| Abstract: | Summary Partnership is a key dimension of social work practice in childand family care, reflecting the significance attached to workingwith parents. While, however, considerable attention has beenfocused on the role of the social worker in encouraging partnership,rather less attention has been focused on the capacity of themothers to engage in partnership. Depression, known to affecta considerable proportion of mothers in this client group, is,because of its debilitating psychological effects, of considerablepotential significance, yet its effect on partnership has notbeen examined. This article focuses on exactly this issue. Findingsshow that depression has highly significant relationships witha number of facets of partnership. It shows also that partnershipmorale and quality of consultation mediate between depressionand, respectively, participation in decision making and involvementin decision implementation—action by the mother to helpresolve the situation. Depression and partnership are, furthermore,related in a complex way to the authority role invoked in casesof children ‘at risk’. The data indicate that theelements of low self-esteem, vulnerability to criticism, andself-blame are key factors in the mother's capacity to workin partnership. Social work practice must take these into account,requiring very high degrees of sensitivity and skill in workingwith mothers. Indeed, unlocking these pernicious cognitionsmay frequently require specialist techniques, such as the useof cognitive behaviour therapy. Overall, being ‘socialworker for the child’ means also being ‘social workerfor the parents (in particular the mother)’, who may wellrequire high levels of encouragement. |
