Emotional labour in child and family social work teams: A hybrid ethnography

Carder, Sara and Cook, Laura Louise (2025) Emotional labour in child and family social work teams: A hybrid ethnography. Journal of Social Work Practice, 39 (1). pp. 53-67. ISSN 0265-0533

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Abstract

Achieving good outcomes for children and families engaged in the social care system relies upon a healthy, confident, and stable workforce. However, child protection social work has been identified as an emotionally demanding area of practice, linked to staff burnout and poor retention. This article draws on a hybrid ethnography of two child and family social work teams in England during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings identify the team as a vital source of support for social workers. Paradoxically, the team also identified a place of emotional insecurity where team members must perform emotions in a way that is compatible with their professional role. Through the trifocal lens of emotional labour and the dramaturgical metaphor of Setting, Roles, and Scripts, a novel conceptual framework of team support is presented.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Funding information: This work was funded by the University of East Anglia Faculty of Social Sciences research studentship.
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Social Sciences Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Social Work
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Groups > Child Protection & Family Support Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Centres > Centre for Research on Children and Families
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	12 Nov 2024 15:30
Last Modified:	04 Mar 2025 01:15
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/97661
DOI:	10.1080/02650533.2024.2415658

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