Analysing Talk in Child Protection Social Work

Failures of communication between social workers and families, and between professionals, are frequently found in inquiries into child deaths. Home visits and child protection case conferences are sites where such communication takes place, and they have rarely been studied. This study is a pilot, collecting recordings of these naturally-ooccurring conversations, for detailed analysis. Its findings will have an impact on social work education and training and the continuing professional development of qualified social workers.