![]() ![]() ![]() Social workers are often taught about observation skills and being in the home to try to get a feel of what living in that home might be like for a child. Social workers are having to adjust how they try to assess family situations virtually, which is something that has not been thought to be necessary in a profession in which face-to-face contact is placed at such high importance. With the current lockdown situation however, only high-risk cases are being visited face-to- face by social workers, and often after a risk assessment is completed. This is also something that practitioners do as they reflect on their interactions with children and families. My research design encourages me to consider the under the surface emotions, by reflecting on my own emotional response to the interactions. Ithinkabout how I was immersing myself in the research by travelling with social workers on their way to see a family, and interviewing them about the situation then observing the interactions between the social worker and the mother, as I felt this was the most effective way of trying to really understand the relationship and dynamics between the two. We have been forced to be creative with how we do our job, stay connected to others, and basically change significant parts of our lives.Īs I reflect on my PhD research, which explores the interactions between statutory social workers and women who have been subjected to domestic abuse, I consider how Covid-19 hasimpactedonboththesocialworkersandwomenlivingwithdomesticabuse. I’m of the view that we will now have a new normal, and things will not return to how they used to be. At the start, people said they couldn’t wait for things to return to normal. However, Covid-19 has put so much on hold and has changed how we do so many things. I have met amazing people through my job, as well as at conferences, and these face to face meetings are what helps to build the relationships. I look forward to conferences as they often leave me feeling motivated and encouraged, and I always get to meet new people who share my passions. I should also be preparing for two conferences: one on gender and violence and the other on social work education. I miss seeing my colleagues and having chats about difficult situations or just bouncing ideas off one another about how to improve our SW programme, and sometimes just talking about our research. ![]() I am sad that they will not get a real graduation. I am sad that I did not get to hug my final year students and give them a proper send off. I miss not seeing my students face-to-face. Twitter: I sit to write this, I am thinking about how Covid-19 has impacted on my work as a social work lecturer. Kim Detjen, Senior Lecturer Social Work and PhD Student, University of East London Reflections on social work with women who have been subjected to domestic abuse during Covid-19 ![]()
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