Building a working alliance between professionals and service users in family preservation. A multiple case study

Abstract

In the margin of the ongoing experimental and quasi‐experimental research projects on family preservation, some research projects focus on the process through which families accomplish change and acknowledge the importance of the working alliance. There is, however, little information about barriers and facilitators in building this working alliance. To fill this gap, we performed a multiple case study with a triangulation of ethnographical methods such as observation, in‐depth interviews, case file analysis, and multistakeholder focus groups. We illustrate how, in a context of managerialism and transactional leadership, social workers find themselves in a continuous tension between complying with the expectations of their social organization and “tuning in” with the service users. This jeopardizes the working alliance between a social worker and a family. Consequences for research, practice, and policy regarding family preservation interventions are discussed.

Navigating helping relationships amidst heavy workloads: An institutional ethnography of social workers’ accounts

“…Yet, scholars have highlighted the many professional, organizational, institutional, and structural challenges to establishing and maintaining the helping relationship (e.g. Alexander & Charles, 2009;Bell, 1999;Broadhurst & Holt, 2010;Dumbrill, 2006;Fargion, 2014;Gladstone et al, 2013;Platt, 2008;Steens et al, 2018). This study pays particular attention to heavy workload as a ruling relation that coordinates the helping relationship between social workers and clients, thus contributes to the important body of scholarship that highlights the complex interconnections between the helping relationship and the organizational, professional, institutional, and political contexts within which the relationship is taking place.…”

The therapeutic alliance in context: Institutional factors that impact social work with families

“…Correspondingly, the literature indicates that the large number of cases, scarce resources, the bureaucratic burden, technical control through standardized processes, and long working hours stress social workers and cause them to feel trapped between fulfilling institutional requirements and connecting with caregivers. These factors leave little time to discuss their feelings about the obligation to participate (Cabiati et al, 2020; Tellaeche, 2017; McLaughlin et al, 2015; Steens et al, 2018).…”

“…Despite the importance of the relationship between social workers and clients (Trevithick, 2003), research on the alliance in the protection field remains limited, with several variables that intersect. For example, some factors linked to the protection system can become stressors, triggering ruptures or tensions (Escudero & Friedlander, 2017; Tellaeche, 2017; Killian et al, 2017; Steens et al, 2018). Among these variables is the obligation to attend therapy, which can be perceived as either an opportunity for help or a social sanction.…”

“…This mandatory nature is problematic, because experiences in the protection system can affect a caregiver's ability to exhibit protective behaviours (Escudero & Friedlander, 2017; Relvas & Sotero, 2014). Steens et al (2018) concluded that obligation affects the alliance because there is a dissonance between what the parents express and what they feel. Many parents prefer to demonstrate agreement or collaboration for fear that they may face legal consequences if they fail to do so or present negative emotions.…”

Social Work with Families in Special Distress: Collaborative Practices

“…Each professional often works in a different setting, and each service has its own mandates and rules. This pre-defined role constrains the possibilities of the intervention (Steens et al 2018). This may result in the family receiving contradictory messages or the duplicity of interventions.…”