Demonstrating Social Work Expertise: Social Work Research from the Field

It is a characteristic of the development of social work theory that it frequently emerges from practice. For this and other reasons the profession places enormous emphasis on the capabilities and qualities social workers require in order to practice, recognising that the feedback loops between practice–theory–practice are essential to the development of the profession. The highly, and justifiably, valued reflective practitioner is one whose expertise and skill rests on a capacity to rigorously examine the impact of their work, the blind spots and the insights that motivate, shape, and explain what they do in the complex and messy “swampland” of everyday practice, and out of which theory for practice emerges. In light of this, it is unsurprising that readers of this journal have indicated a strong interest in practice-focused articles. For example, in the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) national survey of 2019 the following findings were noteworthy: 76% of respondents (854) indicated “yes” to reading ASW; the top two areas of interest regarding items published were: practice-based articles—80% of respondents; research-based articles—78% of respondents.

Research from the Field

In this Issue we have published eight papers that specifically address the theme of social work in practice settings. Seven of these focus in particular on the role and the experiences of social workers in different practice settings: Frederico et al. (2020) have reported on the knowledge and skills service providers need in working with care leavers, whom they refer to as “Forgotten Australians”; Hardy et al. (2020) have argued persuasively for a role for social workers in aged care facilities; Maylea et al. (2020) have urged social workers to engage in practice to enhance the physical health of people with mental health issues; Egan and Hill (2020) have explored the role of liaison in social work students’ field education. The social worker–client relationship itself is the focus of Rollins (2020) research; and Collins et al. (2020) have reported on their use of data mining to investigate ways in which hospital social workers might improve their responses to situations involving elder abuse. Onnis et al.’s (2020) paper describes and analyses the development of an effective model in which Indigenous people lead family wellbeing programs, providing strategies that social workers (and other service providers) might adopt in similar settings. Williams et al. (2020) have reported on the experiences of service users as voiced by parents of adolescents with anorexia nervosa. It is exciting that we are able to present these varying perspectives on social work practice in one issue, demonstrating the scope of social workers actively researching practice issues.

Practice Research from the Field

What is less common is research that is undertaken either in coordination with or driven by service users themselves. Such research is perhaps more challenging with regard to researchers and co-researchers navigating ethics requirements and having adequate resources of time to plan and engage with service users (and vice versa) in so doing, but it is an area from which much will be learned of direct and often highly practical importance for practice. In addition, social work educators and organisations have a role to play in developing positions for practitioner-researchers, where practitioners themselves have the skills and resources (of time in particular) to undertake research into issues arising in their own practice and practice settings. Certainly, much work has been done over the last 20 years in this area but there is always room for more (see McDermott, 2018).

Social Work Knowledge Exchange

Significantly, one of the issues that has arisen in relation to the current pandemic is the recognition of what comprises “essential services”—a (perhaps belated) recognition of the primacy of services that are fundamental to healing, feeding, protecting, caring for people, and maintaining the cleanliness of the environment. Central to “essential services” are (and always have been) social workers. In the previous issue of Australian Social Work (July, 2020), we put out a call for papers on social work experiences and research findings during COVID-19. Our plan is to sequester a section in each forthcoming issue to publish articles on this topic. Alongside this call for papers, we have invited practitioners and others on the “front line” of service delivery to contribute to what we have named the Knowledge Exchange Project. These are short (500 word) reflections on what it has been and is like working in direct practice consequent to the changes to services and service delivery during the pandemic. We are hopeful that this encouragement to practitioners might stimulate further thought and activity in undertaking scholarly research once they have a “taste” for the importance of reflecting on and reporting their own practice experiences. Practitioner research matters!

The Knowledge Exchange Project

Eight contributions to the Knowledge Exchange Project are published here. James Semmens describes and reflects on his experience as a social work student learning in class and in the field during lockdown. Paula Anastasi recounts her beginning practice as a hospital social worker under COVID-19. Four reflective pieces—by Sharon John, Sarah Booth and Annie Venville, Juliana Oliveri, and Margaret de Kam—describe social workers’ experiences in working in hospitals with patients, carers, families, and the health professionals’ team. There are several common themes highlighted in these reflective pieces that underscore the challenges of maintaining the ethics and values synonymous with social work practice despite the difficulties posed by quarantine, mask-wearing, and patient isolation. Penny Lording reflects on her experiences of working from home—the unanticipated demands and stresses of so doing. Asia Swida describes the changes that a restorative justice service has made in order to continue delivering outreach and support to service users when face-to-face contact is impossible.

The Silent Pandemic

One of the most important things we, in Australia in particular, and in concert with other countries such as New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam, have learned during the onset of the pandemic has been political recognition for expertise—the expertise of scientists, epidemiologists, public health researchers, virologists, and medical workers. It seems that this re-valuing of expertise and the development of policies based on expert knowledge has in large part been key to current success in limiting deaths and mitigating spread of the virus. Similarly, we have been forced to confront at a global level the impact of social inequalities, highlighting that those most at risk of death and infection have been black people, people of colour, people in poverty, and those reliant on the informal economy. What has been termed the “silent pandemic”, namely the upswing in domestic and family violence, while not unexpected during lockdowns, is crying out for effective response—and here again social workers remain at the forefront in service design and delivery. The recognition that Indigenous Australians are at increased risk has prompted effective interventions to protect them, most importantly enacted in coordination with Indigenous communities.

Recognition for Social Work

The benefits accruing from this recognition of the value of expertise must be maintained, and it is here that social work is so well placed to contribute. Social work practitioners, academics and researchers work directly where the impacts of the pandemic—health-wise, economically and socially—are being most keenly felt. This must act as a strong incentive and motivator for the profession to research and analyse the impact felt in communities and among individuals as the pandemic unfolds and evolves. By so doing it is possible to keep public attention on these social costs, and the role that social work policymakers, practitioners, researchers, and activists play in doing so. One of the lessons we are presently learning concerns the way in which our societies are inextricably interconnected, locally, and globally and, as many have remarked, the “success” in overcoming the virus can only be achieved if it is success within all countries and communities. Social work is a global profession. Social workers have many links and interconnections with colleagues across the globe, and, as borders may close, these connections need to be reinforced more than ever. Electronic communication makes that possible, enabling us to learn from other countries how social workers are working with similar challenges as well as contributing to the global social work knowledge base.

The Global Social Work Research Network

With reference to online engagement by the global social work community, several groups have contributed and circulated resources and items of interest to social work colleagues during the pandemic. Among these:

• In April, the AASW established a live COVID-19 group on its Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/TheAASW/

• The University of Buffalo School of Social Work put out a call for resources to support social work academics and field educators to support social work students, who were studying during the COVID-19 outbreak and suddenly in lockdown—a comprehensive online google document can be accessed at: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mXxjFJxd2J6t_pwioWKBYSaCbO5kVOjbb2dsXlpZmRs/edit#gid=992441030.

• The Australian New Zealand Social Work and Welfare Education and Research (ANZSWWER) National Field Education Network in Australia followed with the creation of an online Resource Repository https://www.anzswwer.org/nfen/resource-repository/

• The International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) in collaboration with the Social Work Action Network has been running regular COVID-19 updates and roundtables discussing what is happening around the world https://www.ifsw.org/ and the IFSW Conference was offered (online) at no cost this year.

• The Social Work Health Inequalities Network (http://blogs.coventry.ac.uk/swhin/) has been very active, particularly since the outbreak of COVID-19, in posting blogs from social workers in many countries regarding social workers’ experiences and responses to the pandemic, as well as circulating research, resources, and links.

The publication of quality, peer-reviewed research such as in this journal is vital to the ongoing exchange of knowledge and practice initiatives. As we go to publication of this Issue, we can report that in 2019 the Journal's Impact Factor has risen to 1.4, up from 1.2 in 2018, and is now ranked among the highest social work journal rankings globally. We need to seize the moment—acknowledge our expertise and promote it in a climate newly valuing it. We look forward to receiving papers and continuing to build the published, peer-reviewed knowledgebase demonstrating social work expertise.