2 The virtuous cycle of using supportive measures to reduce red tape and meet families’ needs
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Edgar Marthinsen
Abstract
Child protection and welfare systems, in many Western countries, have expanded into new areas of society involving far more families as clients during the last 50–60 years. This development has relied on categories such as abuse and maltreatment and has lacked empirically grounded examination of what the needs and concerns of children and families are. This chapter reflects on a number of critical research projects and their contribution to understanding the detail of everyday lives and to transforming practices. The virtuous cycle is discussed, a concept drawing on extensive research in a range of countries on what happens at the front door of services where there has been a large increase in referrals. It identifies measures and concepts that better assess risk and support issues for, and within, families. It explores ways of working that may reduce measures that are solely focused on meeting legal and managerial demands and enable workers to concentrate on supporting families, and that can also be a way of improving efficiency for managers.
Abstract
Child protection and welfare systems, in many Western countries, have expanded into new areas of society involving far more families as clients during the last 50–60 years. This development has relied on categories such as abuse and maltreatment and has lacked empirically grounded examination of what the needs and concerns of children and families are. This chapter reflects on a number of critical research projects and their contribution to understanding the detail of everyday lives and to transforming practices. The virtuous cycle is discussed, a concept drawing on extensive research in a range of countries on what happens at the front door of services where there has been a large increase in referrals. It identifies measures and concepts that better assess risk and support issues for, and within, families. It explores ways of working that may reduce measures that are solely focused on meeting legal and managerial demands and enable workers to concentrate on supporting families, and that can also be a way of improving efficiency for managers.
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents ix
- List of figures and tables xi
- Notes on contributors xii
- Introduction 1
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Sense and Sensibility as epistemology for social work
- Reflections on the possibilities and challenges offered by a social model of protecting children 19
- The virtuous cycle of using supportive measures to reduce red tape and meet families’ needs 35
- The potential of practice research to advance a framework for protective support and supportive protection (PS-SP) with children, young people and families 51
- Rethinking the concept of institutionalisation in child protection 69
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Sense and Sensibility as practice
- Towards a collaborative and innovative practice improvement paradigm in child protection? 93
- Participative and Transformative Evaluation: children, families and practitioners as co-researchers through ‘reflective thinking’ processes 114
- Community mapping as a participative tool to enhance informal social support: possible pathways for practitioners 134
- The training of trainers as a way to share sense and sensibility in the P.I.P.P.I. programme 156
- Care leavers in the Italian child protection system: from action research to advocacy of more inclusive policies and relationships 174
- A mind for learning and innovation 191
- Communication as the backbone of intervention with group programmes in the child protection system: exploring challenges and tools 214
- Epilogue 231
- Index 234
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents ix
- List of figures and tables xi
- Notes on contributors xii
- Introduction 1
-
Sense and Sensibility as epistemology for social work
- Reflections on the possibilities and challenges offered by a social model of protecting children 19
- The virtuous cycle of using supportive measures to reduce red tape and meet families’ needs 35
- The potential of practice research to advance a framework for protective support and supportive protection (PS-SP) with children, young people and families 51
- Rethinking the concept of institutionalisation in child protection 69
-
Sense and Sensibility as practice
- Towards a collaborative and innovative practice improvement paradigm in child protection? 93
- Participative and Transformative Evaluation: children, families and practitioners as co-researchers through ‘reflective thinking’ processes 114
- Community mapping as a participative tool to enhance informal social support: possible pathways for practitioners 134
- The training of trainers as a way to share sense and sensibility in the P.I.P.P.I. programme 156
- Care leavers in the Italian child protection system: from action research to advocacy of more inclusive policies and relationships 174
- A mind for learning and innovation 191
- Communication as the backbone of intervention with group programmes in the child protection system: exploring challenges and tools 214
- Epilogue 231
- Index 234
