Professional Discretion in Welfare Services

Evans, Tony

doi:10.4324/9781315602325

Cited by 82 publications

(21 citation statements)

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Section: Conceptual Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Theoretically, our analysis is influenced by sociological writings on the professions, and recognition that experience at the ''street level'' is important to scrutinize when national top-down imperatives meet everyday practices (Evans, 2010). Significant here are the concepts of discretion and jurisdiction (Abbott, 1988;Evans, 2010;Freidson, 2001). Whereas discretion refers to one's autonomous use of training, knowledge, and skills with few external decrees when making judicious decisions (Freidson, 2001), jurisdiction concerns the link between a profession and its work (Abbott, 1988).…”

Section: Conceptual Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The way standardization affects social workers cannot, however, be prejudged (Evans, 2010); standardization might lead to positive professional outcomes (Robinson, 2003) and be used as a professionalization strategy (Barfoed and Jacobsson, 2012). Standardization is not carried out by its own power, but in organizational contexts by actors with intentions and expectations who diffuse, adopt, and adapt to standardization reforms for various reasons (Greenhalgh et al, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

The pursuit of standardization in domestic violence social work: A multiple case study of how the idea of using risk assessment tools is manifested and processed in the Swedish social services

Skillmark

Gross

Kjellgren

et al. 2017

Qualitative Social Work

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This multiple case study examines how the idea of using risk assessment tools is manifested and processed in Swedish social services. Based on the analysis of interviews with different stakeholders and of organizational documents in two social service organizations, we investigate the actors who control local risk assessment practices. The findings illustrate that a relatively small group of social workers in the organizations have been able to forward their claims and decide how risk assessment work should be carried out without much intrusion from local managers or politicians. The findings also validate other studies that found that increased standardization can strengthen social workers’ ability to perform their professional task rather than lead to de-professionalization. This article ends with a discussion of what risk assessment practices might mean for domestic violence victims.

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Section: Conceptual Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Conceptual Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The pursuit of standardization in domestic violence social work: A multiple case study of how the idea of using risk assessment tools is manifested and processed in the Swedish social services

Skillmark

Gross

Kjellgren

et al. 2017

Qualitative Social Work

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show abstract

“…In doing so, research has identified some major concerns in using EISs, uncovering how such systems tend to reduce social work to a technical practice (Aronson & Smith, 2010;Tsui & Cheung, 2004), emphasising predictability and controllability rather than contributing to the development of a responsive practice (Aas, 2004;Bovens & Zouridis, 2002;Burton & van den Broek, 2009;Devlieghere, Bradt & Roose, 2016;Hall et al, 2010;Parton, 2006;Pithouse et al, 2012). This is, however, not necessarily the case as several authors have demonstrated how practitioners, as well as (middle) managers, use their discretion to develop strategies to shape, reshape and even bend regulations and procedures for using EISs in social work practice, aiming precisely to achieve a responsive social work practice (Aronson & Smith, 2009;Evans, 2010Evans, , 2011Evans, , 2013.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is, however, not necessarily the case as several authors have demonstrated how practitioners, as well as (middle) managers, use their discretion to develop strategies to shape, reshape and even bend regulations and procedures for using EISs in social work practice, aiming precisely to achieve a responsive social work practice (Aronson & Smith, 2009; Evans, 2010, 2011, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Electronic Information Systems: In search of responsive social work

Devlieghere

Roose

2018

Journal of Social Work

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The informational context in which social work has been operating over the past decade has gained much more significance. In this context, Electronic Information Systems are often implemented with the aim of being responsive to the needs of children and families. However, research has critically identified some major concerns with using Electronic Information Systems in ways that tend to reduce social work to a technical practice. As a result, practitioners and managers are using their discretion to shape and bend regulations precisely in order to achieve responsive social work practice. In this paper, our aim is to capture the meaning of these strategies for the development of responsive social work. To do so, we interviewed social practitioners working with Electronic Information Systems on a daily basis. Findings: Our results show how practitioners develop a diversity of strategies to recreate the relational aspect of social work, thereby challenging the hypothesis that this was curtailed by the use of Electronic Information Systems. Applications: By fleshing out the meaning of the strategies practitioners use in their daily practice, we aim to contribute to the contemporary debate about the use of these strategies in social work practice. At the same time, it is also important to understand the meaning of these strategies in relation to the development of responsive social work as this development cannot be reduced to a mere relational practice where principles of justice, equality and solidarity are not equally considered.

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Talking policy into being—How street‐level bureaucrats and vulnerable unemployed talk about labor market participation

Caswell

2019

European Policy Analysis

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Active labor market policy is talked into being in meetings between street-level bureaucrats and vulnerable unemployed. Recent developments in the street-level bureaucracy literature has identified potentials in more ethnographic work and a closer attention to responsiveness as a core value of the frontline work (Brodkin 2012; Zacka 2017). Contributing to this, the analytical perspective in this article is informed by conversation analysis and data consist of naturally occurring institutional interactions. The patterns of talk consist of both general and concrete talk.The general talk is broad and unclear, but institutionally and politically legitimate. The concrete talk is characterized by words specifically addressing work places, wishes, and experiences of the unemployed client. General talk function is to keep a labor market perspective acceptable and relevant, even when talking to vulnerable clients. This is, however, insufficient in a policy implementation perspective, as it is the concrete talk that enables the parties to negotiate and promote possible positive policy outcomes in ways that are responsive to the needs and wishes of the individual client. K E Y W O R D Sactive labor market policy, institutional interaction, social work, streetlevel bureaucracy, vulnerable unemployed

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Professional Discretion in Welfare Services

Cited by 82 publications

References 0 publications

The pursuit of standardization in domestic violence social work: A multiple case study of how the idea of using risk assessment tools is manifested and processed in the Swedish social services

The pursuit of standardization in domestic violence social work: A multiple case study of how the idea of using risk assessment tools is manifested and processed in the Swedish social services

Electronic Information Systems: In search of responsive social work

Talking policy into being—How street‐level bureaucrats and vulnerable unemployed talk about labor market participation

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