IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jscscx/v13y2024i3p176-d1360684.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Professional Skills in Family Support: A Systematic Review

Author

Listed:
  • Rita dos Santos

    (Psychology Research Center (CIP), University of Algarve, 8005-135 Faro, Portugal)

  • Anita Burgund Isakov

    (Department for Social Work and Social Policy, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Belgrade, Jove Ilica 165, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia)

  • Cátia Martins

    (Psychology Research Center (CIP), University of Algarve, 8005-135 Faro, Portugal)

  • Ana Pereira Antunes

    (Research Centre for Child Studies (CIEC), 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
    Faculty of Art and Humanities, University of Madeira, 9020-105 Funchal, Portugal)

  • Nevenka Zegarac

    (Department for Social Work and Social Policy, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Belgrade, Jove Ilica 165, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia)

  • Cristina Nunes

    (Psychology Research Center (CIP), University of Algarve, 8005-135 Faro, Portugal)

Abstract

Family support encompasses a wide variety of professionals, sectors, and intervention paradigms that make it difficult to systematize and standardize the skills needed by the family support workforce. The present study aimed to describe the relevant skills of professionals, organize the main skills into different categories, and contribute to the development of intervention standardization guidelines in the field of family support. So, a systematic literature review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. The search was carried out in five databases and included the analysis of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies, and all studies were qualitatively assessed. Of the initial 3334 articles identified, 59 studies were included, and four categories were identified: professionals’ qualities, essential skills common to all professions and contexts, specific knowledge, and theoretical approaches necessary for family support. Most of the studies were from the United Kingdom, qualitative, published in the last 10 years, used small samples, and included a specific group of professionals. The included studies did not specify whether some skills or characteristics were considered more effective in practice, and they had bias issues related to social desirability. The implications for family support practice are discussed, as well as the gaps to be covered in future studies.

Suggested Citation

  • Rita dos Santos & Anita Burgund Isakov & Cátia Martins & Ana Pereira Antunes & Nevenka Zegarac & Cristina Nunes, 2024. "Professional Skills in Family Support: A Systematic Review," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-36, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:13:y:2024:i:3:p:176-:d:1360684
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/13/3/176/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/13/3/176/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kemp, Susan P. & Marcenko, Maureen O. & Lyons, Sandra J. & Kruzich, Jean M., 2014. "Strength-based practice and parental engagement in child welfare services: An empirical examination," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(P1), pages 27-35.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Williams, Annie & Reed, Hayley & Rees, Gwyther & Segrott, Jeremy, 2018. "Improving relationship–based practice, practitioner confidence and family engagement skills through restorative approach training," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 170-177.
    2. Venables, Jemma, 2019. "Practitioner perspectives on implementing an alternative response in statutory child protection: The role of local practice context and leadership teams in shaping practice," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    3. Diana N. Teixeira & Isabel Narciso & Margarida R. Henriques, 2022. "Driving for Success in Family Reunification—Professionals’ Views on Intervention," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-20, December.
    4. Garcia, Antonio R. & DeNard, Christina & Ohene, Serena & Morones, Seth M. & Connaughton, Clare, 2018. "“I am more than my past”: Parents' attitudes and perceptions of the Positive Parenting Program in Child Welfare," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 286-297.
    5. Tilbury, Clare & Ramsay, Sylvia, 2018. "A systematic scoping review of parental satisfaction with child protection services," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 141-146.
    6. Medina, Antonio & Beyebach, Mark & García, Felipe E., 2022. "Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a solution-focused intervention in child protection services," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    7. Damiani-Taraba, Gissele & Dumbrill, Gary & Gladstone, James & Koster, Andrew & Leslie, Bruce & Charles, Michelle, 2017. "The evolving relationship between casework skills, engagement, and positive case outcomes in child protection: A structural equation model," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 456-462.
    8. Toros, Karmen & DiNitto, Diana Maria & Tiko, Anne, 2018. "Family engagement in the child welfare system: A scoping review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 598-607.
    9. Charest-Belzile, Dorothée & Drapeau, Sylvie & Ivers, Hans, 2020. "Parental engagement in child protection services: A multidimensional, longitudinal and interactive framework," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    10. Arbeiter, Ere & Toros, Karmen, 2017. "Participatory discourse: Engagement in the context of child protection assessment practices from the perspectives of child protection workers, parents and children," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 17-27.
    11. Dolbin-MacNab, Megan L. & Smith, Gregory C. & Hayslip, Bert, 2022. "The role of social services in reunified custodial grandfamilies," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    12. Claire Mason & Danny Taggart & Karen Broadhurst, 2020. "Parental Non-Engagement within Child Protection Services—How Can Understandings of Complex Trauma and Epistemic Trust Help?," Societies, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-21, November.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:13:y:2024:i:3:p:176-:d:1360684. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.