Facilitating best clinical practice in domestic violence work with hospital social workers

Domestic and family violence (DFV) is a major public health issue mainly affecting women and children. Health services are an important site in the identification and initial response to DFV. Social Workers often lead the psychosocial response to DFV. This study aimed to explore the experiences of internal referrers to a hospital-based social work led DFV Service.

Qualitative study design. Participants were purposively sampled from health professionals referring to the DFV service at a single, tertiary metropolitan hospital in Sydney, Australia and invited to participate in an online focus group. The focus groups explored participants' experiences of referring to a specialist DFV service and any practice change that occurred from working with the service. Focus group transcripts were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.

A total of 10 internal referrers participated across two focus groups; all were social workers. Four key themes were identified; i) integration of the DFVS with existing services; ii) consultation and complexity, iii) professional development and iv) the importance of social work values. Integration of the DFV service into the Social Work Department enhanced professional relationships and avenues for collaboration. Responsive consultation helped to build social workers' skills and confidence and to manage their anxiety when dealing with safety concerns and addressing complex needs, such as the needs of people with mental health conditions or violence experienced by multiple perpetrators. Education from the DFV service further assisted referrers with developing their knowledge and skills in identifying various forms of violence, assessing risk and providing intervention. Alignment of social work values enabled a shared practice lens especially in trauma informed care.

A social work-led hospital-based DFV Service has benefits for the practice of hospital and health social workers who identify and provide the initial response to DFV. Implementation of such models in practice provides opportunities for increased awareness, assessment and responsiveness to the complex needs of people experiencing DFV.