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Establishing Social Work Practices in England: The Early Evidence

Stanley, Nicky, Austerberry, Helen, Bilson, Andy, Farrelly, Nicola, Hargreaves, Katrina, Hussein, Shereen, Ingold, Anne, Manthorpe, Jill, Ridley, Julie, Strange, Vicki and others. (2014) Establishing Social Work Practices in England: The Early Evidence. British Journal of Social Work, British Journal of Social Work, 44 (2). pp. 367-383. ISSN 0045-3102. (doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcs101) (Access to this publication is currently restricted. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:68322)

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Language: English

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcs101

Abstract

Social Work Practices (SWPs) were established in England in 2009 to deliver social work services to looked after children and care leavers. The introduction of independent social work-led organisations generated controversy focused on issues such as the privatisation of childrens services and social workers conditions of employment. This paper reports early findings from the evaluation of four of these pilots, drawing on interviews with children and young people, staff, and local authority and national stakeholders. The SWPs assumed a variety of organisational forms. The procurement process was demanding, with protracted negotiations over matters such as budgetary control and providing a round-the-clock service. Start-up was facilitated by an established relationship between the SWP provider and the local authority. Once operational, SWPs continued to rely on local authorities for various functions; in most cases, local authorities retained control of placement budgets. Levels of consultation and choice offered to children and young people regarding the move to an SWP varied considerably. Childrens understanding about SWPs was generally low except in the pilot where most children retained their original social worker. These early findings show some dilution of the original SWP model, while the pilots diversity allows the benefits of particular models to emerge.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1093/bjsw/bcs101
Additional information: Unmapped bibliographic data: M3 - Article [Field not mapped to EPrints] U2 - 10.1093/bjsw/bcs101 [Field not mapped to EPrints] JO - British Journal of Social Work [Field not mapped to EPrints]
Uncontrolled keywords: Care leavers, independent social work, looked after children, privatisation, Social Work Practices, CHILD-WELFARE SERVICES, PRIVATIZATION, CARE, POLICY, PROTECTION, WALES
Subjects: H Social Sciences
Divisions: Divisions > Division for the Study of Law, Society and Social Justice > School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research
Divisions > Division for the Study of Law, Society and Social Justice > School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research > Personal Social Services Research Unit
Depositing User: Shereen Hussein
Date Deposited: 13 Nov 2018 11:49 UTC
Last Modified: 17 Aug 2022 11:02 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/68322 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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