Social Workers and Gambling Harms? Evaluating an Initiative in Three English Local Authorities

Summary We report on the evaluation phase of a study which developed questions to identify people who were affected by gambling harms for use in adult social care services and piloted them in three English local authorities. The questions were designed to identify those affected by gambling harms, including family or friends of those who gamble. The evaluation involved interviews with staff and service users ( n = 28) assessing the acceptability, feasibility and appropriateness of asking about gambling harms in adult social care. Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. We also assessed the feasibility of collecting question response data, and whether it was possible to determine if one of our two candidate questions could be recommended. Findings Social work practitioners agreed that identifying and supporting people being harmed by gambling was an acceptable area of practice. They found it more feasible and appropriate to ask about gambling harms in welfare advice and debt support, integrated learning disability and multiagency safeguarding hub, rather than adult social care, single-point-of-access “front-door” services. Applications Facilitators to embedding enquiry about gambling harms in adult social care were: funded staff training, ongoing support, and management capacity. Barriers were: staff perceptions about relevance to service users, staff discomfort with the topic, and competing demands. Based on our findings, two questions for identifying gambling harms to individuals/affected others are recommended: Is your gambling or that of someone else causing you any worries? Do you feel you are affected by any gambling, either your own or someone else's?