Rehumanising ourselves and our services through radical relationality

Abstract

Many systemically-informed practitioners find ourselves working in neoliberal systems of ever-more marketization and bureaucracy, with ever-dwindling resources. This is exacerbated by a global financial downturn and political instability following the pandemic, leading to growing hardship and inequality for those we work alongside, and disproportionately impacting the most vulnerable families in society. This includes families involved in child protection and care proceedings. We draw on four research studies (with birth parents whose children were removed into care, social workers working in child protection, and practitioners supporting birth relatives) to show surprising similarities between the impact of these developments on vulnerable families and practitioners. We describe shared disillusionment with dehumanising practices and a longing for basic human connection. We suggest that systemic theory has much to offer in relation to practices that can sustain and orientate towards radical relationality and share examples of such systemic practices.