CARE OR CONTROL? THE EFFECTS OF INVESTIGATIONS AND INITIAL ASSESSMENTS ON THE SOCIAL WORKER-PARENT RELATIONSHIP

摘要

At a time of increasing calls for a return to relationship-based practice, this paper presents qualitative research findings regarding the effects of more coercive and less coercive interventions on relationships between social workers and parents. Its context is the use, in England, of investigations of alleged child abuse (more coercive) versus initial assessments (less coercive, and potentially leading to family support services). Methods were based on 23 case studies involving interviews of both parent and social worker. The paper concludes that the less coercive initial assessments, combined with child welfare concerns that were perceived as less serious, provided the context for good working relationships between parent and worker. However, it is suggested that these conditions were not a prerequisite for good relationships. Worker skill was of significant importance, and good relationships were seen to be possible in a variety of procedural contexts. Comparisons are made with accounts of the therapeutic alliance in the counselling and psychotherapy literature.