to collaborate on a plan that would help them achieve the joint goal of not having social work involvement. Ababa ends the chapter by making the point. The, even with the approach that he outlined. And these are his words. There will always be some clients who steadfastly refused to work towards a negotiated settlement. Such individuals cannot get past their hostility or having to submit to social work intervention and will simply restate their opposition. Despite whatever efforts are made to direct attention to the interests underlying their hostility. Nevertheless, he still argues that we have an ethical and moral responsibility. And I agree. To do everything within our power to effectively negotiate a meaningful relationship with a parent. With the aim of supporting them to safely care for their children. And. I'm going to end the podcast. Or this episode by reading. Section of the book by Gerald. The Mont county called social working an F ethnography of frontline practice. And it's quite an old book and just having a look 1995. But there's a book. There's a. The heart and the book. On page 220, that just really encapsulates the complexity of the work. My work has looked at social work practices that are not sanitized, distantly, theorized, and safe. I've tried to address social work that is both dirty and dangerous. I have examined social work that is contaminated by daily life. With regard to both clients and social workers. Social work can not be scrubbed clean. Real social workers get dirty week after week. Their lives and the lives of clients can not be scrubbed clean. Despite the D and the danger of practice at the front line, the solution is not to succumb to Tara. Social workers must resist the temptation to flee into the safe and managed spaces of professional discourse. Indeed. Social workers. We need a practice that celebrates the equivocal, the confusing, the chaos, and the mystery of the every day. We must abandoned the deceptive power of work that manages, contains, and orders. Social workers need a practice that is not simply work and a practice that does not work simply. Social workers need to practice in ways that are alive to their own location, partiality and fallibility. Social workers need to play at work and to work at play. And. He goes on to say that social workers must stop taking themselves seriously. They must stop being deferential to power. They must respect people, not positions. And then one more bit. That are. Read. I really liked. We feel alive when we produce change, we feel alive when we suffer policy and we get away with provide an exceptional services to clients. We feel bold and righteous when we take a client side. We've rejoiced when we help a client to see the world differently. We celebrate when clients act differently, we experience honest pleasure when we get to know each other. We enjoy entering people's daily lives and learning how they put their lives together. So that seems like a good. Place to end. Many thanks for listening to this episode. If you haven't already, then please do consider subscribing. Or. Leaving a review. Leaving a review. On a podcast. Takes a matter of seconds. And so. It would really mean a lot to me. If you would stop what you're doing for a few seconds and leave a review. I don't mind whether it's positive or negative or feedback is very welcome. But it would be. Useful in terms of. I think. It being. Promote it on. The sites where podcasts are made available. And I would really love to. Reach out to as many social workers as I can. And hopefully provide some. Useful episodes on issues that social workers are facing. And on that note, if you do have any questions, like I mentioned at the beginning or topics that you'd like me to explore, please do get in touch. Thanks for listening.