Exploring the Consequences of Parents' Trust and Distrust of Social Workers in Child Welfare Services: Social Workers' Perspectives in Finland

Abstract

ABSTRACT In this article, we explore the consequences of parents' trust and distrust of social workers in child welfare services. We collected data via qualitative surveys administered in 2022, to which 29 Finnish social workers responded. We used thematic analysis to identify the key themes of the consequences of trust in our data. According to our results, social workers described the consequences of trust and distrust primarily as opposing phenomena. The consequences of trust and distrust were visible during interactions between a parent and social worker as well as in parents' commitment to cooperating with a social worker. Parents' trust in a social worker also affected whether their children's situations changed for the better and if children felt safe around the professionals working with them. Our results demonstrate that parents' trust of social workers serves as the basis for so-called ‘change work’ in child welfare services, which aims to improve a child's and family's situation. However, we also identified critical elements of trust and challenges to establishing trust created by the child welfare service context, such as the power asymmetry between social workers and parents. This article furthers our understanding of the concept of trust and its significance in the relationship between parents and social workers. It also offers practical insights into key areas that social workers should prioritize when working to build trust with parents.