Social Work Week 2024: independent sessions
Social Work Week 2024: sessions delivered independently
Please note: Social Work Week 2024 has now passed. These sessions are no longer available to book.
This year we saw the breadth of social work come to life with over 40 sessions delivered independently. These were hosted by (all of the following):
- social workers
- those interested in social work education and research
- those studying social work
- those who have used social work services
Please note that our website acts as a signposting service for all sessions delivered independently. Any views, information or opinions expressed by third parties are the speakers’ own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Social Work England or its employees. Social Work England accepts no liability for the content of third-party sessions held during Social Work Week.
Monday 18 March
- Time: 11am to 12pm
- About this session: This webinar draws on findings from the Innovate Project and outlines helpful and effective practice principles, methods, and systems, that support young people and their families affected by extra-familial harm.
- Time: 12pm to 1pm
- About this session: This presentation uses a local authority case study to explore the true meaning of strengths approach for social work and looks at an approach to reciprocity in relationships.
- Time: 1pm to 2pm
- About this session: This session will share findings and practice from research that explores how education can support people to work with those experiencing homelessness, social exclusion, and disadvantage.
- Time: 2pm to 2:30pm
- About this session: This session explores the experiences of diaspora social workers practising in the UK and the challenges they encounter.
- Time: 4pm to 5pm
- About this session: This session will consider how social workers use social media, how this could affect their professional career and how to keep safe on and offline.
Tuesday 19 March
World Social Work Day
- Time: 10am to 11am
- About this session: This event will provide prospective social work students with an authentic look into the daily experiences of frontline social workers.
- Time: 11am to 12pm
- About this session: This session looks at the role of social care workers in moving older people between social care settings or services by sharing experiences from social workers, families and carers and people who use social work care.
- Time: 12pm to 1pm
- About this session: Showcasing research carried out by the Frontline programme participants.
- Time: 1pm to 2pm
- About this session: In this session you will hear about how social workers in Greater Manchester are being supported to work across language difference and hear advice and tips to make sure that your own social work practice using interpreters is the best it can be.
- Time: 2pm to 3.30pm
- About this session: A 90 minute webinar that explores the case for love-led practice approach in children’s social care.
- Time: 2pm to 3.30pm
- About this session: This session will explore the challenges and opportunities of remotely involving people with lived experience in social work education and how this has adapted since the pandemic.
- Time: 3pm to 4pm
- About this session: This event will provide an account of an educator’s first engagement with generative artificial intelligence (AI) and early findings from research that is exploring how it is being used with social work students on placements.
- Time: 4pm to 5pm
- About this session: This workshop will explore how people with lived experience of sleeping rough have been helped to find supported accommodation in Milton Keynes through joined up relationship based care that overcomes systematic barriers.
Wednesday 20 March
- Time: 9am to 10am
- About this session: This interactive workshop will share insight and knowledge into the term non-engagement and will look at why some parents do not engage.
- Time: 10.30am to 11am
- About this session: Join social workers from the Shared Lives programme who will share stories about how this can support social workers in fast paced environments to find suitable solutions for hospital discharge.
- Time: 11am to 12pm
- About this session: This will explore insights that have been gained from co-facilitating a support group for women who have experienced or are experiencing Intimate Partner Violence and Abuse (IPVA).
- Time: 11am to 12.30pm
- About this session: This workshop encourages delegates to consider ‘othering’ of service users and will share best practice of how to challenge othering in practice and education by sharing experiences from those who use social work services.
- Time: 12pm to 1pm
- About this session: Join a transformative session where we bridge the gap between personal wellbeing and professional effectiveness in order to mitigate burnout and diminished passion for the profession.
- Time: 1pm to 2pm
- About this session: Sharing practices from best social work practice with war refugees based on lived experience, research, teaching and membership of a solidarity group.
- Time: 1pm to 2pm
- About this session: Explore professional writing as in integral aspect of social work practice that centralises people's voices in writing about their lives.
- Time: 2pm to 4pm
- About this session: This webinar provides an opportunity to explore lessons learnt from international recruitment across local authorities who have successfully recruited health and social care workers from overseas.
- Time: 3pm to 4pm
- About this session: This will be a panel discussion with a set of social workers who are experienced in a mental health primary care setting and the discussion will draw out the challenges and opportunities in this area of social work.
- Time: 4pm to 5pm
- About this session: This session will looking at the opportunities associated with early stage innovation practice when introducing transitional safeguarding as a new system wide practice intervention.
Thursday 21 March
- Time: 10am to 11am
- About this session: This session will disseminate research from an integrative literature review of parents' experiences of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, on the development of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
- Time: 10am to 1pm
- About this session: This is an interactive workshop led by two neurodivergent academic-based practitioner researchers and will explore the differences between neurodiversity, neurodivergent and neurotypical and how different practice and management can empower all people.
- Time: 10am to 11.30am
- About this session: In this event, we will share findings of a research study which aims to explore the experience of transnational social workers from Hong Kong who arrived in the UK in the past two years.
- Time: 12pm to 1pm
- About this session: Find out about the menopause, the symptoms and maintaining wellbeing in the workplace when it happens.
- Time: 12pm to 1pm
- About this session: This event will be a live recording of the companion podcast featuring working group members talking about children and families social work, adults social work and mental health.
- Time: 1pm to 2pm
- About this session: How London's new Your Choice programme brought together best practice in adolescent safeguarding and cognitive behavioural therapy principles to support young people affected by youth violence in Hillingdon’s ‘Outstanding’ Children’s Services.
- Time: 1pm to 4pm
- About this session: Discover how working with APA's Support Pack and The Change for Children International can make life easier for those going through the Family Court.
- Time: 2pm to 4pm
- About this session: Sector leaders and specialists share insights about what works for local authorities in addressing the workforce challenges faced. The session will explore how authorities in London and the South East have developed practical and workable solutions to the address the shortages of qualified social workers.
- Time: 3pm to 4pm
- About this session: This session will explore the ways students are accessing support in the ever-evolving field of social work, including covering topics such as peer support, social work students with lived experience, social media/podcasts, effective support and student wellbeing.
- Time: 3:30pm to 5pm
- About this session: In this unique event, you'll have the opportunity to connect with care-experienced young people and those working in children’s social care to hear their stories and gain invaluable insights into cultural competency.
Friday 22 March
- Time: 10am to 1pm
- About this session: This online workshop will enable participants to explore their knowledge and understanding of brain injury and will introduce a module which has been developed in line with research with training organisations, social workers and those with lived experience of brain injury.
- Time: 10am to 12pm
- About this session: The session will explore the importance of United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with a Disability article 29 and the role of social work in supporting people with learning disabilities to exercise their rights to register and vote.
- Time: 11am to 12.30pm
- About this session: An online workshop providing advice, information and guidance on how to create and manage statutory task placements in agencies based in the Private, Voluntary and Independent (PVI) Sector, through the application of a Statutory Assessment Model.
- Time: 11am to 12pm
- About this session: The session will look at a recent study in Norfolk County Council that investigated the poor care received by people with learning disabilities and/or Autism in residential care homes, as well as the staff caring for them.
- Time: 12pm to 1pm
- About this session: Family Rights Group will be facilitating this online session that takes a closer look at the role and benefits of family group conferences (FGC) and Lifelong Links in the child welfare system.
- Time: 2pm to 3pm
- About this session: This event will provide an opportunity to hear key messages from a evidence review co-produced by Research in Practice and Social and Care Future.