The opinions of social workers about critical best practices in working with children: A qualitative study

The purpose of this research is to contribute to the visibility of the attentive and skilful social worker's practices through examples of social work practices with children at various times, fields, organizations in Turkey. The aim is to question power relations in the practice examples and to contribute to the discussions on critical social work practices and critical best practice. In-depth interviews with 23 social workers were analysed with the help of MAXQDA Analytics Pro software. The results of the research indicates the prominent features of the social worker in critical social work practices with children are taking responsibility, activating one's own strengths, accompanying the child's empowerment diligently, facilitating the process and strengthening critical awareness. The social worker's -as a change companion, critical act of inquiry, taking action, and aspects of their personal lives have been seen as important for critical best practice. In the process of strengthening critical social work practices with children, the importance of some determinative subjects for change (language/communication used, child perception, creating agenda, impact of world events and ideologies), especially the social worker's vision for change, has been underlined. In addition, it has been observed that those who have the power to make decision and to distribute resources in the field of social work with children, the organization to which the social worker is affiliated, and he/she have many issues to review and to consider in terms of supporting the empowerment of the child. It is thought that this study will contribute to the development of critical social work practices and to the enhancement of critical best practices aiming to make the practical experiences of social workers working with children visible and to support the empowerment of children.