Dundee contributes to University of Edinburgh’s 100 years of social work celebrations
As the University of Edinburgh celebrates a centenary of social work education this month, staff from our social work programmes at the University of Dundee have made key contributions and participate in a number of ways, including talks, articles, book chapters and the co-editing of a book.
Dr Jane Fenton, Lecturer in Social Work at the University of Dundee, had one of her articles chosen for a special virtual issue of the British Journal of Social Work, guest edited by Viviene Cree from the University of Edinburgh. Dr Fenton’s paper on ‘An Analysis of ‘Ethical Stress’ in Criminal Justice Social Work in Scotland: The Place of Values’ was one of only nine articles chosen for the virtual issue by Viviene, all of which were papers she felt reflected something important about social work in Scotland at the time it was written.
Reflecting on the honour of being chosen, Dr Fenton said “I was delighted to have an article chosen for the special, virtual issue. My article was written in 2014, and as Viv Cree states in her synopsis, it did not end very optimistically in terms of value-tensions in social work and Criminal Justice Social Work remaining in the social work department. My more recent thinking and writing, however, is concerned with doing just what Viv Cree suggests: looking at how to ‘better influence the agenda, so that social work values are allowed to flourish.’ I am particularly interested in how we can do that in Social Work Education and, along with my colleagues, how we can implement ideas here in Dundee. This means that social work at Dundee is very relevant, cutting edge and absolutely concerned with social work values. We can be very proud of that.”
In her role as Chair of the Heads of Social Work Education, Dr Patricia McCulloch, Senior Lecturer in Social Work at the University of Dundee, spoke at a launch event for the centenary celebrations on 26th September in Edinburgh. The event was a panel discussion featuring key figures in Social Work in Scotland such as Mark McDonald, the Minister for Childcare and Early Years, Anna Fowlie, the Chief Executive of the Scottish Social Services Council, and Iona Colvin, Chief Social Work Advisor to the Scottish Government.
Also, Routledge have commissioned a book for publication in April 2018 as part of the centenary celebrations, entitled ‘Social Work in a Changing Scotland’. The book will be co-edited by Vivienne Cree and Mark Smith, Professor of Social Work at the University of Dundee, and Professor Smith will also contribute a chapter on ‘Ethics for Scottish Social Work’, while Dr Patricia McCulloch will contribute a chapter on ‘Social Work Education in Scotland: a (hi-)story in two halves’.
Further information about the Edinburgh centenary project can be found at: www.socialwork.ed.ac.uk/centenary
