he revised English edition of this book tlie T original Swcdisli cdition. without tlie subtitle. is froni 1997 should be considered :is i111 important contribution to sociology and social science in general to tlie extent tliat it is a clear and wcll-structured introduction to critical i-disrri, one of the most rccent and vigorous theoretical streams in the field of thc social scicnces. if we take into coiisidcration tlic influential work of hlargaret t\\rclier (1995: Realist Socinl Tlicory: Tlic I\\loriJlio!gciicti(’

Explaining Society, Critical Realism in the Social Sciences:

edited by Barry Percy‐Smith and Nigel Thomas, London/New York, Routledge, 2009, 400 pp., £80.00 (hardback), ISBN 978‐0‐415‐46851‐0, £24.99 (paperback), ISBN 978‐0‐415‐46852‐7 I am always somewhat w...

A handbook of children and young people's participation: perspectives from theory and practice

We outline selected central results from a formative evaluation of four pilot sites in England and Wales of the Integrated Children’s System (ICS) – one part of the UK’s eGovernment strategy. We concentrate on the aspiration of the ICS towards ‘integration’ and ‘systematization’ of services within children’s services, at local and national levels. We look in turn at, the use of the ICS as a foundation for aggregate statistical profiles; the experience and views of the social workers; and the implications of ICS for social work practice as exemplified in social workers’ use of time. The evidence suggests substantial problems in accomplishing government policy aspirations in each of these areas. We review the likely reasons for these problems, and recommend a review of the ICS on the grounds that the difficulties are inherent rather than transitory, and have arisen at least in part from uncertainty as to whether the ICS is fit for purpose. The authors seek to promote the open and thoughtful debate that a major innovation of this nature requires.

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An exemplary scheme? An evaluation of the integrated children's system

Challenges to practice and knowledge in child welfare social work: From the ‘social’ to the ‘informational’?

Hjorne E, Juhila K, van Nijnatten C. Negotiating dilemmas in the practices of street-level welfare work



Int J Soc Welfare 2010: 19: 303–309 © 2010 The Author(s), Journal compilation © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and International Journal of Social Welfare.



The theme of this mini-symposium is based on the core ideas of two influential books published about 30 years ago, namely Michael Lipsky'sStreet-Level Bureaucracy – Dilemmas of the Individual in Public Services (1980) and Jeffrey Prottas'sPeople-Processing – The Street-Level Bureaucrat in Public Service Bureaucracies (1979). In these books, three dilemmas were identified that have great importance for welfare workers' position as mediators between institutions and citizens: autonomy versus control, responsiveness versus standardisation, and demand versus supply. In this editorial, we discuss these dilemmas with regard to the present context of street-level welfare work, which is strongly influenced by managerialist policies (also called new public management). It is emphasised that in the era of managerialism, the dilemmas should be approached as empirical matters: how they are present, talked into being and negotiated in naturally occurring practices of street-level welfare work, and with what consequences.

Negotiating dilemmas in the practices of street-level welfare work

A key feature of new public management is the tendency to equate quality and accountability with documentation (Tsui and Cheung, 2004). Human service organizations increasingly rely on computer databases to compile and record client information and to demonstrate outcomes for quality assurance and accountability purposes. This has resulted in substantial changes in work practices, processes and relationships for social workers. This paper draws on interview data from social workers in several Australian agencies to examine professional interactions with, and response to, changes in their work after the introduction of new technologies. It particularly focuses on the shift of accountabilities from professional values and identities to organizational and bureaucratic accountabilities. The paper recognizes that while social workers have always been subject to organizational accountabilities, due to the changes in social service delivery and limited practitioner input into the implementation of new technologies, tensions between professional and bureaucratic accountabilities have intensified.

Accountable and countable : information management systems and the bureaucratization of social work

Accountable and Countable: Information Management Systems and the Bureaucratization of Social Work

Many students pursuing social work and human services courses have experienced adverse childhoods. This article focuses on their learning about self-care, an important skill for future practice. Interviews with 20 undergraduate students with a history of childhood adversity found unmet needs both for conceptualizing self-care and developing strategies to implement self-care in their day-to-day lives. Many cited limited role modelling and little importance placed on self-care during childhood. Teaching self-care is conceptualized as not only a core skill for practice but also an equity issue for students with a history of childhood adversity.

Childhood Adversity and Self-Care Education for Undergraduate Social Work and Human Services Students

The concept of the “wounded healer” has been used to explain why those with adverse childhood histories often enter helping professions such as social work and human services (SWHS). Psychotherapist Carl Jung (1875–1961) believed wounded healers developed insight and resilience from their own experiences, enabling transformative interventions to occur with clients. Concerns exist that students with adverse childhood histories in SWHS may display unresolved emotional issues. This journal article explores how Jung’s interpretation of the wounded healer can be critically applied to understanding the learning needs of SWHS students with histories of abuse, neglect or other childhood adversity. The relevance of the wounded healer to SWHS education is explored in three key areas: - 1) the increased possibility of the occurrence of countertransference; - 2) the potential for vicarious traumatisation and burnout, and; - 3) personal and professional resilience displayed by SWHS students with a history of childhood adversity. The wounded healer metaphor allows for a more nuanced understanding of SWHS students with these histories. It also provides insight into the pedagogical considerations associated with teaching this student cohort.

How Jung's concept of the wounded healer can guide learning and teaching in social work and human services

Positive engagement between a child and carer in out-of-home care is understood to have long-term benefits for children who have experienced abuse or neglect. This study analysed data from the ‘Views of Children and Young People in Foster Care 2009′ survey of 937 children in out-of-home care in Queensland, Australia, to identify factors that supported or hindered engagement between a child and carer. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and structural regression were used. Findings suggest that children’s engagement with their carer is influenced by a range of internal and external factors including child characteristics, the care experience, contact with biological parents, and placement trajectory. Child engagement is important because it is central to positive outcomes such as placement stability in out-of-home care. Implications for policy and practice include the need for a structural response that supports building and maintaining positive child-carer relationships.

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Judith Burton

Papers

Accountable and countable : information management systems and the bureaucratization of social work

Accountable and Countable: Information Management Systems and the Bureaucratization of Social Work

Childhood Adversity and Self-Care Education for Undergraduate Social Work and Human Services Students

How Jung's concept of the wounded healer can guide learning and teaching in social work and human services

Exploring children's perspectives of engagement with their carers using factor analysis.