Change the Thinking to Change the Doing

Understanding the Importance of Relationships in Child Welfare

Research has consistently shown that relationships play a crucial role in effective therapeutic processes (Baginsky, 2023; Bordin, 1979; Cossar, Brandon, & Jordan, 2016; Fitz-Symonds et al., 2024; Forrester et al., 2019; Salkauskiene et al., 2024; Rogers, 1957; Terrefe, 2024; Wilkins & Forrester, 2021; Wilkins et al., 2018). In child welfare, service users are more likely to view a worker positively when that worker is kind, uses humor, and is honest and transparent (Norcross & Lambert, 2019; Fisher & Harrison, 2007). But how can we achieve this in our daily work with anxious and often angry clients? How do we engage in authentic partnerships with parents who may fear the power we hold over them or who have had negative experiences with child protection in the past (Munro, 2011)?

The Practitioner-Client Relationship

One of the first lessons for social work students is the significance of the practitioner-client relationship. This principle holds true in child welfare practice. We often hear that we should work in genuine partnership with families. However, child welfare practitioners frequently express frustration over the tension between organizational demands and the values taught in social work schools regarding true partnership. Research highlights the prevalence of poor, weak, or adversarial relationships between practitioners and service users (The Children’s Commissioner for England, 2010; Munro, 2011). Parents often describe workers as “inhumane” and feel misunderstood. Many parents hesitate to correct these misperceptions for fear of losing their children (The Children’s Commissioner for England, 2010; Bullock et al., 2006). In one study, parents even reported withholding information because they feared it would be used against them in decisions about child removal (Bullock et al., 2006).

Challenges for Frontline Workers

Frontline child welfare workers also struggle to build and maintain positive relationships with service recipients. This difficulty arises from inconsistent system mindsets, high case loads, and the imposition of a Eurocentric view of child-rearing that can feel alien and threatening to parents (Dumbrill, 2003). Despite these challenges, researchers have shown that positive working relationships are achievable (Drake, 1994; Maiter et al., 2006). Service recipients express satisfaction with workers who genuinely care about them, are dependable, and create a safe space for confiding without judgment (Winefield & Barlow, 1995, p.166). Key qualities that positively impact families include respect, attentiveness, genuine interest, trustworthiness, friendliness, authenticity, compassion, and understanding (Winefield & Barlow, 1995; McCurdy & Jones, 2000; Maiter et al., 2006; Kadushin & Kadushin, 1997).

The Impact of Trust on Outcomes

Lee and Ayón’s (2004) qualitative study found a strong link between positive worker-recipient relationships and parents’ increased use of strategies to prevent abuse and enhance coping skills. Drake (1994) noted that when trust is absent, families are less likely to provide complete or accurate information, which ultimately jeopardizes children's safety. In other studies, service users reported feeling so paralyzed by fear and distrust that they resorted to “playing the game,” giving workers the answers they wanted to hear, even lying when necessary (McCullum, 1995).

The Power Differential in Child Welfare

Dumbrill’s (2003) anti-oppressive analysis revealed that parents are acutely aware of the power imbalance between themselves and workers from the outset. This awareness often leads parents to adopt a “getting through” strategy rather than engaging in true collaboration. Luke (1974) found that parents' willingness to engage with child welfare depended on their experiences of how workers wielded power. Parents often choose to resist the system, feign cooperation, or collaborate based on these experiences. Miller (1991) discusses the concept of “power over” versus “power with,” emphasizing that workers should empower families rather than impose their authority. Hair (2003) noted that life’s challenges and changes are inherently relational, a critical consideration in a field prone to viewing cases as mere technical problems (Grey & Schubert, 2011).

Principles of Effective Child Welfare Practice

The traditional principles of child welfare—such as strength-based approaches, empathy, compassion, and non-judgment—are often applied automatically, leading to misunderstandings and potential harm (Maclean, 2017; O’Connor & Dalrymple, 2016). Blind adherence to these principles can create an illusion of honesty and collaboration, while superficial engagement may be perceived as manipulative. Consequently, families may comply without trust, contributing to higher rates of recidivism and secondary harm, often referred to as Sanctuary Trauma (Bloom, 2013; Gray & Schubert, 2011).

The Complexity of Principles

It is the complexity and “rawness” of these principles that can foster genuine partnerships and safeguard children. Acknowledging our moral judgments, biases, fears, and aversions when working with parents who have harmed their children allows for a more transparent and honest approach (Howe, 2019; Munro, 2011). By focusing on the child’s safeguarding, we can shift our perspective from “protecting children from their parents” to “protecting children with their parents.” This involves collaborative risk assessment and safeguarding planning developed with parents and their networks.

What Is Safety?

Safeguarding Together is built on key social work principles that inform and support meaningful partnerships with families, focusing on what matters most to children. Immediate and sustained safeguarding must always take precedence. These principles are not tools for adversarial negotiation; they provide practitioners with insight, transparency, and a non-judgmental stance necessary for working with families in crisis. By integrating risk-informed partnership, trauma-informed change, and sustainability, practitioners can develop deep listening skills, build trust, and co-design safeguarding plans with families, ensuring children remain safe within their care networks.

The Shift from Safety to Safeguarding

It is important to note that the Safeguarding Together framework no longer uses the term “safety.” We have shifted to “safeguarding” because safety is just one step in a broader process. Safety addresses immediate concerns, acting as a response to alarming situations. While critical, safeguarding encompasses more than just risk removal; it addresses a child’s needs for connection, belonging, and growth. Safeguarding encourages us to think beyond immediate crises to ensure a child’s long-term well-being.

The System's Influence on Practice

Fearful and anxious workers may inadvertently recreate the very experiences they aim to protect service users from, reacting instinctively to a traumatic working environment characterized by paternalism and a lack of trust (Munro, 2011; Slack et al., 2003). Worker and client safety are foundational to best social work practice; however, many child welfare systems fail to provide a safe environment for workers, children, and families alike (Munro, 2011; Slack et al., 2003).

Addressing Systemic Challenges

Social workers operate under highly stressful conditions, leading to high turnover rates (Degrasso et al., 2016). To consistently deliver high-quality services, systems must transform. This transformation requires reconfiguring mindsets, policies, structures, and processes to reduce crisis-based decision-making. Investing in supportive supervision, collaboration, and embedding learning and reflective practices can create an environment where social workers can thrive.

Conclusion

To change our approach, we must change our mindset. Relationships should be the primary vehicle for safeguarding, not merely an add-on. Evidence shows that when families perceive practitioners as honest, compassionate, and collaborative, they are more likely to share information openly and engage in co-producing effective plans. Conversely, when practitioners come across as intimidating and judgmental, families may only engage superficially, putting children at greater risk.

Safeguarding Together emphasizes a shift from a transactional view of child safety to a sustainable safeguarding process. Practitioners must consistently enact guiding principles, supported by organizational systems and policies, even in high-pressure environments. Without this shift, overworked practitioners will continue to perpetuate patterns of harm and distrust that families fear. The moral labor of showing up authentically, acknowledging biases, sharing power, and listening with care is essential for building trustworthy partnerships and reducing trauma.

Through transparent, risk-informed, and culturally humble partnerships with parents and their networks, we can better protect children within their families. For safeguarding to be effective, relational integrity and systemic integrity must work together. When organizations foster conditions for reflective practice and practitioners engage authentically with families, children can not only be safe but also truly safeguarded, belonging, and thriving.

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