The role of uncertainty in professionals' thinking about children who harm other people
Heron, Gavin and Black, Kate (2023) The role of uncertainty in professionals' thinking about children who harm other people. British Journal of Social Work, 53 (5). pp. 2922-2939. ISSN 0045-3102 (https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcad056)
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Abstract
Uncertainty in thinking and reasoning is crucial in allowing professionals to engage with the complexities of practice, yet the way it is expressed in childcare social work remains under-researched. This study examines the uncertainty expressed by professionals when discussing children who present a serious threat of harm to others. Discourse analysis is used to examine data from twenty meetings involving seventy-five professionals. The findings suggest that there is considerable variance in the way professionals express uncertainty and in many of the meetings it appears to be relatively infrequent. The low levels of expression of uncertainty in such complex cases are problematic because it reflects limitations in professionals’ thinking and actions. The majority of instances of uncertainty occur in response to a question from another professional. This is a positive aspect of professional interaction and suggests that robust questioning from peers that encourage analysis of our practice might be particularly useful in prompting uncertainty. Rather than ignore or supress uncertainty by viewing it in negative terms, it should be valued and embraced by professionals who want to reduce unnecessary errors and enhance children’s safety.
ORCID iDs
Heron, Gavin ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2238-1532 and Black, Kate;-
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Item type: Article ID code: 84043 Dates: DateEvent31 July 2023Published13 February 2023Published Online23 January 2023AcceptedSubjects: Social Sciences > Social pathology. Social and public welfare > Social service. Social work. Charity organization and practice Department: Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (HaSS) > Social Work and Social Policy > Social Work and Social Policy Depositing user: Pure Administrator Date deposited: 07 Feb 2023 11:55 Last modified: 30 Nov 2024 15:21 Related URLs: URI: https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/id/eprint/84043