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Exploring the Possibilities of an Expanded Practice Repertoire in Child Protection

An Alternative Conceptual Approach

Deakin University, Australia, heather.dcruz{at}deakin.edu.au

Philip Gillingham

Deakin University, Australia, philip.gillingham{at}deakin.edu.au

Sebastian Melendez

Bethany Community Support, North Geelong, Australia, smelendez{at}bethany.org.au

• Summary: This article discusses research that explored an alternative to proceduralized child protection practice informed by the risk paradigm, by expanding the repertoire available to practitioners through combining features of the risk paradigm with social constructionism. This approach incorporates three dimensions: theories of knowledge and power, related professional roles, and practice skills. In this article, we discuss and critically evaluate only the first dimension: theories of knowledge and power. Through dialogue facilitated by semi-structured questions, we explored practitioners' perspectives about the relevance and appropriateness of the alternative approach for practice.

• Findings: The practitioners' participation and feedback offer insights into complex connections between `theory' and `practice' with the practitioner as a positioned subject and mediator of practical meanings of formal concepts.

• Applications: 1) Recognition of each practitioner's interpretation of formal concepts and how they are applied in actual practice, even within shared organizational contexts. 2) The importance of dialogue to expand the range of possibilities that maintain openness to ongoing learning. 3) The value of theoretical pluralism that may offer greater opportunities for professional discretion, rather than single self-contained approaches that may constrain effective and ethical practice.

Key Words: child protection • risk paradigm • social constructionism • social work practice • social work theory

Journal of Social Work, Vol. 9, No. 1, 61-85 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/1468017308098432


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