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This article presents the findings from an evaluation of post-proceedings support (PPS) within Gloucestershire Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC). PPS is offered to parents in the year immediately following a completed FDAC hearing. The article provides background on the formation and development of FDACs across England and FDAC evaluations, before detailing the specific delivery model in use in Gloucestershire. The evaluation that took place March 2020–July 2022 examined the delivery, effectiveness and impact of the support services provided to families after legal proceedings concerning child welfare due to parental substance misuse. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study analysed quantitative data to assess outcomes such as parental cessation of substance misuse and family reunification, alongside qualitative insights through interviews exploring families' and professionals' perceptions and experiences. This evaluation sheds light on the strengths and limitations of this post-proceeding offer. It examines the extent to which the services can be said to contribute to sustainable recovery for parents and whether the model is transferable to other FDACs. It highlights the importance of continuing support for families and may provide 'conceptual' transferability and insights that will be relevant to other FDACs and beyond into children's and families' social work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Northern Ireland, social work-specific legislation is planned for safe staffing across the governmental sector. As part of a broader research project to inform this development, we conducted a scoping review seeking examples of safe staffing definitions, safe staffing-related legislation, policy and practice in social work and associated professions from the UK and internationally. We searched English language databases in 2023 websites and reference lists as well as grey literature. Finding no international examples of social work-specific safe staffing definitions, legislation, or policy outside of Children's Services, we offer a tentative definition to the current debate. Our scoping review found examples of individual social workers and local teams developing caseload management practices to promote 'safer' working, which may be useful for policymakers and regulators to consider. However, these need greater conceptual clarity, consensus over definitions and outcomes, and evaluation for cost-effectiveness. Given the limited evidence in this area, recommendations include the need for further research to ascertain what 'safe staffing' does, can and should mean in social work and what can work in different contexts and at different levels of policy and practice to inform service user and social worker safety in social work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine social workers' perceptions of safe staffing levels and correlate these perceptions with standardised measurements of well-being in the UK. This cross-sectional mixed-methods study analysed data from 406 social workers from November 2022 until late January 2023. Data were collected using anonymous online surveys including both qualitative and quantitative methods examining mental well-being, burnout and intentions to leave the profession post-coronavirus disease 2019. Findings revealed that only one-third of social workers responding perceived that they work in an environment of safe staffing. There were also significant differences in well-being and an increase in personal, work-related and client-related burnout in social workers who believed their service did not operate a safe staff-to-service user ratio. Likewise, compared to those who perceived their service to operate within a safe staff-to-service-user ratio, those who perceived unsafe ratios were more likely to communicate their intention to leave the profession. Qualitative findings helped contextualise the quantitative results. These findings suggest that increased demand for social work services, shortage of qualified social workers, high workloads, inadequate resources and retention problems, contribute to additional pressure on existing staff and have implications for policy, practice and research in social work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social workers were heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we examined the well-being, burnout and work conditions of UK children's social workers at five time points of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a cross-sectional mixed methods study analysing data from 1,621 social workers who worked in children's services in the UK in 2020–2022. Data were collected using anonymous online surveys which included both quantitative and qualitative questions. The mental well-being of participants decreased as the pandemic progressed and work-related burnout increased. In the later stages of the pandemic, children's social workers in Northern Ireland fared better than their Great Britain counterparts in relation to their well-being and levels of burnout. Thematic analysis of qualitative data revealed four major themes: Changes in service demand and referrals, Adapted ways of working, Staff shortages and Emotional impact. The findings highlight the challenges that the children's social workers encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic and have implications for policy, practice and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gambling harms are disproportionately experienced among disadvantaged groups and as such, adult social care (ASC) practitioners are well-placed to identify and support affected individuals. There exists no evidence-based 'introductory' question for practitioners to identify those at risk of gambling harms, which includes family and friends ('affected others'). To develop an 'introductory' question for use in English ASC, we conducted a scoping review that identified fifteen potential questions. Questions were refined through expert panel review groups (n  = 13), cognitive interviewing (n  = 18), test–retest reliability checks (n  = 20) and validity testing (n  = 2,100) against gold-standard measures of problem gambling behaviour. The question development process produced two questions suitable for testing in local authority (LA) ASC departments. These were (i) 'Do you feel you are affected by any gambling, either your own or someone else's?' and (ii) 'If you or someone close to you gambles, do you feel it is causing you any worries?' Each had good face validity, strong test–retest reliability, correlated highly with well-being measures and performed reasonably against validated measures of problem gambling. These two questions are currently being piloted by ASC practitioners in three English LAs to assess their feasibility for adoption in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The social work profession was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we examined the well-being, working conditions and intentions to leave the social work profession among a sample of UK older people's social workers. This was a cross-sectional mixed methods study analysing data from 426 social workers who worked in older people's services in the UK at five time points of the pandemic spanning 2020–2022. Data were collected using anonymous online surveys which included both quantitative and qualitative questions. The mental well-being of participants decreased as the pandemic progressed and this decline was associated with intentions to leave the profession. Thematic analysis of qualitative data revealed two major themes: Practice challenges and Staff well-being. The findings highlight the nature of stressors related to internal related practice demands, and external health and social care service stressors encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic and have implications for policy, practice and research in older people's social work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports social workers' attitudes and approaches to working with people experiencing multiple exclusion homelessness (MEH) who self-neglect, and whether these people receive services, including safeguarding, differently from other populations. It draws on telephone interviews in 2020 with twenty-two social workers working with adults in a range of statutory local authority and National Health Service hospital roles in England. Interviews used two almost identical vignettes featuring self-neglect to prompt discussion and solicit experiences; one included homelessness and drug use to draw out any differences. Following transcription, interview data were analysed thematically. What emerged is a rich understanding of practice responses to self-neglect, but also uncertainties within contemporary social work: whether people who are homeless fall under the 'umbrella' of Adult Social Care and safeguarding; and whether self-neglect 'fits' under safeguarding. Additionally, participants described barriers to successful multi-agency support for people experiencing MEH, including stigma and exclusion from some statutory services. There was evidence that recent learning from Safeguarding Adults Reviews and local deaths has led to some examples of stronger multi-agency working in this context. The findings suggest more clarity is needed within the profession to ensure that people experiencing MEH benefit from strengthened social work input and safeguarding expertise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People with care and support needs were often badly affected by Covid-19, although the impact on people employing Personal Assistants (PAs) has not been addressed. We aimed to explore the experiences of people employing PAs during the pandemic to inform care systems and social work practice. Remote qualitative interviews were conducted with seventy PA employers across England in 2021–2022. Data were analysed thematically to explore salient themes. The Covid-19 pandemic elucidated role tensions of PA employers: Navigating care arrangements during a time of unprecedented uncertainty reinforced participants' role as an employer, but exposed some aspects of employment responsibilities and legal obligations that participants felt ill-equipped to manage. Reports of contact with or by social workers were few and not perceived as helpful. The often-informal nature of PA arrangements and its blurred relational boundaries affected participants' expectations of their PAs. PA employers would welcome support from social workers in their employment role and flexibility with care plans, albeit with greater autonomy over their Direct Payment (DP) budget to enhance the potential of this arrangement. In the context of declining DP uptake in England, our study offers some potential explanations for this, with suggestions for systemic change and social work practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, social work and social care practitioners had some the worst working conditions of any sector in the UK. During the pandemic, data revealed that social care occupations had higher COVID infection and mortality rates than the general population. The article reports the changing working conditions (measured via the Work-Related Quality of Life scale) and well-being (measured via the Short Warwich–Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale) of UK social care and social workers across three timepoints between May 2020 and July 2021 through an online cross-sectional survey of working conditions and well-being. Analysis of variance demonstrated that both well-being and working conditions were significantly poorer in July 2021 (phase 3 [ n  = 1,606]) than the previous two phases (n  = 2,523 and n  = 2,424, respectively), suggesting that both working conditions and well-being worsened within the social care and social work workforce across the pandemic. Furthermore, each of career satisfaction, working conditions, control, general well-being and home–work interface predicted poorer well-being at Time 3. Whilst chronically poor working conditions can lead to poorer individual psychological and physiological health outcomes, our findings highlight continually poor conditions in this sector, with potential further impacts on organisations and the service users that social care workers support. It is therefore important that individuals, organisations and government develop mechanisms to support these critical workers during and following the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation in England of a Social Care Workforce Race Equality Standard (SCWRES), initially confined to social work, started with a first set of eighteen volunteer local authorities (LAs) in 2021. This article discusses a rapid evaluation of the SCWRES during its first year. We used Normalization Process Theory (NPT) to better understand the implementation process of this initiative. Thirty-one interviews were undertaken in 2021. Transcripts were analysed using the constant comparative approach and emerging themes were then mapped onto the NPT framework and its four main constructs. Using these we found some lack of clarity over the aims and data demands of the SCWRES (coherence), but generally substantial personal and employer investment in the intervention (cognitive participation); implementation was assisted by personal support to the LAs from senior managers at national level (collective action); and there was general constructive reflection and positive feedback about the SCWRES (reflexive monitoring). Barriers to implementation of new initiatives might be expected during a global pandemic. However, support for the SCWRES was generally high and participants considered they had learned much in its first six months despite pandemic pressures. This article highlights aspects of implementation to be addressed in any further SCWRES rollout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports findings from a study on the effect of the adjustments or 'easements' that were made to the 2014 Care Act when measures to manage the impact of COVID-19 were introduced in England in 2020. Only eight local authorities (LAs) implemented the changes permitted. The experiences of five are explored in this article. Data were collected in 2021 through interviews with Directors of Adult Social Services and other senior managers in these LAs and analysed using a thematic approach. Participants referred to the challenges under which they were working pre-pandemic, including resource pressures and problems recruiting and retaining staff. Despite the conditions attached to adopting easements these LAs had done so because of the uncertainties they were facing. All ceased to use them within a short time because they could manage without them. They had been shocked by the concerted opposition to easements and the time necessitated in responding to this. They contrasted their experiences with the apparent ease with which NHS colleagues had been able to change their practices. The experiences of these LAs may contribute to planning for the continuity of social care in any future emergency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Easements to the Care Act 2014 were introduced in England in Spring 2020 to support local authorities (LAs) who were dealing with the impact of COVID-19 on adult social care. They were adopted by a small number of LAs that only kept them in place for a very short period. This article draws on the limited literature covering easements and on a synthesis of the views of twenty key informants with professional experiences of social care policy, advocacy, practice and law. It covers the way they were introduced and the opposition which they attracted, as well as contrasting views on the nature and necessity of easements. It also records the perceptions of interviewees on the rationale for the decisions taken to adopt or not adopt them. The article examines the reasons why government thought they should be in place and the concerns of some of those in the voluntary, human rights and legal sectors who challenged their introduction and operation. Whilst the findings contain messages for how to approach the management of a similar crisis in the future, the study identified a lack of evidence of the impact of easements on those using social care as well as their carers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the COVID-19 pandemic interest into its potential impact on mental well-being has intensified. Within the social care sector, the pandemic has increased job demands and prolonged stress taking a disproportionate toll on the workforce, particularly social workers. This article compares the mental well-being and quality of working life of social workers in the United Kingdom (UK) before and during the pandemic. Data were collected in 2018 (N  = 1,195) and 2020 (N  = 1,024) using two cross-sectional surveys. To account for the differences between the datasets, propensity score matching was employed prior to effect estimation, utilising demographic and work-related variables common to both datasets. The differences between the two time-points were estimated using multiple regressions. Both mental well-being and quality of working life were significantly higher during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 compared to 2018. This suggests that during the highpoint of the pandemic in the UK, increased support, and changes to working practices, such as reprioritisation of work and other initiatives, may be responsible for increased mental well-being and quality of working life. While acknowledging the known pressures on UK social workers during the COVID-19 pandemic this evidence suggests a mixed picture of the pandemic with lessons for managers and employers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The changing roles of relatives, carers and practitioners in the context of policy shifts in mental health legislation and services in Wales and England are described. An analysis of the interlocking powers of the close relative and the Approved Social Worker is presented.

A report on the results of a study in which social workers were interviewed regarding their experiences of depression in the workplace is presented. The findings underlined the stresses of social work, revealed the different ways social workers employed to manage them and emphasized the importance of creating a sufficiently supportive workplace.

The accounts and understandings of dementia that are encountered frequently are explored. A series of discussion points for social-work practitioners, educationalists and voluntary-sector support or self-help groups working in dementia care and in older people's service is presented.

Recent years have seen a re-emergence of international interest in relationship-based social work. This article uses children's accounts of their relationships with social workers to build on previous research to promote children's safety and well-being. Interviews were undertaken with 111 children aged six- to eighteen-years old across ten different local authorities in England, as part of the evaluation of Munro, Turnell and Murphy's Signs of Safety pilots within the Department for Education's Children's Social Care Innovation Programme. The interviews reveal four key findings: that children look for care and reciprocity in their relationships with social workers and this can be achieved through listening and small acts of kindness; that they are adept at recognising aspects of social workers' verbal and non-verbal communications which indicate to the child whether they are listening and interested in them; that there are times in which children are particularly vulnerable especially if parents are resistant to engagement or children's trust is broken; and that children actively use their agency to control their communication and engagement. The article concludes by highlighting children's relational resilience and the importance of ensuring opportunities for children to develop new relationships with social workers when previous relationships have broken down. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Signs of Safety (SoS) is a comprehensive assessment framework (AF) used in some form in most English children's service departments as well as in many other countries. The Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families (AF) was introduced nearly twenty years ago to address identified failures to adopt a holistic approach to assessments of families where there were concerns that children were in need of protection or support. The AF is not only a statutory requirement in England but it has influenced the development of approaches to assessment globally. An evaluation of SoS in pilot local authorities in England provided opportunities to examine the extent to which the two frameworks were being used together. Findings from interviews, case record analysis and a survey indicate that while recording processes were aligned with the AF, it was not central to many of the assessments conducted and it proved difficult to detect its influence on their content. It appears timely to examine the extent to which the AF is used across England, to assess its relevance to current practice and the extent to which frameworks such as SoS have supplemented or replaced it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quality assurance procedures are currently being developed by most welfare agencies, with total quality management bringing quality to decision making and management. The concept of welfare has been transformed from the delivery of maximum quantities of welfare to as many people as possible, at minimum cost, to the provision of consumer-oriented, sensitive public management where quality instead of quantity is prioritised.

The impacts on adult social work in England of the Covid-19 pandemic were sudden and are proving long-standing. In England, many social workers moved to home working and virtual contact with colleagues, managers, staff from other agencies and service users. A first national lockdown was followed by a lessening of restrictions, but a second wave started at the end of Summer 2020 and restrictions were re-introduced. This study draws on telephone interviews with a sample of twenty-two social workers working with adults in a wide range of roles and settings in ten local authorities and two National Health Service Hospital Trusts, interviewed August–October 2020. Following transcription, interview data were analysed thematically. Findings are reported under three emerging themes: using professional judgement, new and emerging case work and embedding change. These are compared with findings from studies of practice in children's services and of surveys of social workers during the Covid-19 pandemic. Implications for practice, service users and research are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issues drawing on a series of multi-professional dementia workshops held in United Kingdom are explored. The implications for social services in light of the data are discussed, and tensions between current resource shortages and anticipated demands for services are identified.

Caring within lesbian relationships has been ignored in social and health care studies and practice is argued. It draws out a range of implications for policy, practice, and research agendas.

Social work practice in England and the wider UK is curiously under-informed about its own practice in supporting people affected by Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD). This paper reports the findings of a scoping review undertaken in 2018 of what is known about social work support for people with CJD and their families. Conceptual and thematic analysis of the limited literature identified in the review enabled us to develop a consensus on reported themes: rapid decline and the need for quick responses; families' need for support; and the use of case studies and case reports. The review identified significant gaps in the evidence, particularly as the literature currently published pre-dates the contemporary legal framework for social work practice in England. We therefore argue that there is clear scope for further research, investigating the specific social work role in supporting people affected by CJD, potentially providing the profession with greater confidence about its potential contribution, and evidence of its potential and actual effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on a study that examined social workers’ and service-user representatives’ perspectives on current options for accessing older people living at home when entry is being obstructed by a third party, there are concerns about possible abuse or neglect and legal approaches are not considered appropriate. In-depth interviews were conducted with social workers (n  = 37) and service-user representatives (n  = 11) from three English local authorities. Professional interviews focused on current practices in dealing with such cases. Service-user representatives were asked to discuss a fictitious obstructive case and potential actions that could be taken by social workers. Participants described current practice in terms of options for negotiation with third parties obstructing access to older people, ranging from ‘softer’ styles aiming to develop rapport to ‘more assertive’ approaches. Making good decisions about case allocation, being creative in pursuing cases and fostering good multi-agency relationships were valued by practitioners. Some service-user representatives questioned the time and resources involved in managing these cases. Policy makers may wish to consider developing guidelines for multi-agency partners outlining their responsibilities in such cases; practitioners may wish to consider whether offering an obstructer the services of an independent advocate would be useful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]