Recent evidence suggests that 80% of social workers find it hard to practice effectively and 53% fear lack of support could have tragic consequences for service users (BASW, 2012:07). The aim of this review was to determine the implications of practitioners perceptions and experiences of their agency, “…the capacity to have an impact on what’s going on around (them) (Payne, 2005:230),” on statutory practice. The objectives consisted of the successful identification, analysis and synthesis of frontline practitioner’s perceptions and experiences of their agency in statutory practice with children and families.
The author used electronic search methods utilising sources such as IRISS, Oxford Journals, Web of Science, Google Scholar and SocINDEX. This review has been written using the narrative literature review framework with systematic data collection and recording methods. The influence of social constructionist thought has also been acknowledged
The review looks at wider structure and agency debate and its relevance for contemporary social work practice with children and families and how it shapes practitioners perceptions of this. A brief history of the main theoretical perspectives within this debate is also explored.
The author focused on five main studies which recorded social work practitioner’s perceptions and experiences on their own degree of agency in statutory practice. The author found that practice wisdom, defined as “…the accumulation of information, assumptions, ideologies and judgment that have been particularly useful in fulfilling the expectations of the job” (Barker 1999 cited in Collins et al 2011:4) has a significant effect on the construction of practitioner’s sense of practice reality in relation to their degree of agency.
The author concludes that there is a substantial erosion of agency due to low levels of practice wisdom in contemporary statutory child and families’ social work practice. Practice wisdom is a pertinent component of successful structural navigation, the ability to work creativity as a skilled organisational practitioner.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Chapter 1
- Introduction
- Setting the scene
- Reasons and rationale
- Aims and objectives
- Chapter 2
- Literature review
- Introduction
- Structure and agency
- Importance to contemporary social work practice
- The Munro Review of Child Protection
- Professional Capabilities Framework & Standards of Proficiency
- Overview of literature review
- Chapter 3
- Methodology
- Introduction
- Methodological considerations
- Data collection
- Literature Search
- Search inclusion and exclusion criteria
- Research methodological issues
- Theoretical framework
- Ethical considerations
- Chapter 4
- Findings
- Introduction
- Findings GHSW01
- Findings GHSW03
- Findings GHSW07
- Findings GHSW09
- Findings GHSW12
- Overview of findings
- Chapter 5
- Analysis and synthesis
- Introduction
- Discussion of findings
- Limitations of research
- Chapter 6
- Conclusion and recommendations
- Introduction
- Conclusion
- Work completed
- Data management
- Data collection tools
- Research findings
- Areas of learning
- Recommendations
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This dissertation aims to analyze the impact of social workers' perceptions and experiences of their own agency on statutory practice with children and families. The study utilizes a narrative literature review approach to examine how practitioners' sense of agency influences their work, focusing on how "practice wisdom" influences their understanding of their role and effectiveness.
- Agency and Structure in Social Work
- Practice Wisdom in Statutory Children and Families Social Work
- Social Work Practice with Children and Families
- Perceptions and Experiences of Agency in Social Work
- Influence of Theoretical Frameworks on Practice
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Chapter 1 introduces the topic of agency in statutory child and families social work and establishes the research rationale and objectives. This chapter sets the scene for the dissertation by outlining the contemporary challenges faced by social workers and their impact on practice.
- Chapter 2 provides a comprehensive literature review on the concepts of structure and agency in social work, highlighting their significance for contemporary practice. The chapter explores key theoretical perspectives within this debate and examines relevant frameworks such as the Munro Review and the Professional Capabilities Framework.
- Chapter 3 outlines the methodological approach adopted in this research, including the narrative literature review framework, data collection methods, and the theoretical framework underpinning the study.
- Chapter 4 presents the findings derived from the analysis of five main studies that explored social workers' perceptions and experiences of their agency in statutory practice. The chapter presents insights from each of these studies, detailing how practitioners experience and perceive their level of agency in practice.
- Chapter 5 discusses and synthesizes the findings, providing a deeper analysis of the key themes and trends identified in the research. The chapter examines the implications of these findings for contemporary social work practice, including the role of practice wisdom and the challenges of navigating structural limitations.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The dissertation explores key concepts such as agency, structure, practice wisdom, statutory child and families social work, social work practice, practitioners' perceptions and experiences, and the impact of theoretical frameworks on practice. These themes are central to the dissertation's aim of understanding the influence of social workers' perceptions of their own agency on their work.
- Citation du texte
- Gavin Hutchison (Auteur), 2014, An evaluation of statutory children and families social workers perceptions and experiences of their own degree of agency and its implications for practice, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/288681
