Protocol for a mixed methods study to examine social workers' implementation of national guidelines with children in care who self-harm

<ns3:p>Background The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines on self-harm (2022) aim to improve the quality of care for individuals who self-harm in all services and settings. A rapid review of the literature revealed an absence of research on social workers' implementation of the guidelines and their implementation with children. This study aims to address this gap in the literature. Children in care are at increased risk of self-harm, with risk rates between two and four-fold higher than children without care experience. However, very little is known about how this risk is assessed and managed. Although social work professionals are expected to take the NICE guidelines on self-harm fully into account, alongside the individual needs, preferences, and values of the child, it is not known if children's social workers are aware of and implement the NICE guidelines on self-harm with children in care. Methods A mixed-methods approach will be used, consisting of two research phases. The first phase involves collecting data from a large-scale online quantitative survey, exploring children’s social workers’ knowledge of the NICE guidelines on self-harm and their opportunities, capabilities, and motivations to implement them with children in care. In the second phase, semi-structured interviews with social workers will be conducted to identify specific barriers and facilitators to NICE guideline implementation with children in care who self-harm. Discussion The study will provide important insights into the factors influencing how children’s social workers assess and manage self-harm and contribute to the literature on NICE guideline implementation. The results of this study will inform the development of interventions aimed at improving the quality of care and support of children in care who self-harm.</ns3:p>