1. 1. BASPCAN, 14 April, 2015 Symposium Researching Child Protection Close Upw Harry Ferguson Karen Winter et al Juliet Koprowska et al Charlotte Whittaker et al
2. 2. (No) Research into face to face CP practice Curious absence of research observations Participant observation studies in SW offices (Helm, 2014; Broadhurst, et al, 2010; Dingwall et al, 1983; Pithouse, 1998; Scourfield, 2003) Important findings re bureaucracy, decision-making, language, gender But need to get right up close to practice Interactions, relational dynamics, helping.
3. 3. Using ethnographic & mobile methods to understand encounters between social workers, children & families Harry Ferguson Professor of Social Work University of Nottingham Harry.ferguson@nottingham.ac.uk Twitter: @harr_ferguson BASPCAN, 14 April, 2015
4. 4. 2008: began research observations of practice encounters Developed participant observation / shadowing method, ethics procedure 2012-13: ESRC study
5. 5. Research questions How do social workers perform child protection face to face? Do they see children alone? If yes, where? If not, why? How do SWs, children & parents relate? What is the lived experience of the work? What enables & constrains good practice?
6. 6. Researching practice, close up Mobile methods: Shadowed practitioners in the car, street, home visits, schools Interviewed on way there about their approach, plan Observed & audio-recorded encounter with children, parents, carers Interviewed SWs in car straight after Only done with consent.
7. 7. Sample 2 L/As Short & long-term social work teams Shadowed 24 social workers on 87 practice encounters 71 home visits 9 interviews with children in schools 7 office interviews.
8. 8. Access & consent SWs asked selected parents if would consent to researcher accompanying them Some refused But all who permitted initial visit consented to researcher staying 70/71 parents on home visits gave consent to audio-recording.
9. 9. Driving interviews Im planning in my own head and thinking: right, where do I start, what do I say; will the children be there, wont they, you know
10. 10. Walking interviews ((Dog barking)) SW: I do hate visiting families with dogs. Its my biggest bugbear. Why does everybody whos got a dog think that people like them? HF: Yeah. ((Dog barking)) SW: Oh. HF: I think this is the back door. SW: Yeah. ((Dogs barking loudly)) Can we go round! ((More barking))
11. 11. Inside the home / the world of practice Or: What happens after this?
12. 12. The complexity of practice Impact of house, dogs, strangers, smells, flux, atmospheres (hostile, warm, depressed ) Deep emotional, sensory experience Multiple tasks Creating order to achieve goals highly skilled activity.
13. 13. How SW & CP are done: Do SWs see children on their own? Parents only present 9 Children seen on their own in the home: 15 Children not seen alone 47 71 Common reason not seen alone, under 5.
14. 14. Being mobile within the home Researcher needs to accompany workers into families most intimate spaces Or will miss key aspects of practice 39 of the 71 home visits inspected bedrooms & some kitchens 9/15 visits saw children alone in bedrooms Consent as a process, not a single event.
15. 15. Talk SW: And do you ever worry when mum drinks? 10 yr old: [Pause] About 20% I worry. SW: Oh okay. And whats that 20% then? What makes you worried? 10 yr old: Well, she can be like OTT like Analysis of talk, questioning styles, empathy, use of authority (Hall, et al 2014 ).
16. 16. Body / actions Jenny sat on the single bed. She leaned towards the children with an open stance, making eye contact and responding to them in an animated manner. The 10 yr old boy leaned back against the bed, while his six-year-old sister stayed 3 feet further away and leaned back against the wall. Jenny adjusted her language and style to make it appropriate for the younger child. She also paid attention to the childrens things DVDs, toys and incorporated them in a playful way into her communication.
17. 17. Intimate Practice Identification of patterns in how close practitioners get to children Use of touch eg to bring comfort, check on childrens well-being Capacity to play Personal capacities, use of self.
18. 18. Observational methods Crucial evidence of what SWs do Actions, talk, impact of contexts (home) AND dont do, and why - the irrational Reflexivity: feelings, atmospheres, the senses as data (Pink, 2009) Ethically important moments (Guillemin & Gillam, 2004) inevitable.
19. 19. Cannot be resolved in advance Avoid anticipating rejection by ethics committees (Dingwall, 2008) Trust researchers to be ethical Not just about serving academics needs Unearthing SUs experiences of services, bad & good (Ashencaen Crabtree, 2012).
20. 20. Harry.ferguson@nottingham.ac.uk Twitter: @harr_ferguson