Parents with a higher numbers of ACEs have been found to be overrepresented in child protection services and in particular those who have prolonged contact (Mooney et al, 2020). This can lead to an elevated risk to children and young people experiencing detrimental impacts on health, or other social outcomes, across the life course (Allen and Donkin, 2015).
This has presented challenges for Local Authorities in looking at how they can integrate knowledge about ACEs in the adjustment of service delivery within a social justice framework, and for social workers as to how they can apply such knowledge skilfully in their interventions (Frederick et al, 2020).
This literature review will not lose sight of the concerns for children’s welfare, it will propose that having an awareness of ACEs invites social workers to take a bottom-up approach, by considering how parental ACEs have influenced their evolving life narrative beyond presenting referral risks (Mooney et al, 2020).
The methodology and the results from the thematic analysis, showed that Relationship-based Practice within a social justice framework is a constructive response to the ACEs research, to enable social workers to have purposeful conversations with parents, to promote engagement and reduce practice risks, that intensify parental powerlessness and feelings of shame (Mooney et al, 2020).
Furthermore, whilst not normally used within child protection services, the literature pointed to positive results of social workers applying Motivational Interviewing as a practice model to improve worker and client communication, strengthening protective factors, specifically resilience and social connections, whilst recognising parental resistance to change (Forrester et al, 2012).
This literature review will draw out wider implications for social work, mapping out potential practice responses to the ACEs research to alleviate the effects of ACEs (Frederick et al, 2020).
This literature review will conclude by acknowledging that further research into this topic is desirable as there are clear implications for social work practice and a gap in the provision of services.