Confident workers, confident families: Exploring sensitive outcomes in family centre work in England

Abstract

A case study approach was used to examine an English Family Centre as part of an international research collaboration which aimed to explore aspects of sensitive outcomes or “steps-on-theway” to accepted longer term outcomes, such as changed behaviour in the child, or more confident parenting. Key learning came from understanding how the Family Centre staff created a culture of care which appeared to promote enhanced confidence and competence, both in families and in workers. The centre also appeared to be able to extend and export its culture to help look after external teams and individuals and to prop up ailing parts of its own local social services agency. These findings have implications for the children’s workforce and the way in which child and family services are planned and delivered within large organisations in a climate which is beginning to challenge defensive, bureaucratic and procedurally led practice.

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