On Friday I had the pleasure of spending the day with the Chief Social Workers (CSWs). Isabelle Trowler (CSW for Children and Families) and Lyn Romeo (CSW for Adults) spent the day in York to meet with
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Frontline: The Unanswered Questions
Frontline officially launched last week. But many questions remained stubbornly unanswered. I have no expectation that they will be answered, but they need re-stating nonetheless. Social work practitioners have voiced their concerns. For example, Fighting
Continue ReadingSocial work: adding value to mental health services
Conferences are a great way to meet colleagues to share experiences and interests. But there is a real skill in putting together the right ingredients to make it an occasion. With online streaming, global connectivity
Continue ReadingService user and carer involvement in social work education
On Tuesday I spoke at a conference on service user and carer involvement in social work education at the University of Hull. It was a really interesting day, with a good blend of people who
Continue ReadingSocial work educators’ response to Frontline proposals
The announcement of the proposal to fast-track 'bright' graduates into social work via the Frontline scheme has met with mixed reactions from the profession. The press releases from The College of Social Work and the British
Continue ReadingTowards a definition of social work
What do social workers actually do? I'm sure you have been asked that question many times, or you may have asked it of social workers if you are not one yourself. Unfortunately, there is no easy
Continue ReadingResearch methods and social work: ne’er the twain shall meet?
Social workers are generally not excited by research methods. Granted, it's not a particularly sexy topic and the technical nature of research can seems miles away from the reality of practice. Apart from nerds like
Continue ReadingMeaningful involvement of service users and carers in social work education
About a year ago the British Journal of Social Work published online our paper about a study exploring stakeholder perspectives on the meaningful involvement of service users and carers in social work education. This paper
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