Abstract
The aim of this chapter is to provide an overview of research and theory regarding implementing assessments using structured tools and related key debates and issues. Such an overview serves as an introduction to recent developments in social work and invites readers to reflect critically about the implications of using structured tools in assessments. First, the chapter focuses on developments in using structured tools when performing assessments in social work. Second, a short overview is presented of recent research on assessment tools used in social work in different contexts. Third, the chapter explores and discusses implementation of various structured tools in the context of child protection from a street-level bureaucracy perspective. These developments are illustrated with examples from the Integrated Children’s System (ICS) and Signs of Safety (SoS) with a view to discussing the consequences of using these structured tools vis-a-vis social worker discretion and patterns generated by the tools when focusing on risk and protective factors.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Sage Handbook on Decision Making, Assessment and Risk in Social Work |
| Editors | Brian J. Taylor, John D. Fluke, J. Christopher Graham, Emily Keddell, Campbell Killick, Aron Shlonsky, Andrew Whittaker |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Place of Publication | London |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications |
| Publication date | 2023 |
| Pages | 247-357 |
| Chapter | 29 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-1-5297-9019-1 |
| Publication status | Published - 2023 |
Keywords
- social work and social conditions