A 24 Hour Duty System: Using Practitioner Research to Manage the Stress

Following a sharp annual rise in the number of referrals received, the Rochdale NSPCC Child Protection Team decided to research its referral and investigative service. Using a questionnaire to collect data, a much fuller picture of the team's work in this area was developed. This enabled the team to feel more in control of a stressful and unpredictable sphere of responsibility. The process of the research is briefly described, an analysis of some of the findings is offered and the team's reactions to the research are discussed. The advantages of having practitioner-researchers are highlighted.