British Journal of Social Work

Firmin, Carlene

doi: 10.1093/bjsw/bcag036pmid: N/A

MacLochlainn, Justin; McFadden, Paula; McGrory, Susan; McColgan, Mary; Naylor, Rachel; McGinnis, Emma; McSherry, Dominic; Martin, Gillian; Mallett, John

doi: 10.1093/bjsw/bcaf276pmid: N/A

For children and families engaged with statutory child protection systems, the loss of a social worker is more than a staffing issue; it is often the loss of a trusted relationship in a time of deep vulnerability. This scoping review explores the impact of social worker turnover on children, families, and carers, highlighting how instability in the workforce undermines the very relationships intended to support safety, placement stability, and permanency. Drawing on eleven studies published over the past four decades, including peer-reviewed studies, grey literature, and commissioned reports, the review finds that turnover contributes to placement disruptions, delays in achieving permanency, and emotional distress among service users. Repeated relational losses through moves, case handovers, and broken attachments compound the trauma many children and families already face. The review also considers how organizational factors, such as team culture, workload, and supervision, can either mitigate or exacerbate these harms. Despite the profound implications for child welfare outcomes, the issue remains under-researched, particularly from the perspective of those receiving services. The review concludes by arguing that social worker retention is not merely a matter of organizational efficiency, but a cornerstone of ethical, relational, and effective social work practice.

Wright, Stevie; Morley, Christine; Briese, Jennie

doi: 10.1093/bjsw/bcaf283pmid: N/A

This article critically examines cultural safety practices within a Residential Out-of-Home Care (ROHC) service in Queensland, Australia. Given the persistent overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the Child Protection system, cultural safety is not merely a professional obligation but a fundamental requirement of ethical and meaningful practice. Employing Critical Thematic Analysis (CTA) within a critical postmodern theoretical framework, this research, led by an Aboriginal academic, explores the question: How is cultural safety currently enacted in practice with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Residential Out-of-Home Care? Using data from focus groups with youth workers in Residential Out-of-Home Care (ROHC) in a Non-Government Organization (NGO), the study identifies substantial gaps between practitioners’ awareness and commitment to cultural safety and its practical application within individual, organizational and systemic practices. Systemic barriers, entrenched biases, and an inadequate understanding of cultural safety principles were found to limit the capacity of ROHC workers to meet the cultural and, by extension, socioemotional needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. The article concludes with recommendations that support respect for the wellbeing and cultural identities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

Field, Rebecca S; Birger, Lior

doi: 10.1093/bjsw/bcaf290pmid: N/A

In social work practice with forced migrants, such as with other people experiencing extreme marginalization, practitioners are constantly confronted with the question of how to act in light of restrictive and unethical policies. While professional resistance can offer an avenue for practice, it has not been sufficiently integrated and explored within the field of social work and forced migration. Moreover, the existing literature tends to favour macro/political resistance over micro/everyday resistance. This paper aims to fill this gap by providing practice examples of everyday resistance in social work with refugees. Building on the secondary analysis of data collected in two qualitative studies, which included in-depth interviews with social workers in Australia, Israel, and Germany, three main resistance strategies are presented: non-reporting, rule-bending/rule-breaking, and relationship-based resistance. Altogether, these examples of everyday acts to counter harmful policies, which take place outside the public sphere, contribute to the debate on the vital role of the small-scale and mundane aspects of resistance. We conclude by discussing the ethical and practical aspects of everyday resistance and its contribution to social work practice and education.

Corrigan, Eimear; Sharley, Victoria

doi: 10.1093/bjsw/bcag006pmid: N/A

Children from Gypsy and Traveller backgrounds in England continue to experience high levels of multiple disadvantages. Compared to other ethnic minorities, children from these backgrounds are disproportionately represented in children’s statutory safeguarding services. This article reports the findings of a small qualitative study of seven Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews (CSPR) produced in England since the implementation of the Equality Act. The CSPRs relate to children from Gypsy and Traveller backgrounds who had been subject to safeguarding intervention under Section 17 or Section 47 of the Children Act. The study employed documentary analysis to examine what factors helped or hindered statutory safeguarding practice with children who are from Gypsy and Traveller backgrounds in England. CPSRs were thematically analysed in accordance with Braun & Clarke’s six-step framework. Four key themes were identified. Findings suggest that a number of barriers have the potential to impede practitioners’ abilities to effectively safeguard and protect children from Gypsy and Traveller backgrounds from harm. This article recommends the need for increased supervisory support and continued professional development for practitioners who are working in safeguarding roles supporting children and families from Gypsy and Traveller backgrounds, grounded in principles of anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practice.