Social Media and E-professionalism in Child Welfare: Policy and Practice

27 March 2018 3 mins read Research In Practice Information sharing Safeguarding and child protection

This article reports that, in the United States, there is little guidance for managers and policymakers about how child welfare workers should search for or communicate with clients via social media. It offers a number of considerations for standards of e-professionalism. As well as the journal article, this summary draws on relevant guidance and frameworks from the UK.

Benefits and risks of social media use

Sage and Sage report that the term e-professionalism refers to the way workers use digital communications and how this affects their professional identity. Social media tools share a number of common characteristics, such as the ability to create a public or semi-public profile and develop connections with other users. Opinions on social media use in the child welfare field are often polarised between those who believe it is too risky and those who believe it has many benefits.

The ethical use of social media within the professional world can be a challenge to navigate and requires a framework for decision-making. In addition to Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and British Association of Social Workers guidance on social media, UK professionals should also refer to the Office of Surveillance Commissioners' procedures and guidance.

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