Citation

Glad J, Jergeby U, Gustafsson C, Sonnander K. Br. J. Soc. Work 2013; 44(8): 2218-2236.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Oxford University Press)

DOI

10.1093/bjsw/bct075

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Assessment tools are needed for the operationalisation of child protection guidelines and frameworks. The HOME Inventory taps into three domains that are often highlighted in guidelines: parenting capacity; the child's developmental needs; and family and environmental factors. Social workers are obliged to collaborate in child protection investigations, such as with teachers. This collaboration can be an important source of information, since whether or not social workers always perform home visits is unclear. The primary aim of this study was to compare social workers' and teachers' apprehensions of the support and stimuli provided in children's home environments. Social workers' apprehensions were assessed using the subscales of the Home Observation and Measurement of the Environment (HOME) Inventory. Teachers' apprehensions were assessed using a different, but comparable, questionnaire. The pre-school teachers' apprehension showed a weak association with the social workers' assessments. Hence, it is important for social workers to reflect upon the type of information different professions may provide. This study also describes care-givers' perception of the HOME Inventory. Such information, although rarely published, is central to the successful implementation of assessment tools. Care-givers were highly satisfied with the HOME Inventory: they considered the content relevant and the format acceptable.

Language: en