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Dealing with risk in situations of poverty : when complexity in frontline practice becomes wallpaper for organisational policy = Omgaan met risico's in armoedesituaties : wanneer complexiteit in de eerstelijnspraktijk ‘behangpapier’ wordt voor organisatiebeleid

Lore Dewanckel (UGent) , John Decoene (UGent) , Laura Van Beveren (UGent) , Rudi Roose (UGent) and Griet Roets (UGent)
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Abstract
A recent body of research draws on the concept of child welfare inequality and shows that social inequalities, such as poverty, are reproduced in and through child welfare and protection interventions. We therefore examine how the recent preoccupation with risk relates to ways in which frontline social workers in child welfare and protection deal with poverty. Our contribution is based on a qualitative research project in a governmental organisation in Flanders (the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium) that implements the Australian risk assessment method Signs of Safety (SofS). We explore how frontline social workers who implement Signs of Safety in Flanders deal with risk in situations of poverty, and identify four strategies of discretion in dealing with poverty: (1) poverty as a complicating factor, (2) poverty as a concern, (3) poverty as an undercover concern for social workers, and (4) poverty as a social problem that requires structural responses. Our research findings particularly show that the interaction of frontline social work with organisational policy is crucial. Rather than framing poverty as ‘the wallpaper of frontline practice’, we argue that the complexity and struggle at stake in frontline practice becomes ‘wallpaper’ for child welfare and protection organisational policy in Flanders.
Keywords
Sociology and Political Science, Social Sciences (miscellaneous), Child welfare and protection, discretion, organisational culture, Signs of Safety

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Citation

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MLA
Dewanckel, Lore, et al. “Dealing with Risk in Situations of Poverty : When Complexity in Frontline Practice Becomes Wallpaper for Organisational Policy = Omgaan Met Risico’s in Armoedesituaties : Wanneer Complexiteit in de Eerstelijnspraktijk ‘behangpapier’ Wordt Voor Organisatiebeleid.” EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK, vol. 26, no. 1, 2023, pp. 160–72, doi:10.1080/13691457.2021.1977253.
APA
Dewanckel, L., Decoene, J., Van Beveren, L., Roose, R., & Roets, G. (2023). Dealing with risk in situations of poverty : when complexity in frontline practice becomes wallpaper for organisational policy = Omgaan met risico’s in armoedesituaties : wanneer complexiteit in de eerstelijnspraktijk “behangpapier” wordt voor organisatiebeleid. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK, 26(1), 160–172. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691457.2021.1977253
Chicago author-date
Dewanckel, Lore, John Decoene, Laura Van Beveren, Rudi Roose, and Griet Roets. 2023. “Dealing with Risk in Situations of Poverty : When Complexity in Frontline Practice Becomes Wallpaper for Organisational Policy = Omgaan Met Risico’s in Armoedesituaties : Wanneer Complexiteit in de Eerstelijnspraktijk ‘behangpapier’ Wordt Voor Organisatiebeleid.” EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK 26 (1): 160–72. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691457.2021.1977253.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Dewanckel, Lore, John Decoene, Laura Van Beveren, Rudi Roose, and Griet Roets. 2023. “Dealing with Risk in Situations of Poverty : When Complexity in Frontline Practice Becomes Wallpaper for Organisational Policy = Omgaan Met Risico’s in Armoedesituaties : Wanneer Complexiteit in de Eerstelijnspraktijk ‘behangpapier’ Wordt Voor Organisatiebeleid.” EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK 26 (1): 160–172. doi:10.1080/13691457.2021.1977253.
Vancouver
1.
Dewanckel L, Decoene J, Van Beveren L, Roose R, Roets G. Dealing with risk in situations of poverty : when complexity in frontline practice becomes wallpaper for organisational policy = Omgaan met risico’s in armoedesituaties : wanneer complexiteit in de eerstelijnspraktijk “behangpapier” wordt voor organisatiebeleid. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK. 2023;26(1):160–72.
IEEE
[1]
L. Dewanckel, J. Decoene, L. Van Beveren, R. Roose, and G. Roets, “Dealing with risk in situations of poverty : when complexity in frontline practice becomes wallpaper for organisational policy = Omgaan met risico’s in armoedesituaties : wanneer complexiteit in de eerstelijnspraktijk ‘behangpapier’ wordt voor organisatiebeleid,” EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK, vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 160–172, 2023.
@article{8720848,
  abstract     = {{A recent body of research draws on the concept of child welfare inequality and shows that social inequalities, such as poverty, are reproduced in and through child welfare and protection interventions. We therefore examine how the recent preoccupation with risk relates to ways in which frontline social workers in child welfare and protection deal with poverty. Our contribution is based on a qualitative research project in a governmental organisation in Flanders (the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium) that implements the Australian risk assessment method Signs of Safety (SofS). We explore how frontline social workers who implement Signs of Safety in Flanders deal with risk in situations of poverty, and identify four strategies of discretion in dealing with poverty: (1) poverty as a complicating factor, (2) poverty as a concern, (3) poverty as an undercover concern for social workers, and (4) poverty as a social problem that requires structural responses. Our research findings particularly show that the interaction of frontline social work with organisational policy is crucial. Rather than framing poverty as ‘the wallpaper of frontline practice’, we argue that the complexity and struggle at stake in frontline practice becomes ‘wallpaper’ for child welfare and protection organisational policy in Flanders.}},
  author       = {{Dewanckel, Lore and Decoene, John and Van Beveren, Laura and Roose, Rudi and Roets, Griet}},
  issn         = {{1369-1457}},
  journal      = {{EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK}},
  keywords     = {{Sociology and Political Science,Social Sciences (miscellaneous),Child welfare and protection,discretion,organisational culture,Signs of Safety}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{160--172}},
  title        = {{Dealing with risk in situations of poverty : when complexity in frontline practice becomes wallpaper for organisational policy = Omgaan met risico's in armoedesituaties : wanneer complexiteit in de eerstelijnspraktijk ‘behangpapier’ wordt voor organisatiebeleid}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.1080/13691457.2021.1977253}},
  volume       = {{26}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}

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