The impact of bureaucracy and managerialism on relationship‐based practise: A mixed methods study of frontline social work in Northern Ireland

Combining quantitative data from a national survey (n = 252) with qualitative interviews with frontline social workers (n = 16), this manuscript examines the ways in which bureaucracy and managerialism has impacted social work in Northern Ireland, with specific attention to relationship‐based practise. Although policy documents emphasise the importance of relationship‐based practise, quantitative and qualitative data demonstrate social workers are spending increasingly more time on administrative tasks to the detriment of direct work with service users. A whole institutional response is necessary to develop conditions conducive to placing relationships at the heart of practise, and promotion in practise guidelines and policy documents alone is insufficient.