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Social worker home visits to children and families: messages from our research

Social worker home visits to children and families: messages from our research. Dr. Karen Winter and Dr. Campbell Killick. Purpose. Background Research process Findings Use of findings. Background. The social worker home visit What we know and we don’t know

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Social worker home visits to children and families: messages from our research

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  1. Social worker home visits to children and families: messages from our research Dr. Karen Winter and Dr. Campbell Killick

  2. Purpose • Background • Research process • Findings • Use of findings

  3. Background • The social worker home visit • What we know and we don’t know • What do we need to know more about? • Why do we need to know?

  4. Research process • Communication • Collaboration • Considered proposal • Content

  5. Findings • Pre –visit • During the home visit • Post home visit

  6. Pre - visit • Car as reflective space • Car as preparation • Car as vehicle to make connections between thoughts, feelings and intended actions

  7. Context • Normalising Northern Ireland • Overwhelmed by the macro • Underwhelmed by the micro

  8. Communication • Underwhelmed by the micro • Communication reduced to a checklist • Focuses on the tangible/scientific – I saw, I spoke, I sought • Omits the humane - touch, laughter, holding • Omits quality, significance

  9. Misconnections • Knowledge about children • Attitudes about and towards children • Demands of the job – bureaucratic versus relational • Risk to child and to self

  10. The relationship We are guardians and custodians of the stories children tell us and the aspects of their lives they choose to share with us. This process of the oral translation of information from the child to the social worker and back again is a significant aspect to children’s identity formation. We move on into other jobs and roles taking those fragments of the child’s story with us. There is no room, no space and no permission for us to be part of that ongoing process of identity formation which begins with the basic conversation ‘I remember when you..’ We have to ask ourselves whether what we do now is the best way to help children form meaningful relationships, help them recover their shattered sense of identity and to re-establish their inner core’.

  11. Use of findings • Audit • Materials • Training • Role of senior practitioner

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