‘Whatever you say, say something’: the education, training and practice of mental health social workers in Northern Ireland

Abstract

This article describes and analyses a range of sometimes contradictory factors which have shaped the education, training and practice of mental health social workers1 in Northern Ireland. It begins with two accounts of the authors' personal and professional experiences, which reveal tensions in the social work role and the influence of the political conflict on judgement-making. It is argued that a critical analysis of the State in Northern Ireland helps to explain high standards of social work education and training, but also the reluctance by social workers to deal with issues associated with ‘the Troubles’ (the Troubles is a term used to describe the conflict in Northern Ireland). Nonetheless, the article concludes with an optimistic appraisal of current and future developments in the education, training and practice of mental health social workers, particularly in the context of a rapidly changing political and social environment.