What Is the Relationship between Worker Skills and Outcomes for Families in Child and Family Social Work?

Abstract

Communication skills are fundamental to social work, yet few studies have directly evaluated their impact. In this study, we explore the relationship between skills and outcomes in 127 families. An observation of practice was undertaken on the second or third meeting with a family. Practice quality was evaluated in relation to seven skills, which were grouped into three dimensions: relationship building, good authority and evocation of intrinsic motivation. Outcomes at approximately six months were parent-reported engagement (Working Alliance Inventory), Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS), an eleven-point family life satisfaction rating, the Family Environment Scale and General Health Questionnaire and service outcomes from agency records including children entering care. Relationship-building skills predicted parent-reported engagement, although good authority and evocation had stronger relationships with outcome measures. Where workers visited families more often, relationships between skills and outcomes were stronger, in part because workers had more involvement and in part because these families were more likely to have significant problems. The relationship between skills and outcomes was complicated, although the findings provide encouraging evidence that key social work skills have an influence on outcomes for families.

Patterns of practice: An exploratory factor analysis of child and family social worker skills

“…For instance, for the current sample, we found relatively weak but statistically significant associations between care and engagement and parental engagement, and between good authority and evocation and family outcomes 20 weeks after the recorded interviews (Forrester et al, 2019). For instance, for the current sample, we found relatively weak but statistically significant associations between care and engagement and parental engagement, and between good authority and evocation and family outcomes 20 weeks after the recorded interviews (Forrester et al, 2019).…”

“…However, this initial exploration of dimensionality of practice skills and the sample do not lend itself to a The findings are part of a larger study (an RCT) investigating the impact of a skills development package of training and supervision in MI (Forrester et al, 2018(Forrester et al, , 2019. Additionally, multiple families were assigned to workers, although nearly half the sample of workers only had one or two assigned cases that were observed.…”

What do children think about their social worker? A Q‐method study of children's services

“…The MSW model seeks to incorporate principles and skills from Motivational Interviewing, task-focused social work, and traumainformed practice (Forrester et al, 2018;Forrester et al, 2019).…”

From Snapshots of Practice to a Movie: Researching Long-Term Social Work and Child Protection by Getting as Close as Possible to Practice and Organisational Life

“…Another approach, led by Donald Forrester, has used observations of practice on home visits to develop a tool for measuring social workers' skills and how they communicate with parents. Quantitative methods are then used to rate practice, interviewing skills, the relationship (or working alliance) between social worker and service user and levels of perceived engagement (Killian et al, 2017;Forrester et al, 2019).…”