Rights statement: The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Qualitative Social Work, 20, (5), 2021, © SAGE Publications Ltd, 2020 by SAGE Publications Ltd at the Qualitative Social Work page: https://journals.sagepub.com/home/qsw on SAGE Journals Online: http://journals.sagepub.com/
Accepted author manuscript, 249 KB, PDF document
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Final published version
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Temporal and Moral Orders of Social Work Intervention
T2 - The Accomplishment of Relationship Work in a Case of Physical Abuse
AU - Dennis, Alex
AU - Leigh, Jadwiga
N1 - The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Qualitative Social Work, 20, (5), 2021, © SAGE Publications Ltd, 2020 by SAGE Publications Ltd at the Qualitative Social Work page: https://journals.sagepub.com/home/qsw on SAGE Journals Online: http://journals.sagepub.com/
PY - 2021/9/1
Y1 - 2021/9/1
N2 - This paper explores the employment of communication, engagement and relationship-based practice skills by a Flemish social worker working with a parent who was alleged to have assaulted his child. We deploy insights gained from ethnomethodology to analyse extracts from an ethnographic observation. We show how a respectful approach can be developed between two parties who seek to find meaning from the chain of events they are presented with. In doing so, we establish how practice can be conducted differently depending on the context in which professionals and families find themselves in. We argue that social workers’ identities revolve around being competent members of their professional community by working within the recommended guidelines and keeping children safe. However, this does not mean that organisational rules determine the activities that take place. Instead, we show how social workers can use their experience and skills to develop effective working relationships and still achieve their intended outcomes without blaming or shaming parents.
AB - This paper explores the employment of communication, engagement and relationship-based practice skills by a Flemish social worker working with a parent who was alleged to have assaulted his child. We deploy insights gained from ethnomethodology to analyse extracts from an ethnographic observation. We show how a respectful approach can be developed between two parties who seek to find meaning from the chain of events they are presented with. In doing so, we establish how practice can be conducted differently depending on the context in which professionals and families find themselves in. We argue that social workers’ identities revolve around being competent members of their professional community by working within the recommended guidelines and keeping children safe. However, this does not mean that organisational rules determine the activities that take place. Instead, we show how social workers can use their experience and skills to develop effective working relationships and still achieve their intended outcomes without blaming or shaming parents.
KW - Child protection
KW - Ethnography
KW - Interactionist
KW - Relationship
KW - Ethnomethodology
KW - Belgium
U2 - 10.1177/1473325020941229
DO - 10.1177/1473325020941229
M3 - Journal article
VL - 20
SP - 1239
EP - 1259
JO - Qualitative Social Work
JF - Qualitative Social Work
SN - 1473-3250
IS - 5
ER -