In this thesis I examine the contemporary social work gaze and social work knowledge as a practic... more In this thesis I examine the contemporary social work gaze and social work knowledge as a practice of government. The data for this thesis is derived from qualitative analysis of interviews with children and social workers from two local authority social services departments in which they described their practices. In addition I have carried out analyses of social work guidance and regulation. The professionalisation of social work, and legislation to mandate its activities coincided with, and was intimately linked with a post-war politics of consensus. It was part of a more general governmental strategy of alleviating problems, which were understood as social in character by supporting the family through a blend of welfarist measures and a therapeutics of the family. Analysis of policy and legislation over the last five decades reveals that the conceptual currency of social work, the focus and subject of its gaze have been transformed. It is the priority of protection, which domina...
Additional file 1: Table S3. The TIDieR (Template for Intervention Description and Replication) C... more Additional file 1: Table S3. The TIDieR (Template for Intervention Description and Replication) Checklist. Information to include when describing an intervention and the location of the information.
<b>Copyright information:</b>Taken from "Early exit: Estimating and explaining e... more <b>Copyright information:</b>Taken from "Early exit: Estimating and explaining early exit from drug treatment"http://www.harmreductionjournal.com/content/5/1/13Harm Reduction Journal 2008;5():13-13.Published online 25 Apr 2008PMCID:PMC2391146.
Background: Early exit (drop-out) from drug treatment can mean that drug users do not derive the ... more Background: Early exit (drop-out) from drug treatment can mean that drug users do not derive the full benefits that treatment potentially offers. Additionally, it may mean that scarce treatment resources are used inefficiently. Understanding the factors that lead to early exit from treatment should enable services to operate more effectively and better reduce drug related harm. To date, few studies have focused on drop-out during the initial, engagement phase of treatment. This paper describes a mixed method study of early exit from English drug treatment services. Methods: Quantitative data (n = 2,624) was derived from three English drug action team areas; two metropolitan and one provincial. Hierarchical linear modelling (HLM) was used to investigate predictors of early-exit while controlling for differences between agencies. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 53 ex-clients and 16 members of staff from 10 agencies in these areas to explore their perspectives on early exit,...
This Framework has been developed from the findings of the bilateral project â?~Perpetration of i... more This Framework has been developed from the findings of the bilateral project â?~Perpetration of intimate partner violence by males in substance abuse treatment: a cross-cultural research Learning Allianceâ?T funded by the Economic and Social Research Council in the UK (ES/K002589/1). This research examined and compared the prevalence and cultural construction of intimate partner violence perpetration by males attending treatment for substance use in England and Brazil. Government and local strategies, protocols and care pathways were reviewed, and interviews with key stakeholders identified the barriers and facilitators to responding to intimate partner violence among people in treatment for substance use. Findings from this research alongside stakeholder consultation with Learning Alliance members has informed the development of this Framework. The Framework aims to define and clarify the key capabilities (ie knowledge, attitude and values, ethical practice, skills and reflection a...
Citing this paper Please note that where the full-text provided on King's Research Portal is ... more Citing this paper Please note that where the full-text provided on King's Research Portal is the Author Accepted Manuscript or Post-Print version this may differ from the final Published version. If citing, it is advised that you check and use the publisher's definitive version for pagination, volume/issue, and date of publication details. And where the final published version is provided on the Research Portal, if citing you are again advised to check the publisher's website for any subsequent corrections.
Research Methods in Medicine & Health Sciences, 2021
In March 2020, the ‘Everyone In’ initiative was introduced by the UK government as a public healt... more In March 2020, the ‘Everyone In’ initiative was introduced by the UK government as a public health response to COVID-19. This initiative sought to temporarily accommodate people experiencing rough sleeping in hotels in all local authority areas throughout England. In London, ‘Everyone In’ involved the procurement of vacant accommodation in over 100 hotels and temporarily re-housed approximately 2000 individuals. A rapid qualitative study was undertaken within two hotels to explore experiences of the initiative from the perspective of people accommodated in the hotels. This article describes how standard qualitative methods were adapted and implemented to complete the study whilst meeting COVID-19 social distancing guidelines. The research involved a longitudinal design of a two-stage qualitative interview that sought to capture residents’ experience of ‘Everyone In’ at two points in time (while in the hotel and when residents had left the hotel). Adapted qualitative methods were emp...
Intimate partner abuse (IPA) is a pervasive public health and human rights issue disproportionate... more Intimate partner abuse (IPA) is a pervasive public health and human rights issue disproportionately affecting women. There is a complex link between IPA and substance use; substance use can increase both the frequency and severity of IPA. Pathway models have been applied to explore heterogeneous trajectories into other behaviours and to identify areas for intervention. This approach has not previously been applied in the area of substance use and IPA. Inductive thematic analysis of 37 interviews with heterosexual men aged 28–52 who had reported previous IPA perpetration was conducted. Men were recruited from alcohol and drug services across two areas of England. Three groupings of pathways into substance use-related IPA were generated: 1) Rule Breaking Pathway (n = 11); 2) Entrenched Substance Use Pathway (n = 13); and 3) Relationship Insecurity Pathway (n = 13). Across the three groupings of pathways, the men’s childhood and early experiences led to different journeys into SU-relat...
The Women’s Community Services (WCSs) established in 2009 in England and Wales were based on the ... more The Women’s Community Services (WCSs) established in 2009 in England and Wales were based on the model of one-stop-shop, women-only provision endorsed by the 2007 Corston report. In this paper we discuss the development of WCSs as part of a governmental/voluntary sector initiative that was arguably an attempt to re-imagine penal policy for women offenders in the community, and explore themes emerging from interviews carried out with 30 women attending six WCSs between April 2011–2012. We argue that WCSs have filled a gap in provision for low risk women offenders by providing a range of social capital opportunities that are not available in mainstream, mixed-gender community punishment provision. We highlight the gendered processes of desistance; the understanding of which, we argue, is vital in making provision for women offenders in the new contracting landscape.
Despite consistent evidence that substance use is a contributory risk factor for perpetration of ... more Despite consistent evidence that substance use is a contributory risk factor for perpetration of intimate partner abuse (IPA), little evidence exists for effective interventions for male IPA perpetrators who use substances. The Advance intervention aimed to meet this need. This 16-week intervention addressed both IPA and substance use, and was for men accessing substance use treatment who had perpetrated IPA toward a female (ex-)partner within the last 12 months. Two key theories underpinned the intervention: goal theory and self-regulation theory. In this article, we aim to illustrate the views of men and substance use treatment staff on men’s motivations to change, the ways in which men and staff said that men had changed their behavior, and the aspects of the intervention that they reported were key in the process of change. Using framework analysis, we analyzed data from 12 men who took part in the intervention as well as 31 staff members from substance use treatment services. O...
Background Substance use is a risk factor for intimate partner abuse (IPA) perpetration. Deliveri... more Background Substance use is a risk factor for intimate partner abuse (IPA) perpetration. Delivering perpetrator interventions concurrently with substance use treatment shows promise. Methods The feasibility of conducting an efficacy and cost-effectiveness trial of the ADVANCE 16-week intervention to reduce IPA by men in substance use treatment was explored. A multicentre, parallel group individually randomised controlled feasibility trial and formative evaluation was conducted. Over three temporal cycles, 104 men who had perpetrated IPA towards a female (ex) partner in the past year were randomly allocated to receive the ADVANCE intervention + substance use treatment as usual (TAU) (n = 54) or TAU only (n = 50) and assessed 16-weeks post-randomisation. Participants’ (ex) partners were offered support and 27 provided outcome data. Thirty-one staff and 12 men who attended the intervention participated in focus groups or interviews that were analysed using the framework approach. Pre-s...
Despite the high prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration by men receiving subs... more Despite the high prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration by men receiving substance use treatment, little is known about their help-seeking behaviors for IPV. A secondary analysis of a mixed-methods study of men receiving substance use treatment who perpetrated IPV examined the prevalence, characteristics, and barriers associated with IPV perpetration disclosure and help-seeking. In total, 170 men were interviewed using a structured questionnaire, and a subsample of 20 were interviewed in-depth about their experiences. Logistic regression determined variables associated with disclosure and help-seeking. Thematic analysis of the in-depth interviews explored barriers to disclosure and help-seeking. Only half the participants had told anyone about their IPV perpetration and about one quarter reported having sought any sort of support. Whereas participants were more likely to disclose their IPV perpetration to informal resources (such as friends or family), they tende...
Background Strong evidence exists that substance use is a contributory risk factor for intimate p... more Background Strong evidence exists that substance use is a contributory risk factor for intimate partner abuse (IPA) perpetration. Men in substance use treatment are more likely to perpetrate IPA than men from the general population. Despite this, referral pathways are lacking for this group. This trial will assess the feasibility of conducting an evaluation trial of a tailored integrated intervention to address substance use and IPA perpetration to men in substance use treatment. Methods/design ADVANCE is a multicentre, parallel-group individually randomised controlled feasibility trial, with a nested formative evaluation, comparing an integrated intervention to reduce IPA + substance use treatment as usual (TAU) to TAU only. One hundred and eight men who have perpetrated IPA in the past 12 months from community substance use treatment in London, the West Midlands, and the South West will be recruited. ADVANCE is a manualised intervention comprising 2–4 individual sessions (2 compul...
Purpose It proved difficult to recruit sufficient mothers to a prospective cohort study designed ... more Purpose It proved difficult to recruit sufficient mothers to a prospective cohort study designed to explore the factors and characteristics of mothers whose children are the subject of the public care system as a result of their drinking, retaining or losing care of their children. In conducting interviews instead with social workers in six local authorities, the repurposed study aimed to explore their views of the barriers and facilitators to involving this “hard to reach” population of mothers in research at the beginning of care proceedings. Design/methodology/approach For this study, 36 semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with child and family social workers and social work managers located in six English local authorities. Transcripts were analysed using Nvivo and coded thematically. Findings Workforce issues and social work workload, court timescales and the additional burden that participating in research at a time of enormous stress for mothers were described...
In this thesis I examine the contemporary social work gaze and social work knowledge as a practic... more In this thesis I examine the contemporary social work gaze and social work knowledge as a practice of government. The data for this thesis is derived from qualitative analysis of interviews with children and social workers from two local authority social services departments in which they described their practices. In addition I have carried out analyses of social work guidance and regulation. The professionalisation of social work, and legislation to mandate its activities coincided with, and was intimately linked with a post-war politics of consensus. It was part of a more general governmental strategy of alleviating problems, which were understood as social in character by supporting the family through a blend of welfarist measures and a therapeutics of the family. Analysis of policy and legislation over the last five decades reveals that the conceptual currency of social work, the focus and subject of its gaze have been transformed. It is the priority of protection, which domina...
Additional file 1: Table S3. The TIDieR (Template for Intervention Description and Replication) C... more Additional file 1: Table S3. The TIDieR (Template for Intervention Description and Replication) Checklist. Information to include when describing an intervention and the location of the information.
<b>Copyright information:</b>Taken from "Early exit: Estimating and explaining e... more <b>Copyright information:</b>Taken from "Early exit: Estimating and explaining early exit from drug treatment"http://www.harmreductionjournal.com/content/5/1/13Harm Reduction Journal 2008;5():13-13.Published online 25 Apr 2008PMCID:PMC2391146.
Background: Early exit (drop-out) from drug treatment can mean that drug users do not derive the ... more Background: Early exit (drop-out) from drug treatment can mean that drug users do not derive the full benefits that treatment potentially offers. Additionally, it may mean that scarce treatment resources are used inefficiently. Understanding the factors that lead to early exit from treatment should enable services to operate more effectively and better reduce drug related harm. To date, few studies have focused on drop-out during the initial, engagement phase of treatment. This paper describes a mixed method study of early exit from English drug treatment services. Methods: Quantitative data (n = 2,624) was derived from three English drug action team areas; two metropolitan and one provincial. Hierarchical linear modelling (HLM) was used to investigate predictors of early-exit while controlling for differences between agencies. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 53 ex-clients and 16 members of staff from 10 agencies in these areas to explore their perspectives on early exit,...
This Framework has been developed from the findings of the bilateral project â?~Perpetration of i... more This Framework has been developed from the findings of the bilateral project â?~Perpetration of intimate partner violence by males in substance abuse treatment: a cross-cultural research Learning Allianceâ?T funded by the Economic and Social Research Council in the UK (ES/K002589/1). This research examined and compared the prevalence and cultural construction of intimate partner violence perpetration by males attending treatment for substance use in England and Brazil. Government and local strategies, protocols and care pathways were reviewed, and interviews with key stakeholders identified the barriers and facilitators to responding to intimate partner violence among people in treatment for substance use. Findings from this research alongside stakeholder consultation with Learning Alliance members has informed the development of this Framework. The Framework aims to define and clarify the key capabilities (ie knowledge, attitude and values, ethical practice, skills and reflection a...
Citing this paper Please note that where the full-text provided on King's Research Portal is ... more Citing this paper Please note that where the full-text provided on King's Research Portal is the Author Accepted Manuscript or Post-Print version this may differ from the final Published version. If citing, it is advised that you check and use the publisher's definitive version for pagination, volume/issue, and date of publication details. And where the final published version is provided on the Research Portal, if citing you are again advised to check the publisher's website for any subsequent corrections.
Research Methods in Medicine & Health Sciences, 2021
In March 2020, the ‘Everyone In’ initiative was introduced by the UK government as a public healt... more In March 2020, the ‘Everyone In’ initiative was introduced by the UK government as a public health response to COVID-19. This initiative sought to temporarily accommodate people experiencing rough sleeping in hotels in all local authority areas throughout England. In London, ‘Everyone In’ involved the procurement of vacant accommodation in over 100 hotels and temporarily re-housed approximately 2000 individuals. A rapid qualitative study was undertaken within two hotels to explore experiences of the initiative from the perspective of people accommodated in the hotels. This article describes how standard qualitative methods were adapted and implemented to complete the study whilst meeting COVID-19 social distancing guidelines. The research involved a longitudinal design of a two-stage qualitative interview that sought to capture residents’ experience of ‘Everyone In’ at two points in time (while in the hotel and when residents had left the hotel). Adapted qualitative methods were emp...
Intimate partner abuse (IPA) is a pervasive public health and human rights issue disproportionate... more Intimate partner abuse (IPA) is a pervasive public health and human rights issue disproportionately affecting women. There is a complex link between IPA and substance use; substance use can increase both the frequency and severity of IPA. Pathway models have been applied to explore heterogeneous trajectories into other behaviours and to identify areas for intervention. This approach has not previously been applied in the area of substance use and IPA. Inductive thematic analysis of 37 interviews with heterosexual men aged 28–52 who had reported previous IPA perpetration was conducted. Men were recruited from alcohol and drug services across two areas of England. Three groupings of pathways into substance use-related IPA were generated: 1) Rule Breaking Pathway (n = 11); 2) Entrenched Substance Use Pathway (n = 13); and 3) Relationship Insecurity Pathway (n = 13). Across the three groupings of pathways, the men’s childhood and early experiences led to different journeys into SU-relat...
The Women’s Community Services (WCSs) established in 2009 in England and Wales were based on the ... more The Women’s Community Services (WCSs) established in 2009 in England and Wales were based on the model of one-stop-shop, women-only provision endorsed by the 2007 Corston report. In this paper we discuss the development of WCSs as part of a governmental/voluntary sector initiative that was arguably an attempt to re-imagine penal policy for women offenders in the community, and explore themes emerging from interviews carried out with 30 women attending six WCSs between April 2011–2012. We argue that WCSs have filled a gap in provision for low risk women offenders by providing a range of social capital opportunities that are not available in mainstream, mixed-gender community punishment provision. We highlight the gendered processes of desistance; the understanding of which, we argue, is vital in making provision for women offenders in the new contracting landscape.
Despite consistent evidence that substance use is a contributory risk factor for perpetration of ... more Despite consistent evidence that substance use is a contributory risk factor for perpetration of intimate partner abuse (IPA), little evidence exists for effective interventions for male IPA perpetrators who use substances. The Advance intervention aimed to meet this need. This 16-week intervention addressed both IPA and substance use, and was for men accessing substance use treatment who had perpetrated IPA toward a female (ex-)partner within the last 12 months. Two key theories underpinned the intervention: goal theory and self-regulation theory. In this article, we aim to illustrate the views of men and substance use treatment staff on men’s motivations to change, the ways in which men and staff said that men had changed their behavior, and the aspects of the intervention that they reported were key in the process of change. Using framework analysis, we analyzed data from 12 men who took part in the intervention as well as 31 staff members from substance use treatment services. O...
Background Substance use is a risk factor for intimate partner abuse (IPA) perpetration. Deliveri... more Background Substance use is a risk factor for intimate partner abuse (IPA) perpetration. Delivering perpetrator interventions concurrently with substance use treatment shows promise. Methods The feasibility of conducting an efficacy and cost-effectiveness trial of the ADVANCE 16-week intervention to reduce IPA by men in substance use treatment was explored. A multicentre, parallel group individually randomised controlled feasibility trial and formative evaluation was conducted. Over three temporal cycles, 104 men who had perpetrated IPA towards a female (ex) partner in the past year were randomly allocated to receive the ADVANCE intervention + substance use treatment as usual (TAU) (n = 54) or TAU only (n = 50) and assessed 16-weeks post-randomisation. Participants’ (ex) partners were offered support and 27 provided outcome data. Thirty-one staff and 12 men who attended the intervention participated in focus groups or interviews that were analysed using the framework approach. Pre-s...
Despite the high prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration by men receiving subs... more Despite the high prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration by men receiving substance use treatment, little is known about their help-seeking behaviors for IPV. A secondary analysis of a mixed-methods study of men receiving substance use treatment who perpetrated IPV examined the prevalence, characteristics, and barriers associated with IPV perpetration disclosure and help-seeking. In total, 170 men were interviewed using a structured questionnaire, and a subsample of 20 were interviewed in-depth about their experiences. Logistic regression determined variables associated with disclosure and help-seeking. Thematic analysis of the in-depth interviews explored barriers to disclosure and help-seeking. Only half the participants had told anyone about their IPV perpetration and about one quarter reported having sought any sort of support. Whereas participants were more likely to disclose their IPV perpetration to informal resources (such as friends or family), they tende...
Background Strong evidence exists that substance use is a contributory risk factor for intimate p... more Background Strong evidence exists that substance use is a contributory risk factor for intimate partner abuse (IPA) perpetration. Men in substance use treatment are more likely to perpetrate IPA than men from the general population. Despite this, referral pathways are lacking for this group. This trial will assess the feasibility of conducting an evaluation trial of a tailored integrated intervention to address substance use and IPA perpetration to men in substance use treatment. Methods/design ADVANCE is a multicentre, parallel-group individually randomised controlled feasibility trial, with a nested formative evaluation, comparing an integrated intervention to reduce IPA + substance use treatment as usual (TAU) to TAU only. One hundred and eight men who have perpetrated IPA in the past 12 months from community substance use treatment in London, the West Midlands, and the South West will be recruited. ADVANCE is a manualised intervention comprising 2–4 individual sessions (2 compul...
Purpose It proved difficult to recruit sufficient mothers to a prospective cohort study designed ... more Purpose It proved difficult to recruit sufficient mothers to a prospective cohort study designed to explore the factors and characteristics of mothers whose children are the subject of the public care system as a result of their drinking, retaining or losing care of their children. In conducting interviews instead with social workers in six local authorities, the repurposed study aimed to explore their views of the barriers and facilitators to involving this “hard to reach” population of mothers in research at the beginning of care proceedings. Design/methodology/approach For this study, 36 semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with child and family social workers and social work managers located in six English local authorities. Transcripts were analysed using Nvivo and coded thematically. Findings Workforce issues and social work workload, court timescales and the additional burden that participating in research at a time of enormous stress for mothers were described...
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