Ed Carson

Programs for men who perpetrate domestic violence: an examination of the issues underlying the effectiveness of intervention programs

This review paper seeks to explore some of the reasons why rehabilitation programs for male perpetrators of domestic violence appear to be less effective in reducing recidivism than programs for other offender groups. It is argued that while the model of systems response to domestic violence has predominated at the inter-agency level, further consideration might be given to way in which men’s intervention groups are both designed and delivered. It is concluded that the program logic of men’s domestic violence programs is rarely articulated leading to low levels of program integrity, and that one way to further improve program effectiveness is to incorporate some of the approaches evident in more general violence prevention programs and from what is know about good practice in general about offender rehabilitation.

Intellectual capital: Mapping employee and work group attributes

This paper aims to extend the understanding of human and structural capital as key components of intellectual capital by refining their definitions and outlining their relationships. It argues that psychology and sociology can further develop the understanding of intellectual capital despite having not previously been sufficiently recognised as relevant to the debate. The paper draws on these disciplinary areas to develop a model that specifies subsets of human and structural capital, of intellectual capital and the relationship between them, as a basis for a more comprehensive definition and effective measurement of it across a range of industries and firms. Finally, it argues that it is important for employers to determine how to capture human capital and convert it into structural capital so that it is not lost in times of rapid restructuring and high staff turnover.

On the scrap-heap at 45: The human impact of mature-aged unemployment

This paper reports on a qualitative study conducted in Adelaide, South Australia into the impact of mature-aged unemployment and under-employment on the individual. Data were collected by means of six individual and group interviews with a total of 27 participants (17 men and 10 women). The participants were asked about the impact on their quality of life, their expectations for the future and their short-term and long-term financial situation. The results suggest that there is a substantial ‘lost generation’ of mature-aged unemployed people who are characterized by shrinking horizons and impaired quality of life. The participants expressed frustration at being unable to contribute to society and support their own adult children. Inability to use their skills and talents, with consequent skill depreciation, can lead to what we label the ‘peg-down phenomenon’, an intermediate step between becoming unemployed and entering the ranks of the discouraged job-seekers that ultimately leads to a premature exit from the workforce. This cohort is different from other age groups of unemployed people because of the unique developmental characteristics of middle-aged people, compounded by financial and caring demands from both the younger and older generations. The paper concludes with policy recommendations, including expanding social inclusion policies to address the needs of this cohort and early intervention with more focused job-specific training.

Domestic violence and child protection: Partnerships and collaboration

Abstract The interface between the child protection and domestic violence sectors is often problematic, in that the two sectors operate relatively independently, with little integration. However, it is widely recognised that these sectors need to work more closely to enhance both womens and childrens safety. This paper explores the processes needed for the child protection and domestic violence sectors to develop collaborative partnerships that lead to the provision of higher-quality responses to both women and children. Drawing on collaboration theory, a number of barriers to the development of successful partnerships are described, and applied to initiatives that seek to develop integrated approaches between child protection and domestic violence services. It is concluded that there is much scope for the two sectors to work closely together, but that the development of integrated responses involving both child protection and domestic violence services will take a significant commitment, level of determination, and stamina from both parties.

Independence and self‐provision in old age: how realistic are these goals?

Objectives:  The aim of the present paper was to examine the relationship between perceived choices in work and retirement in middle age and financial security and confidence about the future in old age.

Resilience Among Social Workers: The Role of Informal Learning in the Workplace

In issues of key scholarly social work journals over the past few years (British Journal of Social Work, Practice and Australian Social Work), articles have addressed the importance of work-based resilience for social work professionals. To date, however, the process of developing resilience has not been well documented in the social work literature. A possible way forward lies in taking account of the practice wisdom and tacit knowledge generated through worker networks both within and beyond the workers organisational setting. The authors canvass the possibility that worker resilience could be understood as a product of the professional learning process over time, as social work professionals actively create and consolidate norms about effective practice, through testing individual situations against an accumulating evidence base of successful practice.

Complexities of discretion in social services in the third sector

Policy analysts have devoted considerable time to examining the problem of the policy implementation gap, with one important strand in the literature following Michael Lipskys work on street-level bureaucracy and discretion. In this paper, we aim to contribute to the literature concerning shifts in government/third sector organisation contractual arrangements and whether they constitute a significant (post-neoliberal) development in policy implementation. Using a case study of contracted government services in Australia, we revisit the conception of discretion to reflect on the impact of these changes and document their implications for the use of discretion in management and front-line worker practices.

Professional views on the management of sex offenders in the community

Sex offender registration and community notification schemes form an increasingly important part of public policy relevant to the management of known sex offenders in the community. Critics of these policies not only point to the lack of empirical evidence that is currently available to support their impact on reoffending, but also the disproportionate and potentially iatrogenic effects that they have on offenders. However, there have been few attempts to understand these issues from the perspective of those practitioners who work on a daily basis with sex offenders in the community. These professionals are uniquely placed to contribute to an understanding of effective risk management and, as such, this article presents an analysis of the perspectives of a group of experienced practitioners and how this practice-based wisdom might inform the development of sex offender public policy.

Self-managed supervision

ABSTRACT The growth of professional supervision in social work has been accompanied by complex attempts to theorise key elements of supervisory practice and highlight the need to further examine what constitutes supervisory support in current regulatory environments. Changes in human service organisations resulting from new public management generate a need to theorise broader patterns of support available to human service workers. This article draws on an electronic, mixed-method self-reporting study of advice and support-seeking behaviours of 193 human service professionals in 3 South Australian organisations. The findings indicate the fluidity of current professional supervision practice, with workers seeking professional wisdom, identifying practice direction, and debriefing with a range of colleagues within and outside their organisation. Accordingly, the article confirms that supervisors should no longer be thought of as the sole providers of professional advice and support for human service workers and conceptualises the workers as active agents shaping their own learning.