The Social Organisation of Legitimate Risk Assessments in Child Protection: A Study of Backstage Talk and Interaction in A Local Child Protection Agency in Norway 1

Breaking bad news: Child welfare workers' informing parents of care order proceedings

“…However, experiencing that they are the face of the decision was uncomfortable to handle. This is in line with Vagli's (2001, 2009) research showing how child protective workers felt personally responsible for decisions in cases they were in charge of, which was a heavy burden. Vagli (2001, 2009) discussed the collective versus the individual responsibility in child protection work and pointed out that the responsibility for decisions are shared, as caseworkers are part of an institution influenced by political and organizational structures.…”

“…This is in line with Vagli's (2001, 2009) research showing how child protective workers felt personally responsible for decisions in cases they were in charge of, which was a heavy burden. Vagli (2001, 2009) discussed the collective versus the individual responsibility in child protection work and pointed out that the responsibility for decisions are shared, as caseworkers are part of an institution influenced by political and organizational structures. The findings revealed meaning‐making coping strategies (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984), where caseworkers placed responsibility on management, the County Boards or the parents themselves due to their deficiencies.…”

“…Caseworkers' meaning making strategies are probably fair and understandable. Vagli (2001, p. 96) argued that the ‘dirty nature of power’ and the ‘lack of public esteem’ of child protective work may influence caseworkers' needs to develop protection measures. However, Featherstone et al (2014) warned against a social work rhetoric characterized by distancing from the service user, to which denial of liability may contribute.…”

“…CWS caseworkers are exposed to heavy workloads, time constraints and staff shortages (Engstrom, 2016; Miranda & Godwin, 2018; Olaniyan et al, 2020). Additionally, the work may be difficult, risky and dangerous (Engstrom, 2016; Miranda & Godwin, 2018; Vagli, 2001, 2009). Child removals involve emotional labour, which may contribute to anxiety and burnout (Miranda & Godwin, 2018).…”