Arnold Thornton-Rice explores the dilemmas of looking at service users’ social media feeds in the absence of policy guidance. Where do the boundaries of privacy lie?
Social media presents many dilemmas for social workers. Posting about practice and breaching confidentiality can lead to professional sanctions, for example. Also, social media usage can entrench views and lead to the polarisation of perspectives. However, it can also be a force for good in helping social workers to shape their professional identity and discover opportunities for their professional development.
A particular dilemma for social workers is if they should look at service users’ social media to find information to inform their assessments or in the event of a crisis. These problems are not necessarily new, but rapidly-evolving technology means that policy and guidance lags behind practice.
This episode features a conversation with Arnold Thornton-Rice who conducted a study to explore practitioners perspectives on this ‘invisible frontier’. Arnold is a qualified social worker with a research interest in the intersections between the internet, privacy and mental health.
The full text of the paper can be accessed here:
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