Jointly created authority: a conversation analysis of how power is managed by parents and systemic psychotherapists in children’s social care

Abstract

Social care settings provide a complex landscape for systemic psychotherapists, particularly in relation to issues of power that are particularly pervasive. Conversation Analysis (CA) was used as a research method to understand the detail of how systemic psychotherapists and parents work together in the safeguarding context. The study aimed to examine the power issues arising, and how they were being managed. CA literature, seen as a reminder of the centrality of ‘talk as action’, is used as a lens through which to present the findings, and the concept of authority as joint action is introduced. The findings of the study showed how systemic approaches, put to use through systemic techniques, can uniquely contribute to safeguarding work in contexts where issues of power prevail, with a particular emphasis on the importance of the concept of self‐reflexivity. Practitioner points Notice and work with the complex circular ways that power issues arise in relationships in social care settings Use the concept of Jointly Created Authority to provide a relational frame for managing issues of power Revisit the concept of self‐reflexivity which is of primary importance to effective working in this context Develop understanding of how, using reflexive practice, adjusting responses in the moment can invite agency in clients

Systemic Reflexivity in Residential Child Care: A Pedagogical Frame to Empower Professional Competence

“…Since our aim is to highlight the role of reflexivity in training RCC workers, this review is mainly based on papers that use "reflexivity" and "reflection" in relation to practice in child protection and care. We set aside other contexts, for example, researchwhere reflexivity has gained prominence after the turn to interpretivism (Alvesson & Sköldberg, 2000;Maton, 2003;Simon & Chard, 2014), but we did look into family therapy, for its influence on social work (Bingle & Middleton, 2019;Partridge et al, 2019;Watson, 2019).…”

“…Enduring relationships, groups, and organizations constitute systems that self-organize and learn: reflexivity, then, is not only a feature of the individual, but it can be (and needs to be) implemented in the organization of social work so that feedback and circularity of communication can sustain transformation. Many papers make reference to systemic theories and practices (Bingle & Middleton, 2019;Dugmore et al, 2018;Jude, 2018;Papp & Rácz, 2016;Partridge et al, 2019;Watson, 2019) that bring to the forefront relationships and contexts rather than individual features. The systemic approach to social work defines problems as relational and social, not intrinsic to the person.…”

“…The complexity of dealing with child protection while enhancing parents' competence frequently gives rise to dilemmas in social work. Watson (2019) addressed the issue of keeping an ethical and effective position towards children and towards parents, who might feel forced to follow instructions because of the threat of child removal if they do not comply. Reflexivity allows the sharing of authority between therapists (or social workers) and parents.…”

“…Language and communication are considered to be key tools with which to question ourselves and our practices, and to imagine alternative ideas and actions (McNamee, 2015). Watson (2019) combined systemic ideas with conversation analysis to show the role of talk in fostering change. Language is a determinant resource for therapy and social work: a word can shape or redirect a whole conversation, and systemic techniques offer suggestions for how a conversation can be structured in order to open possibilities; for example, by using certain kinds of questions.…”

Conversational analysis and what it teaches us

“…Conversational analysis, as Watson (2018) noted, has, along with other discourse approaches, a particular ‘fit’ with systemic psychotherapy in its close attention to the structure and interactional elements involved in the processes of talk, the crux of what we do. Ben Ong and colleagues in their narrative review of the findings of studies using this methodology with family therapy provide us with a helpful overview of what has been learnt thus far.…”