Abstract
• Summary: During the last decade increasing attention has been paid to
the impact of the Troubles1 on social work in Northern Ireland. In this
paper, the authors describe the first survey used to test some of the
assumptions which exist in the literature. An 87-item questionnaire was
applied to a range of social work staff currently working in, or associated
with, mental health settings. One hundred and one questionnaires were
returned: it is estimated that this represented over 70 per cent of mental
health social workers in Northern Ireland.
• Findings: The design of the questionnaire elicited both qualitative and
quantitative data. The findings reveal a workforce with complex
religious and national identities and many of the respondents have
experienced relatively high levels of Troubles-related incidents whilst
carrying out their duties in a variety of organizational and geographical
settings. High proportions of respondents received minimal agency
support and training to equip them to deal with Troubles-related
problems faced by them during this period.
• Applications: The authors conclude that the profession and employing
agencies should pay greater attention to past and present effects of the
Troubles on social work practice and develop appropriate strategies for
supporting, training and resourcing staff in this neglected area.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 173-190 |
Number of pages | 18 |
Journal | Journal of Social Work |
Volume | 5 (2) |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jan 2005 |