The use of Facebook in social work practice with children and families: exploring complexity in an emerging practice

Abstract

This article draws from a 15-month participant observation study of social work and child protection practices in England to illustrate how social workers used Facebook to gain another view of service-users' lives. Social media use was not an intended focus for the study, its presence emerged during our data analysis. While some research has shown that such practices occur, our long-term ethnographic approach provides new insights into how Facebook was actually used in ongoing casework with families and why it was used. Our findings show that Facebook use took multiple forms. Some social workers actively searched service users' Facebook pages and some opposed any such usage. We further advance the literature by introducing a third group who were unwillingly "drawn into" acting on Facebook information presented to them by others such as their managers. Our research insights suggest that social work must pause to consider the implications of these complex emerging practices.

Digital social work: Conceptualising a hybrid anticipatory practice

“…Wong's research with Scottish and Hong Kong youth (2020: 1231, 1241) queries depictions of 'hidden youth as self-isolated', to highlight positive elements of digital media in mediating the connections of marginalised young people. Drawing on empirical evidence of social workers using Facebook to investigate families, typically without their consent, Cooner et al (2020) show how using digital platforms can infringe human rights to privacy, while also revealing risks to children. Philips (2019) auto-ethnographic work shows how professional judgement and practices are increasingly framed by standardised digital tools and technologies.…”

#socialwork: An International Study Examining Social Workers’ Use of Information and Communication Technology

“…Responses were varied on whether they obtained client consent prior to conducting searches. Similarly, Cooner et al ’ s (2020) UK study found that it was not unusual for social workers to gather information about service users through social media, for risk assessments and planning ongoing casework, often without the service user’s knowledge. Although participants in Cooner et al ’ s (2020) study acknowledged the intrusiveness of these searches, some considered their actions ‘fair’, whereas others were ambivalent about the ethics of their actions (p. 148).…”

“…Regulatory boards’ ethical guidelines on this matter are unclear. In Canada and the UK, regulatory boards place service user surveillance in an ethical ‘grey area’ ( Cooner et al, 2020 , p. 140), by encouraging social workers to assess the merits of searching for clients’ personal information online on a case-by-case basis ( Canadian Association of Social Workers, 2014 ; Van Sickle, 2017 ; British Association of Social Workers, 2018 ). Moreover, in the USA, the 2017 National Association of Social Work revisions to the Code of Ethics stipulate, ‘social workers should avoid searching or gathering client information electronically unless there are compelling professional reasons’ (p. 15), and the Israeli Ethical Code for Social Workers (2018) lacks guidance on online searching.…”

Considerations for integrating technology into social work practice: A content analysis of nine professional social work associations’ Codes of Ethics

“…Email can also support the development of a therapeutic relationship by contributing to positive perceptions of support (Mattison, 2012). However, despite the emerging opportunities and benefits that information and communication technology (ICT) present, social workers have called for clearer direction and policies to keep practitioners and service users safe, while managing the ethical concerns, risks and challenges that arise with its use (Coner et al, 2020;Kirwan and McGuckin, 2014;Mattison, 2012;Mishna et al, 2014Mishna et al, , 2012Reamer, 2013).…”