The DNA of social work as a human rights practice from a frontline social workers’ perspective in Flanders

Abstract

ABSTRACT Societal and political developments in European welfare states challenge the core principles of social justice, human rights, collective responsibility and respect for diversity that underpin social work. At the same time, however, in many European countries, there is a revival of a more transformative social work discourse aimed at the fight for social justice and the realisation of human rights. Gaining insight into the implementation of this human rights approach in social work requires that it be studied in everyday practice, since rights are not rigid structures but social and political constructions. In Flanders a two-year research process was therefore set up with frontline social work practitioners to explore the common ground of diverse social work practices in realising a rights-based practice. Through a qualitative analysis of these frontline perspectives, complemented with input from diverse stakeholders, we identified five building blocks as the DNA of a strong social work focusing on the realisation of a rights approach: (1) politicising work, (2) proximity, (3) process logic, (4) generalist practice, and (5) working in a connecting way.