Client and worker satisfaction in a child protection agency

Client and staff satisfaction with the workings of a multidisciplinary child protection agency were investigated using interviews and standard questionnaires. The goal was to discover the nature and strength of the helping relationship between service-recipients and providers. Current clients (N = 24) expressed a great deal of satisfaction with the staff and services. The agency staff (N = 21, with 11 employed at least half-time to work directly with families) were relatively satisfied with their jobs, and showed little evidence of the burnout which has been recognized as a risk for child protection workers. They were able to relate empathically to clients and felt enthusiasm for the work. Taking account of possible bias in both sets of answers, there is still evidence that the agency is succeeding in creating a necessary precondition for therapeutic change: the development of accepting and positive worker-client relationships.