Current practice for social workers on planning contact for special guardianship children

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 251-265
Author(s):  
Nicholas Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Sample Size ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Current Practice ◽  
Local Authority ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Contact Frequency ◽  
The Subject

Purpose An integral feature of Special Guardianship Orders (SGO) is that the children should have some contact with their parents after the order is granted. Local authority social workers have a duty to plan and recommend levels and types of contact. But there is no policy guidance provided on how to undertake these duties, and little is known about the process that practitioners undertake. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the recommending of contact in special guardianship cases, and to provide data on what contact social workers are recommending the factors they take into consideration and the reasons for their decisions. Design/methodology/approach The research involved a mixed-methods approach comprising of a questionnaire and focus groups. This part of the study comprised of an online questionnaire that was completed by 102 local authority social workers. Responses were downloaded into SPSS Statistics v22 for data analysis and a content analysis was conducted. Findings Quantitative results from the questionnaire are reported in this paper. Respondents provided comprehensive details on what they include in their recommendations, including levels of contact frequency and specific directions. Practitioners rated the factors they considered in reaching their decisions, and gave their general views on special guardianship contact. Results indicated that practitioners are recommending less contact for fathers than for mothers, and may feel less positively about paternal contact. Bivariate analysis suggests that some older and more experienced social workers are recommending lower levels of contact. Research limitations/implications The statistical significance of the results was limited by the relatively small sample size. It was therefore decided to limit bivariate analyses to consideration of just three independent variables: the social worker’s age and number of years in practice, and the age of the child at the time of their SGO, against dependent variables concerning the levels of contact that had been recommended for mothers and fathers and how positive these were considered to be. Because of the limited sample size, most of the results were above this level, and so were not statistically significant. Practical implications Special guardianship has been in place for 12 years now, but apart from Jim Wade’s 2014 study there has been no major research to guide and inform practice. Such major changes in child welfare require substantiating research, and this study is an attempt to begin filling that gap. The questionnaire part of this study has for the first time provided data on the views, motivations and practice of social workers across the country making recommendations on special guardianship contact. Social implications The study provides a picture of the type of contact being recommended for birth parents. This information will be useful for practitioners, who might otherwise not know what their colleagues in other local authorities are recommending, and it is hoped that this will encourage further debate on the subject. Originality/value Special guardianship has so far been poorly served by research. To the author’s knowledge, apart from Wade’s study there is very little research on the subject, and no significant research at all on special guardianship contact. This questionnaire, alongside the four focus groups that formed the second part of the study, provides the first picture of current practice across the country.

scholarly journals Social work intervention with adults who self-neglect in England: responding to the Care Act 2014

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 67-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Anka ◽  
Pernille Sorensen ◽  
Marian Brandon ◽  
Sue Bailey
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Local Authority ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
The Body ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report on findings from an evaluative research study which looked at a timed intervention model of practice comprising of up to 24 weeks of intensive meetings with adult service users set up by one local authority in England, to prevent and delay the need for care and support. A particular focus of this paper is on adults who hoard. Design/methodology/approach The study employed a mixed-methods design, consisting of interviews with service users (n=13), social workers (n=3), social work managers (n=2) and stakeholders from external services and agencies (n=6). It included a costing analysis of staff time and an analysis of goals of service users and “satisfaction with life” self-report questionnaires (n=20), completed at pre- and post-intervention stages. Findings There was evidence that social workers used strengths, relationship-based and outcome-based focused approaches in their work. The techniques used by social workers to engage, achieve change and assess effectiveness with service users varied. These techniques included the use of photographs to enable the service user to map and assess their own progress over time, encouraging hoarders to declutter and reclaim their living space. The service users valued the time the social workers spent with them and the way that they were treated with sensitivity and respect. Research limitations/implications The study focused on one local authority in England; there was no comparison group. This, and the small sample size, means that statistical generalisations cannot be made and only limited conclusions can be drawn from the quantitative data. Originality/value The paper provides insights into the work undertaken by social workers with adults who hoard. It contributes to the body of knowledge on effective social work interventions with adults who hoard.

scholarly journals W.S. Gosset and Some Neglected Concepts in Experimental Statistics: Guinnessometrics II

2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 252-277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen T. Ziliak
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Design ◽  
Sample Size ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Small Samples ◽  
Significant Advance ◽  
Economic Approach ◽  
Barley Malt ◽  
Level Of Significance

AbstractStudent's exacting theory of errors, both random and real, marked a significant advance over ambiguous reports of plant life and fermentation asserted by chemists from Priestley and Lavoisier down to Pasteur and Johannsen, working at the Carlsberg Laboratory. One reason seems to be that William Sealy Gosset (1876–1937) aka “Student” – he of Student'st-table and test of statistical significance – rejected artificial rules about sample size, experimental design, and the level of significance, and took instead an economic approach to the logic of decisions made under uncertainty. In his job as Apprentice Brewer, Head Experimental Brewer, and finally Head Brewer of Guinness, Student produced small samples of experimental barley, malt, and hops, seeking guidance for industrial quality control and maximum expected profit at the large scale brewery. In the process Student invented or inspired half of modern statistics. This article draws on original archival evidence, shedding light on several core yet neglected aspects of Student's methods, that is, Guinnessometrics, not discussed by Ronald A. Fisher (1890–1962). The focus is on Student's small sample, economic approach to real error minimization, particularly in field and laboratory experiments he conducted on barley and malt, 1904 to 1937. Balanced designs of experiments, he found, are more efficient than random and have higher power to detect large and real treatment differences in a series of repeated and independent experiments. Student's world-class achievement poses a challenge to every science. Should statistical methods – such as the choice of sample size, experimental design, and level of significance – follow the purpose of the experiment, rather than the other way around? (JEL classification codes: C10, C90, C93, L66)

Cross-country findings on tacit knowledge sharing: evidence from the Brazilian and Indonesian IT workers

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 742-762 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renata Borges ◽  
Monica Bernardi ◽  
Renata Petrin
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Sample Size ◽  
Tacit Knowledge ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Mediation Effect ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tacit Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Cross Country ◽  
It Workers

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to compare the factors that can influence the tacit knowledge sharing (KS) in two different cultures by investigating information technology professionals (IT) in Brazil and Indonesia. Design/methodology/approach A survey method was used and a standard questionnaire was applied. The sample size comprised 115 respondents from Brazil and 86 participants from Indonesia. A partial least squares analysis was used to assess the structural and confirmatory models and test the hypotheses. Findings The results indicate that, in both cultures, IT workers who are committed to the organization are more likely to engage in tacit KS behavior. Similarly, strong social ties play an important role in the willingness to share tacit knowledge. Also, there are major differences between the organizational cultures; for instance, whereas Brazilians seem to be influenced by team-oriented cultures, Indonesians seem to be indifferent. Research limitations/implications Limitations include the small sample size as only two cultures were chosen to assess the differences and the representation of just one professional category (IT). Originality/value This paper provides theoretical contributions as the literature lacks a macro-level analysis on the KS comparison between countries. The results advance the comprehension of tacit KS phenomenon by testing in a cross-country comparison the mediation effect of organizational commitment. To practitioners, this research presents important empirical contributions indicating how organizational culture, social environment, personality traits and employee commitment impact an individual’s willingness to share tacit knowledge with their coworkers.

Unsubstantiated conclusions about the Family Star Plus as an outcome measure: a rebuttal to Sweet, Winter, Neeson and Connolly (2020)

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Good ◽  
Joy MacKeith
Keyword(s):  
Ordinal Data ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Outcome Measure ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Outcomes Measures ◽  
The Family

Purpose The purpose of this article is to explain why Sweet et al.'s assertions are not well founded and raise unsubstantiated doubt over the use of the Family star Plus and the Outcomes Star suite of tools as outcomes measures. Design/methodology/approach Evidence is presented of flaws in the analysis, reporting and conclusions of an article published in this journal (Sweet et al., 2020). Findings Sweet et al. failed to mention a body of Outcomes Star validation work, including over 20 online reports and a manuscript they had seen of a now published article supporting the reliability and validity of the Family Star Plus (Good and MacKeith, 2020). There are significant issues with their methodology, presentation of results and conclusions including: reliance on statistical significance with a small sample size; use of statistics not intended for ordinal data and; and inappropriate conclusions from convergence with measures conceptually different to the Family Star Plus. Originality/value Evidence is presented that the Family Star Plus is a useful and valid outcome measure and that Sweet et al.’s conclusions can be attributed to issues with their methodology and interpretation.

scholarly journals Library orientation practices in special libraries

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 525-536
Author(s):  
Melissa Fraser-Arnott
Keyword(s):  
Information Needs ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Orientation Program ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Special Library ◽  
Library Staff ◽  
Host Organization

Purpose The library orientation session is an important marketing tool because it offers the first opportunity for library staff to connect with new clients (Craft and Ballard-Thrower, 2011; Rhoades and Hartsell, 2008). This paper aims to explore library orientation practices in special libraries and information centers with the goal of surveying current practices and identifying guidance for successful orientation program design and delivery. Design/methodology/approach This study explored library orientation practices in special libraries and information services through an electronic survey. The survey questions were developed based on themes that emerged from case studies on library orientations from the academic library literature. These themes included reasons for library orientation program redesigns, the importance of partnerships in orientation design and delivery and the tools and techniques used in the delivery of orientation sessions. Findings The results revealed that library orientations are taking place in special libraries, but there is no consistent approach to library orientation delivery. Even within a single library, multiple approaches to library orientations are taken based on client availability, demand and information needs observations of library staff. Participants’ responses were analyzed to develop recommendations for special library orientations. These include developing partnerships (particularly with human resource departments), using technology strategically, considering the timing of orientations for new potential clients in relation to their start as new employees in the host organization, customizing library orientations based on client segment, engaging in ongoing outreach, and being flexible in design and delivery methods. Research limitations/implications This study represents a starting step in an exploration of library orientation practices in special libraries. The key limitation of this study was the low response rate leading to small sample size. A larger sample of special libraries would be needed to produce a quantitative analysis of the prevalence of practices with an acceptable degree of statistical significance. Alternately, smaller samples of special libraries organized by characteristics such as size or type (e.g. corporate libraries, law libraries and medical libraries) could be conducted to determine if distinctive trends exist within these special library types. Practical implications This study revealed information about key practices and challenges that can be used by special library practitioners seeking to implement or redesign a library orientation program in their library. Originality/value While academic and practitioner literature exists detailing library orientation activities in academic and school libraries, there are very few papers on special library orientations. This study fills a gap in the literature by investigating library orientation practices in special libraries and information centers.

scholarly journals Coronavirus disease-2019 in cancer patients. A report of the first 25 cancer patients in a western country (Italy)

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (20) ◽  
pp. 1425-1432 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisa Maria Stroppa ◽  
Ilaria Toscani ◽  
Chiara Citterio ◽  
Elisa Anselmi ◽  
Elena Zaffignani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sample Size ◽  
Antiviral Therapy ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
General Hospital ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Western Country ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Worse Prognosis

Background: We describe cancer patients with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) infection treated at the Piacenza’s general hospital (north Italy). Materials & methods: 25 cancer patients infected by COVID-19 admitted at the Piacenza’s general hospital from 21 February to 18 March 2020. Outcome from the infection were compared with infected noncancer patients. Results: 20 patients (80%) were treated with antiviral therapy and hydroxychloroquine and five (20%) received hydroxychloroquine alone. Nine (36%) patients died, while 16 (64%) overcome the infection. In the control group the mortality was 16.13% and the overcome from infection was 83.87%. Conclusion: Mortality for COVID-19 was greater in cancer patients when compared with noncancer patients, worse prognosis for older age, women and patients treated with hydroxychloroquine alone. However, the comparisons did not reach statistical significance in most cases. This could be due to the small sample size that is the main limitation of the study.

Chinese teachers’ attitudes toward performance pay: the cases of three schools

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 791-808 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shujie Liu ◽  
Decheng Zhao ◽  
Wei Xie
Keyword(s):  
Sample Size ◽  
Teacher Performance ◽  
Performance Pay ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Chinese Teachers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Teacher Performance Pay ◽  
Teachers Attitudes

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate Chinese teachers’ attitudes toward performance pay. Specifically, this study examined the extent to which Chinese teachers supported performance-pay programs. The study also examined the effects of these programs on teachers, particularly on their levels of collaboration, work motivation, and job stress. Design/methodology/approach – This research was conducted in a northeastern city of China. Criteria sampling and maximum variation sampling techniques were used to select three schools, representing different characteristics of teacher performance pay (TPP) programs. In all, 150 questionnaires were administered to each of the three schools. The questionnaire contained three parts. Part 1 asked about respondents’ overall attitude toward pay-for-performance in general. Part 2 was composed of 20 closed-ended items asking respondents to rate their levels of agreement with various aspects of implementation of performance pay. Part 3 of the questionnaire comprised open-ended items. Findings – Approximately 48.5 percent of the teachers supported the teacher-performance-pay programs. This indicated a low support of Chinese teachers in comparison to that in some countries. Regarding how teachers’ attitudes toward performance pay are related to teacher characteristics (e.g. teaching experience, professional ranking), the ANOVAs results showed no significant differences in any of the factors. This quantitative result was different from the qualitative result of this study (e.g. veteran teachers complained about the implementation of performance pay). In spite of the differences between quantitative and qualitative findings, some findings from the current study are consistent with those found in western countries. Research limitations/implications – One limitation of this study was the small sample size for quantitative analyses. Future research should consider a larger sample size to conduct more advanced statistical analyses such as structural equation modeling to examine further the relations among, for example, how much the incentive pay should be, and what proportion of teachers should receive it, the level of teacher stress, their work enthusiasm, and peer relationships. Another limitation of this study was that the qualitative data were collected through open-ended questions of the questionnaire. Future research should interview teachers and principals to obtain richer voices from the teachers. Originality/value – Very few articles published in Chinese journals surveyed the implementation of TPP. In addition, these few articles were not well-designed from an empirical sense. So far research of teacher opinions about performance pay was a missing area in China’s educational discourse. The present study provides information to non-Chinese readers who are interested in Chinese teachers’ attitudes toward TPP. It is hoped the present study adds knowledge to the literature of TPP from the perspective of Chinese teachers.

scholarly journals Does reflective supervision have a future in English local authority child and family social work?

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 164-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Wilkins
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Local Authority ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Underlying Assumption ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reflective Supervision

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss the underlying assumption that social workers need reflective supervision specifically, as opposed to managerial or any other form of supervision or support, and to consider whether our focus on the provision of reflective supervision may be preventing us from thinking more broadly and creatively about what support local authority child and family social workers need and how best to provide it. Design/methodology/approach The paper provides an argument based on the author’s own research and a selective review of the literature. Findings Reflective supervision has no future in local authority child and family social work because: first, there is no clear understanding of what reflective supervision is; second, there is no clear evidence for its effectiveness; and third, sizeable proportion of local authority child and family social workers in England do not receive reflective supervision and many never have. Originality/value The paper challenges the received wisdom about the value of reflective supervision and advocates exploring alternative models for supporting best practice in child and family social work.

“I’ll do this no matter if I have to fight the world!”

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 140-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Bamford ◽  
Yaz Djebbour ◽  
Lucie Pollard
Keyword(s):  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Urban Higher Education ◽  
Method Approach

Purpose – The purpose of the paper was to explore students’ learning experiences in culturally diverse urban higher education environments. Design/methodology/approach – The project used an action research method approach with a mixed-method collection of data. The data consist of a survey of undergraduate students from the two different faculties, business and science, in two London institutions (n = 393) and ten focus groups (consisting of 92 students) as well as participant observations. The survey was based on an adapted version of the National Survey on Student Engagement (NSSE) developed in the USA. The authors also piloted the use of Facebook as a learning tool and monitored the effects on communication between students and between lecturers. Findings – The authors identified statistical significance in the items that addressed the development of students’ relationships with others and found that there was a link with specific students’ profiles, that is those students who were non-native speakers of English who were less likely to engage with “others” and the learning environment. Focus groups highlighted the importance of communities of practice and that these communities aided students in developing what can be seen as resilience outcomes. Originality/value – The findings from the research indicated that resilience can be seen as key to increasing engagement and communication for students. The piloting of social media across a module at each research site indicated that such a tool can be useful in addressing issues of communication, but the introduction of such tools needs to be generated through the students.

Working towards successful retirement: older workers and retirees speaking about ageing, change and later life

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheila J. Gewolb
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Older People ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Linguistic Approach

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how older workers and people who have already retired speak about ageing and change and their experience of retirement. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative study is described in which focus groups with older workers and semi-structured interviews with retired people were carried out. The recorded data were analysed using a linguistic approach (Discourse Analysis), which investigates in detail how people express their views and opinions and how their discourse might relate to societal attitudes towards ageing and retirement. Findings – Many older people who were still at work were concerned that they would decline and become senile once they retired unless they could remain active in some way. This was confirmed by people who had already retired and who spoke about how keeping busy and active had resulted in successful retirement and ageing. Research limitations/implications – Participants from four focus groups and five interview respondents represent only a small sample of older people who are still working or who are retired. This means that the results of this study cannot be extended to include all older workers and retired people. Social implications – This study will help to raise awareness of the concerns of older workers who may be nearing retirement, and how keeping busy and active after leaving work is considered by retirees to be part of successful retirement and helping to combat decline. Originality/value – A study of this nature which examines how older workers express their views about retirement using Discourse Analysis is original and may be used as a method for future research into other aspects of being older at work.

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