The team as a secure base revisited: remote working and resilience among child and family social workers during COVID-19

Abstract

Purpose Social work teams can provide a secure base for social workers, supporting them to manage the emotional demands of child and family social work (Biggart et al., 2017). As the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated increased remote working, social workers have needed to maximise their use of virtual networks and navigate new ways of connecting with colleagues. This study aims to examine the extent to which social work teams can function as a secure base in the context of remote working. Design/methodology/approach Between 19th March and 13th June, the authors undertook 31 in-depth, qualitative interviews with child and family social workers across 9 local authorities in England. this research captured social workers’ perspectives on remote working and team support throughout lockdown in England. Findings In this study, the authors report findings in three key areas: how social workers experienced the sudden shift to increased remote working; how social work teams provided a secure base for remote working; and the challenges for sustaining the team as a secure base when working remotely. Originality/value These findings will be of interest to social workers, managers and local authorities as they adapt to the challenges of increased remote working in child and family social work.

Identities: experiences and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspectives of older Chinese immigrants in Canada

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Predictors of Burnout in Social Workers: The COVID-19 Pandemic as a Scenario for Analysis

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Mental well-being and quality of working life in UK social workers before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: A propensity score matching study

“…However, the easement of lockdown restrictions between July and November 2020 across most of the UK could have influenced workforce pressures and the results, and well-being and WRQoL could have deteriorated between the different surveys. Qualitative findings from Morse and Dell (2021) and Cook et al (2020) found staff finding it difficult to work remotely with a lack of resources, team support and opportunities. Additionally, social work practice during this time was characterised as stressful and overwhelming.…”