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.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1.1 Setting the scene
1.2 Reasons and rationale
1.3 Aims and objectives
2. Literature review
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Structure and agency
2.3 Importance to contemporary social work practice
2.4 The Munro Review of Child Protection
2.5 Professional Capabilities Framework & Standards of Proficiency
2.6 Overview of literature review
3. Methodology
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Methodological considerations
3.3 Data collection
3.4 Literature Search
3.5 Search inclusion and exclusion criteria
3.6 Research methodological issues
3.7 Theoretical framework
3.8 Ethical considerations
4. Findings
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Findings GHSW01
4.3 Findings GHSW03
4.4 Findings GHSW07
4.5 Findings GHSW09
4.6 Findings GHSW12
4.7 Overview of findings
5. Analysis and sythesis
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Discussion of findings
5.3 Limitations of research
6. Conclusion and recommendations
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Conclusion
6.2.1 Work completed
6.2.2 Data management
6.2.3 Data collection tools
6.2.4 Research findings
6.2.5 Areas of learning
6.3 Recommendations
Research Objectives and Themes
The primary aim of this dissertation is to evaluate the perceptions and experiences of statutory children and families social workers regarding their own degree of agency, and to determine how these experiences influence contemporary practice. The research addresses the dialectic relationship between individual professional agency and organizational structural constraints.
- The impact of managerialism and organizational culture on social work discretion.
- The correlation between professional experience, practice wisdom, and the ability to navigate structural constraints.
- The role of supervision and management in shaping practitioner decision-making and autonomy.
- The influence of current austerity measures and bureaucratic requirements on the professional identity of social workers.
- The development of 'structurally competent agents' capable of creative, evidence-informed practice within rigid systems.
Excerpt from the Dissertation
1.1 Setting the scene
Two major explorations into contemporary challenges facing social workers in everyday practice, Munro’s (2010, 2011a, 2011b) 'Review of Child Protection’ and ‘The State of Social Work 2012’ (BASW, 2012) draw attention to the fact there is growing discontent amongst social workers both experienced and new towards their profession. Contemporary discourse has focused on the macro processes which have had an effect on the ability of practitioners to exercise professional judgement in day to day practice. This discourse analyses the effect of neo-liberalism on social work from the Thatcher administration (Ferguson et al, 2005) to the current Coalition Government (Rogowski, 2013). Neo-liberal ideologies “…prioritise economic competitiveness above welfare provision” (Rogowski, 2013:46), it is this ideology that drives current austerity measures such as welfare cuts. This has a direct impact on practitioner experiences of social work practice with 34% of social workers considering leaving the profession because of cuts (BASW, 2012:3). Social workers plying their trade in children’s social care are contending with increased workloads with core assessments completed up by 5.4% and section 47 enquiries initiated increased by 2.0% from 2012-2013 (Department for Education, 2013). However with 1 in 7 social workers leaving their local authorities each year (Department for Education, 2014:1) and the quality of social work education under investigation (Narey, 2014) the ability of social workers to respond effectively and creatively to this has been called into question.
Summary of Chapters
Chapter 1 - Introduction: This chapter contextualizes the current challenges in statutory social work practice, highlighting the tensions between bureaucratic management and professional autonomy, and defines the aims of this review.
Chapter 2 - Literature review: This section examines the theoretical debate regarding structure and agency, discussing key perspectives from Kant, Weber, Durkheim, and Giddens in the context of modern social work.
Chapter 3 - Methodology: The author explains the narrative literature review framework used to evaluate existing studies and outlines the search strategies and selection criteria employed.
Chapter 4 - Findings: This chapter synthesizes the results from five selected studies, detailing practitioner experiences with supervision, decision-making, and the perceived erosion of their agency.
Chapter 5 - Analysis and sythesis: This chapter interprets the findings through the lens of structural competency and practice wisdom, arguing that an erosion of professional agency is linked to a lack of practice wisdom among newly qualified social workers.
Chapter 6 - Conclusion and recommendations: The final chapter summarizes the research findings and offers recommendations for future educational strategies to support the development of structurally competent social work practitioners.
Keywords
Social work, agency, structure, children and families, statutory practice, practice wisdom, managerialism, decision-making, professional identity, supervision, street-level bureaucracy, structuration, professional judgement, structural competency, social constructionism.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this dissertation?
The research explores the perceptions and experiences of statutory children and families social workers regarding their own 'agency'—their capacity to act independently and impact practice—within the constraints of modern organizational structures.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
The core themes include the impact of managerialism on practice, the significance of 'practice wisdom', the role of supervision, the influence of professional experience on autonomy, and the organizational culture of fear and accountability.
What is the core research objective?
The main objective is to identify and synthesize frontline practitioners' views on their agency to understand how they navigate organizational constraints and perform professional judgements in their daily work.
Which methodology was utilized for this research?
The author conducted a narrative literature review, using systematic data collection and recording methods to locate and critically appraise relevant qualitative studies on social work practice.
What does the main body of the work cover?
It covers theoretical frameworks (Structure vs. Agency), the relevance of current reports like the Munro Review, and an analysis of qualitative findings from studies conducted in the UK and Canada regarding how social workers experience their professional role.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
Key terms include social work agency, structure, practice wisdom, statutory children and families social work, managerialism, and street-level bureaucracy.
How does 'practice wisdom' relate to social worker agency?
The author argues that practice wisdom—the accumulation of experience and judgement—is essential for social workers to navigate organizational constraints successfully; a lack thereof among newly qualified staff leads to a higher reliance on restrictive procedures.
What is the 'cover your back' culture mentioned in the findings?
It refers to an organizational environment based on fear where social workers prioritize passing information to management over trusting their own professional judgment to avoid personal accountability for decisions.
What is the conclusion regarding newly qualified social workers?
The dissertation concludes that new graduates often feel unprepared and deskilled, leading to a negative perception of their own agency and an increased reliance on managerial direction rather than independent professional reasoning.
What recommendations does the author provide for educational institutions?
The author suggests that universities must better address 'practice readiness' and structural competency in their curricula, ensuring students are taught how to apply theory creatively to real-world, high-pressure statutory scenarios.
- Citar trabajo
- Gavin Hutchison (Autor), 2014, An evaluation of statutory children and families social workers perceptions and experiences of their own degree of agency and its implications for practice, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/288681
