A fight to work with families, rather than against them: exploring social workers’ experiences of working within the family safeguarding model; an IPA analysis

ABSTRACT

This qualitative study explores social workers’ experiences of working within the Family Safeguarding Model and its implications for relationships with families and professionals. Semi-structured interviews were completed and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used. Three Group Experiential Themes (GET’s) were identified: fighting to work with families, feeling held and protected and breaking at the seams. The model enabled social workers to develop a ”secure base” to build meaningful relationships with families and consider risk in the context of parents’ early trauma. Findings suggest value in consistent in-house multi-agency support, enabling shared responsibility for complex cases. Further research is required.

KEYWORDS:

• child safeguarding
• child protection
• social work
• multi-agency working
• Family Safeguarding Model

Disclosure statement

I declare that I have no direct or indirect declarations of interests to disclose that may raise a conflict.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/15548732.2024.2324899

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Charlotte Cucciniello

Dr. Charlotte Cucciniello is a Clinical Psychologist and Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapist. Charlotte has extensive experience working in NHS, local authority and private settings working with children and adults across the life span. Charlotte has a specific interest in trauma informed work, attachment and influencing systems to apply such principles to their practice. Charlotte now works for a highly specialist neurodevelopmental private practice assessing children for autism and providing support for looked after children and their carers. She continues to hold research interests in intergenerational trauma and working with at risk families and children at the edge of care.

Yvonne Melia

Dr. Yvonne Melia is a Clinical Psychologist, Principal Lecturer in Clinical Psychology and the Academic Director of the Professional Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Staffordshire University. Yvonne has extensive experience in working with children in care and adopted children, their parents, carers and professional networks. Yvonne has worked with this client group in CAMHS within the NHS, local authority and private sector. Yvonne is skilled in providing consultation, supervision, training and teaching along with delivery of reflective practice groups and group supervision. Yvonne’s research interests lie in attachment, developmental trauma, applications of clinical psychology in social care contexts and psychological issues pertaining to children in care and other vulnerable children and families. She is keen to apply research to enhance psychological care for these service users. Yvonne is also interested in young people’s mental health and has a specific interest in systemic factors related to self-harm.