ABSTRACT

We know from past research that social workers within the CWS are exposed to an array of workplace risks more than any other group within human services. Although several articles tend to focus on the reasons child welfare workers (CWW) leave/stay on their job, we know very little regarding how these workers juggle their roles between the home and the work domain. The present study explored CWW’s perception on how they combine the challenges at work with successful private/family life. We collected data through interviews with 16 CWWs across different cities in Norway. The use of thematic analysis produced four overarching themes, ‘it goes both ways’, ‘work-self-identity’, ‘spill-over effects’, and ‘on the lookout’. Overall, respondents acknowledge the interconnectedness between the home and the work domain. They maintain that they identify with the job and the field. They also raised issues concerning the negative effects of work on their private lives. Owing to the constant stress and challenges, a few of our respondents are already on the lookout for better alternatives. Findings point towards creating a better working environment for CWW through useful interventions and policies that ameliorate workloads of CWW.

摘要

我们从过去的研究中了解到，CWS 中的社会工作者比人类服务中的任何其他群体更容易面临一系列工作场所风险。尽管有几篇文章倾向于关注儿童福利工作者 (CWW) 离开/继续工作的原因，但我们对这些工作者如何在家庭和工作领域之间兼顾角色知之甚少。本研究探讨了 CWW 对他们如何将工作中的挑战与成功的私人/家庭生活结合起来的看法。我们通过采访挪威不同城市的 16 个 CWW 收集数据。主题分析的使用产生了四个总体主题，“它是双向的”、“工作-自我认同”、“溢出效应”和“注意”。总体而言，受访者承认家庭和工作领域之间的相互联系。他们坚持认为他们认同工作和领域。他们还提出了有关工作对他们私人生活的负面影响的问题。由于持续的压力和挑战，我们的一些受访者已经在寻找更好的选择。研究结果表明，通过改善 CWW 工作量的有用干预措施和政策，为 CWW 创造更好的工作环境。