Young people on the 'edge of care': perspectives regarding a residential family intervention programme using social pedagogic and systemic approaches- striving for 'humane practice'

Support approaches and interventions to keep families together are major goals in family welfare services. Different service models are used including some targeted at families where the assessment is part of family court pre-proceedings. Although outcomes of family interventions have been extensively researched, there is limited recent research regarding the subjective experiences of young people, their parents/carers and professionals who experience an intervention where they all live together for a short period and where mutually agreed goals and a family programme are co-created. This article presents findings from an exploratory qualitative study into a residential family learning project where families from an English inner-city local authority and professionals reside together for up to a week with engagement in intensive family work. Findings revealed mixed experiences of the intervention with a key theme being that a sense of time and space allowed the families to reflect and listen to each other’s perspectives leading to relationships improving and shifting. However, despite positive changes being made during the intervention sustaining these changes when returning home was often challenging. Findings, which are linked to the systemic idea of punctuation where families saw professionals differently and vice versa, had particular significance for families experiencing social and economic deprivation

North London social work teaching partnership practice educator research project

This research project is funded by the North London Social Work Teaching Partnership (NLSWTP). NLSWTP comprises six local authorities, Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey and Islington Councils, the charity Norwood, and Middlesex University. The project aims to explore the experiences of Practice Educators (PEs) working in the partnership. Across the sector in adult social care and child and family social work there is an issue of identifying and supporting existing PEs, so that once qualified as PEs they remain as active PEs. Despite being essential for the development of students joining the profession and security of the future workforce, the recruitment and training of PEs to support the social work workforce has also been a challenge. Considering these points, this research is intended to learn about the experiences of current PEs, reasons why some do not continue in the role over the longer term, and how best to support PEs in the interests of increasing retention

‘…Be the change, you want to see…’: Evaluation of a pilot mentor scheme for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic social work students

This report evaluates a mentoring scheme for Black, Asian and minority ethnic students which was created and designed within the North London Social Work Teaching Partnership (NLSWTP) to run as a pilot project. It was offered to students on undergraduate and postgraduate qualifying programmes at Middlesex University in academic year 2021-22 and in subsequent years. Middlesex University Social Work academics led the evaluation of the scheme, in collaboration with NLSWTP project leaders. The mentor scheme was intended to contribute towards tackling structural disadvantage and unconscious biases facing BAME student social workers and qualified social workers as they move along their career journey; the idea emerging partly in recognition of the work of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020. While research in this area is not well developed, there are indicators from available national surveys and reports, that BAME students describe experiences of discrimination. Mentors who were social workers employed within the NLSWTP came forward and were trained as part of this project. 14 students on qualifying undergraduate and postgraduate social work programmes opted to receive mentoring while commencing their first practice placement in 2021-22. Interviews and focus groups were used in a qualitative methodology, to explore the views and experiences of mentors and mentees. Overall, the scheme for BAME was found to be beneficial. Students described gaining social, emotional, professional and practical guidance and support through mentoring to become successful, confident black and minority ethnic student social workers. Mentors were motivated to take part and they valued being able to contribute to change, improving workplace experiences for BAME social workers in the future. Suggestions were made about how to improve future delivery of the mentor scheme, including enhanced communication and information for all parties and more specialised training on the impact of racism for mentors