Socialinis darbas su riziką patiriančiomis šeimomis: santykių su šeima kūrimo patirtys
Rasimavičienė, Deimantė |
Recenzentas / Rewiewer |
Licencinė sutartis Nr. MRU-EDT-1711.
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Topic of the master’s thesis: “Social work with families facing social risk: experiences of building relationships with families”. The aim of the study is to reveal the experience of building relationships between social workers and families facing social risk. This thesis analyzes the experiences of social workers in creating relationships with families facing social risk factors and how these relationships contribute to the effectiveness of the support provided. The theoretical part discusses the concept of families facing social risk, the factors that lead to such risks, the specifics of service provision and the variety of methods used. It also examines whether the effectiveness of support depends on how the social worker builds a relationship with the family. Theoretical analysis revealed that families facing social risk factors often fail to fulfill essential family functions, which negatively affects both children and the overall quality of family life. Social workers must provide individualized support tailored to each family’s needs, involve them in decision-making and ensure continuous service delivery. The empirical part presents a qualitative study using the method of semi-structured in-depth interviews. The study involved eight social workers who have been working with families experiencing social risk factors for at least five years. The data were analyzed using content analysis, identifying main categories and subcategories. The thesis consists of an introduction, three chapters, a discussion, conclusions, recommendations, a list of references, a summary in English and appendices. The study results revealed the importance of the first contact between the social worker and the family. It was found that this initial contact usually occurs by phone or during a case management meeting. Active listening, avoiding personal comments, controlling tone of voice, responding quickly, not interrupting and asking neutral questions, all help to build trust and establish strong relationships. Families often react with fear, denial or hostility during the first contact. Social workers use a range of strategies to create positive relationships, including showing respect, finding common ground, talking, listening, responding to the family’s mood, avoiding pressure and withdrawing when needed. These relationships are described as slow, consistent and requiring ongoing attention from the social worker. Once the relationship is built, maintaining it becomes equally important. Indicators that the relationship is strengthening include sincere communication, the family’s willingness to talk, reaching out even after services end and expressions of gratitude. The study highlighted the importance of and individualized approach and identified the main challenges faces by social workers in relationship-building: lack of family motivation, distrust in institutions, previous negative experiences with other professionals, substance abuse and denial. Social workers also face difficulties such as high workloads, limited resources and a shortage of services and specialists. The quality of the relationship between the social worker and the family has direct impact on the outcomes of the support provided. When relationships are strong, warm, and trusting, families are more likely to cooperate, accepts help and strive for positive change.