Evaluation of Practice Frameworks for Social Work with Children and Families: Exploring the Challenges

ABSTRACT

Implementing a practice framework with a clear theoretical and practical approach to working with children and families seems a self-evident way to improve practice, but there is a paucity of evaluative research about their impact on outcomes for children and families. One reason for this lack of research may be that it is challenging. In this article, these challenges are explored in relation to fidelity, impact, attribution, and the positioning of the researcher. To generate ideas about how to conduct evaluative research, research about solution-based casework is explored, with additional insights from research about other frameworks.

KEYWORDS:

• Practice framework
• solution-based casework
• evaluation
• ethnography

Funding

This work was supported by the Australian Research Council [FT170100080].

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Australian Research Council [FT170100080].