Co-producing social work knowledge: collaborative approaches between communities, practitioners and social work educators

Abstract

This paper addresses how social work education can promote concepts of community, trust, and the development of sustained professional and community-engaged relationships. We use case studies to highlight collaborative practice with stakeholders and emphasize how insider knowledge plays a crucial role in the design and implementation of more inclusive interventions. This new knowledge moves away from problem-oriented social work interventions and embraces a holistic community development approach. Drawing on our empirical work and international social work we show how and why it is important to include these approaches in social work education utilizing co-produced digital methods such as seminars, podcasts and videos. Drawing on two localities in England we highlight how through collaboration and building trust, new, co-produced knowledge can lead to a shift toward a more holistic approach to social work concerns including Social Work education and practice. We argue this matters because in the recent past social work and other statutory organizations practice with communities and regarding safeguarding fell short (Independent Inquiry into Telford Child Sexual Exploitation IITCSE, 2022). In this paper we emphasize implications of co-produced knowledge and applications in social work education. Moreover, we show how collaborative practice can address discrimination, exploitation and violence and social work education be enhanced.

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