Capital, collaboration, and identity: A Bourdieusian analysis of social work in multi-disciplinary team practice

Abstract

This article focuses on social workers’ experiences of mental health multi-disciplinary team (MDT) practice in one English National Health Service (NHS) trust. The ongoing policy drive towards the integration of health and social care services, and the consequent challenge to distinct professional knowledge, roles, and skills is considered. Twenty-one social workers participated in semi-structured interviews. Participants worked for or with an NHS trust: some were employed in generic practitioner roles, rather than social work posts. Reflexive thematic data analysis (Braun and Clarke 2006) was undertaken, and Bourdieu’s (1977) concepts of habitus, field, and capital were used to analyse the data themes. Analysis identified three themes: capital—the challenges of MDT practice; collaboration—the positive aspects of MDT practice; and identity—sociological and legal knowledge in MDT practice. The different employment, role, and organizational contexts influenced practitioners’ experiences of MDTs and their ability to make a distinct contribution to their team. Social workers employed directly by a local authority, working in named social work roles, appeared more certain of their professional identity and role. The strength and influence of social work in MDT practice cannot be assumed, and the implications of these findings for practice are discussed.