‘Being that hopeful person’: The contribution of social workers to older people’s well-being

Tanner, Denise, Willis, Paul ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9774-0130, Beedell, Phoebe, Nosowska, Geraldine, Milne, Alisoun, Nelson-Becker, Holly and Perry, Emma 2025. ‘Being that hopeful person’: The contribution of social workers to older people’s well-being. The British Journal of Social Work 10.1093/bjsw/bcaf080

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Abstract

Drawing on the findings of research in adult teams in two local authorities in England, this article examines what social workers with older people do, how this contributes to older people’s well-being, and the impact of the social and organizational context of practice. Researchers observed social workers in their practice, interviewed social workers, older people, family carers, and other workers, analysed older people’s records, and examined social workers’ calendars. Framework analysis was used to chart the data in relation to social work capabilities, well-being outcomes for older people, and contextual influences. The article illustrates key findings with reference to examples drawn from social workers’ practice with three older people and family carers. It then discusses three cross-cutting themes: rights and risks; therapeutic engagement; and navigating boundaries. We conclude that the complexity and value of social work with older people need greater recognition, and we argue for changes that allow social work time to be deployed where it has most impact, that is, in direct work with older people and their families.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	In Press
Schools:	Schools > Social Sciences (Includes Criminology and Education)
Additional Information:	License information from Publisher: LICENSE 1: URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, Start Date: 2025-04-30
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
ISSN:	0045-3102
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	2 June 2025
Date of Acceptance:	7 May 2025
Last Modified:	02 Jun 2025 10:30
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/178631

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