Community Development in Social Work

Background and Credits

The idea for this resource was born following a regional conference in Craigavon in 2023 to launch the Department of Health’s Social Work and Community Development Reflections document and celebrate the impact of the Post Graduate Social Work and Community Development Approaches (SWCDA) programme.

Marita Magennis (Assistant Director for Social Work and Social Work Governance, Workforce, Training and Development SHSCT), chair of the SWCDA programme management board, initiated a group to build momentum from the conference, with a view to strengthening the use of community development approaches with SHSCT. She was assisted by Brenda Horgan (Head of Social Services Workforce Development and Training) and a steering group drawn from across the Trust who were passionate about community development.

Gillian McAuley (Interim Co-Head of Fitness to Practise and Professional Adviser for PiP Framework, Social Care Council) was instrumental in ensuring resource was made available as a regional professional resource.

Special thanks to Fergal O’Brien (Regional Programme Coordinator SWCDA) and Robbie McCague (Inequalities and Inclusion Coordinator, SHSCT) for work on building content for this resource.

Eugene Kerlin (Regional Digitalisation and Promotions Lead for Social Work, WHSCT) provided early graphic design and Mairead Harkin (Workforce Development Officer/Digital Learning Lead) and David Hamilton (Project Support Officer) shaped the final digital build for NISCC.

We would like to extend thanks to Bryan Gormley, (Social Work Development Lead, SHSCT) for proofreading the material.

We would like to express our gratitude for the contribution that Darren Strawbridge made to the Reflections document on Social Work and Community Development and acknowledge the loss to the Social Work profession in Darren’s untimely passing earlier this year.