Resources Database

This is a Scotland-based research study being undertaken by CELCIS, the Centre for Excellence for Children’s Care and Protection at the University of Strathclyde. CELCIS was asked by the Scottish Government to carry out this research study with the aim of gathering evidence to inform decision-making about how best to deliver children's services in Scotland in light of the proposed introduction of the National Care Service, and its commitment to keep The Promise of the Independent Care Review.

This Children’s Services Reform Research study is a Scotland-based research study which was undertaken by CELCIS, the Centre for Excellence for Children’s Care and Protection.

CELCIS was asked by the Scottish Government in to carry out a research study to improve the understanding of current Children’s Services structures and delivery models in Scotland and how services can best support the needs of children, young people and their families. The research looked at how services are provided and configured in Scotland and drew on a range of international evidence too.

Since 2014, BICON has been a leading conference focusing on the rights of children and young people without parental care (CWPC).The 5th Biennial International Conference on Alternative Care for Children in Asia (BICON) was hosted on 6-7th September 2023, in Kathmandu, Nepal, and online. During two days, over 300 child rights practitioners, government actors, academics, and people with lived care experience discussed regional and national challenges around alternative care and trends related to care reform and children’s rights i

The European Social Network (ESN) has been actively working on community care since 2008 at European and national level advising public administrations across Europe. In 2011, they launched ‘Developing Community Care’ a publication which was the result of a Working Group on this theme that ran for three years. In 2023, they ran a questionnaire with their members, identified good practice and looked back at efforts over the past 10 years at their autumn seminar in cooperation with Spain’s EU Presidency.

This study aims to systematically review the landscape of social work supervision within the disability field, prompted by the rising global prevalence of individuals with disabilities and the imperative for specialized training and supervision in this domain. The systematic review adhered to PRISMA guidelines, utilizing six databases (PsychNet, PubMed, ERIC, Social Services Abstracts, SCOPUS, and EBSCO). Eight articles were included, and a thematic analysis method was utilized to extract key themes from the findings of the studies.

This study, in the Indian context, deals with understanding how Social Work Education plays a vital role in the societal recognition of Social Work as an esteemed profession. India being a transition society, faces many challenges in professionalising social work, which has its origins in the Educational arena. Hence, the need of the hour is to address issues in Social Work Education thereby formulating measures to make Social Work a recognized profession in India.

This article establishes empowerment strategies to enhance child protection workers' capabilities in Kuwait. It utilized a phenomenology design and a qualitative method to collect 12 Kuwaiti child protection workers' experiences with daily challenges while protecting and safeguarding children who attend the Child Protection Office. The study collected its data using semi-structured interviews with 12 child protection workers.

The Association of Social Workers in Malawi (ASWIM) and the National Association of Social Workers of Uganda (NASWU) have each has released reports highlighting the significant achievements of the respective organizations in 2023. In 2023, ASWIM saw a remarkable increase in membership, with the number of paid members rising from 80 to 300 across various categories. The association also successfully engaged with Members of Parliament, gaining their support for the Social Workers Bill, which is awaiting submission to Parliament for deliberation.

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are recognised for their contribution to society. This paper aims to provide policymakers, leaders, and social work managers with an initial overview for developing appropriate policies and a better understanding of the sustainability of welfare-related organisations, especially in the Malaysian context. NGOs monitor and address public concerns. They work with the government and private sector. NGOs provide communities with knowledge and services, monitor the government and private sector, and empower communities to participate in decision-making.

Changing the Way We Care (CTWWC) was conceived as a design-build initiative, firmly set within a collaborate, learn, adapt (CLA) framework. The initiative understands that care reform is a long and complex process, requiring collaboration between many diverse actors, and that change pathways would likely differ between contexts. CTWWC is anchored in a belief that by capturing the process of change and learning from different countries, the global knowledge base around care reform globally would be built, and therefore be able to inform and reinforce the global momentum for family care.

This paper discusses the role of social workers and community volunteers in providing services to foster care children living with HIV in South Africa. A literature review was undertaken of 14 qualitative studies conducted in South Africa from 2012-2022. The review showed the prominent role played by social workers in foster care, despite factors which hindered service such as high caseloads, lack of knowledge on HIV and prioritisation of quantity over quality. Hence, several challenges were faced by foster carers.

Children who cannot be looked after by their parents often live with relatives or friends of the family. This care is known as kinship care. Kinship care is acknowledged in global guidance as the first form of care that should be explored for children outside of parental care. It is widely used across the world. However, it is poorly supported in many countries. This guidance explains why supporting kinship care is so important and provides principles of good practice and lessons learnt from across the world.

Faculty and staff at the University at Buffalo School of Social Work have created a series of videos designed for social work educators highlighting best practices for remote teaching.

‘Gnatola ma no kpon sia, eyenabe adelan to kpo mi sena’ (‘Until the lion has his or her own storyteller, the hunter will always have the best part of the story’) (Ghanian proverb, available at: http://thelionandthehunter. org/). Historically, both the discipline and profession of social work have been imagined and constructed by those who oversee social work services – ‘the hunters’, according to the aforementioned Ghanaian proverb.

The Disability and Inclusion Thematic Group of the IASC MHPSS Reference Group has developed this document through an consultative, participatory and inclusive process. This document aims to (1) ensure that MHPSS programming in emergency settings is accessible and inclusive of persons with all types of disabilities and (2) support the deinstitutionalization of persons living in long-stay institutions and stand-alone hospitals.

ISPCAN, in partnership with Child Safe Middle East, presented this 90-minute virtual session that addressed the immense challenges of safeguarding children in the age of Artificial Intelligence.  Our goal for this session was to reach as many professionals, practitioners, organizations, community leaders, social workers, teachers and parents as possible with specific ways that we can address this critical topic.  Listen to the recording to hear this powerful presentation and an interactive Q&A session with Maryam Ehsani. 

The purpose of this study was to explore 232 service providers’ and policymakers’ experiences of supporting children’s well-being during the pandemic, across sectors, in 22 countries – including Kenya, the Philippines, South Africa, India, Scotland, Sweden, Canada and the USA, in the last quarter of 2020. A smartphone survey delivered via a custom-built app containing mostly open-ended questions was used. Respondents were recruited via professional networks, newsletters and social media.

Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic has put children at an increased risk of neglect, violence and other human rights violations. Despite growing evidence of its impact on child protective services, there has been a dearth of research from low- and middle-income countries. This cross-sectional qualitative study explored service providers’ and policymakers’ views and experiences of children’s protection, in real-time, in the last quarter of 2020. A smartphone app-based survey containing both open- and closed-ended questions was used.

The Alliance’s Interest Group on Advocacy developed a set of key messages specifically for advocating to donors, policymakers, media, the general public and other social service professionals about the importance and value of the social service workforce. We encourage you to make use of these key messages for each specific audience.

This briefing paper, developed by the Global Social Service Workforce Alliance, provides a formal definition of the social service workforce as well as additional information on the roles, titles, and diversity of the workforce.