ABSTRACT
A number of benefits might be expected from task-centred casework. In keeping with the ideas, clients in the follow-up sample were asked a number of questions about process, outcome and the general effect of their encounter with the social worker on their lives. Not surprisingly, there were strong and statistically significant associations between the various possible measures of outcome. Clients who feel that their problems have been reduced may be more likely to speak favourably of all other aspects of the process, irrespective of whether these had produced the good effect. In order to examine the meaning of the statistical associations in more detail, it is useful to break the success cases down into the ‘mothering’, ‘ally’ and ‘go-between’ groups and then examine the clients’ replies. The fundamental requirement of such a role is availability, and this was valued by the five success cases in the ‘mothering’ group.
