The purpose of this study was to measure whether or not a child welfare worker's education has an effect on their client's outcomes. It compares master's degree in social work caseworkers' rates of family reunification and the length of time children on their caseload spend in foster care to those of child welfare workers who do not have an MSW. This study sought to address this gap in the current literature by analyzing available case data from a public child welfare agency in a Southern California county.

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Melbourne, Faculty of Arts, 2007. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 327-345).

Thesis (M Social Work (Social Work))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / The primary objective of this study is to establish a holistic view of performance managementsystem in the Provincial Government and to assess the extent of implementation and the application of performance management, together with the challenges facing the social work managers in this regard. Furthermore it sought to identify the gaps and key priorities required for effective and efficient performance management processes. The study was preceded by a comprehensive literature study whereby the necessisty and purpose of performance mananagement were identified. Furthermore the valuable aspects and the characteristics of performance management in social work have been described. The persons involved in the performance management system were investigated tot determine the nature and scope of the performance managegement system that are implemented. The importance of the participation of both the supervisor (manager) and the social worker was determined. The report highlights the importance of a process approach and uses it as a lens for understanding performance management system. It indicate the change in focus from performance evalution to performanance management, which focuses less on productivity or the input or physical activities applied in achieving the results or outputs as such, but rather on the extent to which predetermined objectives/goals are effectively and efficiently met through the measurement of outputs/results against agreed-upon performance standards. An empirical study wat undertaken where both qualitative and quantitative methodologies were applied to achieve the objective of the research. The quantitative methods comprised out of a questionnaires purely for and data collection and the qualitative approach entailed the open-ended questions in the questionnaire. It sought to identify the gaps and key priorities required for the implentation of an effective and efficient performance management processes. The report highlights the importance of a developmental approach in applying the performance management system.

published_or_final_version / Mental Health / Master / Master of Social Sciences

The move towards a more multidisciplinary approach to the delivery of child protection services in British Columbia raises concerns about the sharing of confidential case material. Factors associated with the information-sharing practices of social workers with law enforcement agencies were examined in this research. This descriptive study involved surveying forty-one intake child protection social workers employed by the Ministry for Children and Families in Vancouver and Coquitlam, using questionnaires. Knowledge of existing legislation, methods of accessing and sharing information with police, and attitudes about police involvement were examined, as well as workers' experience and participation in training. The analysis identified both contributors and obstacles to effective information-sharing and collaboration between social workers and police officers. Informal methods of accessing information were shown to be the most highly used and successful, but the lack of understanding of legislation and of each other's roles interfered with collaborative practice. The results of this research will be of assistance in future training, as well as the development of interagency protocols.

The High Risk Assessment Review Team (HART) in Belleville, Ontario is a community coordinated initiative that reviews domestic violence cases before the criminal court. Record analysis was conducted on 60 case files that had gone through criminal court in that jurisdiction. The purpose was to determine if a sample of cases reviewed by HART (n=30) would yield a higher rate of conviction and increased contact with community agencies when compared to a sample of cases (n=30) prior to this team being implemented. A logistical regression yielded no statistically significant results but did demonstrate a higher rate and likelihood of conviction in the HART sample as well as a greater involvement and likelihood of involvement with community agencies.

Thesis (M.G.S.)--Miami University, Dept. of Sociology and Gerontology, 2008. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p.66-68).

Thesis (M.S.W.) - Carleton University, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 140-147). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

M.A. / The Global Social Work Standards as outlined by Sewpaul & Jones (2004) aspire for social work education and training to equip social workers with relevant knowledge and skills. This would enable them to practice in a range of contexts applying different social work methods and techniques, while recognising the interconnectedness that exists within and across all systems at micro, mezzo and macro levels. Human service organisations that employ social workers should ensure adequate provision of resources and professional staff, with a range of expertise and appropriate qualifications to facilitate quality service delivery. As social work practice is interconnected with other systems and does not operate in a vacuum, social workers are often expected to interact with clients, communities or other professionals. They should therefore be competent and able to practice within the value perspective of the profession, guided by the professional code of ethics and values. A social worker’s report is one form of interaction and communication between the social worker and others, among whom are children’s court presiding officers. Children’s courts use social workers reports to assist them in decision making pertaining to matters relating to children. Although social workers are expected to be competent in record keeping and report writing by the time they graduate, the quality of their reports is often questioned by other professionals who use them to assist in decision-making. With this state of affairs, there is growing concern about the quality of social work reports, and the social work fraternity is asking the question, “what are the factors that contribute to the quality of reports compiled by social workers for children’s courts?” and “what should be done to ensure that social workers adhere to standards of proficient report writing?”