Institutional betrayal in professional care

Trust, power, and the dialectics of care in social work

Abstract

This paper explores institutional abuse as institutional betrayal in child care and in social work more generally, highlighting how breaches of trust and misuse of power negatively affect cared-for children and carers themselves under current authoritarian trends. It examines the dialectical relationship between autonomy and dependency from a psychological and political perspective, emphasising the centrality of trust in healthy psychological development, professional practice, and citizen solidarity. Practical implications for care professionals are derived from a dialectical use of personal identity, experience, theoretical knowledge, and team support, advocating for reflective, empathic, and flexible approaches that transcend rigid institutional routines. Epistemic betrayal needs to be challenged through epistemic justice in recognising and responding to the voices of those affected. The paper calls for a transformation of authoritarian institutional and political welfare cultures towards ethics of care, where trust is actively promoted at both interpersonal and organisational levels to combat institutional betrayal and create a comprehensive “holding environment” (Winnicott).