Engaging with involuntary service users in social workGood practice guide

This guide is based on a research project at The University of Edinburgh which involved: • Reviewsofresearchonuserengagement in social work.•Seminarswitharound70professionalsfromsixScottishlocalauthoritysocialworkdepartments.

•Practitioner-ledresearchprojectsineach of these local authorities.

The project found that:

l Worker-clientrelationshipsarecentraltoengagementwithinvoluntary service users.1, 2 Face to face work, collaborating withserviceuserstosolvetheirproblems,isessential.3

l Trustandrespect,developedoverthelongterm,canhelptoimproveengagement.4, 5

l Clearandhonestcommunicationisalsovital.6

l Involuntaryserviceusersmayneedactivesupporttoengageinsocialworkdecisionmaking,e.g.independentadvocacyincase conferences.7,8

Involuntary service users of social work are diverse

l Theyrangefromthosewhowon’trespondtoanycontact,tothosewhoco-operatebecausetheyfeeltheyhavenootherchoice.

l Weusetheterm‘involuntaryclients’forpeoplewhoseinvolvementwithsocialworkersismandatedbylaw,includingfamiliesinthechildprotectionsystem,usersofmentalhealthservices, people with disabilities, older people such as those withdementia,andpeopleinthecriminaljusticesystem.

l Engaging with involuntary clients can be challenging. Successesmaybesmallandhard-won.

drug users

mental health service users

childrenchild protection

adult protection

young peopledisabled people

older people

parentsoffenders

alcohol users

The social work relationship is vital for working with involuntary clients. Some things which can help to build positive working relationships include...

l Maintaining continuity by avoiding frequent changes of worker.9,10

l Strikingabalancebetweenexercisingsocialworkauthority,andempoweringtheclienttocontroltheprocesswherepossible.11

l Givingpracticalassistance,e.g.advocacy,helpingclientstofightfor their rights.12

l Payingattentiontowhatispositiveintheclient’sbehaviourandcelebratingallachievements.3

l Showingtheclientyourhumanity,e.g.byfindingacommoninterest,revealingsomethingaboutyourself,showingempathyor‘goingtheextramile’inworkingwiththem.

l Wheretherelationshiphasbrokendowncompletely,independentmediationservicesmaybeworthexploring.13

Building trust is essential in engaging with involuntary clients.4,5

l Involuntaryserviceusersareoftenmistrustfulofsocialservices.l Buildingtrust,evenonthesmallestscale,canstarttoovercome

their fears.l Trustcanbebuiltbysimplethings:consistency;stickingtoyour

word;beinghonestandupfrontaboutthesituationandwhysocialworkisinvolved;apologisingifyouoryourorganisationmakesamistake.14

l Thisdoesnotmeanthatclientsshouldfeelthattheycantrustyouwiththeirsecrets,ortoalwaysbeontheirside.Itmeansthattheycantrustyoutobehonestwiththem,maintainappropriateboundariesandmaketheseexplicit.

Working with involuntary clients takes time and persistence.15 Progress is often slow.

l Clients often begin with negative attitudes towards social workers.However,theymayrevisetheseopinionsoverthelongterm.

l Itisimportanttounderstandwhattheinitialresistanceisaboutandgetbeyondthat.Manyfamilieshavehadbadexperienceswhichleavethemstrugglingtotrustprofessionals.

l Clients’timescalesmightnotfitwithstatutoryorperformancemanagementrequirements.Itmayhelpifyoucanbeflexibleandmoveattheclient’space.8,14

Clear communication is crucial for engagement with involuntary clients.16,17,18

l Many involuntary clients struggle to understand what is happeningtothem.Thismakesengagementdifficult.

l Engagementcanbeimprovedbymakingclearateverycontact what the purpose of the intervention is, what the client has control over and what they do not, what is going tohappennextandwhatthelikelyconsequenceswillbe.19

l Itmayhelptosticktoasimple,clearmessage,andrepeatthisconsistently,e.g.“I’mherebecauseweareworriedaboutyoursafety.Weneedtomakesureyouaresafe.”Checkwiththe client that this is understood and agreed upon.

l Empathyiscrucialformaintainingengagementevenwheredifficultissuesarebeingdiscussed.20

l Avoidprofessionalandmanagementjargonandacronyms.l Toomuchinformation(e.g.long,complexreports)canbeas

unhelpful as too little.21

Involuntary clients may be experiencing intense emotions

l Aparentfacingtheremovaloftheirchild,forexample,may befeelingintenseanger,regret,sadnessandguilt.Theymay

belookingforsomeoneelsetoblameforwhatishappening.l Clientsmayalsobeplayingoutscriptslearnedinearlierlife.

It can help to ask why people are behaving as they are, rather than taking behaviour at face value.

l Itmayhelptoconsiderwhataspectsofhostilityarepersonal(responsestoyourownactionsasaworker),andwhataspectsarenot(e.g.angeratsocialservicesingeneral,oratpreviousworkers).

It may also help to think about yourself and how you are feeling

l If you feel a strong sense of dread prior to contact with a client, orofreliefifaclientdoesnotanswerthedoor,thismaysuggestthatyouneedmoresupport.

l It’sOKtoaskforsupport.l Supervisionoughttobethereforyoutouseifyouarefinding

thingsdifficult.Itoughttoallowyoutheopportunitytodiscusshowworkingwithparticularclientsmakesyoufeel.

l Youmightwanttoaskacolleaguetoaccompanyyoutovisitaclientyouarehavingtroubleengaging.Athirdpartymaybeable to help diffuse the situation.

What else might help clients?

l Acknowledgingtheircircumstancesandunderstandingtheirhistories.

l Listeningtoclients’experiences;tryingtounderstandhowtheyfeel about intervention.

l Givingclientsaccesstoacomplaintsprocedurewhichtheycould realistically use.9

What else might help social workers?

l Empoweringthemtohavemoreconfidenceinthemselves; re-assertingsocialworkprofessionalism.l Gettingpeersupporte.g.throughpractitionersforums,from

colleagues.l Reflectingcriticallyandhonestlyonsocialworkpractice.l Avoidingfallingintotheroutine,box-tickingmode.

References:1 Barry,M.(2007)Listeningandlearning:Thereciprocalrelationshipbetweenworkerandclient,

JournalofCommunityandCriminalJustice,54(4),407-4222 Tregeagle,S.andMason,J.(2008)Serviceuserexperienceofparticipationinchildwelfarecase

management,ChildandFamilySocialWork,13,391-4013 Trotter,C.(1999)Workingwithinvoluntaryclients:aguidetopractice,Sage:London,Thousand

OaksandNewDelhi4 Schofield,G.andThoburn,J.(1996)ChildProtection:theVoiceoftheChildinDecisionMaking,

InstituteforPublicPolicyResearch:London5 Tee,S.,Lathleen,J.,Herbert,L.,Coldham,T.,East,B.andJohnson,T-J.(2007)Userparticipation

inmentalhealthnursedecision-making:aco-operativeenquiry,JournalofAdvancedNursing,60(2),135-145

6 Healy,K.andDarlington,Y.(2009)Serviceuserparticipationindiversechildprotectioncontexts:principlesforpractice,ChildandFamilySocialWork,14,420-430

7 Elsley,S. (2010) ‘Advocacymakesyou feelbrave’:Advocacysupport forchildrenandyoungpeopleinScotland,TheScottishGovernment:Edinburgh

8 Hernandez,L.,Robson,P.andSampson,A.(2010)TowardsIntegratedParticipation:InvolvingSeldomHeardUsersofSocialCareServices,BritishJournalofSocialWork,40,714-736

9 Munro,E.(2001)Empoweringlooked-afterchildren,ChildandFamilySocialWork,6,129-13710 Franklin,A.andSloperP.(2009)SupportingtheParticipationofDisabledChildrenandYoung

PeopleinDecision-making,ChildrenandSociety,23,3-1511 Doel,M.andBest,L.(2008)ExperiencingSocialWork:LearningfromServiceUsers,Sage:Los

Angeles,London,NewDelhiandSingapore

12 Postle, K. and Beresford, P. (2007) Capacity Building and the Reconception of PoliticalParticipation:ARoleforSocialCareWorkers?BritishJournalofSocialWork,37,143-158

13Cooper,A.,Hetherington,R.andKatz,I.(2003)TheRiskFactor:Makingthechildprotectionsystemworkforchildren,DEMOS:London

14Wosu,H.andStewart,J.(2010)EngagingwithInvoluntaryServiceUsers:ALiteratureReviewandCaseStudy,reportavailableatwww.socialwork.ed.ac.uk/esla

15MacLeod,A.(2007)Whoseagenda?Issuesofpowerandrelationshipwhenlisteningtolooked-afteryoungpeople,ChildandFamilySocialWork,12,278-286

16Cashmore,J. (2002)Promoting theparticipationofchildrenandyoungpeople incare,ChildAbuseandNeglect,26,837-847

17McGhee,J.(2004)Youngpeople’sviewsoftheScottishchildren’shearingssysteminMcGhee,J.,Mellon,M.andWhyte,B. (2004) (eds.)Meetingneeds,addressingdeeds–workingwithyoungpeoplewhooffend,NCHScotland:Glasgow

18Creegan,C.,Henderson,G.andKing,C.(2006)BigWordsandBigTables:Childrenandyoungpeople’sexperiencesofadvocacysupportandparticipationintheChildren’sHearingsSystem,ScottishExecutive:Edinburgh

19MacLaughlin,H.,Brown,D.andYoung,A.M.(2004)Consultation,CommunityandEmpowerment:LessonsfromtheDeafCommunity,JournalofSocialWork,4(2),153-165

20Forrester, D., Kershaw, S. Moss, H. and Hughes, L. (2008) Communication skills in childprotection:howdosocialworkerstalktoparents?ChildandFamilySocialWork,13,41-51

21Whitehead, I.,Henderson,G.,Hanson, L.,McNiven,G., Lamb,D. andDuru,E. (2009) TheviewsandexperiencesofchildrenandfamiliesinvolvedintheChildren’sHearingsSysteminScotland,ScottishChildren’sReporterAdministration:Stirling

ThisguidewasproducedbyDrHeatherWilkinson,MarkSmithDrMichaelGallagherandtheKnowledgeExchangeTeamatCRFR,The University of Edinburgh.TheresearchwasfundedbytheEconomicandSocialResearchCouncil(ESRC),ScottishFundingCouncilandtheLocalAuthorities&ResearchCouncils’Initiative(LARCI).Thankstotheattendeesatourseminarswhocontributedsuggestionsfor this guide.

Furtherinformation:www.socialwork.ed.ac.uk/eslaWewouldwelcomecommentsandfeedbacktoMark.Smith@ed.ac.uk

PicturescourtesyofIRISS(InstituteforResearchandInnovationinSocialServices).TheUniversityofEdinburghisacharitablebody,registeredinScotland,withregistrationnumberSC005336.

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centre for research onfamilies and relationshipsCRFR ten years