The Centre for Social Work Practice (CfSWP) is delighted to be part of the International Centre and to support its mission and aims through collaboration and dialogue. CfSWP is a charity committed to ensuring that reflective practice, with its focus on relationships, takes its rightful place not only in social work practice, but also in professional development and in the curriculum at all levels of qualifying and post-qualifying training.
Much human suffering, conflict and disadvantage has its origins in human relationships, and all suffering conflict and disadvantage has profound implications for our personal and social relationships. Social work is one means by which society tries to alleviate suffering and disadvantage and mediate conflict. Meaningful and effective social work always entails the provision of an attuned, reflective, and professionally thoughtful relationship with service users, carers, networks, social work colleagues and colleagues from other disciplines – even, and perhaps especially, under conditions of conflict. Good services are by definition services provided through, or in the context of, such relationships.
Modern social policy, professional training and service management frequently and systematically neglect these dimensions of social work. The Centre for Social Work Practice exists to challenge this neglect, and to promote the centrality of relationship based social work practice, management, training and policy. The philosophy of the Centre is that ethical social work practice is impossible in the absence of relationship based practice.
Our trustees, staff, volunteers, members and supporters are concerned to take forward the task of sustaining and promoting social work as a relationship based activity through putting on a wide range of learning and dialogic events around the country, by using our collective voice to influence policy, education and practice, by developing partnerships and affiliations with similarly concerned organisations, and by supporting organisations and individuals to both understand and develop relationship based practice.
Our volunteer regional co-ordinators work with us to put on local and national events that stimulate thought and debate, and which contribute to broadening the scope of understanding about the power and potential of relationships in social work practice. We have a list of sought after volunteer speakers who facilitate inspirational and innovative workshops and seminars on many RBP themes. We are looking to expand in this area so if you would like to join our volunteer speakers please get in touch! We are currently updating our website to include a wider range of learning materials, and also aim to be offering relationship based practice webinars in the next few months.
Please do check out www.cfswp.org for more information about us, events in your area and to join our mailing list. Please email me directly at [email protected] if you’d like to discuss anything or to get more involved. We are a small charity with a big idea and very much welcome the opportunity to collaborate with the International Centre and it’s partners.
Robyn Kemp (Director)