Relationship-based Practice with Families Where Child Neglect is an Issue: Putting Relationship Development under the Microscope

Abstract

Child neglect is a persistent social issue in Australia, with factors that hinder efforts to intervene. Of particular concern are difficulties that have been raised regarding building working relationships with parents where child neglect is a concern. This article draws on findings of an Australian qualitative study that explored in depth multiple perspectives on the development of relationships between family workers and parents where neglect is a concern.It was found that the process of building trust, which was central to the establishment of the working relationship and increased parent willingness to engage in child-welfare related interventions, was something the parents in the study engaged in actively. They did this through testing workers' trustworthiness and by attempting to reduce perceived power inequities between workers and themselves. It is argued that resistance to workers' attempts to build relationships are a healthy protective response by parents to challenge the professional expectation they submissively build relationships with strangers who wield great influence over their lives, and the lives of others in their family. Implications for professionals include developing greater understanding of why parents might resist attempts to build working relationships, and using this knowledge to accommodate parents' resistance where it arises.Relationship building in child neglect 3Child neglect (neglect) is a concerning social issue in Australia and elsewhere, with factors that hinder efforts to intervene. It is a persistent problem and is usually recurrent (Berry,

“Negligencia”: Un pretexto para movilizar los procesos vinculares entre familias y profesionales

“…Para la configuración de este trabajo de grado, también fue importante ahondar en estudios realizados en otros países en pro de enriquecer la mirada frente al fenómeno de estudio buscando darle un curso más amplio a la intervención de las instituciones en las familias, desde una mirada global tanto a nivel nacional como internacional. Reimer (2013), por su parte, plantea en su investigación la preocupación por la negligencia infantil, identificándola como un problema social presente en Australia, su artículo se basa en una investigación cualitativa que explora a profundidad las múltiples perspectivas que se presentan en el desarrollo de las relaciones entre los trabajadores sociales y padres de familia, en las que el abandono es una de las problemáticas de mayor preocupación. Se encontró que el proceso de construcción de confianza, era fundamental para el establecimiento de la relación de trabajo y posibilitaba una mayor disposición de los padres a participar en intervenciones con bienestar infantil, clarificando que la resistencia de los padres para establecer relaciones con los trabajadores sociales es una respuesta protectora saludable.…”

Countering globalisation and managerialism: Relationist ethics in social work

“…The best interests of children are not absolutes, but are subjectively exposed by ethical processes that evaluate the basis for state agendas, child carers’ practices and the child’s perceived needs. There is, in relationism, still an imperative to care, but it is focused by a culturally sensitive consideration of the needs of the whole client–group dynamic, including that of the social worker (Reimer, 2013; Thompson and Reimer, 2013). Contrariwise, if assessment of a child’s needs is carried out using SDM or even consensus-based methods, it operationalises unexamined (boxed) concepts of harm, care, rights and need, problematising families against external definitions of ‘appropriate’, ‘caring’ behaviour, rendering them ‘unsafe’.…”

“…There is potential for engagement and movement towards group and family practices multilaterally agreed to be caring and protective of the best interests of children. Relational strategies are thus required which predispose families towards shared ideas about best interests (Reimer, 2013).…”

“…Negotiation will normally expect culturally safe practices precluding neo-colonial forms of family harm (othering) and requiring bipartisan collaboration built upon trust. Within resulting relationships, there develop shared strategies for strengthening family functioning and child care (Ramsden, 2002; Reimer, 2013; Thompson and Reimer, 2013). Rather than a ‘problematising’ view, this is an inductive and analytical approach to power and context, based upon sharing understanding of cultural expertise in family challenges and solutions.…”

“…Countering absolutist or relativist practice methods are three streams of relational thought. The first describes deeply interpersonal narrative approaches to client issues, recognising genuine relationships between clients and workers and the bilateral, reflexive self-definition that dynamically continues throughout (Borden, 2000;Ornstein and Ganzer, 2005;Reimer, 2013Reimer, , 2014. The second, following the French philosopher, Bruno Latour (2002Latour ( : 251-54, 2005Latour ( : 238-41, 2013, offers a critical approach to group perceptions and thereby to ethical practices with culturally diverse families.…”