Measuring Client Satisfaction with Child Welfare Services

Abstract

This article examines the role of client satisfaction indicators in child welfare agency performance measurement. It examines both research and performance measurement efforts to understand client perspectives on child protection and out-of-home care services. It highlights the value of obtaining data from clients about their experience of the service delivered by the agency and its impact on their lives. Conceptual, methodological and ethical issues in implementing routine, standardized data collection on client satisfaction are discussed. Measuring client satisfaction within a suite of performance indicators is an example of how practitioners and managers can use one of the tools of managerialism in the interests of clients and good practice.

Family feedback in Child Welfare Services: A systematic review of measures

“…Developing standardized and rigorous instruments and procedures for obtaining family feedback as well as incorporating such feedback into performance improvement strategies in CWS could have an impact that is not achievable through informal or ad hoc mechanisms (Tilbury et al, 2010). It could also overcome the inherent limitations of using data generated through focus groups, open interviews or suggestions.…”

“…In spite of the importance of measuring such aspects, there is still a lack of information about family feedback on child welfare systems, and family participation in performance measurement is rare (Baker, 2007;Cortis, 2007;Tilbury et al, 2010). Additionally, most studies have focused solely on satisfaction with services, ignoring other relevant aspects of the experience with CWS.…”

“…Parents involved with child welfare have unique perspectives and interpretations about the processes, events, and decisions that occur in those services. Such input is helpful in assessing program efficacy, designing service delivery improvement strategies and enhancing professional practice, which in turn may increase parental engagement with interventions (Tilbury et al, 2010). Within this field, client or user satisfaction has been the most studied dimension.…”

“…In this line, studies about service user feedback may serve as a means to empower parents and to give them a chance to have a voice with regard to their experiences with services. The process of being asked about their own opinions may actually change their perceptions about the staff and the services; it may also help to reduce the pronounced power asymmetry that exists between practitioners and child welfare users, and to provide client-centered and family-focused casework practice (Alpert, 2005;Baker, 2007;Tilbury, Osmond, & Crawford, 2010). Additionally, systematically assessing families' opinions about services is consistent with the principle of turning users into active agents of the intervention and promoting their autonomy (Rodrigo, Maiquez, Martín, & Byrne, 2008).…”

“…The importance of assessing family feedback with Child Welfare Services (CWS) has been widely recognized (American Humane Association, 1998;Baker, 2007;Cortis, 2007;Kapp & Vela, 1999;Lietz, 2009;Tilbury et al, 2010). Parents involved with child welfare have unique perspectives and interpretations about the processes, events, and decisions that occur in those services.…”