Professional relationships and decision making in social work: Lessons from a Scottish case study of secure accommodation decision making

Abstract

There has been a great deal written in recent years about the complexities of social work decision making in the minority world and the need for a more ecological conceptualisation of the decision making task in child welfare and protection. This article outlines some of the findings from a PhD study of secure accommodation decision making in Scotland which sought to understand the dynamics of local social work decision making in cases where children and young people pose a significant risk to themselves and/or others. Observations of decision making meetings, interviews and focus groups were used to develop a multidimensional perspective on decision making practices in one large urban local authority. Professional relationships were found to impact on information gathering, 'thinking through' decisions and managing emotions, 'working' the decision making system to the benefit of your referral, and having your assessment accepted by others. Trust emerged as an important quality in relationships between professionals who share decision making responsibilities. Drawing on theories of trust, relationships and decision making, the article challenges the dominate rational choice model of social work decision making and develops new links between theory and practice by highlighting the importance of understanding the impact of professional relationships when seeking to improve social work decision making. The article also emphasises the need for further research to enhance our understanding of the multiplicity of ways that professional relationships can impact on decision making practice and its outcomes.

Decision-making in foster care: A view on the dynamic and collective nature of the process

“…For example, a study by Nouwen et al (2012) suggested conceptualizing the decision-making process in child welfare services as a group practice and iterative process based on reflexivity and shared information. The importance of colleague interactions, and more specifically, reciprocity, exchange, and confidence between child welfare professionals in the decision-making process are also mentioned in a recent study by Roesch-Marsh (2018). Social workers questioned in the present study mention the collective and consultative aspects of the decisions concerning the child's removal as well as the choice of foster care environment: In both cases, they speak of the existence of procedures based on exchange, consultation, and teamwork.…”

Making Sense of Sensemaking: Conceptualising How Child and Family Social Workers Process Assessment Information

“…The way a case is framed in initial conversations with colleagues offers insight into the way the case is beginning to be formulated by the social worker (Helm, 2013). Social work colleagues then act as a sounding board for exploring different conceptualisations of a case (Helm, 2017), whilst supervisors, colleagues and other professionals offer opportunities for further sensemaking and narrative-building (Biggart et al, 2017;Roesch-Marsh, 2018). This enables a judgement to be reached in the process of completing an assessment: a story is built via a sensemaking process until it has coherence and can inform action.…”

“…Weick et al (2005) highlight that social systems interact with, and influence, the sensemaking process. Sensemaking is influenced by wider, dominant narratives about childhood and social work Collings and Davies, 2008;Parton, 2011) as well as the team an organisational environments in which sensemaking takes place (Helm, 2017;Roesch-Marsh, 2018).…”

“…Cook (2017) found that part of the sensemaking process involved social workers' seeking to articulate their initial implicit impressions, either through a process of self-reflection or dialogue with another. Helm (2013Helm ( , 2017 and Roesch-Marsh (2018) identified that colleagues and supervisors play a role in enabling sensemaking through dialogue.…”