Kontakt 2025, 27(2):179-184 | DOI: 10.32725/kont.2025.027

Work-life harmony strategies of child protection authority workersSocial Sciences in Health - Original article

Jana Voldánová1, Monika Punová2, *
1 Youth Home and School Canteen Pardubice, Pardubice, Czech Republic
2 Masaryk University, Faculty of Social Studies, Department of Social Policy and Social Work, Brno, Czech Republic

Introduction: The topic of work-life harmony of Child Protection Authority (OSPOD) workers is crucial, not only for their personal well-being, but also for the long-term sustainability of this demanding profession. This article focuses on developing a deeper understanding of the strategies that workers use to maintain work-life harmony, and provides insights into the role of organizational support in this process.

Methods: The research was conducted through interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) and qualitative semi-structured interviews.

Results: The results show that employees use a variety of individual strategies such as self-development, mindset, networking, time management and personal space for relaxation. They perceive support from the organization mainly through supervision, flexible working hours, professional training, and employee benefits. An interesting finding was that workers did not pay attention to the development of spiritual needs, which are an important aspect of wellbeing.

Conclusion: The study highlights the importance of systematic organizational support in the field of work-life harmony and recommends measures that can contribute to the development of wellbeing of workers and their sustainability in the profession.

Keywords: Child protection; Resilience; Social work; Work-life harmony
Grants and funding:

Masaryk University, the Czech Republic, funded the grants for this study. Grant number: MUNI/A/1748/2024.

Conflicts of interest:

The authors are not aware of any conflict of interest relating to the above contribution. They confirm that they participated in the preparation of this article.

Received: February 7, 2025; Revised: April 9, 2025; Accepted: April 29, 2025; Prepublished online: June 10, 2025; Published: June 23, 2025  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Voldánová J, Punová M. Work-life harmony strategies of child protection authority workers. Kontakt. 2025;27(2):179-184. doi: 10.32725/kont.2025.027.
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. . Beddoe L, Ferguson H, Warwick L, Disney T, Leigh J, Cooner TS (2022). Supervision in child protection: A space and place for reflection or an excruciating marathon of compliance? Eur J Soc Work 25(3): 525-537. DOI: 10.1080/13691457.2021.1964443. Go to original source...
    2. . Beníšková G, Punová M (2020). Postoje pomáhajících pracovníků působících ve veřejné správě k zátěžovým situacím. Sociální práce / Sociálna práca 20(3): 69-83.
    3. . Boiarintseva G, Richardson J (2019). Work-life balance and male lawyers: A socially constructed and dynamic process. Pers Rev 48(4): 866-879. DOI: 10.1108/PR-02-2017-0038. Go to original source...
    4. . Brown LE (2023). The inclusion of spirituality/religion in child welfare practice: Strengths and barriers. J Public Child Welf 18(1): 135-157. DOI: 10.1080/15548732.2023.2171525. Go to original source...
    5. . Campbell E, Holtzhausen L (2020). Compassion Fatigue and Resilience among Child Protection Service Workers in South Africa. South Afr J Soc Work Soc Dev 31(1): 1-18. DOI: 10.25159/2415-5829/6309. Go to original source...
    6. . Canda ER, Furman LD, Canda HJ (2020). Spiritual diversity in social work practice: The heart of helping (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press, 624 p.
    7. . Clark CS (2000). Work-family boundary theory: A new theory of work-life balance. Hum Relat 53(6): 747-770. DOI: 10.1177/0018726700536001. Go to original source...
    8. . de Guzman A, Carver-Roberts T, Leake R, Rienks S (2019). Retention of child welfare workers: staying strategies and supports. J Public Child Welf 14(1): 60-79. DOI: 10.1080/15548732.2019.1683121. Go to original source...
    9. . Dimmrothová R, Křivánková M, Navrátil P, Hendrychová V (2024). Risk factors contributing to crossing professional boundaries in the context of COVID-19 in the Czech Republic. Br J Soc Work 54(3): 976-994. DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcad215. Go to original source...
    10. . Figley CR (1995). Compassion fatigue as Secondary Traumatic Stress Disorder: An Overview. In: Figley CR (Ed.). (1995). Compassion fatigue: Coping with secondary traumatic stress disorder in those who treat the traumatized. New York: Routledge, pp. 1-20.
    11. . Greenhaus J, Powell NG (2006). When work and family are allies: A theory of work-family enrichment. Acad Manag Rev 31(1): 72-92. DOI: 10.5465/amr.2006.19379625. Go to original source...
    12. . Griffiths A, Royse D, Culver K, Piescher K, Zhang Y (2017). Who stays, who goes, who knows? A statewide survey of child welfare workers. Child Youth Serv Rev 77: 110-117. DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.04.012. Go to original source...
    13. . Hill EJ, Allen S, Jacob J, Bair AF, Bikhazi SL, Van Langeveld A, et al. (2007). Work-family facilitation: Expanding theoretical understanding through qualitative exploration. Adv Dev Hum Resour 9(4): 507-526. DOI: 10.1177/1523422307305490. Go to original source...
    14. . Lizano EL, He AS, Leake R (2021). Caring for our child welfare workforce: A holistic framework of worker well-being. Hum Serv Organ Manag Leadersh Gov 45(4): 281-292. DOI: 10.1080/23303131.2021.1932658. Go to original source...
    15. . McFadden P (2020). Two sides of one coin? Relationships build resilience or contribute to burnout in child protection social work: shared perspectives from Leavers and Stayers in Northern Ireland. Int Soc Work 63(2): 164-176. DOI: 10.1177/0020872818788393. Go to original source...
    16. . McFadden P, Mallett J, Campbell A, Taylor B (2019). Explaining self-reported resilience in child-protection social work: The role of organisational factors, demographic information and job characteristics. Br J Soc Work 49(1): 198-216. DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcy015. Go to original source...
    17. . McMillan SH, Morris LM, Atchley EK (2011). Constructs of the work/life interface: A synthesis of the literature and introduction of the concept of work/life harmony. Hum Resour Dev Rev 10(1): 6-25. DOI: 10.1177/1534484310384958. Go to original source...
    18. . Miller JJ, Donohue-Dioh J, Niu C, Grise-Owens E, Poklembova Z (2019). Examining the self-care practices of child welfare workers: A national perspective. Child Youth Serv Rev 99: 240-245. DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.02.009. Go to original source...
    19. . Molakeng MH, Trutter E, Fouché A (2021). Resilience of child protection social workers: a scoping review. Eur J Soc Work 24(6): 1028-1050. DOI: 10.1080/13691457.2021.1901660. Go to original source...
    20. . Munro E (2011). The Munro Review of Child Protection: final report, a child-centred system. The Stationery Office, 175 p.
    21. . Navrátil P (1998). Sociální práce jako sociální konstrukce. Sociologický časopis 34(1): 37-50. Go to original source...
    22. . Navrátil P (2015). How to develop and manage a participative organization in social services with children and youth? In: Pech M (Ed.). The International Scientific Conference INPROFORUM 2015. University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Economics, pp. 87-92.
    23. . Navrátilová J (2015). Life coaching as a means to build the identity of young people. In: Proceedings of the 9th International Scientific Conference INPROFORUM: Common challenges - Different solutions - Mutual dialogue. University of South Bohemia, pp. 93-98.
    24. . Navrátilová J, Navrátil P, Punová M (2021). The Well-being of Children and Young People: The Context of Social Services from the Perspective of the Capability Approach. Clin Soc Work Health 12(4): 49-61. DOI: 10.22359/cswhi_12_4_06. Go to original source...
    25. . Nissen L (2020). Social work and the future in a post-COVID-19 world: A foresight lens and a call to action for the profession. J Technol Hum Serv 38(4): 309-330. DOI: 10.1080/15228835.2020.1796892. Go to original source...
    26. . Ong HLC, Jeyaraj S (2014). Work-life interventions: Differences between work-life balance and work-life harmony and its impact on creativity at work. Sage Open 4(3): 1-11. DOI: 10.1177/2158244014544289. Go to original source...
    27. . Punová M (2022). Resilience and Personality Dispositions of Social Workers in the Czech Republic. Practice 34(3): 207-222. DOI: 10.1080/09503153.2021.2021166. Go to original source...
    28. . Punová M (2024). Strengthening the resilience of students and social workers. In: Baikady R, Przeperski J, Sajid SM, Islam R (Eds). The Oxford Handbook of Power, Politics, and Social Work. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 792-808. DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780197650899.013.43. Go to original source...
    29. . Punová M, Kreuzziegerová D, Navrátil P (2022). Resilience factors of social workers working with families in need. Sociální práce / Sociálna práca 22(4): 99-110.
    30. . Rose S, Palattiyil G (2020). Surviving or thriving? Enhancing the emotional resilience of social workers in their organizational settings. J Soc Work 20(1): 23-42. DOI: 10.1177/1468017318793614. Go to original source...
    31. . Smith AJ, Flowers P, Larkin M (2009). Interpretive phenomenological analysis: Theory, method and research. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 232 p.
    32. . Stanley LHK, Lutz S, Sabuncu BC, Magruder L, Wilke DJ (2023). Child welfare workers' self-care activities and impacts on health and well-being. J Workplace Behav Health 39(4): 418-439. DOI: 10.1080/15555240.2023.2274075. Go to original source...
    33. . Wilkins D (2023). Seven principles of effective supervision for child and family social work. Practice 36(3): 213-229. DOI: 10.1080/09503153.2023.2261148. Go to original source...

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which permits non-comercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content