Trainee and Newly Qualified Social Workers’ Experiences of Parental Trauma in Child Protection Work

The issue of ‘recurrent care’ illustrated the number of parents repeatedly in contact with child protection services and court proceedings. From this, the incidence of psychological trauma amongst parents has become apparent. Research on parental experiences’ of child protection presents a mixed picture, with studies documenting the difficulties of integrating trauma informed principles into the work. This study was interested in trainee and newly qualified social workers’ experiences of parental trauma to develop a better understanding of the tension.