Signs of Safety and the Paradox of Simplicity: Insights from Research with Social Work Students

References

• Baginsky, M., B. Hickman, J. Harris, J. Manthorpe, M. Sanders, A. O’Higgins, E. Schoenwald, and V. Clayton. 2020. Evaluation of MTM’s Signs of Safety Pilots Evaluation report. London: Department for Education. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/956625/Sofs_revised_evaluation_report_270121.pdf
   Google Scholar
• Baginsky, M., J. Moriarty, J. Manthorpe, J. Beecham, and B. Hickman. 2017. Evaluation of Signs of Safety in 10 pilots. London: Department for Education. https://dera.ioe.ac.uk/29590/1/Evaluation_of_Signs_of_Safety_in_10_pilots.pdf
   Google Scholar
• Baginsky, M., B. Hickman, J. Moriarty, and J. Manthorpe. 2020. “Working with Signs of Safety: Parents' Perception of Change.” Child & Family Social Work 25 (1): 154–164. doi:10.1111/cfs.12673.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Baginsky, M., G. Ixer, and J. Manthorpe. 2021. “Practice Frameworks in Children’s Services in England: An Attempt to Steer Social Work Back on Course?” Practice Social Practice 33 (1): 3–19. doi:10.1080/09503153.2019.1709634.
   Google Scholar
• Baginsky, M., J. Manthorpe, and J. Moriarty. 2021. “The Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and Their Families and Signs of Safety: Competing or Complementary Frameworks?” The British Journal of Social Work 51 (7): 2571–2589. doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcaa058.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Baginsky, M., J. Moriarty, and J. Manthorpe. 2019. “Signs of Safety: Lessons Learnt from Evaluations.” Journal of Children's Services 14 (2): 107–123. doi:10.1108/JCS-11-2018-0028.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Bilson, A., and K. E. C. Martin. 2016. “Referrals and Child Protection in England: One in Five Children Referred to Children’s Services and One in Nineteen Investigated before the Age of Five.” British Journal of Social Work 47 (3): bcw054–811. doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcw054.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Bowling, A. 2014. Research Methods in Health: Investigating Health and Health Services. 4th ed. Maidenhead, UK: Open University Press.
   Google Scholar
• Braun, V., and V. Clarke. 2006. “Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology.” Qualitative Research in Psychology 3 (2): 77–101. doi:10.1191/1478088706qp063oa.
   Google Scholar
• Bunn, A. 2013. Signs of Safety in England. An NSPCC commissioned report on the Signs of Safety model in child protection. London: NSPCC. https://library.nspcc.org.uk/HeritageScripts/Hapi.dll/filetransfer/2013SignsSafetyEngland.pdf?filename=AA58F75CEDE68892A73FB681FE246B8371684F102152F0AA780A14959D3BCE5767137B3B2A935011CBAEC3068664FF681AA6D2524E357BAB96C006752CCD756759AD77BD1E389823A55CFAAE74B2EE64F46C611AD1724BE1AC500B025490CCB1CD8D9D26B00674E723A731951BB13FBE2976B114838E6BBB09AFEF54AC6F7F00DD3AA9CD69B7C9F8B4AF0C2D4936FAA9D7A31E227668F7DCFB8E2824986B0003A6E4F456ADA27573&DataSetName=LIVEDATA
   Google Scholar
• Department for Education. 2019. Experimental statistics: Children and Family Social Work Workforce in England, Year Ending 30 September 2018. Department for Education. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/782154/Children_s_social_work_workforce_2018_text.pdf
   Google Scholar
• Featherstone, B., A. Gupta, K. Morris, and J. Warner. 2018. “Let’s Stop Feeding the Risk Monster: Towards a Social Model of Child Protection.” Families, Relationships and Societies 7 (1): 7–22. doi:10.1332/204674316X14552878034622.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Forrester, D., J. McCambridge, C. Waissbein, and S. Rollnick. 2008. “How Do Child and Family Social Workers Talk to Parents about Child Welfare Concerns?” Child Abuse Review 17 (1): 23–35. doi:10.1002/car.981.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Gibson, M. 2014. “Narrative Practice and the Signs of Safety Approach: Engaging Adolescents in Building Rigorous Safety Plans.” Child Care in Practice 20 (1): 64–80. doi:10.1080/13575279.2013.799455.
   Google Scholar
• Healy, K., G. Meagher, and J. Cullin. 2007. “Retaining Novices to Become Expert Child Protection Practitioners: Creating Career Pathways in Direct Practice.” British Journal of Social Work 39 (2): 299–317. doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcm125.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Hood, R. 2015. “How Professionals Experience Complexity: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.” Child Abuse Review 24 (2): 140–153. doi:10.1002/car.2359.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Horwath, J. 2005. “Identifying and Assessing Cases of Child Neglect: Learning from the Irish Experience.” Child & Family Social Work 10 (2): 99–110. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2206.2005.00356.x.
   Google Scholar
• Idzelis Rothe, M., S. Nelson-Dusek, and M. Skrypek. 2013. Innovations in Child Protective Services in Minnesota – Research Chronical of Carver and Olmsted Counties. St Paul, Minnesota: Wilder Research.
   Google Scholar
• Jones, R. 2014. “The Best of Times, the Worst of Times: Social Work and Its Moment.” British Journal of Social Work 44 (3): 485–502. doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcs157.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Keddell, E. 2014. “Theorising the Signs of Safety Approach to Child Protection Social Work: Positioning, Codes and Power.” Children and Youth Services Review 47: 70–77. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2014.03.011.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• McCafferty, P., and B. J. Taylor. 2022. “Barriers to Knowledge Acquisition and Utilisation in Child Welfare Decisions: A Qualitative Study.” Journal of Social Work 22 (1): 87–108. doi:10.1177/1468017320978917.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• McFadden, P., J. Mallett, A. Campbell, and B. Taylor. 2019. “Explaining Self-Reported Resilience in Child-Protection Social Work: The Role of Organisational Factors, Demographic Information and Job Characteristics.” The British Journal of Social Work 49 (1): 198–216. doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcy015.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Munro, E. 2011. The Munro Review of Child Protection: Final Report, a Child Centred System. London: Department for Education.
   Google Scholar
• Munro, E. 2019. “Decision‐Making under Uncertainty in Child Protection: Creating a Just and Learning Culture.” Child & Family Social Work 24 (1): 123–130. doi:10.1111/cfs.12589.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Oliver, C., and G. Charles. 2015. “Which Strengths-Based Practice? Reconciling Strengths-Based Practice and Mandated Authority in Child Protection Work.” Social Work 60 (2): 135–143. doi:10.1093/sw/swu058.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Oliver, C., and G. Charles. 2016. “Enacting Firm, Fair and Friendly Practice: A Model for Strengths-Based Child Protection Relationships?” British Journal of Social Work 46 (4): 1009–1026. doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcv015.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Ravalier, J., E. Wainwright, O. Clabburn, M. Loon, and N. Smyth. 2021. “Working Conditions and Wellbeing in UK Social Workers.” Journal of Social Work 21 (5): 1105–1108. doi:10.1177/1468017320949361.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Reekers, S. E., S. Dijkstra, G. J. J. Stams, J. J. Asscher, and H. E. Creemers. 2018. “Signs of Effectiveness of Signs of Safety? A Pilot Study.” Children and Youth Services Review 91: 177–184. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.06.012.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Revell, L. 2019. “Exploring Narratives of Neglect in Social Work Practice with Children and Families: Whose Narratives? What Neglect?.” PhD Thesis, University of Hull.
   Google Scholar
• Rodger, J., T. Allan, and S. Elliott. 2020. Family safeguarding: Evaluation report. London: Department for Education. Accessed 19 September 2021. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/932367/Hertfordshire_Family_Safeguarding.pdf
   Google Scholar
• Salveron, M., L. Bromfield, C. Kirika, J. Simmons, T. Murphy, and A. Turnell. 2015. “Changing the Way we Do Child Protection’: The Implementation of Signs of Safety® within the Western Australia Department for Child Protection and Family Support.” Children and Youth Services Review 48: 126–139. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2014.11.011.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Sheehan, L., C. O’Donnell, S. L. Brand, D. Forrester, A. El-Banna, A. Kemp, and U. Nurmatov. 2018. Signs of safety: Findings from a mixed-methods systematic review focussed on reducing the need for children to be in care. London: What Works Centre for Children’s Social Care. https://whatworks-csc.org.uk/research/reports/signs-of-safety-findings-from-a-mixed-methods-systematic-review-focussed-on-reducing-the-need-for-children-to-be-in-care/
   Google Scholar
• Skrypek, M., M. Idzelis, and P. J. Pecora. 2012. Signs of Safety in Minnesota: Parents Perceptions of Signs of Safety Child Protection Experience. St Paul, Minnesota: Wilder Research.
   Google Scholar
• Snape, D., and L. Spencer. 2003. “The Foundations of Qualitative Research.” In Qualitative Research Practice. A Guide for Social Science Students and Researchers, edited by J. Ritchie & J. Lewis, 1–23. London, UK: Sage.
   Google Scholar
• Stanley, T., and R. Mills. 2014. “Signs of Safety’ Practice at the Health and Children’s Social Care Interface.” Practice 26 (1): 23–36. doi:10.1080/09503153.2013.867942.
   Google Scholar
• Toros, K., M. C. LaSala, and M. Medar. 2016. “Social Work Students’ Reflections on a Solution-Focussed Approach to Child Protection Assessment: A Qualitative Study.” Social Work Education 35 (2): 158–171. doi:10.1080/02615479.2015.1121222.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Turnell, A., and T. Murphy. 2017. Signs of Safety: Comprehensive Briefing Paper. Resolutions Consultancy. https://www.cumbria.gov.uk/elibrary/Content/Internet/537/6683/6687/17317/44313153839.pdf?timestamp=4431320400
   Google Scholar