Working within child protection service : the effects on the social worker

Abstract

The aim of this study is to analysis those factors that are affecting the personal and professional lives of social workers working in child protection. This study starts off by giving an overview of the complex work that child protection social workers carry out. The aim is to help us understand better the situations and problems that child protection social workers face and how it will affect them personally and professionally. For this study I used systematic review by examining thirty-four qualitative studies. It was found that a social worker working in child protection service passes faces a significant number of negative factors that over a long period of time affect his/her personal and professional life. From the analysed literature it was found that a social worker in child protection could pass from trauma, stress, violence, lack of support, burnout, job dissatisfaction, high caseload and turnovers, insecurity, negative coping strategies, lack of supervision, a negative organisation climate, helplessness, sorrow and grief, countertransference, fear and anxiety and role conflict. It was also evident that the negative factors that social workers encounter in their job do not only affect their work but also impact their day-today life. Additionally, it was found that the organisation plays an important role in eliminating these negative factors; however, through research it was showed that most of the time the organisation is not provided with enough tools to prevent any harm done to the social workers. By highlighting these negative factors, social workers in child protection and the organisation will be and remain aware about these negative factors in order to take necessary precautions to eliminate any harm done to the personal and professional lives of the social workers.