At a social work seminar on 16 February three very different studies provided evidence of the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on social work. Sara Taylor, principal social worker for children and families in the London borough of Lewisham, described support for children's social care staff during the early months of Covid-19 and ways in which communications were developed and changed as the months progressed.
Another presentation from Dr Paula McFadden of Ulster University was the first opportunity that the UK health and social care workforce survey's second round of data collection had been widely promoted among south London health and social care staff which helped to reach over 3,500 respondents. Emerging findings from the second survey that closed at the end of January 2021 were related to the first survey which identified different methods of coping and resilience.
A further perspective came from Denmark with Dr Frank Ebsen, from University College Copenhagen, discussing the findings from a survey of social workers who were working with at-risk children and young people during the Covid-19 lockdown period in Denmark in April-May 2020. This webinar is part of an ongoing series – ‘Contemporary issues and debates in social work education, research and practice’ - organised by Dr Mary Baginsky who works closely with the ARC social care theme. Invited webinar participants included 35 practitioners, managers, social work experts and researchers from south London and further afield.
Read more about ARC South London's social care research and the NIHR Health and social care workforce research unit.