The aim of this assignment is to critically review a chosen article, in this case; Ansbro, M. (2018) ‘Integrating attachment theory into probation practice: A qualitative study’, British Journal of Social Work, 48(8), pp..
Essay Title: Evidence and Social Enquiry in Social Work
Tutor’s Name: Fiona Sherwood-Johnson
Word Count: 3305
Date submitted: 09/03/2020
Plagiarism Statement:
Work which is submitted for assessment must be your own work. All students should note that the
University has a formal policy on Academic Misconduct (Plagiarism & Unfair Means) which can be found
at http://www.quality.stir.ac.uk/ac-policy/assessment.php
I confirm that this assignment is entirely my own individual work, all resources have been
acknowledged and it has not been submitted previously for any other academic award.
✓
, Intro
“A critical review is the summarization and evaluation of the ideas and information in an article” (AWC,
2018). It expresses the readers own opinions or thoughts about said subject from knowledge already
gained through experiences or literature. Denscombe (2014) states that “no research strategy of itself is
right or wrong, good or bad: needs to be judged in terms of its usefulness or appropriateness for the
purpose for which it was used”. Therefore, critically reviewing is more about careful thinking and taking
into consideration both the strengths and weaknesses of a certain piece of work and giving own opinions
on whether its intended use is as described by the author(s) through the readers independent research,
analysis and knowledge. To assess the quality of any qualitative/quantitative research study, Pawson et
al (2003) combined types of research, wisdom and experience in which all three combined were created
to be known as the Care Knowledge Base. The Care Knowledge Base proposes a framework that is suitable
for assessing the quality of any type of knowledge. In short, TAPUPA.
Social work research aims to build the social work knowledge base in order to solve practical problems
within social work practice and social policy. Conclusions based within such research is taken from
observations which have been gathered in a systematic, comprehensive or objective fashion. (Allen Rubin,
2009) Social work research is to provide a foundation for policy and practice and for this to happen, it
needs to be of a high standard. In other words, social work researchers should adhere to the following
standards; “giving a clear and precise statement of the aims, methods, how data has been collected and
analyzed, based on informed consent of participants and lastly it has to make some contribution to
knowledge” (Wilson et al, 2011). However, there has been some debate according to Becker et al on what
counts as quality within social work research, but overall, it is generally agreed within researchers, that
the above list should apply to all social work research.
The aim of this assignment is to critically review a chosen article, in this case; Ansbro, M. (2018)
‘Integrating attachment theory into probation practice: A qualitative study’, British Journal of Social Work,
48(8), pp.2235-2252. Maria Ansbro (BA, MSc and PhD) is a senior lecturer belonging to the faculty of
Society and Health at Buckinghamshire New University, London. Ansbro has written numerous papers
since 2001, mostly based on offenders and child protection.
The aim of the chosen article is to examine how a sample of English probation officers apply attachment
theory to their practice as they supervise service users. This research study is carried out by using a
qualitative study in which it produces non-numerical data such as; in-depth interviews and focus groups,
which is then used to interpret findings which in turn “helps to understand social life through the study
of targeted populations or places” (Crossman, 2020).
The key findings were that within the four themes taken from attachment literature which according to
Ansbro, 2008 “is recommended as a valid theoretical framework”, each theme is to offer applications for
probation officers’ work when applying theory to practice. The findings concluded that within these
themes there were clear differences in the Probation officers' perceptions of the usefulness’ when in a
practice setting. It was identified that certain aspects of attachment theory literature was more applied
to certain aspects of practice than others, and how the relationship between probation officers and
service users has a significant importance within probation practice.
2
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller jamieparks80. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $10.87. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
