The role of the scholar-facilitator in generating practice knowledge to inform and enhance the quality of relationship-based social work practice with children and families

Abstract

The publications chosen for inclusion for this PhD by publication comprise three books, three book chapters and four articles published in peer-reviewed journals. There are three major themes in this work. The first concerns the role and nature of practice knowledge and its contribution to effective relationship-based social work practice with vulnerable children and families. Practice knowledge is created by, and for, social workers operating under conditions of uncertainty, risk, emotion and anxiety. These publications can be located within, and aim to make, a significant contribution to social workers’ practice knowledge. The second major theme concerns the process by which the practice knowledge described by these publications was created. The analysis identifies the author’s role as a scholar-facilitator in facilitating the generation, testing and dissemination of this practice knowledge. The scholar-facilitator contributes to practice knowledge and theory generation by bridging the worlds of practice, academia and policy. Finally the significance and authority of the contribution to social work knowledge developed by these publications is demonstrated by reference to the ways in which they directly address contemporary challenges to child protection policy and practice in England