Search results for ‘Subject term:"staff development"’ Sort:
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Minding your PQs
- Author:
- JERROM Clare
- Journal article citation:
- Professional Social Work, July 2011, pp.28-29.
- Publisher:
- British Association of Social Workers
Professor Eileen Munro's final report into child protection in England and the work of the Social Work Reform Board both stress the importance of continued professional development for social workers. The potential implications of the proposed reforms for post-qualification training and the barriers that exist in raising the bar for social workers' professional development are discussed.
‘Career preference’, ‘transients’ and ‘converts’: a study of social workers' retention in child protection and welfare
- Author:
- BURNS Kenneth
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Social Work, 41(3), April 2011, pp.520-538.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Low retention of social workers in statutory child protection and welfare work has been identified as a problem. This paper reports on the findings of a study that examined the retention of front line child protection and welfare social workers in one Health Service Executive area in the Republic of Ireland. Interviews were undertaken with 35 social workers and senior social work practitioners who were working in child protection and welfare and with 10 participants who had left their employment as child protection and welfare social workers. Whilst familiar themes, such as organisational supports and social exchanges with peers, were highlighted as important in social workers' decisions to stay or leave, a grounded analysis of the data highlighted the importance of a theme not previously presented in the research literature. The participants made links between their understandings of career pathways for newly qualified social workers and what they perceived as the key role play by child protection and welfare in ‘proving’ or inducting newly qualified social workers and the likelihood of their retention in this sector. This analysis led to the construction of a career preference typology with 3 ‘types’ of social worker: ‘career preference’, ‘transients’ and ‘converts’. This article explores how each of these 3 groups’ understandings of a career in social work influenced their employment decisions and the likelihood of their retention within child protection and welfare.
Moving beyond the administrative: supervisors' perspectives on clinical supervision in child welfare
- Authors:
- DILL Katharine, BOGO Marion
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Public Child Welfare, 3(1), January 2009, pp.87-105.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This paper examines the perspectives of child welfare supervisors of their beliefs and experiences about the factors involved in offering quality clinical supervision in child welfare. The study took place in Ontario, Canada in 2005 at a time when the system was going through a transformation where supervisors were expected to integrate a clinical perspective in their work. A total of 51 supervisors participated in 8 focus groups ranging from 4 to 10 participants per group. Focus group participants were asked to discuss the key components of supervision in child welfare, what the term clinical supervision meant and what it did not include, and what factors interfered with their ability to provide quality supervision. The study identified a number of interwoven factors at the organisational, supervisory, and practice level that affect the nature of supervision offered. The recurrent themes that emerged across the focus groups were: commitment to the safety of children; the interwoven elements of supervision; the impact of power and authority; and the factors that affect the process of developing as a supervisor. Implications are drawn for child welfare practice, models of supervision which integrate administrative, clinical and educational features, organisational culture, and training new supervisors.
Moving from procedure to practice: a statewide child protection simulation training model
- Authors:
- GOULET Betsy P, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Public Child Welfare, 15(5), 2021, pp.597-616.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
In FY 2015 the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services partnered with the University of Illinois Springfield to develop the Child Protection Training Academy in order to redesign the six-week classroom training for new investigators and create an experiential component. This paper chronicles the goals of the partnership and the planning and implementation of the Academy. (Edited publisher abstract)
'It's so complex!': understanding the challenges of child protection work as experienced by newly graduated professionals
- Author:
- JANSEN Anne
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Social Work, 48(6), 2018, pp.1524-1540.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Newly graduated social workers often experience their first period as professionals as challenging. Complexity is a word frequently used to describe not only the newcomers’ situation, but also social work in general. The present study is based on life mode interviews with social workers who started their careers in child protection services, focusing on their daily lives as newly graduated professionals. Theoretically, the study draws on theories of situated participation in communities of practice and narrative theory. In order to explore aspects of complexity in professional work, thematic analysis was used. Four aspects of the participants’ accounts of their daily work were found to be prominent: multiplicity, uncertainty, professional divergence and emotional strains. In addition, the article discusses how being a newcomer intersects with these aspects of the professional conduct. The article provides useful knowledge for the educators who prepare students for their professional lives, as well as for those who guide and support the newcomers at the workplaces. (Publisher abstract)
The role of supervision in professional development of social work specialists
- Authors:
- CARAS Ana, SANDU Antonio
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Social Work Practice, 28(1), 2014, pp.75-94.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Supervision is a relatively new field introduced in the Romanian social welfare institutions. The article approaches the role of supervision in the process of professional development of social workers, following research based on Grounded theory. Research was conducted into an elite NGO, in the North-Eastern Romania, in the area of child protection. Supervision is a social practice based on the relationship between a person with extensive professional experience and a professional effectively involved in case management. Supervision is seen as a prerequisite to quality social services organization. Effectiveness of the supervision process may be an indicator of the quality of social work practice in an organization. The data were collected through interviews of participants in the research. The interviewed subjects operate with a definition of the supervision as being a practice based on individual or group interview, formal or informal, consisting in a series of specific phases (initial, development, end). Supervision involves the establishment of professional relationships between the participants and the quality of services and training received. This definition is partially different from those in the literature. (Edited publisher abstract)
National framework for child protection learning and development in Scotland: analysis of consultation findings
- Author:
- REID HOWIE ASSOCIATES
- Publisher:
- Scotland. Scottish Government Social Research
- Publication year:
- 2012
- Pagination:
- 66p.
- Place of publication:
- Edinburgh
This report presents the findings of a consultation carried out by the Scottish Government on the National Framework for Child Protection Learning and Development in Scotland between 5th April and 5th July 2012. A new multi-agency ‘National Framework for Child Protection Learning and Development in Scotland’ has been developed, in order to enhance the skills of the workforce who have a role in keeping children safe and to ensure that they are equipped, through learning and development, to protect children and young people from the risk of harm. It provides a set of core skills and competences to help to identify the skills required by workers who are likely to have contact with children who require support and protection. The Framework is designed to support those who commission, develop, purchase and deliver education, training and learning for the multi-agency workforce involved with children and young people. This consultation was arranged to explore stakeholders’ views of this new Framework. There were 2 strands to the consultation process: a written consultation (which received a total of 52 written submissions); and 4 stakeholder events. This report presents the themes which emerged and the range and depth of views expressed.
Child Protection Social Work and Continuing Professional Development
- Author:
- BRADY Eavan
- Journal article citation:
- Irish Social Worker, Spring 2011, pp.2-7.
- Publisher:
- Irish Association of Social Workers
This study explores the nature of Child Protection Social Workers’ participation in continuing professional development (CPD). This issue is highly relevant in light of a dearth of research in this area and impending statutory registration of social workers. Qualitative methods were used given the exploratory nature of the research. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 8 Child Protection Social Workers from one Health Service Executive (HSE) Community Care Area (CCA). Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings suggested that social workers’ participation in CPD was under-researched in Ireland. These findings relate to perceived motivators and barriers to participation in CPD, the importance of CPD in a Child Protection context and social workers’ views on forthcoming statutory registration. Research limitations, ethical considerations and suggestions for future research are considered. Implications of the study for social work are outlined along with the authors’ reflections on the research process.
Strengthening the child welfare workforce: lessons from litigation
- Authors:
- FARBER Julie, MUNSON Sara
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Public Child Welfare, 4(2), April 2010, pp.132-157.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
The recruitment, preparation, support, and retention of public and private agency child welfare staff working with abused and neglected children and their families are important and ongoing concerns. During the past two decades, many questions have been raised about the adequacy of the child welfare workforce and the supports provided to it. This article provides the findings from a review of efforts to strengthen the child welfare workforce in the context of class-action litigation for system reform. In 2005, 12 major child welfare reform class action lawsuits that potentially addressed workforce related issues were identified. Seventy four interviewees relating to the cases were found. Findings revealed 342 workforce provision, some general and some detailed. Ninety four percent of interviewees said child welfare leadership was very important in improving the workforce practices, 93% indicated the lawsuit and its resulting court orders were very important, and 92% said budgetary considerations were important. The authors concluded that the lessons learned provide a useful framework for current and future efforts to improve the child welfare workforce.
Retaining novices to become expert child protection practitioners: creating career pathways in direct practice
- Authors:
- HEALY Karen, MEAGHER Gabrielle, CULLIN Joel
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Social Work, 39(2), March 2009, pp.299-317.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
In many post-industrial countries, concerns have been raised about high turnover of professional staff and the high proportion of novice practitioners on the frontline in child protection agencies. High turnover imposes costs on individual practitioners, employing organizations, service users (particularly vulnerable children) and society more broadly. This study analyzed the views of employers, policy makers and researchers in Australia, England and Sweden about factors contributing to high turnover at the frontline. We find that a combination of retention disincentives (push factors) and alternative career opportunities (pull factors) contributes to high turnover among frontline practitioners. Based on these findings, we propose a strategy for enhancing workforce retention at the frontline in child protection. The strategy involves creation of a career pathway that enables, and encourages, novice child protection workers to become advanced practitioners.