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Practitioner perspectives on the implementation of an electronic information system to enforce practice standards in England
- Author:
- GILLINGHAM Philip
- Journal article citation:
- European Journal of Social Work, 24(5), 2021, pp.761-771.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Research in England, mainland Europe and Australia has demonstrated how the introduction of electronic information systems (IS) has been highly problematic for frontline social workers, particularly in terms of diverting their time, attention and energy away from direct work with service users. IS have evolved over the years to become increasingly complex and demanding in terms of the nature and volume of data that is required to be entered by social workers. While incorporating workflows in an IS that direct social workers to specific tasks at a particular time is not new, one recently implemented IS incorporates a plethora of workflows that aim to enforce compliance with practice procedures and standards. In this article, the findings from a small qualitative study which aimed to evaluate the reaction of social workers to this new form of IS are reported. Going beyond the problems expected with the introduction of a new IS and drawing theoretically from social informatics and joint cognitive systems, the reasons why this form of IS may be particularly problematic for frontline social workers are explored. (Edited publisher abstract)
Algorithmically based decision support tools: skeptical thinking about the inclusion of previous involvement
- Author:
- GILLINGHAM Philip
- Journal article citation:
- Practice: Social Work in Action, 33(1), 2021, pp.37-50.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Decision making in social work, especially in child protection services, is increasingly being assisted by algorithmically based decision support tools. These tools assign a quantified level of risk of child maltreatment, or what is considered a proxy for child maltreatment, and have been used to assist decisions about which referrals to screen in for further investigation. These tools may have been trained using vast amounts of data held in public services databases and perhaps dozens of characteristics of both parents and children. Characteristics, or predictors, are given a weighting in terms of their correlation with child maltreatment and one characteristic that has been given a high weighting is that of previous involvement of a child or parent with child protection services. In this article, through a process of ‘skeptical thinking’, the different meanings of previous involvement are explored in relation to parents and children and child protection agencies. The aim is to further debate about the development and use of algorithmically based decision tools and highlight the role social workers can play in this process. (Edited publisher abstract)
Decision support systems, social justice and algorithmic accountability in social work: a new challenge
- Author:
- GILLINGHAM Philip
- Journal article citation:
- Practice: Social Work in Action, 31(4), 2019, pp.277-290.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Social work, health, education, income support and criminal justice departments have, through the adoption of electronic information systems, amassed an enormous amount of data about citizens in the developed world. Using relatively new techniques for data extraction and analysis, referred to as big data, these data are now being used to develop algorithmic decision support systems (DSS). These developments have occurred mainly in child welfare services across the world but there are also developments in criminal justice. DSS may, in certain circumstances, make incorrect recommendations to decision-makers, or recommendations which perpetuate the social prejudices that disadvantage service users. Clearly this is antithetical to social justice and it follows that there will be an increasing role for social workers as advocates, as more DSS are implemented. There is, however, a dearth of literature that would inform social workers about how, why and when the recommendations of DSS should be challenged. The aims of this article are therefore to provide some insights into current examples of DSS, propose principles to be applied to try to avoid DSS from perpetuating social injustice and to describe how social workers might apply these principles to challenge recommendations. (Edited publisher abstract)
Decision-making about the adoption of information technology in social welfare agencies: some key considerations
- Author:
- GILLINGHAM Philip
- Journal article citation:
- European Journal of Social Work, 21(4), 2018, pp.521-529.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Government and non-government social welfare agencies have invested heavily in information technology, such as electronic information systems (IS) but evaluations have shown that they may undermine rather than support frontline practice. In this article, the findings of research in which senior managers and information technology managers were asked to reflect on why a particular application failed to achieve its aims are presented. The insights they provide can be used to guide future decision-making about the adoption of information technology. (Edited publisher abstract)
Evaluation of practice frameworks for social work with children and families: exploring the challenges
- Author:
- GILLINGHAM Philip
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Public Child Welfare, 12(2), 2018, pp.190-203.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Implementing a practice framework with a clear theoretical and practical approach to working with children and families seems a self-evident way to improve practice, but there is a paucity of evaluative research about their impact on outcomes for children and families. One reason for this lack of research may be that it is challenging. In this article, these challenges are explored in relation to fidelity, impact, attribution, and the positioning of the researcher. To generate ideas about how to conduct evaluative research, research about solution-based casework is explored, with additional insights from research about other frameworks. (Publisher abstract)
Predictive risk modelling to prevent child maltreatment: insights and implications from Aotearoa/New Zealand
- Author:
- GILLINGHAM Philip
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Public Child Welfare, 11(2), 2017, pp.150-165.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Predictive risk modeling to identify children at risk of maltreatment has attracted considerable interest internationally. Using the example of the development of the predictive risk model in Aotearoa/New Zealand, the potential of such approaches to provide new insights into the causes of child maltreatment is explored with reference to what were identified as the main predictors of child maltreatment. The implications of these main predictors are considered both for the reform of child protection services and the future use and development of predictive risk modeling. (Publisher abstract)
Electronic Information Systems to guide social work practice: the perspectives of practitioners as end users
- Author:
- GILLINGHAM Philip
- Journal article citation:
- Practice: Social Work in Action, 28(5), 2016, pp.357-372.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Evaluations of electronic information systems (IS) being used in social work agencies in England and Australia have been highly critical of their effects on frontline social work practice. Attention is now turning to how IS might be redesigned and used in the future. One particular development is the inclusion of particular practice frameworks in the design of IS, in order that, when practitioners use them, practice is shaped and guided. With the aim of improving social work practice, the IS is intended to act as an ‘external expert’. In this article, the findings of a small-scale ethnographic study of an IS that incorporates the Looking after Children framework for children in out of home care are presented. The challenges of incorporating practice frameworks into IS are discussed. (Publisher abstract)
Social work and child protection in Australia: whose job is it anyway?
- Author:
- GILLINGHAM Philip
- Journal article citation:
- Practice: Social Work in Action, 28(12), 2016, pp.83-96.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
At the release of Professor Eileen Munro's final report of her review of child protection services in England and Wales, debate began in Australia about how her recommendations could be applied to reform and improve services in Australia. One particularly strong theme within the report is the need to strengthen professional social work as part of the reform of child protection services. However, as social work is not the key profession in child protection services in Australia, the direct applicability of Munro’s recommendations is limited. The emphasis on the centrality of the social work profession to the provision and reform of child protection services is highly pertinent though as workforce development features strongly in Australian proposals for service reform. In this article, the reasons why ‘child protection business’ is not ‘social work business’ are explored historically and currently, with the aim of stimulating debate about who is employed in child protection services. Using Australian child protection services as a case study, the article also makes a contribution to debates about the international project of social work and the transferability of ideas for reform across international borders. (Publisher abstract)
Electronic information systems and social work: who are we designing for?
- Author:
- GILLINGHAM Philip
- Journal article citation:
- Practice: Social Work in Action, 26(5), 2014, pp.313-326.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Historically, the reluctance of social workers to use digital technology has been noted, though this is changing as its use has become increasingly ubiquitous in both personal and professional life. The introduction of software to create case records and record service activity, generically known as electronic information systems (IS), has been particularly problematic, attracting criticism that it has undermined frontline social work practice. Initiatives to develop IS in order that they promote and support good practice are underway, and key dimensions of the design process are the aptitudes of the social workers and service users who will be engaging with IS. In this article, observations from an ethnographic programme of research that aims to redesign IS for the future and literature about technology usage are more generally drawn upon. Taking a lead from user-centred approaches to the design of technology, the characteristics, expectations and attitudes of both social workers and service users of the current and near future are explored in relation to their use of digital technology. Particular attention is paid to the consequences of this analysis for participatory approaches to IS design, which aim to include the perspectives of social workers and service users. (Publisher abstract)
Improving child protection services: Australian parents’ and grandparents’ perspectives on what needs to change
- Authors:
- D'CRUZ Heather, GILLINGHAM Philip
- Journal article citation:
- Practice: Social Work in Action, 26(4), 2014, pp.239-257.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This exploratory, small-scale research aimed to understand parents’ and grandparents’ experiences and expectations of child protection investigations. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with nine participants. The central theme, captured as ‘a domino effect’, crystallises the participants’ views of why it is important to improve child protection services: that there were significant practical and relationship repercussions in families’ lives beyond the immediate investigation. The sub-themes that emerged were: support within systemic complexity, policies in practice, intervention processes and practices, and ‘it’s just a job to them’. The themes suggest how child protection services contributed to ‘the domino effect’ in their lives. A final sub-theme indicated participants’ awareness of the complexity and difficulty of child protection as a job, notwithstanding their expressed frustrations. Recommendations are made based on participants’ perspectives about ‘what needs to change?’, and suggestions for improvements to practise that centralise social work as a profession which values the professional relationship with service users. It is also suggest that the professional relationship should extend beyond the interpersonal to guiding service users within the legal complexities in contemporary child protection. Being exploratory, this study and its recommendations guide future research to contribute to improving child protection services. (Edited publisher abstract)