Social work practice with adults under the rising second wave of Covid-19 in England: frontline experiences and the use of professional judgement

Manthorpe, Jill, Harris, Jess, Burridge, Stan, Fuller, James, Martineau, Stephen, Ornelas, Bruno, Tinelli, Michela ORCID: 0000-0002-8816-4389 and Cornes, Michelle (2021) Social work practice with adults under the rising second wave of Covid-19 in England: frontline experiences and the use of professional judgement. British Journal of Social Work, 51 (5). 1879 - 1896. ISSN 0045-3102

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Abstract

The impacts on adult social work in England of the Covid-19 pandemic were sudden and are proving long-standing. In England, many social workers moved to home working and virtual contact with colleagues, managers, staff from other agencies and service users. A first national lockdown was followed by a lessening of restrictions, but a second wave started at the end of Summer 2020 and restrictions were re-introduced. This study draws on telephone interviews with a sample of twenty-two social workers working with adults in a wide range of roles and settings in ten local authorities and two National Health Service Hospital Trusts, interviewed August–October 2020. Following transcription, interview data were analysed thematically. Findings are reported under three emerging themes: using professional judgement, new and emerging case work and embedding change. These are compared with findings from studies of practice in children’s services and of surveys of social workers during the Covid-19 pandemic. Implications for practice, service users and research are explored.

Item Type:	Article
Official URL:	https://academic.oup.com/bjsw
Additional Information:	© 2021 The Authors
Divisions:	Care Policy and Evaluation Centre
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine
Date Deposited:	11 Aug 2021 10:27
Last Modified:	12 Dec 2024 02:37
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/111583

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