Nordic-Baltic Doctoral Network in Social Work Summer School

Nordic-Baltic Doctoral Network in Social Work, Summer School 2010: The Role of Social Work Research – Theories, Discourses and Structures in New Perspectives Research-based Intervention Development in Social Work: Bridging Research and Practice Daniel Gredig Aalborg, August 16 th, 2010

Content • Introduction: Claims • Why development matters • Definition and understanding • Research-based Intervention Development • Example 16. 08. 2010 2

Claims Social work research • is to be “of use” for practice • is deliberately placed „uncomfortably between the social sciences and the world of practice and policy“ (Shaw 2010; p. 7) 16. 08. 2010 3

Intervention development matters • quality and structure of professional knowledge • hybridization and development • bridging research and practice by intervention development 16. 08. 2010 4

Definitions Research • a knowledge-generating process aiming at knowledge that is claimed to be valid, i. e. , robust, sound and trustworthy (Creswell, 1994, Richards, 2005). • The validity claim can be upheld to the extent that – (a) the process is governed by theory; – (b) the procedure is explicitly and plausibly justified in all its stages; – (c) the capture, description, and reconstruction of the issue under consideration is subjected to methodological control; and – (d) the conclusions drawn contain no contradictions (Friedrichs, 1990, Diekmann, 1995, Lüders and Rauschenbach, 2001). 16. 08. 2010 5

Intervention • purposeful course of action • that is described, can be named, evaluated, and learned so that professionals can have recourse to them for the purpose of reducing problems as much as preventing or interrupting processes leading to problems • refers to a single action as well as to a cluster of concerted actions (“programme”) 16. 08. 2010 6

Understanding: The nature of Social Work • supportive process for individuals coping with crises occurring in the practical conduct of their lives • aiming at enabling service users to achieve their goals in terms of providing new and more extensive options leading to wider participation and prospects/ establish or re-establish autonomy in leading their own lives (Dewe and Otto, 2002, Schnurr, 2005). • in direct relation to, or interaction with, the service user 16. 08. 2010 7

continued • Process: – a process of mutual communication on the problem itself, which results in a co-construction of the problem through collaboration between social worker and service user and the definition of goals – establishment of a working alliance (commitment) – professional decision-making about courses of action that provide an option for problem resolution that is both adequate and compatible with the service user’s life perspectives (Schnurr, 2005). – implementing the chosen intervention – ongoing evaluation to determine whether service user goals are met. Attaining this ideal requires professionals to possess a large palette of intervention concepts based both on an adequate knowledge-forunderstanding of the social problem in play and on the evaluation of outcomes: The 120 colour pencil box. 16. 08. 2010 8

Research-based Intervention Development • a four step procedure • guiding the working process starting from the findings of scientific research and ending with (more effective or new) social work interventions or courses of action • placing development work centre stage • relying on cooperative knowledge production • in a Practice-Optimisation Cycle 16. 08. 2010 9

The Practice-Optimisation-Cycle (Gredig/Sommerfeld 2008; Gredig 2010) 16. 08. 2010 10

Stakeholder participation (Hüttemann/Sommerfeld 2008) 16. 08. 2010 11

Thanks for your attention Contact information: Daniel Gredig University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland, School of Social Work, Institute Integration and Participation Riggenbachstrasse 16 CH-4600 Olten, Switzerland Phone: +41 (0)62 311 96 76 E-Mail: daniel. gredig@fhnw. ch 16. 08. 2010 12

References Creswell, J. W. , 1994. Research Design. Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches Thousand Oaks, London, New Delhi: Sage Publications. Diekmann, A. , 1995. Empirische Sozialforschung. Grundlagen, Methoden, Anwendungen, Rowohlt ed. Reinbek b. Hamburg. Friedrichs, J. , 1990. Methoden empirischer Sozialforschung Opladen: Westdeutscher Verlag. Gredig, D. , 2010 (in print). From Research to Practice: Research-based Intervention Development in Social Work. Dveloping Practice through Cooperative Knowledge Production. European Journal of Social Work Gredig, D. & Sommerfeld, P. , 2008. New Proposals for Generating and Exploiting Solution-Oriented Knowledge. Journal Research on Social Work Practice, 18 (4), 292 -300. Hüttemann, M. & Sommerfeld, P. , 2008. Relating Science and Practice in Social Work - A Critical and Constructive Review of the Concept of Evidence-Based Practice. In Bryderup, I. M. ed. Evidence Based and Knowledge Based Social Work. Aarhus: Aarhus University Press, 155 -171. Lüders, C. & Rauschenbach, T. , 2001. Sozialpädagogische Forschung. In Otto, H. -U. & Thiersch, H. eds. Handbuch der Sozialarbeit/Sozialpädagogik. 2. ed. Neuwied, Kriftel: Luchterhand, 562 -575. Richards, L. , 2005. Handlung Qualitative Data. A Practical Guide London, Thousand Oaks, New Delhi: Sage Publications. Schnurr, S. , 2005. Evidenz ohne Reflexivität? - Zur Debatte um Evidenzbasierte Praxis in der Sozialen Arbeit. Zeitschrift Forschung und Wissenschaft Soziale Arbeit, 5 (2), 19 -31. Shaw, I. , Briar-Lawson, K. , Orme, J. & Ruckdeschel, R. , 2010. Mapping Social Work Research: Pasts, Presents and Futures. In Shaw, I. , Briar-Lawson, K. , Orme, J. & Ruckdeschel, R. eds. The SAGE Handbook of Social Work Research. Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore, Washington: Sage Publications, 1 -20. 16. 08. 2010 13