A model of professional knowledge for social work practice

Abstract

This article develops a model of professional knowledge for social work. The development of professional knowledge in social work has largely been influenced by knowledge from other areas of the social sciences such as psychology, sociology, social policy and organisational theory as well as being influenced by historical trends. Social science knowledge has, in turn, been influenced by the scientific method.

The professional knowledge of social work can be categorised into five main knowledge forms. These are theoretical, empirical, procedural, practice wisdom and personal knowledge. Each of these forms is not a discrete category but there is considerable overlap between each area. However, it is also useful to consider each area separately as the research has demonstrated that social workers rely on some types of knowledge more than others.

The research literature has demonstrated that theoretical and empirical knowledge forms are used infrequently in social work practice. It is argued that this imbalance needs to be addressed in order for social workers to make effective practice decisions.