Supporting the Needs of Social Workers

An Evaluation of A Peer-Based Coaching Service in Northern Ireland

Bibliographic Data

ID17757759
AuthorsJim Campbell (0000-0002-2702-1122, Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland, corresponding author), Carolyn Blair (0000-0001-5454-5813, Queens University Belfast), Rachel Leonard (0000-0002-8753-4632, School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work, Queens University Belfast, Belfast, UK)
Year2026
Publication date2026-04-09
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Social Work (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1468-0173 • E-ISSN: 1741-296X
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/14680173261435143
OpenAlexW7134847933
LanguageEN
References cited25

This article describes and analyses an evaluation of a coaching service that was delivered to social workers in Northern Ireland. It begins with a review of the literature on coaching which reveals the complex, sometimes contradictory definitions and applications that are applied in these forms of professional support. The article then highlights the context for the evaluation and important factors about how Northern Ireland not only shares similarities but also differs in some aspects of social work policy, practice, and education, when compared to other countries of the United Kingdom. Findings The evaluation used a mixed method approach to ascertain the experiences of coachees ( n = 20) who received the service and coaches ( n = 2) who delivered the service. The results revealed a range of issues about coachees’ perceptions and experiences of job satisfaction, motivation, goals, and concerns about stress, and the limits of organizational supports. Participants were then asked about their views of the coaching service. Coachees were generally positive about the service, helping them renew their enthusiasm for practice and coaches appeared valued in the way that they delivered the service. These findings were broadly mirrored in responses by coaches. Applications The article concludes with a recommendation that employees should consider coaching approaches to supplement existing support services and that wider structural contexts are important factors in understanding such professional stressors

Coaching · Child Therapy and Development · Coaching Methods and Impact · Counseling, Therapy, and Family Dynamics