Making Sense of Each Other: Lived Experiences and Told Stories of Child Protection Social Workers and Asylum-Seeking Families Colletta Dalikeni Master of Social Science in Social Work (M.Soc.Sci.) Submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Queen’s University, Belfast May 2013 Contents Page Dedication ix Abstract ix Acknowledgements x List of Figures xi List of Tables xii Abbreviations xiii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1 Introduction 1 MyProfessionalJourney 5 Research Aims and Questions 6 Research Context and Background to Study 7 Migration as a Global Phenomenon 7 Definitions and Terminology 9 International and National Refugee Law 10 RefugeesandAsylumSeekers:TheIrishContext 11 FIGURE 6: MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS IN IMMIGRATION AND ASYLUM POLICY/PROCEDURES (1996-2009) 14 Direct Provision 17 Thesis Outline 19 IntendedContributionofStudy 20 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 22 Introduction 22 Social Work, the Family and the State 22 CPWSW in Ireland 26 Issues of Care and Control 29 DilemmasofCareandControlwhenWorkingwithASF 33 CPWSW with Families 42 ii Major Themes Identified: Positive Qualities 45 Major Themes Identified: Negative Qualities 47 Participation and Involvement in the Child Protection Process 47 CPWSW with ASF 50 TheoreticalFrameworksInformingCPCWSWwithASF 53 Multiculturalism 53 Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativism 55 Human Rights and Social Work: Practice Dilemmas 57 Anti-Racist Perspectives 59 Anti-Oppressive and Anti-Discriminatory Practice 60 Anti-Oppressive Practice: Strengths and Limitations 61 GenderandCPWSW 64 GenderandCPWSWwithASF 65 CulturalCompetence 68 TheMultidimensionalModelofCulturalCompetence 72 TheLiveandLearnModelofCulturalCompetence 73 ASKED:AProcessModelofCulturalCompetence 74 TheEcologicalModel 75 ApplyingtheEcologicalModeltoWorkwithASF 77 Limitations of Existing Literature 78 Conclusion 79 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY 80 Introduction 80 Study Outline and Research Phases 80 Research Design and Strategy 83 ActionResearch 86 ActionResearchCycles 87 iii Sampling and Access 88 Participants 90 Case File Analysis 91 Data Collection 92 Recording and Transcription 95 Data Analysis 96 BNIM Analysis 96 Framework Analysis 98 Familiarisation with Raw Data 100 Indexing 101 Thematic Charts 101 Descriptive Analysis 102 Explanatory Accounts: Associative Analyses 103 EthicalConsiderations 103 InformedConsent 105 Confidentiality 106 Access 107 Conclusion 108 CHAPTER FOUR: AN IN-DEPTH BNIM CASE ANALYSIS 109 Introduction 109 Social Worker’s Interview 111 Summary and Discussion 120 Asylum Seeker’s Interview 121 Young Person’s Narrative 122 Justification for Inclusion of Young People’s Testimony 128 Summary and Discussion 129 iv NOTE: CHAPTERS 5, 6 & 7 ARE CURRENTLY EMBARGOED BY THE AUTHOR CHAPTER FIVE: FINDINGS FROM SOCIAL WORKERS’ NARRATIVES Introduction Theme 1: Trust / Mistrust Age Assessment Theme 2: Immigration Theme 3: Cultural Differences Communication Theme 4: Racism Theme 6: Empathy and the Impact of Personal Experiences on Practice Theme 7: Training Theme 8: Interagency Collaboration Theme 9: Resources Theme 10: Review of Services for ASF Conclusion CHAPTER SIX: FINDINGS FROM FAMILIES’ NARRATIVES ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. Introduction Theme 1: Trust / Mistrust Theme 2: Immigration Isolation and Lack of Support Network The Impact of Direct Provision on Parenting Direct Provision and the Child Protection System Deportation Theme 3: Cultural Differences Language and Communication Theme 4: Racism v Theme 5: Legal Concerns and Cultural Practices Theme 6: The Role of the Social Worker Conclusion CHAPTER SEVEN: FINDINGS AND PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. Introduction Shared Theme 1: Trust / Mistrust The Challenge of Age Assessment Mistrust Due to Lack of Relevant Cultural Knowledge Mistrust Caused by Families’ Asylum Status Mistrust Due to Adjustment to New Environment Summary Shared Theme 2: Immigration Direct Provision Working with Immigration Officials Deportation Shared Theme 3: Cultural Issues Cultural Relativism Cross-Cultural Communication and CPWSW Language and Non-Verbal Communication Communication and the Use of Interpreters The Need for Cultural Training Narratives of Racism Racism, Social Workers and Families Cross-Cultural Foster Placements: Young People’s Perspective Cross-Cultural Foster Placements: Parents’/Guardians’ Perspective Gender vi Conclusion Implications of Findings The Conceptual Dimensions of Multicultural Social Work Practice Implications at the Individual Level Implications at the Organisational Level Implications for Practice at the Societal Level Implications for Practice at the Institutional Level Implications at the Professional Level Study Limitations Recommendations for Further Research CHAPTER EIGHT: CONCLUDING REFLECTIONS 132 The Insider / Outsider Dichotomy 132 Conclusion 138 Appendix A Ethical Approval - Health Service Executive (HSE) 140 Appendix B Ethical Approval - Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) 141 Appendix C Information Sheet for Families 142 Appendix D Information Sheet for Social Workers 144 Appendix E Consent Form for Families 145 Appendix F Consent Forms for Social Workers 147 Appendix G Consent Forms for Social Workers (Consultation Groups) 148 Appendix H Consent Forms for Families (Consultation Groups) 149 Appendix I BNIM SQUIN For Social Workers and Families 150 Appendix J ASF Case File Synopses 151 Appendix K Articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 156 Appendix L Ireland’s Response to Refugees and Asylum Seekers (1935-2004) 157 Appendix M Issues Arising during Consultation Meetings with Social Work Managers, Social Work Representatives and Family Representatives 158 Appendix N A History of Mistrust: Why and Whom Refugees Mistrust 159 vii Appendix O A History of Mistrust: Why Refugees Are Mistrusted 161 References 162 viii To my Mother, and to Sarah, Rumbi and Christine ix Abstract __________________________________________________________ Ireland has become an increasingly multi-cultural society since the mid-1990s, changing from a country of emigration to one of immigration. In response to this multiculturalism, the Irish Government embarked on several commendable initiatives. These changes have yet to be fully recognised within Child Protection and Child Welfare Services (CPCWS). The development of national guidelines in recent times has failed to provide adequate guidance for social workers on how to respond effectively to asylum-seeking families, a relatively new service user group for community care teams. Much of current Irish research sheds limited light on how social workers ought to respond to asylum-seeking children and their families within a child protection context. This study examines the experiences of social workers and asylum-seeking families. The first of its kind in this field in the Republic of Ireland, the study design is primarily qualitative with an overall action research orientation. Research data was collected by use of a Biographical Narrative Interviewing Method which formed the basis of the broader analysis using ‘Framework Analysis.’ The study highlights the need for appropriate and on-going culturally competent training for social workers in this area. Its findings illustrate the complexity of social work practice in this area and indicate the need for a clear and well-considered basis of recommendations for practice, and a coherent and focused approach to child protection and welfare work, that not only is centred on the child but also acknowledges both the cultural setting in which the child was reared, and the conflicted role of CPWSWs of care and control in mediating between the State and the family. These suggestions are rooted in the enhanced model of cultural competence developed from the study’s findings and provide the basis for future research. x Acknowledgements __________________________________________________________ This thesis was possible because of the many people who assisted and accompanied me on the journey through such a challenging task. I am grateful to the management of the Health Service Executive (HSE) for support and access to the organisation without which this study would not have been possible. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the social workers and families who participated in this research and shared their experiences. Many thanks to the representatives from the social work teams and family representatives who participated in on-going consultation/working group meetings as part of the action research process. My special thanks, appreciation and gratitude to my first supervisor, Dr Caroline Skehill, for her forthright, challenging and invaluable advice and relentless support. Thanks to my second supervisor, Dr Trevor Spratt, for sharing valuable insights of highly academic importance, and for providing me with useful pointers upon which to reflect in my work. To both my supervisors many thanks especially for believing in me until the end of this work. I am indebted to the Dundalk Institute of Technology (DKIT),my current employer, and to the HSE for funding my doctoral studies. I would like to thank those who took part in the BNIM analysis panel for their insights, contribution, and wisdom; they are Dr Kevin Howard, Finbar McKay, Theresa Nungu, and Louisa Goss. I am grateful to Iain Brown Hovelt, a former colleague at DKIT, for his particular experience of asylum claims of children and of issues in child protection, and for discussions and sometimes heated