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Published VersionCC BY-NC V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
The knowledge and skills needed for forensic social work in Australia: A Delphi study
Journal of Social Work , Vol.25(2), pp.197-214
2025
Appears in UniSC Supported Open Access Outputs
Abstract
Summary
Forensic social work is the application of social work knowledge, skills, values and ethics within a legal and criminal justice context. Globally, social workers play an integral role in the criminal justice system but in many countries, including Australia, there is limited conception of the competencies needed for this specialist practice. Australia serves as an example of forensic social work regulated through a generalist social work competency framework, where specialist skills and knowledge are not distinctly outlined or assessed. The purpose of this study was to identify the knowledge and skills used by forensic social work practitioners in Australia. This study used a 3-round Delphi method with an expert panel of social workers working in forensic practice across Australia. It consisted of a 1-hour semi-structured individual interview followed by 2 rounds of online surveys.
Findings
Consensus was obtained for 30 skill and knowledge items for Australian forensic social work. The panel identified these competencies as specialist, meaning requiring further training beyond generalist proficiency. Of these, eight of the skill and knowledge items were seen as essential for graduates entering forensic social work.
Applications
The findings from this study contribute to an evidence-based model of forensic social work competency. In Australia, they can be used to consider potential gaps between current generalist mechanisms and specialist practice expectations. With further research, these findings can be used to inform professional standards for forensic social work in Australia and potentially internationally.
Details
- Title
- The knowledge and skills needed for forensic social work in Australia: A Delphi study
- Authors
- Dimitra Lattas (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Sexual Violence Research and Prevention UnitCindy Davis - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Law and SocietyCatherine Creamer - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Law and SocietyGerard Jefferies - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Law and SocietyShelley Turner - Forensicare (Australia)
- Publication details
- Journal of Social Work , Vol.25(2), pp.197-214
- Publisher
- Sage Publications Ltd.
- Date published
- 2025
- DOI
- 10.1177/14680173241278254
- ISSN
- 1741-296X; 1468-0173
- Copyright note
- © The Author(s) 2024. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).
- Grant note
- This research was funded by Higher Research Degree Commonwealth Support to support the completion of a doctoral degree
- Organisation Unit
- Cancer Research Cluster; School of Law and Society; Sexual Violence Research and Prevention Unit
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991067097302621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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