New public management and practitioner autonomy in children’s services in Norway and Wales: views from the frontline

ABSTRACT

The article examines aspects of professional autonomy informed by cross sectional surveys of social workers in Wales (UK) and Norway. The data show that in Wales there is circumscribed autonomy whereby rule compliance is both expected and scrutinised, and practitioners are more likely to spend time as a ‘screen-worker’, fettered by austerity, risk-focused and safety-oriented towards children. The Norwegian sample appears to enjoy front-line freedoms to utilise discretion in delivering bespoke preventive services and are much more likely to spend time at ‘street-level’ working in a child welfare and family-focused approach. Despite these profound differences between the two samples, both sets of practitioners consider their administrative duties to be an important feature of practice rather than an unwarranted diversion from direct work; participants in both countries consider their work to be of quality and most look forward to going to work. These and other variations and similarities in the data are discussed in light of relevant system features and policy.

SAMMENDRAG

Artikkelen ser på sider ved profesjonell autonomi gjennom å sammenlikne arbeidsvilkår for sosialarbeidere innen barnevernet i Wales og Norge. Data viser at en i Wales opplever innskrenket autonomi, stor grad av regelfølging, begrensa ressurstilgang og risiko - fokusering i arbeidet med barn. I Norge har sosialarbeiderne mer autonomi og kan i større grad utøve profesjonelt skjønn i forebyggende og familieorientert arbeid med barn. Til tross for disse klare forskjellene er det også noen fellestrekk. Både i Wales og Norge ser sosialarbeiderne at administrative gjøremål er viktige, at arbeidet deres er preget av yrkesmessig kvalitet og at de opplever trivsel på arbeidsplassen.

KEYWORDS:

• Children’s services
• discretion
• decisions
• autonomy
• quality of work

NØKKELORD:

• Barnevern
• skjønnsutøvelse
• beslutninger
• autonomi
• arbeidskvalitet

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The Norwegian study was supported by grants from UH-nett Vest (the University and College Network for Western Norway). The Welsh study was supported by Volda University College and Cardiff University School of Social Sciences, together with additional assistance from the Erasmus Program.

Notes on contributors

Alf Roger Djupvik

Alf Roger Djupvik is an associate professor in political science and organisation theory at Faculty of Social Science and History at Volda University College, Norway. He teaches at master programmes on social work, societal planning and leadership. His research and teaching topics are organising and leadership in the public sector.

Andy Pithouse

Andrew Pithouse is emeritus professor of social research at the School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University, Wales, UK. His background is mainly in qualitative research in public welfare services evaluation and development, he has been principal investigator in multiple safeguarding and family support projects that have helped promote conceptual development, practice innovation and system-building across voluntary and statutory sectors in child and adult social work services.

Vidar Myklebust

Vidar Myklebust is an associate professor of clinical psychology and a clinical psychologist at Volda University College, Norway. He teaches in both the bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes. His research and teaching topics are developmental psychology, addictions, mental health and mental disorders.

Alyson Rees

Alyson Rees is a senior lecturer in social work at the Cardiff School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University, Wales, UK; she is also assistant director of the Children’s Social Care Research and Development Centre (CASCADE). Alyson was a practitioner for many years, working in criminal justice and domestic violence. Her research areas of interest are in children looked after (particularly fostering), domestic abuse, child protection and family support.

Tor-Johan Ekeland

Tor-Johan Ekeland is a professor of social psychology at Volda University College, and holds a part-time position at Molde University College, Norway. He has researched recovery processes, psychotherapy as practice and epistemologies in professional practice. He is currently researching neo-liberal governance and the implications for professional practice and is teaching those subjects in PhD and master’s programmes.

Charlotte Brookfield

Charlotte Brookfield is a lecturer in the School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University, Wales, UK. Charlotte works predominately in the Cardiff Q-Step Centre of Excellence in Quantitative Methods Teaching. Her research interests have been informed by the development of initiatives that aim to reverse the deficit of number in sociology, as well as the specific activities of the Cardiff Q-Step Centre.