Efforts of health workers during Covid pandemic celebrated for Social Work Week
The extraordinary efforts of social workers during the Covid-19 pandemic have been recognised at a national conference by a University of Chichester academic.
Dr Denise Turner spoke at a virtual by Social Work England event about her recent work carried out into the response of the health, social work, and social care sectors since the first national lockdown.
The presentation was part of Social Work Week, which celebrated the hard work and dedication of workers. The focus for this year’s event was Social Work and Me – reflecting on the significant events, challenges and successes of the profession in 2021.
The presentation by Dr Turners, pictured below], which was entitled The Hope inside the box: making meaning from loss, change and bereavement in social work education and practice, looked back at the last year of living with Covid-19.
She said: “I’m delighted to be one of only a small number of keynote speakers personally invited by Social Work England. My presentation theme is hope which will help connect people and inspire them with new ideas for collaborative working.”
While Covid-19 was a form of collective trauma, the presentation aims to demonstrate how the distinctive forms of connection can help to maintain hope, said Dr Turner, as well as offering some reflections on shaping social work education and practice moving forwards.
She will use practical illustrations to advocate for the importance of engaging with bereavement, loss and change within social work education and practice. The significance of memory and meaning making will also be highlighted through specific examples of co-production and digital connection completed during the pandemic.
