It’s impossible to assume that we’d be able to walk out of here and just shed what we experienced”: Social Care Worker’s Experience Working with Challenging Behaviours
This thesis is submitted to the School of Social Work and Social Policy, Trinity College Dublin, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Applied Social Research Under the supervision of Dr Lynne Cahill.
Abstract
Background: Social care workers in special care work with the most vulnerable young people in Ireland. The young people are admitted into special care to help them stabilise their behaviour. As a result, their behaviours are seen as challenging. Social care workers in special care regularly deal with challenging behaviours, and this can have a negative impact on their own wellbeing.
Methods: A mixed method study using both quantitative and qualitative research. The quantitative data used was a 19-item survey completed by 27 participants. The survey was designed to capture the demographic information of a group of social care workers in one special care unit. 6 participants each completed a semi structured phone interview that was approximately 40 minutes in duration. Results: The research found that social care workers in special care dealt with an array of challenging behaviours on a daily basis. Some social workers did not learn about challenging behaviour during their college degrees, and they found that experience was the most effective when it came to dealing with challenging behaviour. Protective factors for those dealing with challenging behaviours were also identified in this research.
Conclusion: This research highlighted the complexities and difficulties that comes with dealing with challenging behaviour for social care workers, and the impact is has on them and the people they work with. It highlights the role of education, self-awareness, and the availability of a good support system and protective factors against the negative impacts on challenging behaviour. The research is evidence that there is a need for further research on social workers experience of challenging behaviour. The research presents recommendations for both further research and the effective management of challenging behaviour based on the information gathered from both the literature review and data gathered.