Systemic temporal constructions and care

Care requires time and timing is an inherent dimension of responsiveness. Time, then, is fundamental to care and, hence, an important consideration in rethinking society from a caring perspective. In relation to this, the analysis explores the possibilities for and dilemmas pertaining to presence, persistency and patience, which are key to care. In addition, this chapter explores how the temporal imperatives of the current political climate condition the time for and the timing of care in social work with children and families in vulnerable positions and situations. Two organisational approaches to social work – a social investment programme and a commissioner-supplier model – are analysed to illustrate how different temporal constructions are imbued with expectations of social change and distributions of care responsibilities. The concluding section summarises and analytical key points in relation to the conditioning of care in social work and discusses how social work may contribute to a caring society by providing reflexive experience concerning the dilemmas involved in presence, persistency and patience.