Hostile relationships in social work practice: anxiety, hate and conflict in long-term work with involuntary service users

Ferguson, Harry; Disney, Tom; Warwick, Lisa; Leigh, Jadwiga; Cooner, Tarsem Singh; Beddoe, Liz

Abstract

While recognition that some service users do not want social work involvement has grown in recent years, little research has explored how relationships between social workers and ‘involuntary clients’ look and feel like in practice and are conducted in real time. This paper draws from research that observed long-term social work practice in child protection and shows how relationships based on mutual suspicion and even hate were sustained over the course of a year, or broke down. Drawing on a range of psycho-social theories, the paper adds to the literature on relationship-based practice by developing the concept of a ‘hostile relationship’. The findings show how hostile relationships were enacted through conflict, resistance – especially on home visits - and intense feelings that were often avoided by individuals and organisations. Much more needs to be done to help social workers recognise and tolerate hostility and hate, to not retaliate and to enact compassion and care towards service users.

Citation

Ferguson, H., Disney, T., Warwick, L., Leigh, J., Cooner, T. S., & Beddoe, L. (2021). Hostile relationships in social work practice: anxiety, hate and conflict in long-term work with involuntary service users. Journal of Social Work Practice, 35(1), 19-37. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650533.2020.1834371

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 28, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Nov 12, 2020
• Publication Date: Jan 2, 2021
• Deposit Date: Oct 26, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 13, 2021
• Journal: Journal of Social Work Practice
• Print ISSN: 0265-0533
• Electronic ISSN: 1465-3885
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 35
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 19-37
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02650533.2020.1834371
• Keywords: Social work practice, child protection, involuntary clients, ethnography, home visits, psychoanalysis, emotions.
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/4993308
• Publisher URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02650533.2020.1834371
• Additional Information: Peer Review Statement: The publishing and review policy for this title is described in its Aims & Scope.; Aim & Scope: http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=aimsScope&journalCode=cjsw20; Published: 2020-11-12