What can social workers learn about community development in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic?

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has created an opportunity to re-explore community development in the context of social work. In Northern Ireland (NI), community development is a central component of a social work student’s practice placement, whereby students must evidence how they have met this. Over time, we have witnessed the reduction of community development to leaflet making (based on feedback from Practice Teachers across NI using a mentimetre tool). This article addresses what social work students and practitioners can take forward in terms of community development in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The article will use NI as a case example to draw on COVID-19 inspired community development case studies, taking examples from practice, including work conducted online, and the role, practice, and efficacy of virtual community development during a time of physical distancing. We conclude that social work teaching and learning globally need to strengthen student understanding of community development beyond leaflet production to a coherent set of knowledge, skills, and values

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