engaging with involuntary service users in social · pdf fileinvoluntary service users in...
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Engaging with involuntary service users in social workGood practice guide
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This guide is based on a research project at The University of Edinburgh which involved: • Reviewsofresearchonuserengagement in social work.•Seminarswitharound70professionalsfromsixScottishlocalauthoritysocialworkdepartments.
•Practitioner-ledresearchprojectsineach of these local authorities.
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The project found that:
l Worker-clientrelationshipsarecentraltoengagementwithinvoluntary service users.1, 2 Face to face work, collaborating withserviceuserstosolvetheirproblems,isessential.3
l Trustandrespect,developedoverthelongterm,canhelptoimproveengagement.4, 5
l Clearandhonestcommunicationisalsovital.6
l Involuntaryserviceusersmayneedactivesupporttoengageinsocialworkdecisionmaking,e.g.independentadvocacyincase conferences.7,8
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Involuntary service users of social work are diverse
l Theyrangefromthosewhowon’trespondtoanycontact,tothosewhoco-operatebecausetheyfeeltheyhavenootherchoice.
l Weusetheterm‘involuntaryclients’forpeoplewhoseinvolvementwithsocialworkersismandatedbylaw,includingfamiliesinthechildprotectionsystem,usersofmentalhealthservices, people with disabilities, older people such as those withdementia,andpeopleinthecriminaljusticesystem.
l Engaging with involuntary clients can be challenging. Successesmaybesmallandhard-won.
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drug users
mental health service users
childrenchild protection
adult protection
young peopledisabled people
older people
parentsoffenders
alcohol users
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The social work relationship is vital for working with involuntary clients. Some things which can help to build positive working relationships include...
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l Maintaining continuity by avoiding frequent changes of worker.9,10
l Strikingabalancebetweenexercisingsocialworkauthority,andempoweringtheclienttocontroltheprocesswherepossible.11
l Givingpracticalassistance,e.g.advocacy,helpingclientstofightfor their rights.12
l Payingattentiontowhatispositiveintheclient’sbehaviourandcelebratingallachievements.3
l Showingtheclientyourhumanity,e.g.byfindingacommoninterest,revealingsomethingaboutyourself,showingempathyor‘goingtheextramile’inworkingwiththem.
l Wheretherelationshiphasbrokendowncompletely,independentmediationservicesmaybeworthexploring.13
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Building trust is essential in engaging with involuntary clients.4,5
l Involuntaryserviceusersareoftenmistrustfulofsocialservices.l Buildingtrust,evenonthesmallestscale,canstarttoovercome
their fears.l Trustcanbebuiltbysimplethings:consistency;stickingtoyour
word;beinghonestandupfrontaboutthesituationandwhysocialworkisinvolved;apologisingifyouoryourorganisationmakesamistake.14
l Thisdoesnotmeanthatclientsshouldfeelthattheycantrustyouwiththeirsecrets,ortoalwaysbeontheirside.Itmeansthattheycantrustyoutobehonestwiththem,maintainappropriateboundariesandmaketheseexplicit.
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Working with involuntary clients takes time and persistence.15 Progress is often slow.
l Clients often begin with negative attitudes towards social workers.However,theymayrevisetheseopinionsoverthelongterm.
l Itisimportanttounderstandwhattheinitialresistanceisaboutandgetbeyondthat.Manyfamilieshavehadbadexperienceswhichleavethemstrugglingtotrustprofessionals.
l Clients’timescalesmightnotfitwithstatutoryorperformancemanagementrequirements.Itmayhelpifyoucanbeflexibleandmoveattheclient’space.8,14
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Clear communication is crucial for engagement with involuntary clients.16,17,18
l Many involuntary clients struggle to understand what is happeningtothem.Thismakesengagementdifficult.
l Engagementcanbeimprovedbymakingclearateverycontact what the purpose of the intervention is, what the client has control over and what they do not, what is going tohappennextandwhatthelikelyconsequenceswillbe.19
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l Itmayhelptosticktoasimple,clearmessage,andrepeatthisconsistently,e.g.“I’mherebecauseweareworriedaboutyoursafety.Weneedtomakesureyouaresafe.”Checkwiththe client that this is understood and agreed upon.
l Empathyiscrucialformaintainingengagementevenwheredifficultissuesarebeingdiscussed.20
l Avoidprofessionalandmanagementjargonandacronyms.l Toomuchinformation(e.g.long,complexreports)canbeas
unhelpful as too little.21
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Involuntary clients may be experiencing intense emotions
l Aparentfacingtheremovaloftheirchild,forexample,may befeelingintenseanger,regret,sadnessandguilt.Theymay
belookingforsomeoneelsetoblameforwhatishappening.l Clientsmayalsobeplayingoutscriptslearnedinearlierlife.
It can help to ask why people are behaving as they are, rather than taking behaviour at face value.
l Itmayhelptoconsiderwhataspectsofhostilityarepersonal(responsestoyourownactionsasaworker),andwhataspectsarenot(e.g.angeratsocialservicesingeneral,oratpreviousworkers).
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It may also help to think about yourself and how you are feeling
l If you feel a strong sense of dread prior to contact with a client, orofreliefifaclientdoesnotanswerthedoor,thismaysuggestthatyouneedmoresupport.
l It’sOKtoaskforsupport.l Supervisionoughttobethereforyoutouseifyouarefinding
thingsdifficult.Itoughttoallowyoutheopportunitytodiscusshowworkingwithparticularclientsmakesyoufeel.
l Youmightwanttoaskacolleaguetoaccompanyyoutovisitaclientyouarehavingtroubleengaging.Athirdpartymaybeable to help diffuse the situation.
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What else might help clients?
l Acknowledgingtheircircumstancesandunderstandingtheirhistories.
l Listeningtoclients’experiences;tryingtounderstandhowtheyfeel about intervention.
l Givingclientsaccesstoacomplaintsprocedurewhichtheycould realistically use.9
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What else might help social workers?
l Empoweringthemtohavemoreconfidenceinthemselves; re-assertingsocialworkprofessionalism.l Gettingpeersupporte.g.throughpractitionersforums,from
colleagues.l Reflectingcriticallyandhonestlyonsocialworkpractice.l Avoidingfallingintotheroutine,box-tickingmode.
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References:1 Barry,M.(2007)Listeningandlearning:Thereciprocalrelationshipbetweenworkerandclient,
JournalofCommunityandCriminalJustice,54(4),407-4222 Tregeagle,S.andMason,J.(2008)Serviceuserexperienceofparticipationinchildwelfarecase
management,ChildandFamilySocialWork,13,391-4013 Trotter,C.(1999)Workingwithinvoluntaryclients:aguidetopractice,Sage:London,Thousand
OaksandNewDelhi4 Schofield,G.andThoburn,J.(1996)ChildProtection:theVoiceoftheChildinDecisionMaking,
InstituteforPublicPolicyResearch:London5 Tee,S.,Lathleen,J.,Herbert,L.,Coldham,T.,East,B.andJohnson,T-J.(2007)Userparticipation
inmentalhealthnursedecision-making:aco-operativeenquiry,JournalofAdvancedNursing,60(2),135-145
6 Healy,K.andDarlington,Y.(2009)Serviceuserparticipationindiversechildprotectioncontexts:principlesforpractice,ChildandFamilySocialWork,14,420-430
7 Elsley,S. (2010) ‘Advocacymakesyou feelbrave’:Advocacysupport forchildrenandyoungpeopleinScotland,TheScottishGovernment:Edinburgh
8 Hernandez,L.,Robson,P.andSampson,A.(2010)TowardsIntegratedParticipation:InvolvingSeldomHeardUsersofSocialCareServices,BritishJournalofSocialWork,40,714-736
9 Munro,E.(2001)Empoweringlooked-afterchildren,ChildandFamilySocialWork,6,129-13710 Franklin,A.andSloperP.(2009)SupportingtheParticipationofDisabledChildrenandYoung
PeopleinDecision-making,ChildrenandSociety,23,3-1511 Doel,M.andBest,L.(2008)ExperiencingSocialWork:LearningfromServiceUsers,Sage:Los
Angeles,London,NewDelhiandSingapore
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12 Postle, K. and Beresford, P. (2007) Capacity Building and the Reconception of PoliticalParticipation:ARoleforSocialCareWorkers?BritishJournalofSocialWork,37,143-158
13Cooper,A.,Hetherington,R.andKatz,I.(2003)TheRiskFactor:Makingthechildprotectionsystemworkforchildren,DEMOS:London
14Wosu,H.andStewart,J.(2010)EngagingwithInvoluntaryServiceUsers:ALiteratureReviewandCaseStudy,reportavailableatwww.socialwork.ed.ac.uk/esla
15MacLeod,A.(2007)Whoseagenda?Issuesofpowerandrelationshipwhenlisteningtolooked-afteryoungpeople,ChildandFamilySocialWork,12,278-286
16Cashmore,J. (2002)Promoting theparticipationofchildrenandyoungpeople incare,ChildAbuseandNeglect,26,837-847
17McGhee,J.(2004)Youngpeople’sviewsoftheScottishchildren’shearingssysteminMcGhee,J.,Mellon,M.andWhyte,B. (2004) (eds.)Meetingneeds,addressingdeeds–workingwithyoungpeoplewhooffend,NCHScotland:Glasgow
18Creegan,C.,Henderson,G.andKing,C.(2006)BigWordsandBigTables:Childrenandyoungpeople’sexperiencesofadvocacysupportandparticipationintheChildren’sHearingsSystem,ScottishExecutive:Edinburgh
19MacLaughlin,H.,Brown,D.andYoung,A.M.(2004)Consultation,CommunityandEmpowerment:LessonsfromtheDeafCommunity,JournalofSocialWork,4(2),153-165
20Forrester, D., Kershaw, S. Moss, H. and Hughes, L. (2008) Communication skills in childprotection:howdosocialworkerstalktoparents?ChildandFamilySocialWork,13,41-51
21Whitehead, I.,Henderson,G.,Hanson, L.,McNiven,G., Lamb,D. andDuru,E. (2009) TheviewsandexperiencesofchildrenandfamiliesinvolvedintheChildren’sHearingsSysteminScotland,ScottishChildren’sReporterAdministration:Stirling
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ThisguidewasproducedbyDrHeatherWilkinson,MarkSmithDrMichaelGallagherandtheKnowledgeExchangeTeamatCRFR,The University of Edinburgh.TheresearchwasfundedbytheEconomicandSocialResearchCouncil(ESRC),ScottishFundingCouncilandtheLocalAuthorities&ResearchCouncils’Initiative(LARCI).Thankstotheattendeesatourseminarswhocontributedsuggestionsfor this guide.
Furtherinformation:www.socialwork.ed.ac.uk/[email protected]
PicturescourtesyofIRISS(InstituteforResearchandInnovationinSocialServices).TheUniversityofEdinburghisacharitablebody,registeredinScotland,withregistrationnumberSC005336.
crfr
centre for research onfamilies and relationshipsCRFR ten years