Open AccessWhat works in helping people and why?
Author(s) -
Donald J. Forrester
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
social work and social sciences review/social work and social sciences review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.16
H-Index - 9
eISSN - 1746-6105
pISSN - 0953-5225
DOI - 10.1921/swssr.v16i2.530
Subject(s) - psychological intervention , intervention (counseling) , randomized controlled trial , relevance (law) , neglect , social work , psychology , key (lock) , work (physics) , engineering ethics , test (biology) , public relations , medicine , nursing , computer science , political science , engineering , mechanical engineering , paleontology , surgery , computer security , law , biology
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are the most rigorous test of effectiveness for any intervention. This article considers RCTs as policy projects, and outlines the key elements of effective delivery of interventions within an RCT. It is argued that conceptualizing RCTs as practice delivery projects provides insights of relevance for effective leadership in social work or other helping professions. Three elements of effective RCT delivery are suggested to be crucial: (a) a theory about the nature of the issues being worked with and how people can be helped by professionals; (b) a detailed description of practice that flows from this and (c) skills development and monitoring methods for ensuring practitioners are delivering practice in this way. These are argued to be key components required for effective leadership in social work. Finally, it is suggested that while there is increasing focus on the common elements within specific interventions there has been a neglect of the common features associated with their delivery. Attention to these might help explain the ‘Dodo bird effect’, in which different interventions often prove to be equally effective, and thereby enrich our appreciation of what works, for whom and why.