Background and study aims
Social work clients often face complex financial problems. Although social workers can address their clients’ financial problems through a variety of practice strategies, little is known of how effective these strategies are in resolving financial difficulties. Researchers have developed a financial social work intervention to increase financial literacy and economic self-efficacy and to reduce financial anxiety among Finnish parents. The purpose of this study is to explore the model’s effectiveness. The intervention consists of five sequential sessions. The sessions form a counselling process that motivates the subject to change how they handle their finances.
This research project is a pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT). The aim is to determine the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention and its evaluation with a pilot RCT before undertaking a full RCT. Specifically, the objectives are to explore whether and in what way this pilot RCT is feasible, how the intervention meets its goals, and the completeness and appropriateness of the outcome measures.