Using Facebook as a tool for informal peer support: a case example
Research in Practice
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
Self-care and social support are possible protective factors against burn out in the social work profession. In particular an informal source of peer support may be of value to social workers due to the common stressors they experience.
- Megan, Gandy-Guede et al
- Social Work Education Vol. 35, (2016)
Take home messages
Social media sites such as Facebook may provide additional benefits to social workers beyond what they would experience from offline contact. These may include sharing of resources, engaging in formal and informal peer consultation and personal social support. Using the internet as a platform to connect to peers/colleagues may also serve as a model for peer group supervision.
This paper provides findings from a study exploring the use of Facebook for informal social/peer support among a group of social workers in the US. The primary focus of the group was to provide the space for graduates of a social work masters degree with a safe and secure space to share frustrations and obtain support. The privacy setting of the group was designated as secret to protect the users and there was a group administrator to approve access. Initially, the goal was to provide a place to ask for informal peer support during the working day from colleagues. Seven members of the group reflected on their experiences of using the site.
Key study findings
Key purposes and benefits of the group included:
- Emotional support: the group was used to discuss sensitive or difficult situations and to share ideas.
- Trust and safety: inherent trust of the groups' members led to a sense of safety within the Facebook group. This was facilitated by the relationships that the respondents had with group members in real life. It was identified that such a group should only form from acquaintances and not by people who do not already know one another.
- Connectedness: respondents felt that the group helped to decrease isolation when they moved away from personal support systems.
- Informal consultation and professional growth: respondents described how the group provided them with a space for gathering ideas and resources as part of the initial stage of consultation.
Areas of concern identified included confidentiality, ethics, professionalism and the overall productivity of the group itself. Particular challenges of using such an informal consultation forum were identified around whether this would hinder an individual's communication with their co-workers and peers and their respective places of employment. Additionally, there is a question over whether people who access services should be informed of their social workers' use of informal consultation.
Implications for practice
The article recommends that social workers and educators who wish to use social media sites for informal peer support should:
- Be clear on ethical principles of confidentiality and rules of respect for group members.
- Ensure private, controlled access by known group members only.
The effective and ethical use of social media in practice is a pressing issue. In particular, it is important that practitioners reflect on domains of information sharing and the possible implications of their online activities. Megele and Buzzi (2018) have created the Social Media Activity and Reflection Tool (SMART) which can be used to help individuals and organisations understand their online presence and assess any associated risks.
In the UK, several guidance frameworks have been published on digital professionalism in social work practice. These include 2017 guidance on the use of social media published by the Health and Care Professions Council, and 2012 social media policy from the British Association of Social Workers.
The research section for this special report is based on a selection of academic studies which have been explored and summarised by Research in Practice, part of the Dartington Hall Trust.
