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This paper reports findings from pedagogic research evaluating the impact of the involvement of survivors from the World Trade Center attacks in New York City in 2001 in trauma-specific social work education. A pedagogic approach to mental health education is discussed which aims to prepare students to develop trauma-informed assessment and intervention skills concurrent with their encounters with trauma survivors in field practice placements. The small-scale research involved surveying students’ evaluations at a university in New York, following exposure to first-hand accounts of survivors’ experiences. Across the three areas—confidence in knowledge of trauma, impact on learning, and preparation for field practice—the evaluation findings indicate that the students’ knowledge, gained from the involvement of 9/11 survivors, improved over time. This paper presents the background to this project, preparations involved, and findings from research evaluations with the students. The findings suggest that the involvement of those with direct and lived trauma experience in classroom teaching, whilst challenging, can yield positive impacts for students. The 9/11 survivors poignantly shared with students that their lives were changed forever in the aftermath of these events. The findings have potential global educational impact and resonance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides insights into life and work in Northern Ireland, particularly in the context of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. It offers a reflective perspective from a father and son, one involved in peace building through academic research, and the other, born in 1991 amid the peace efforts. The article explores the challenges and opportunities faced by these individuals, shedding light on the complex history of Northern Ireland, including the period known as "The Troubles."

This research evaluated the impact of service user involvement on the knowledge and competence development of social work students in their Field Forum class at Belmont University, Tennessee, USA. Over a two-week period in March, 2019, students heard from service users with diverse aspects of lived experience in the following areas: Childhood abuse, trafficking, domestic abuse, mental ill-health, homelessness, addictions and disability. The service users involved worked closely with local community groups in the university’s neighboring area and shared their lived experience with the students in key aspects of social work skills, knowledge and values. In their evaluations, the students indicate positive growth in their perceptions and understandings in important aspects of social work competence such as communication skills, attitudes, values and principles of social work practice. Importantly also, the students indicated that exposure to service users’ lived experience in the classroom helped sharpen their preparations for field practice. These findings have resonance and applicability internationally, particularly in the US, for social work educators preparing to involve social work service users/clients in social work education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much has been written about service user involvement in social work education with the literature recognizing the value of this particular type of experiential knowledge in helping students understand key competences and concepts. There is also extensive literature highlighting the role of simulation in assisting social work students to develop key insights in regard to skills and knowledge through role-plays. Using a Cross-Over design, this paper compares the contribution of drama students with service users in the preparation of social work students for field practice in Northern Ireland. Our findings suggest there is an important role for both drama students and service users working collaboratively to help social work students develop in key areas of social work competence and have implications for social work education in an international context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While child welfare practitioners in many countries are struggling to develop methods of effective family engagement, they operate within different national and cultural contexts that influence, both positively and negatively, the ability to engage with families. Increasingly, international comparisons are necessary to further understanding of the development of social work practice. This is particularly necessary because most countries utilize international frameworks (such as the United National Convention on the Rights of the Child) to provide guidance in the development of policies, programs, and interventions. Each country (and locality) struggles to advance practice to be more effective and humane. Our paper offers a comparative analysis focused on family-oriented and rights-based frameworks of different countries. Based on a review of current national policies and a review of the literature regarding family-based practices, we examine similarities and differences among four countries: the United Kingdom, Sweden, the United States, and South Korea. These countries were selected because they have some similarities (advanced industrialized democracies, professional social work, and formal child protection systems) but have some differences in their social welfare systems (policies, specific practices, and socio-cultural context). These differences can be utilized to advance understanding regarding the promise and potential for family engagement strategies. We then discuss the utility of this comparison for theory-building in the arena of child-care practice and conclude by identifying the challenges and limitations of this work. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An introduction to the topics discussed within the special edition of the publication is presented, including the changing cultural environment of Northern Ireland following the introduction of the Children Order, the identity of families whose children are at risk of poor outcomes, and the efforts by the Courts and Child Welfare system in Northern Ireland.

There is a range of theoretical approaches which may inform the interface between child protection and adult mental health services. These theoretical perspectives tend to be focused on either child protection or mental health with no agreed integrating framework. The interface continues to be identified, in research, case management reviews and inquiry reports, as complex and problematic. This article proposes that more positive, integrated approaches to service user engagement, risk assessment and management may lead to better outcomes in working with families experiencing parental mental health problems and child protection concerns. It is proposed that the recovery approach, increasingly used in mental health services, can inform the processes of engagement, assessment and intervention at the mental health and child protection interface. The article provides a critical overview of the recovery approach and compares it with approaches typifying interventions in child protection work to date. Relevant research and inquiries are also examined as a context for how to more effectively respond to cases where there are issues around parental mental health problems and child protection. The article concludes with case material to illustrate the potential application of the recovery approach to the interface between mental health and child protection services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction for the issue is presented discussing the theme of service user and carer involvement in social work education.

This paper presents the findings from an innovative project funded by the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW) and undertaken by an international team of academics investigating the development of a global curriculum for social work in the context of political conflict. Coupled alongside the emerging research and literature on the subject, our small-scale survey findings indicate support for the need for social work educators to address political conflict more systematically within social work curricula at both undergraduate and post-qualifying levels of social work education. This paper illuminates the opportunities for creative pedagogy whilst also examining the threats and challenges permeating the realisation of such initiatives. In this way, the implementation of a proposed curriculum for political conflict is given meaning within the context of IASSW's Global Standards for social work education. Given the exploratory nature of this project, the authors do conclude that further research is warranted in regard to potential curriculum development and suggest using a comparative case study approach with more in-depth qualitative methods as a way to address this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the evaluation of a European PEACE III sponsored teaching and learning project that was designed to enable social work students to better understand the needs of victims and survivors of the conflict in Northern Ireland. The paper begins with an introduction to policy, practice and educational contexts before reviewing the literature on social work, conflict and trauma. It also summarises key, innovative pedagogical approaches used in the teaching, including the use of ground rules, teaching teams consisting of lecturer and service user dyads, learning exercises and case studies. The paper then explains the evaluation methodology. This involved two surveys which returned 144 student and 34 practice teacher questionnaires. The findings revealed that students were generally committed to this form of teaching and engagement with victims and survivors of the conflict, although some students reported that their attitudes towards this subject had were not changed. Some students also discussed how the conflict had affected their lives and the lives of families and friends; it is argued that such biographical details are crucial in developing new pedagogical approaches in this area. Practice teachers who supervised some of these students on placement reported general levels of satisfaction with preparedness to work with conflict related situations but were less convinced that organisations were so committed. The paper concludes with a discussion of the study limitations and a recommendation for more robust methods of teaching and evaluation in this area of social work education and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the evaluation of an educational project, delivered in a Bachelor in Social Work degree (BSW) program in Northern Ireland. The project aimed to equip social work students to be more culturally competent in this divided society, with a central focus on including victim/survivor service users in social work training. A number of pedagogical approaches are noted, with particular consideration of Boler's ‘pedagogy of discomfort’ as a model that includes the multidimensional nature of the learning process when topics carry a high emotional tariff. The evaluation of the students' experience indicated that: there was strong support among students for the project; the unique contribution of service users was affirmed; and the project appeared to increase students' awareness and capacity to practice in a divided society. The evaluation of the trainers' experience highlighted key processes in the delivery of collaborative training. The authors argue that the lessons learned are broadly applicable to other forms of service user and carer involvement in social work training and in other societies in which health and social care professionals have to deal with the legacies of political conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Service user and carer involvement in social work education is now well established since its inception as a compulsory requirement in the social work curriculum in the United Kingdom in 2003. Since then, there have been many examples of how such involvement has been approached by education providers. Nevertheless, one of the key obstacles and challenges in this field continues to centre on the need to achieve non-tokenistic user involvement which cements the engagement of service users and carers at the heart of social work education. This paper describes one such initiative where service user and carer colleagues in a university in Northern Ireland have been actively involved in the assessment of first year social work students' preparation for their first period of practice learning. The paper presents the background to this initiative explaining how the project unfolded; the detailed preparations that were involved and the evidence gathered from evaluations undertaken with the students, service users and carers, and academic colleagues who were all involved. We believe that the findings from this project can contribute to the advancement of existing knowledge in the field in exploring and recommending creative methodologies for user involvement in social work education. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Teaching on social work values is centrally important in social work education as a core aspect of underpinning knowledge in preparing students for practice. This paper describes an innovative project occurring within the first year of the degree in social work, where service users and carers have assisted students with their understanding of social work values. The positive contribution of service users and carers in facilitating students to make links between theory and practice is now well documented. Applying this user perspective to the educational domain of values, however, is relatively uncharted territory given the challenges that have traditionally accompanied the teaching of values. Importantly, this paper describes the ‘value talk’ which occurred when first-year students sought further meaning from service-user and carer groups in their community settings following classroom teaching on values. The paper not only discusses the detailed preparations involved in the project but also the learning which resulted, drawing on the evaluation findings from the students and participating groups. Whilst the findings show that the students' understanding of social work values has been most significantly influenced by the contributions from service users and carers, it is recognized that further research is needed to monitor the longer term impact on social work students' practice after they qualify. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the findings from research conducted with older people in Northern Ireland which investigated whether their needs for legal information and advice were being met. One of the unique aspects of the research involved investigating the potential of the internet as a possible source for advising older people in relation to legal problems. The findings suggest that online legal information may frequently assist older people in identifying potential answers to their legal questions, but may not be an adequate substitute for personal communication and advice. The research also highlights the need for professionals to work together to meet the needs of older persons for legal advice and to safeguard their interests. Such ‘joined up’ approaches are particularly important, for example at the point of dementia diagnosis, where information sharing between health and social care professionals may significantly promote the legal and welfare interests of older people at a vulnerable point in their lives. This paper therefore turns to work by university-based legal clinics in the United States, such as the Elder Law Clinic at Pennsylvania State University, where social work or healthcare professionals, lawyers and law students collaborate to support older people in their search for resolution of legal problems. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper addresses the problems often faced by social workers and their supervisors in decision making where human rights considerations and child protection concerns collide. High-profile court cases in the United Kingdom and Europe have consistently called for social workers to convey more clarity when justifying their reasons for interfering with human rights in child protection cases. The themes emerging from these case law decisions imply that social workers need to be better at giving reasons and evidence in more explicit ways to support any actions they propose which cause interference with Convention Rights. Toulmin offers a structured approach to argumentation which may have relevance to the supervision of child protection cases when social workers and managers are required to balance these human rights considerations. One of the key challenges in this balancing act is the need for decision makers to feel confident that any interventions resulting in the interference of human rights are both justified and proportionate. Toulmin's work has already been shown to have relevance for assisting social workers navigate pathways through cases involving competing ethical and moral demands and more recently to human rights and decision making in child protection. Toulmin's model takes the practitioner through a series of stages where any argument or proposed recommendation (claim) is subjected to intense critical analysis involving exposition of its strengths and weaknesses. The author therefore proposes that explicit argumentation may help supervisors and practitioners towards safer and more confident decision making in child protection cases involving the interference of the human rights of children and parents. In addition to highlighting the broader context of human rights currently permeating child protection decision making, the paper will include case material to practically demonstrate the application of Toulmin's model of argumentation to the supervision context. In this way, the paper adopts a strong practice approach in helping to assist practitioners with the problems and dilemmas they may come up against in decision making in complex cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Service user involvement in social work education is now a firmly established concept in the United Kingdom. As a result, it is common practice for service users to occupy central roles in the education and training of social work students and staff in both qualifying and post-qualifying programmes. This paper describes an initiative, undertaken in Northern Ireland, which compares two methods of user involvement employed with undergraduate and post-qualifying social work students. In both situations the students firstly observed and discussed DVD excerpts of narratives from people affected by cancer and secondly observed a live facilitated interview with a 25-year-old male service user who shared his experiences of being diagnosed with cancer at a young age. Understanding the social work role in palliative care is crucial as all social workers, regardless of practice context, will have some degree of involvement in helping individuals and families to address end-of-life care issues. This paper compares the findings of evaluations from two student groups which may help to inform social work educators about the effectiveness of different teaching methods used to achieve meaningful and effective user involvement with seldom heard groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parental perceptions of receiving a diagnosis for their child have been widely researched, with results suggesting high levels of dissatisfaction. Such research has focused upon diagnoses such as Down syndrome and cerebral palsy, and has often looked specifically at the disclosure of a diagnosis. There is limited research looking at the process associated with receiving a diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder (ASD); that is, from sharing initial concerns to receiving support and intervention. This study aimed to document parents' experiences of the diagnostic process for ASD. A sample of participants was selected, according to set criteria, from an Education and Library Board database in Northern Ireland. Eleven parents agreed to be interviewed at home, using a semi-structured interview schedule, on their experiences of ASD diagnostic procedures. Qualitative responses were analysed using thematic analysis. Data were also presented descriptively. Results suggested that the majority of parents had positive comments about the assessment and diagnostic experience. Parents cited several points as contributing to their overall experience with the process. These included having their initial concerns listened to, receiving their child's diagnosis in person, receiving written information and help in applying this information. This report provides a valuable insight into parental experiences of receiving an ASD diagnosis for their child. Key findings highlight the complexity of the diagnostic process for both practitioners and families involved, and therefore may have implications for practice. This is further discussed in the report. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the findings from a recent study investigating how children's interests and their rights are safeguarded through the representation of social workers in reports prepared for Court following parental separation disputes. A small-scale research study describes the views of family and childcare social workers on how children's wishes and feelings are reflected in Court-directed assessments in a large Health and Social Services Trust in Northern Ireland. The research employs a multi-data collection methodology involving the use of a focus group, postal questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The data were thematically analysed in relation to representing the voice of the child, and examined both the social work task and the role of training as a form of support for social workers in this demanding area of work. The findings demonstrate that social workers do seek and represent the views of the child within Article 4 reports, but identify factors that impinge on the accuracy of representing children's views and promoting their rights. These factors relate to Trust and Court priorities, lack of therapeutic intervention for children, variation in social work practice, lack of training for social work staff in this area and, consequently, the need to increase confidence and support for social work staff undertaking this work. As a result of these findings, suggestions are proposed for informing practice and improving service delivery in this key area of family and childcare social work practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent judgement in February 2005 by the Lord Chief Justice in Northern Ireland that a Health and Social Services Trust had breached a parent's Article 8 Right to Family Life in the process used to take a young child into care has stimulated major debate about the interface between the Human Rights Act (1998) and professional decision-making in child protection work in Northern Ireland and across Europe. This article examines the interface between the Human Rights Act and the paramountcy principle in the Children (NI) Order 1995 in relation to statutory interventions to protect children. It explores the increasing sophistication required of social work recommendations to courts in complex situations involving conflicting rights and considers the impact of adopting a structured model of explicit argumentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction to the journal is presented in which the editor discusses an article on the needs of children involved in the criminal justice system by Roger Smith, an article on the needs of children with disabilities by Sarah Mepham, and an article by Monds-Watson, Manktelow and McColgan on the needs of children of mentally challenged parents.