Experiences of Children Using a Community Social Work Service

Author and Speaker

Michael O'Dempsey

Organisation

Relationship Services, Christchurch

This study focussed on the experiences of children, aged between eight and twelve years, who used the services of a community based social work.

This qualitative research used one-on-one semi-structured interviews to elicit the children's own reports of their experiences with the services. The study identified which elements in the service the children found most useful to them and how services could be improved to better meet their needs. The research promotes the concept of children as active participants in the broader context of social work services.

In recent years, the traditional view of children as being passive and dependant has been challenged by a growing awareness of their right to participate in decision making. In parallel with this, social work and related professions have seen similar challenges to the traditional model of relationship between professionals and clients, resulting from the adoption of client-centred practice. However, significant obstacles to children's participation remain. Some of these are rooted in the traditional view of childhood and others arise from research models and professional practice.

Qualitative approaches to research with adult clients has helped inform practice and deepen the understanding of factors that increase the likelihood of positive outcomes.

They have also been valuable in enabling children to describe their own experiences and insights. This has increased our understanding of the diversity of the experience of childhood.

Although a wide variety of qualitative research has been undertaken with children, it would appear that this was the first time the experiences of children using a non-statutory social work service had been studied. The children in this study offered direct reports of their own experience of using the service. Their views offer profound and subtle insights into the experience of being a child client.

The interviews focussed on issues of consultation and participation, the qualities of the relationship between the children and their workers, the children's views of changes in their lives and what helped to achieve these, and the children's advice to others arising from their experiences.

When the information was collected, the researcher was employed as the supervisor within the agency which the children used. This allowed for the exploration of issues arising from holding multiple roles within the research. The findings of this study suggest that not only can in-house research be valuable in informing practice, but also that participants prior knowledge of the researcher promote a higher level of involvement.

Presentation

Paper

Biography

Michael O'Dempsey trained as a social worker in the UK. He holds a Diploma in Advanced Social Work (Children and Families) and a Post Graduate Diploma in Child Advocacy. He worked as a statutory social worker in a local authority team before immigrating to New Zealand in 1997. He contributed to "Developing Reflective Practice - Making Sense of Social Work in a World of Change."(Ed. Helen Martyn). On moving to New Zealand, he worked as a social worker for The Children, Young Persons and their Families Service and then as a social worker for the Children and Families Service of the Christchurch Methodist Mission (now named Childwise).

At the time of conducting this research he was the Team Leader at the West Auckland Family Service and was studying for the Post Graduate Diploma in Child Advocacy from The Children's Issues Centre at the University of Otago. The research was submitted as part of this Diploma.

Michael is currently employed as a counsellor with Relationship Services. He has a special interest in reflective social work practice and working with families. He spends his time between his work as a counsellor and caring for his baby son.