Reforming child welfare: an integrated approach

Throughout the 1990s, child welfare systems were exposed to intense pressure. As a result, most systems have undertaken processes of reform and change. This article discusses the strategic development of New Zealand's service system in child welfare. A partnership between managerial discipline and professional leadership has been critical in the service system reform. With respect to management, a strong vision, a culture of high performance, and greater organizational stability and confidence provided the platform on which professional reforms could be established-including the knowledge framework, the service model, the practice package, and staff support. The managerial efforts that have provided the platform for the professional reforms are discussed, followed by an exploration of the professional reform package.     

Integrating Social Work Into Undergraduate Education Through a Community Action and Social Change Multidisciplinary Minor

Social work education has a long and successful history of developing change agents through bachelor of social work, master’s of social work, and PhD programs, but these programs often create boundaries limiting the reach and infusion of social work perspectives. With rapid changes in social, economic, and political contexts, students from all academic concentrations need to understand how community action and social change improves society. Using systems and community practice frameworks, this article provides an in-depth case study of one university’s model of an undergraduate multidisciplinary minor bridging social work philosophy with other academic disciplines. We explore the model and its development, with specific discussion of the lessons learned in creating and sustaining a multidisciplinary minor, its effect on students, and its implications for social work.     

Helping substance-involved young people in juvenile justice be successful: Conceptual and structural foundations of the Reclaiming Futures model

Reclaiming Futures is an innovative evidence-based model and approach to systems and community change that is designed to enable young people who have substance abuse issues and are in the criminal justice system to become successful. Developed in the context of ten different demonstration communities and amidst numerous economic, geographic, political, cultural, and philosophical diversities, the initiative embraces a six-stage integrated service model that supports coordinated individual response and community-directed engagement with care. This article describes the background, rationale, and context of the change effort itself, as well as the conceptual foundations of the Reclaiming Futures framework. The role of the National Program Office (NPO) and the structures designed to support the shared transformational leadership required to launch, implement, and sustain these practice and policy innovations at the local, state, and national levels are discussed.     

The first three years of NML: Central issues in the management of nonprofit organizations

The articles published in the first three years of NML define a broad spectrum of management challenges and problems for future research. These issues fall into five broad categories: governance, executive leadership, human resources management, development of financial resources, and strategic adaptation to change. This article summarizes the contributions of NML authors and suggests areas where new research would advance understanding and practice of nonprofit management and leadership.     

Frameworks for Practice in the Systemic Field: Part 2 — Contemporary Frameworks in Family Therapy

This is the second of two articles to map the landscape of practice theory in systemic family therapy. The first article gave a particular chronology of the development of family therapy practice theory, beginning with the frameworks that emerged in the 1960s‐1970s and then tracing the transitional decade of the 1980s. The convergences of three sets of influences — ecosystemic epistemology, the feminist challenge and postmodernist ideas — led to the changed landscape of post‐1990 practice theory. This second article picks up at this point, mapping four contemporary influential approaches in Australian family therapy — the Milan‐systemic, narrative and solution‐focused frameworks, and the dialogical perspective. Social constructionist and narrative ideas together constitute the dominant common theory influence in the post‐1990 practice frameworks, although intersected and used in different ways in the different frameworks. Throughout the history of the development of practice theory, context and relationship remain the enduring parameters of the systemic family therapy field.     

Leadership development inside‐out in Africa

Leadership development is a high priority for African nonprofit organizations, but we know very little about what causes leaders in Africa change their behavior and how. Most leadership development programs use imported Western models that at best pay only lip‐service to the very different culture and context in Africa. This article outlines the research findings of a three‐country study conducted in Malawi, Uganda, and Kenya. This study found that changes in leadership style, although individual and complex, followed an underlying pattern. External events catalyzed an inside‐out change process. Effective leadership development requires in‐depth understanding and application of local contextual and cultural issues. Ultimately, however, the process of leadership development is tied to deeper, universal principles of human behavior.     

Partnership,Service Needs and Assessing Competence in Post Qualifying Education and Training

Education and training must extend beyond initial qualifying courses into post qualifying professional development throughout a social worker's career if practice is to be most effective in meeting clients' needs. In the United Kingdom a Framework for Post Qualifying Education and Training was introduced from 1990. Revised frameworks have been put in place from autumn 2007 in each of the four home countries of the UK. This paper reflects on lessons learned in implementing these post qualifying frameworks in Northern Ireland. Within the overarching theme of relevance to practice, issues are drawn out under three main themes: (1) partnership working between employers and universities including the importance of leadership from policy makers and senior managers; (2) assessing competence including providing an Independent Assessment Route to increase access and to benchmark professional standards; and (3) meeting service needs including specifying learning outcomes to cover a range of practice contexts and accrediting employer-based programmes. Meeting service needs more closely is identified as a key issue driving the new Northern Ireland Post Qualifying Framework introduced in 2007.     

Frameworks for Practice in the Systemic Field: Part 1 — Continuities and Transitions in Family Therapy Knowledge

This is the first of two articles to map the landscape of practice theory in systemic family therapy. In this first article, the representation of knowledge for practice is explored, and an argument is made that while frameworks remain important, the relationship to them is now more conditional and pragmatic. A particular chronology is offered of the development of family therapy practice theory frameworks, beginning with the frameworks that emerged in the 1960s to the 1970s. An analysis is given of the important transitions in the 1980s and three sets of influences in this decade — ecosystemic epistemology, the feminist challenge and postmodernism — are identified. This reading emphasises hidden continuities in the transition, despite the seemingly discontinuous shifts in practice theory from the beginning of the 1980s to the beginning of the 1990s. Context and relationship are identified as the enduring parameters of systemic family therapy knowledge, though understandings of context and relationship have been recast in the contemporary (post‐1990s) practice theory. The second article will explore the four contemporary influential approaches in Australian family therapy — the Milan‐systemic, narrative and solution‐focused frameworks, and the dialogical perspective — and point to intersections in practice ideas and integrative movements.     

Mandates for a changing practice: PSRO and P.L. 94-142.

Federal legislation in the fields of education and health care now requires the development of systems of professional accountability. This accountability to the sponsoring system and to the client is making profound changes in practice. Implications of these changes are reviewed with a challenge to social workers to assume leadership in translating these changes into effective practice models.     

The Art of Leading and Following – A Workplace Tango

This article describes my experiences of leading a commissioned child mental health service through a process of change in my role as manager. The article uses the metaphor of the Argentine tango to conceptualize my efforts to implement leadership in my work. I look at the influence of the music, the relationship between leadership and followership, and the idea of mutual presence to draw out aspects of my experience. In so doing, I relate theory to practice and bring together various theories of leadership in a creative synthesis. The article draws away from realist notions of management theory to ask how it is that we perform leadership. It suggests that we do so by the provision of an ‘intelligible formulation’ of chaotic events. This can be reached through the reflective understanding of the nature of the work. It can also be striven toward through creative acts of ‘discernment’ of the practices of the agency. These acts are fostered through the distribution of leadership that simultaneously dissolves yet persists. The need for mutual presence is highlighted and the role of leadership outside the immediate circle of authority is examined. The use of the Argentine tango as a metaphor draws together these various strands and provides a clear conceptual framework in this autoethnographic article.     

Integrating Human Rights and Trauma Frameworks in Social Work with People from Refugee Backgrounds

Abstract

Social work practice informed by human rights and trauma frameworks can be empowering and enabling. While both frameworks are complex and contested, their implementation “from below” via praxis can maximise benefits for social work with people who have experienced trauma and human rights abuses, such as those from refugee backgrounds. This article presents an exploration of this practice approach through the presentation of the story of Zillah and Amman, a fictionalised composite of many real refugee experiences. Taking as examples the education and child protection systems, the discussion highlights how theory to practice integration requires cross-cultural engagement, critical reflection, dialogue, and an understanding of human rights “from below”.     

Wider Perspectives in Family Mediation: An Ecosystemic Approach

All mediation processes are constrained by their theoretical frameworks. A wider ecosystemic framework extends perspectives and can open new windows on family systems, interdisciplinary connections, and links between past, present, and future that shape decisions. While showing some similarities to family therapy, ecosystemic family mediation is a discrete process with clearly defined principles and boundaries. In practice, it needs to be tailored to the needs of the particular family, with special attention to the importance of listening and talking with children who are experiencing parental separation and major changes in their lives. Family mediators help family members to manage change. Mediators need to look for change within themselves too, remaining open to new ideas and the development of their thinking and practice.     

A Test of Excellent Leadership in Public Relations: Key Qualities,Valuable Sources,and Distinctive Leadership Perceptions

To better understand leadership in public relations and explore its value in successful communication management, this article captured the perceptions of mid- and senior-level public relations executives (N = 222) regarding the important qualities and dimensions of excellent leadership in the practice. According to study participants, strategic decision-making capability, problem-solving ability, and communication knowledge and expertise are the three most important qualities of excellent leadership. In addition, respondents said that on-the-job experiences, individual initiative and desire, and role models are the most valuable sources of leadership skills and development. About half of the respondents indicated that excellent leaders in public relations are different from leaders in other fields in three ways: They must hold a compelling vision for communication, possess comprehensive understanding of media and information systems, and effectively develop and implement strategic communication plans. Professional women and men in the study viewed excellent leadership in more or less similar ways. The study advances understanding of leadership in the field, which has been little explored in the public relations literature.     

Understanding the factors that influence health promotion evaluation: The development and validation of the evaluation practice analysis survey

The demand for improved quality of health promotion evaluation and greater capacity to undertake evaluation is growing, yet evidence of the challenges and facilitators to evaluation practice within the health promotion field is lacking. A limited number of evaluation capacity measurement instruments have been validated in government or non-government organisations (NGO), however there is no instrument designed for health promotion organisations. This study aimed to develop and validate an Evaluation Practice Analysis Survey (EPAS) to examine evaluation practices in health promotion organisations. Qualitative interviews, existing frameworks and instruments informed the survey development. Health promotion practitioners from government agencies and NGOs completed the survey (n = 169). Principal components analysis was used to determine scale structure and Cronbach’s α used to estimate internal reliability. Logistic regression was conducted to assess predictive validity of selected EPAS scale. The final survey instrument included 25 scales (125 items). The EPAS demonstrated good internal reliability (α > 0.7) for 23 scales. Dedicated resources and time for evaluation, leadership, organisational culture and internal support for evaluation showed promising predictive validity. The EPAS can be used to describe elements of evaluation capacity at the individual, organisational and system levels and to guide initiatives to improve evaluation practice in health promotion organisations.     

Feminist aesthetic practice of community development: the case of Myths and Mirrors Community Arts

Using Myths and Mirrors Community Arts, a feminist adult educationand development organization, this article argues that payingattention to the aesthetic dimension of politically-orientedpedagogies can add to knowledge and understanding of communitydevelopment and social learning theory and practice. Imaginationand creativity are powerful tools inherent to all human beingsthat enable risk-taking, the reclamation of public space, andthe simultaneous exercising and contesting of power within theneo-conservative landscape. Moreover, feminist aesthetic practiceof community development augments cultural leadership by creatingnew cultural actors and agents of change.     

Organizational Crisis Resistance: Examining Leadership Mental Models of Necessary Practices to Resist Crises and the Role of Organizational Context

This study explores which governance practices nonprofit leaders consider necessary to avoid organizational crises. Further, it explores whether these leadership mental models of crisis resistance depend on the organizational context. This helps determine whether practical learning points are organization specific or can be applied broadly. With a multilevel sample of 304 leaders from 44 Belgian nongovernmental development organizations, an exploratory path analysis reveals that nonprofit leaders consider continuous improvement, as a governance practice, particularly relevant for effective organizational crisis resistance. A multilevel analysis also shows that variations in leadership mental models cannot be explained by the organizational variables used in this study (organizational size, leadership group size, operational activities, and languages in the leadership group). This article concludes with a discussion of consequences for further research.     

Technology-Enhanced Practice Courses and Collaborative Learning in Distance Education

This article describes the use of a research-based teaching model using digital technology to enhance self-efficacy and group work practice skills in an undergraduate social work course. Our project focused on the development of group leadership interactional skill training for undergraduate social work students. We present pedagogical and theoretical approaches explaining a teaching model, which is designed to utilize digital technology and collaborative learning strategies in Interactive Video Connected (IVC) and traditional face-to-face classrooms. We explore how the teaching model impacts student perception of self-efficacy regarding group work practice skills.     

Leadership in Social Work Education and the Social Change Model of Leadership

Leadership is a topic of international debate in both social work education and practice. Questions remain, however, regarding what specific models of leadership should be emphasized and how leadership content should be infused within the social work curriculum. This paper seeks to contribute to the ongoing discussion about the infusion of leadership within social work education. Specifically, this paper shares the design and development of a graduate-level social work course in program evaluation that infused education around the social change model of leadership (SCM) and then explores qualitatively how 39 graduate students interpreted and applied this model of leadership through an experiential community-based evaluation project. Findings of this study suggest that students utilized the values identified in the SCM in a range of ways to understand and interpret their leadership experience both in their collaborative groups and in their partnerships with community-based organizations. Community organizations also reported benefiting from the experience in partnership with the students. Implications are discussed in relation to the potential value and impact of this model for social work education.     

What is Really Wrong with Serious Case Reviews?

Concern about the effectiveness of Serious Case Reviews for generating improvements in child protection in England led to proposals in the Wood review to replace the current system with rapid local learning inquiries and a national system of learning from significant incidents. This article challenges both the analysis in the Wood review and the proposals themselves. Whilst not uncritical of Serious Case Reviews, this article addresses five criticisms of the current review system. It explores how systemic the focus of reviews has been, and argues that findings and recommendations have become repetitive and lessons not fully appreciated because of an overly simplistic approach to change management. It suggests that there are methodologies that can effectively engage practitioners and managers in case reviews and that criticism of the review process itself can be addressed with refinements rather than wholesale change. The article concludes by questioning the assumptions upon which proposals for changing the current Serious Case Review are based. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

‘Challenges both the analysis in the Wood review and the proposals themselves’

Key Practitioner Messages

• A systemic approach to Serious Case Reviews must engage legislative, social policy and societal systems as well as local policy and practice.
• A linear approach to learning and service development, often reflected in recommendations for training and policy refinements, is a less effective change management approach than engaging with single and multiagency contexts.
• Safeguarding children involves practice which is inherently social and relational, full of complexity and complicated truths; so too is the practice of reviewing cases.

     

Humor and satire in politics: Introducing cultural sociology to the field

The landscape of political humor and satire is changing rapidly, and it is becoming an increasingly relevant aspect of our culture. Although scholars have been actively trying to capture this change, majority of the existing frameworks for understanding humor and satire in politics still reduce these phenomena to mere genres or rhetoric tools. In addition, they provide insufficient accounts concerning the reception of humor and satire, and neglect to interpret and explain what they communicate. In the article, a general understanding of humor and satire outside of a political context, followed by an overview of studies discussing humor and satire in politics through their applications in social movements, as leadership tools, and through their manifestations in mass media has been presented. Lastly, a cultural sociological perspective to the field has been introduced. It has been argued that approaching humor and satire in politics through a structural hermeneutic method of the Strong Program will enable us to recognize and treat political humor and satire as autonomous and complex cultural systems which carry an internal power to move people.