Social Work Training Research Articles

Training of future social workers based on competence-based methodology

Training of future social workers based on competence-based methodology

THE INFLUENCE OF MENTORING AND INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERSHIPS ON GOOD PRACTICE MODELS AND PROFESSIONAL TRAINING IN SOCIAL WORK

The relationship with social institutions and the business environment is an essential component both in terms of the employability of graduates of the Social Work specialization and the adaptation of educational plans, of the contents taught to the existing changes in the economic and social environment by consulting employers and professional associations. Beyond the institutional, administrative, and legislative aspects regarding the training of professionals in the field of social assistance, the usefulness of mentors and models of good practice is considered. The practical research from the social assistance specialization of the "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" University of Iași regarding the importance and usefulness of students' practice in their professional training, had as its objectives the identification of difficulties in training professional skills for obtaining skills, the collaboration between professionals and practicing students, the importance practices for social assistance specialization, identifying the perception of professionals towards practicing students as well as identifying the professional's image as a mentor and model for them. The questionnaire was used for the practice coordinators, and for the undergraduate students from the social assistance specialization, reports of the practical activity, structured thematically, were used. The conclusions of the research highlighted their perceptions on the role and training of social workers through practice activity as well as the practical implications and benefits of inter-institutional collaboration in professional training.

THE SKILL TO WORK WITH DATA OF SOCIAL WORKERS: REALITIES VERSUS THE NEED TO STRENGTHEN IT

The article analyses the results of the sociological study carried out by the Department of Sociology and Social Work (Moldova State University), in 2022, with the aim of determining the particularities of training of the competence of data using among professionals in the field of social work. The study highlighted a weak capacity of professionals in the field of social work in operating with data and in using it in decision-making; the use of registers in letter format and poor digitization of the system affects the generation of reliable data and the lack of effective management of human resources and others. The results of the research allowed the identification of the need for interventions in the coming years, which would focus on reducing the gaps in the professional training of social workers and the integration of technological innovations in the system.

Professional training for strengthening the bond between intervention agent and participant in a psychosocial poverty alleviation programme

The objective of this article is to identify relevant aspects of the bond between intervention agents and participants for the training of social workers and other professionals who are involved in programmes with a psychosocial component. A qualitative study was done, with 21 interviews with participants, intervention agents and a team leader, which were analysed using Grounded Theory. Transversal and technical skills, sources of training, facilitators and hinderers, and recommendations for training were identified. We conclude on the relevance of training in transversal and technical skills for the agent–participant bond for improving both social work practice and social care policies.

Bridging the gap between social work and community development: implementing a post-graduate training partnership

ABSTRACT Although, arguably, the origins of social work in the UK have been closely aligned to community development in the past few decades, social work has occupied a bureaucratic landscape focusing primarily on individual risks and needs, leading to both fields drifting further apart. Dismantling of shared values and practices was fueled by layers of government policy and legislation, driven by a neoliberal agenda and public management reforms. However, a horizon of hope emerged when university staff in Social Work and Community Development Departments in Northern Ireland were approached to examine the need to reintroduce community development principles and practices into social work training. This paper aims to trace the development of a post-graduate diploma in community development approaches for professional social workers and analyses research that explores community development as the essence of social work. The programme was developed through a synergistic partnership between university, health trusts and the professional awarding body. Tracking 4 years of programme delivery, the paper highlights the effectiveness of, and learning from, collaboration between the two professions at strategic, technical, and operational levels. We posit here well-learned lessons for future collaborations and make recommendations providing a route map to mainstreaming community development in social work practice.

POTENTIAL OF DUAL FORM OF EDUCATION IN TRAINING OF FUTURE SPECIALISTS IN SOCIAL WORK

The article characterizes dual education as an innovative form of training of qualified specialists, based on the development and deepening of interaction between the professional education system and the professional environment. It is noted that all applied professions have great potential for the use of a dual form of education, in particular, in the field of health care, engineering, economics, tourism, finance and management, and social work. The domestic normative and legal framework of dual education has been analyzed. The experience of Germany, which is the birthplace of dual education, is presented. Traced the process of introducing elements of dual education into the process of training specialists in Ukraine, which began in the mid-2010s with the launch of pilot projects for the training of skilled workers. The advantages and disadvantages of dual education from the point of view of the educational institution, the student and the employer are outlined. The prospects of dual education in the training of social work specialists as representatives of the applied profession are considered. It is emphasized that it is dual education that deepens the connection between theoretical and practical training of future social work specialists, creating conditions for students to learn the laws and principles of professional activity, master the methods and forms of its organization. The article indicates the difficulties and risks that accompany the process of introducing a dual form of education in the training of social workers, in particular: the need to take into account regional aspects of the training of social workers, the unpreparedness of higher education institutions for the introduction of new organizational approaches to education, an undeveloped financing mechanism, the lack of guarantees for the continuation of a graduate’s work at the enterprise, the presence of a full staff of employees, low motivation of education seekers to work in production, lack of mentors at the workplace, etc.

Developmental social work training programmes in the Global South: A scoping review

In moving away from South Africa’s colonial past, social work training needs to embrace indigenised content and empower social workers to move towards practising from a developmental social work perspective. This requires a paradigm shift towards developmental social work training in South Africa. This study was conducted to look at the characteristics and challenges of developmental social work training in the Global South in order for South African social work training institutions to learn from the data and implement more an effective developmental social work training programme. The study was conducted through a scoping review. The five-step scoping review methodology was used to investigate and select recent literature on developmental social work training in the Global South. A thematic analysis was then used to scrutinise selected articles to extract core conclusions and recommendations made by authors to answer research questions. In addition to answering the research question about the characteristics and challenges to teaching developmental social work in the Global South, six main themes that should be highlighted when teaching developmental social work in the Global South were identified and are discussed in the article. These themes are critical thinking and reflective practice; political social work; field placement programmes; indigenisation; de-colonisation and historical context; economic development and empowerment and theoretical course content. For social work to stay relevant in the Global South, it is important for governments to provide universities with resources to enable them to implement effective developmental social work training.

Ageing and loss attitudes of social work students: a cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT The world’s population is radically shifting; with the help of medicine and technology, people live longer and increasingly healthier lives. As a result, professions like social work are faced with the need for new and expert skills and knowledge when working with people of older age and those experiencing loss. To identify such needs, the exploration of current views is paramount as it will shed light to gaps in skills and knowledge altogether. This is a cross-sectional study that examines social work students’ attitudes and perceptions of old age and losses associated with it. A self-administered Qualtrics-based survey was completed by 128 social work students in graduate and postgraduate programmes in England. The study found that social work students generally view old age as a time of increased knowledge or wisdom but associate it highly with nine undesirable domains: loneliness, illness, frailty, lack of respect, losses (mental and physical), identified as ‘grumpy and miserable’, dependency, social disengagement, and the fear of saying goodbye to people (death). The study also identifies ethnic and religious divides in these views, while it concludes with the need for advanced training and education in social work with older people and associated losses experienced.

“Here I’m Black, there I’m White”: Israeli social-workers retrospective perspective on intercultural encounters in India and Ethiopia during their training

ABSTRACT International social work brings about an intercultural encounter between guests and hosts from the North and the South, a division associated with power relations. This type of encounter creates a unique learning space for international social work students. In light of the transformative learning theory, the study examined the retrospective perspective of Israeli social workers regarding their intercultural encounter when visiting India and Ethiopia as part of their international social work training. It focuses on formative experiences, which have the potential to generate transformative learning. Using a qualitative approach and photovoice methodology, data was collected from 14 social workers who had taken part in an international social work program. Three main themes emerged from the analysis: 1) Local professional orientation; 2) Exposure to local social-cultural issues; 3) The intercultural encounter as a mirror of Israeli society. The findings shed light on how formative experiences in a foreign land create a basis for transformative learning. The results suggest the need to replace the term ‘culture shock’ with the notion of disorienting dilemmas in order to serve the goals of reflective learning from intercultural encounters and context-dependent learning in social work education in general, and international social work education in particular.

The Role of Social Work in Facing the Negative Effects of Cyberbullying on Adolescents in Saudi Arabia

This research aims to explore the negative effects of cyberbullying on adolescents in Saudi Arabia and assess the role of social work in addressing the issue. The first objective of this study is to identify the negative effects of cyberbullying on adolescents in Saudi Arabia. The second objective of this study is to assess the role of social work in addressing the issue of cyberbullying in Saudi Arabia. The third objective of this study is to identify the challenges that social workers face in addressing the issue of cyberbullying. This research work is qualitative in nature and follows the systematic review approach to interpret the outcomes. The study employed a qualitative secondary approach, utilizing existing literature and data to identify the key issues related to cyberbullying and the challenges faced by social workers in addressing the issue. The research findings indicate that cyberbullying has serious negative effects on adolescents, including emotional distress, decreased self-esteem, and negative impacts on their academic performance. The role of social work in addressing cyberbullying is crucial, as social workers have the skills and training to provide support for victims. However, the study highlights the challenges faced by social workers, including a lack of training and resources, as well as legal and cultural barriers that make it difficult to effectively address the issue. Based on these findings, the study concludes that a comprehensive and collaborative response is required from a variety of stakeholders, including social workers, policymakers, educators, and technology companies, to effectively address the issue of cyberbullying and protect the well-being of young people in Saudi Arabia. The study reached a number of recommendations, the most important of which are: Social work education and training, Awareness and education, improved support systems, and Policy development.

Buddhist principles that can inform social workers commitment to anti-racism and social justice

ABSTRACT Over the past several years, the media has given greater attention to unarmed Blacks murdered by members of law enforcement. Even though African Americans comprise 13% of the population in the United States, they are disproportionately more likely to die at the hands of police. Many scholars highlight racism is the root of this violence. The premature deaths of unarmed African Americans have resulted in increased attention on anti-racism and social justice efforts, particularly within many Social Work programs in the United States. Since social justice, dignity and worth of the person, and the importance of human relationships are core values within the field of Social Work (National Association of Social Workers), we will examine how social workers may perpetuate racism by engaging in practices that are harmful to oppressed populations. In addition, we will discuss SGI Nichiren Buddhist principles and practices that could be incorporated into social work education and training to lessen the likelihood that social workers will contribute to the problem of racism. Furthermore, we will discuss how social workers can help train members of law enforcement to engage in anti-racist practices. Ultimately, we will examine principles of SGI Nichiren Buddhism that can inform social work’s commitment to anti-racism and social justice.

Exploring Resilience in Social Work Trainees

Exploring Resilience in Social Work Trainees

Learning through simulation: A systematic literature review of the use of virtual reality and augmented reality in social work education

The use of virtual reality as a learning tool is becoming increasingly prevalent in social work education. This systematic review aims to analyse the findings of studies that have applied virtual reality to social work training through thematic and content analyses. Our results show that the main advantages of virtual reality for social work training cited in the literature include improvements in motivation, and the acquisition of competencies and skills specific to the discipline of social work (assessment, diagnosis and intervention), among others. The main limitations include temporal constraints in the application of virtual reality, as well as perceived dehumanisation.

Tools to accelerate anti-racist supervision practices in social work practicum-based education settings

ABSTRACT Due to recent racial injustices in the United States and globally, there is an urgent need for curricular reform in social work education. The profession requires creative tools, techniques and methods that provide strategies for how to dismantle structural racism embedded in the work of both social care systems and social work education and training. The education of social work students offers a vital window of opportunity to equip the next generation to dismantle systems of oppression and engage in justice-oriented action. The authors provide resources to support practicum-based educators in the implementation of anti-racist supervision practices with social work students. Tools and strategies including vocabulary, key terms, skill building and reflection that can guide the development of foundational knowledge for engagement in justice oriented social work practice.

Participatory research with women in the perinatal period: Considerations for reflexive, community-oriented and power-sensitive research practices

This article provides an account of using reflexive participatory methods including study advisory group membership to evaluate a perinatal wellbeing service in an economically deprived area of Scotland. There is little qualitative research that explores the experiences of women accessing perinatal mental health services. This article draws on feminist values and narrative theory to explore the practice, process and ethics of using participatory methods with women in the perinatal period. We explore the blurring of intervention and research group boundaries to consider the service and study advisory group as a space which provided the conditions for collective care and re-storying the self. We explore the study advisory group as an extension of the intervention itself, highlighting the role of community in research practices and in interventions, for women who experience perinatal mental health difficulties. We reflect on the ‘sticky’ practice of navigating epistemic and decision-making power in participatory research, including the dual positionalities of being two academic researchers who come to research with therapeutic training in counselling, psychotherapy and social work. We call for reflexive, community-oriented and flexible approaches when using participatory methods with populations that might be considered vulnerable, marginalised or stigmatised.

К вопросу о профессиональном здоровье социальных работников

The article considers modern aspects of professional health of social workers. Today, the practice of social services carries out a systematic transition from various aspects of social control and patronage to psychosocial technologies of personality-oriented and social interaction, psychological and social counseling, collective and individual work with requests from various social groups of the population and clients of social services in general. The main purpose of the type of professional activity of a social worker, according to the professional standard, is to provide social services to recipients of social services in order to improve living conditions and (or) expand their ability to independently provide for their basic life needs. Social workers, in the process of performing diverse work functions, may face various professional stresses and difficulties, which, in turn, may affect their professional health, the development of professional deformation and the occurrence of symptoms of professional burnout. The rather rapid pace of digital transformation of educational activities entails the need to transform approaches to the professional training of social workers in the context of understanding the basics of maintaining professional health as a subject of labor both during training in higher educational institutions and in the process of mastering additional professional programs. For already working social workers with a certain experience of social activity, in the context of maintaining professional health, it is advisable to implement programs of psychological and pedagogical support of professional activity. In constantly changing socio-economic conditions, social workers need to maintain their professional and personal potential, which will allow them to be involved in active social life and in professional activity.

SOCIAL AND PEDAGOGICAL TECHNOLOGIES WORK IN COMMUNITIES

and social work. She investigates the role and significance of the use of technologies in socio-pedagogical practice, as well as their impact on the quality of personality of social work clients.The article also highlights important aspects of professional training of future social workers to use technologies in their work, as well as challenges and opportunities created due to their implementation. That is why the article is relevant for social workers in the community, students and researchers who are interested in the issues of the modern socio-pedagogical sphere.This article is devoted to the role and importance of social work in communities in modern society. It examines the main aspects of social work aimed at improving the quality of life and well-being of various social groups, including the vulnerable and the needy.The article analyzes the roles and functions of social workers in communities, their methods and tools, as well as the importance of cooperation with other services and organizations to achieve successful results. It also emphasizes ethical aspects and principles that guide social work in communities.This article is a useful source of information for social work professionals, students, researchers, and anyone interested in community social work and its importance for sustainable societal development. It was established that the main method of social work is work in the community. An important feature of social work in the community is the spontaneous combination of ordinary citizens as a moral obligation and the desire to do good work with the professional activity of social workers. All this is an important experience for social workers working in the community.
 Keywords: technologies; socio-pedagogical technologies; social worker; volunteering; community; counseling; training; social animation; disability; monitoring.

‘Raising their voices’: Explaining the policy practice of minority social workers in multicultural societies

The present article presents empirical evidence regarding factors that explain the involvement of social workers from minority groups in policy practice based on data from an extensive survey of social workers from the Arab minority group in Israel ( n = 218). The findings revealed that the sociopolitical context of an ethnic minority significantly affects their involvement in policy practice. In order to increase the involvement of minority social workers in policy arenas in multicultural societies, professional bodies and social work training frameworks should provide social workers with knowledge resources and professional skills, including tailored organizational support.

Social Work with No Recourse to Public Fund Migrants: Obstacles and Strategies

Abstract Migrants with no recourse to public funds (NRPFs) are vulnerable to destitution due to the NRPF condition attached to their immigration status. In this quantitative study, fifty-five social workers in England completed an anonymous online survey identifying the obstacles faced in their practice with NRPF migrants and any strategies they developed to overcome these impediments. Informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework, the study identified four main obstacles when working with NRPF migrants: lack of resources to support NRPF migrants; lack of knowledge/skills; negative attitudes from colleagues and insufficient institutional support. Compared to their local authority counterparts, NHS social workers expressed lower levels of confidence in their knowledge and skill level, and received less specific training, organisational guidance and support in their work with NRPF migrants. A 4-fold typology of strategies used by social workers to overcome obstacles was devised from responses to an open-ended question. In addition to the need for more resourcing, the findings suggest a need for social work education and training on how to effectively support NRPF migrants using extant legislation and agencies, and suggest knowledge exchange to promote inter-agency collaboration.

MODEL OF SOFT SKILLS FORMATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS IN THE CONDITIONS OF AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract. The article analyzes the holistic process of forming soft skills of future social workers in higher education institutions; summarizes scientific and methodological developments in the formation of soft skills of students; defines the structural and functional model of soft skills formation in future social workers in the context of professional training; characterizes the set of basic structural blocks of the structural and functional model of soft skills formation of future social workers, namely target, content, theoretical and methodological. The content of each of the blocks identified in the model is briefly described. The factors that cause the problematic nature of building a model for the formation of soft skills are indicated. The characteristic features of professional training of social workers in higher education institutions are indicated. It is noted that the unity of all structural blocks in the structural and functional model of soft skills formation ensures the integrity of the professional training of future social workers in the educational process of higher education institutions. The article will be useful for students and teachers who are interested in the professional development of social workers.