Blogging on Contemporary Social Work Issues
In Ireland, as we try our best to settle in to week three of home-working (where possible), work, school and university closures, social distancing strategies and, more recently, the concept of cocooning for those who are vulnerable and/or over 70, it is clear that Covid 19 is having a significant impact on our way of... Continue Reading →
As a social worker, psychotherapist and researcher, I have heard parents describe their feelings of walking on eggshells around their child and of living in fear of the next explosive outburst leading to threats and acts of harm and/ or violence against parents who feel powerless and alone. Social workers and other health and social care practitioners in voluntary and statutory services talk about the feelings we face when parents and carers tell us about living in fear of their child under the age of 18 years old. We are faced with difficult dilemmas: how can we resist the impulse towards a quick and easy solution that probably will not work in the long run? How can we resolve the dilemmas that this raises for us? How can we anchor ourselves & keep a clear focus on helping the parents and the young person?
Welcome all to the Irish Social Work blog - blogging on contemporary issues in Irish social work.
My reason for starting the blog was to provide an open forum for comment, opinion and critique on all things Social Work. I'm also hoping to invite and receive contributions from those outside the field in related professions such as nursing, law, health and social care amongst others.
Author: Professor Caroline McGregor, NUI Galway Introduction At the beginning of this third decade of the 21st century, the level of sophistication we have arrived at in relation to social work allows us to dig deep to articulate the relations between social work theories and practices. Many advanced examples of theory-practice relations in social work... Continue Reading →
“…the first thing’s doubt, do people actually believe what you’re saying…”Tony Sexual abuse in childhood affects a multitude of people across our societies and communities. While we can't be deterministic about the effects of sexual abuse we do know that common effects include poor mental health, substance abuse, issues with trust, authority and control, stigma,... Continue Reading →
...given the dynamics created by abuse, delay, non-assessment or provision of limited information or clarity can have detrimental effects on those who come forward to disclose experiences of childhood abuse; responding to this issue should be paramount and such a response should be informed by those impacted...
I was never a scout! But I know a lot of very good, decent and hardworking people who give and have given their time to building the organisation and who acted as an integral part of the community in the small town where I grew up... and continue to do so. The current debacle has... Continue Reading →
In 2011, Carole Holohan and Amnesty Ireland published a report which detailed the abuse of tens of thousands of Irish children in State-run and or funded institutions. It spoke about systematic failures, cover-up and State-sanctioned torture. It spoke about correcting a balance in the dominant societal discourse regarding abuse of children by calling out those... Continue Reading →
On Thursday 26th of September the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse in England and Wales (IICSA) conducted a seminar to examine Mandatory Reporting. The Inquiry Team consists of a Chair, Professor Alexis Jay OBE, supported by a panel, a legal team including a lead Counsel and a Solicitor to the Inquiry as well as Inquiry support... Continue Reading →
So, I haven't posted in quite some time. This is due to many reasons, personal and professional. My PhD research reaches it's crescendo tomorrow as I sit my Viva Voce; the living voice. Which is very fitting as that is what the research presents, the living voices and lived experiences of individuals who have disclosed... Continue Reading →
