Providing psychological consultation within children’s social care: a mixed-methods service evaluation

ABSTRACT It’s widely acknowledged that Social Work requires a more psychological approach when working with families. However, social care settings are under increased financial constraints and creative solutions are necessary. The provision of psychological consultations may be one way to meet this identified need; however, practice-based research is in its infancy. Using a mixed-methods approach, this service evaluation aimed to evaluate the provision of psychological consultations across community Social Care, and Residential Edge of Care teams. Quantitative analysis revealed that psychological consultations significantly improved consultees’ knowledge, confidence, motivation, and understanding – factors associated with best practice. Thematic analysis of the consultees’ qualitative feedback resulted in four key themes pertaining to areas of benefit: ‘enriching assessments’, ‘developing formulations’, ‘improving interventions’, and ‘supporting reflective professional practice’. Three key themes emerged in relation to what staff viewed as areas for improvement; that is: ‘changes to the process of consultation’, ‘changes to the content of consultation’, and ‘no improvement necessary’. These findings further evidence the beneficial impact of psychological consultations when provided across a range of Children’s Social Care settings. Psychology consultations therefore offer a promising means of promoting psychologically informed Social Care practice, contributing to best practice standards within the context of financial constraints.