Social work beyond the pandemic: Exploring social work values for a new eco-social world

This article draws on a series of international research-focused webinars with social workers in 2022. They were designed to examine the rethinking of professional values during the pandemic in the context of other global crises, particularly the climate emergency. Participants readily shared ethical issues relating to self-care, digital working and reduced bureaucracy during the pandemic and implications for future practice. The need for holistic, community-based approaches integrating social, health and economic aspects of people’s lives arose, and the importance of seeing humans as part of the natural world (eco-social approaches). Awareness of newer post-anthropocentric and posthuman philosophies was less evident

A module of inflammatory cytokines defines resistance of colorectal cancer to EGFR inhibitors

Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) activates a robust signalling network to which colon cancer tumours often become addicted. Cetuximab, one of the monoclonal antibodies targeting this pathway, is employed to treat patients with colorectal cancer. However, many patients are intrinsically refractory to this treatment, and those who respond develop secondary resistance along time. Mechanisms of cancer cell resistance include either acquisition of new mutations or non genomic activation of alternative signalling routes. In this study, we employed a colon cancer model to assess potential mechanisms driving resistance to cetuximab. Resistant cells displayed increased ability to grow in suspension as colonspheres and this phenotype was associated with poorly organized structures. Factors secreted from resistant cells were causally involved in sustaining resistance, indeed administration to parental cells of conditioned medium collected from resistant cells was sufficient to reduce cetuximab efficacy. Among secreted factors, we report herein that a signature of inflammatory cytokines, including IL1A, IL1B and IL8, which are produced following EGFR pathway activation, was associated with the acquisition of an unresponsive phenotype to cetuximab in vitro. This signature correlated with lack of response to EGFR targeting also in patient-derived tumour xenografts. Collectively, these results highlight the contribution of inflammatory cytokines to reduced sensitivity to EGFR blockade and suggest that inhibition of this panel of cytokines in combination with cetuximab might yield an effective treatment strategy for CRC patients refractory to anti-EGFR targeting

Trabajo social y trabajadores sociales en Italia

The article tackles the characteristics of social work in Italy, focusing on some specific features of this professional domain within the broader frame of the Italian welfare system. Indeed, given the historical roots of Italian welfare regime and the model of governance of policies, social assistance benefits and services are the less developed component of welfare provisions. This is one of the reasons for the late full acknowledgement and regulation of the social worker at the national level. In the first part of the article, we present the development of social work in Italy, with particular attention to the creation of academic courses and the formal regulation as a profession. Then we present the current situation of social work and social workers in Italy, taking into consideration the weakness of social assistance and the effects of the financial crisis. In fact, the crises had an impact on the dimensions and composition of vulnerable population, which is more and more large and fragmented, putting a growing pressure on social workers. At the same time, because fiscal austerity, resources for welfare benefits have been reduced in these years, changing the organizational settings and worsening the working conditions of social workers.O artigo aborda as características do serviço social na Itália, enfocando algumas características específicas desse domínio profissional dentro do quadro mais amplo do sistema di Welfare italiano. De fato, dadas as raízes históricas do regime de bem-estar italiano e o modelo de governança das políticas, os benefícios e serviços de assistência social são o componente menos desenvolvido das disposições de bem-estar. Esta é uma das razões para o reconhecimento e a regulamentação tardias do assistente social a nível nacional. Na primeira parte do artigo, apresentamos o desenvolvimento do serviço social na Itália, com particular atenção na criação acadêmica dos cursos e a regulamentação jurídica como profissão. Em seguida, destacamos o contexto atual do serviço social e dos assistentes sociais na Itália, considerando a fragilidade da assistência social e os efeitos da crise financeira. A crise, de fato, teve impacto sobre as dimensões e na composição da população vulnerável, cada vez mais numerosa e fragmentada, exercendo uma pressão crescente sobre as estruturas de assistência social e sobre os assistentes sociais. Ao mesmo tempo, nestes anos,  devido a austeridade fiscal, os recursos para os benefícios sociais foram reduzidos, alterando as configurações organizacionais  e  deteriorando as condições de trabalho dos assistentes sociais.El artículo aborda las características del trabajo social en Italia, centrándose en algunas características específicas de este ámbito profesional dentro del marco más amplio del sistema de bienestar italiano. De hecho, dadas las raíces históricas del régimen de bienestar italiano y el modelo de gobernanza, las prestaciones y servicios de asistencia social son el componente menos desarrollado de las prestaciones de bienestar. Esta es una de las razones del tardío reconocimiento y regulación plena del trabajador social a nivel nacional. En la primera parte del artículo, presentamos el desarrollo del trabajo social en Italia, con especial atención a la creación de cursos académicos y la regulación formal como profesión. A continuación, presentamos la situación actual del trabajo social y los trabajadores sociales en Italia, teniendo en cuenta la debilidad de la asistencia social y los efectos de la crisis financiera. De hecho, las crisis afectaron las dimensiones y composición de la población vulnerable, cada vez más numerosa y fragmentada, ejerciendo una presión creciente sobre los trabajadores sociales. Al mismo tiempo, debido a la austeridad fiscal, los recursos para las prestaciones sociales se han reducido en estos años, cambiando los marcos organizativos y empeorando las condiciones laborales de los trabajadores sociales

Etični razmisleki v raziskovanju v socialnem delu

Too often, discussions of research ethics focus on the steps needed to avoid fraud or protect human subjects. These topics, while essential, are only a fraction of the considerations for ethical research, and excessive attention to them can obscure other important and meaningful decisions. Ethical dilemmas are inherent throughout the research process, from the choice about what to study and how to study it through to analysis and dissemination of findings. Attention to these considerations is especially important for researchers in social work who, by their professional discipline, code of ethics, or research foci are expected to demonstrate particular sensitivity to vulnerable populations, issues of social justice, conflicts of interest, and respect for dignity and privacy. Rooted in three workshops held during ECSWR since 2014, this paper examines the nature of embedded ethical dilemmas, with special attention to the challenges related to the principle of nonmaleficence and to the role of the researcher. In light of illustrative examples, the paper presents recommendations and resources to build ethical awareness and research integrity beyond regulatory compliance.Prepogosto je razprava o raziskovalni etiki omejena le na korake, potrebne za preprečevanje ponaredb ali za zaščito sodelujočih oseb. Čeprav osrednjega pomena, pa so te teme le delček razmislekov o etičnem raziskovanju - kadar jim posvečamo pretirano pozornost, zanemarimo druge pomembne in pomenljive odločitve. Etične dileme so prisotne skozi ves raziskovalni proces, od tega, kako izberemo raziskovalno temo, kako preučujemo in analiziramo podatke, ter kako te predstavimo. Osredotočenost na tovrstne razmisleke je še posebej pomembna za raziskovalce in raziskovalke v socialnem delu, od katerih se pričakuje, da zaradi svojega področja, kodeksa etike ali teme raziskovanja pokažejo še posebno občutljivost za ranljive populacije, vprašanja socialne pravičnosti, konflikte interesov in spoštovanje dostojanstva in zasebnosti. Pričujoči članek temelji na treh delavnicah od leta 2014 v okviru European Conference for Social Work Research in raziskuje naravo etičnih dilem v raziskovanjuposebno pozornost namenja izzivom, ki so povezani z načelom neškodovanja in z vlogo raziskovalke oz. raziskovalca. Na podlagi predstavljenih primerov članek ponudi priporočila in vire za krepitev etične zavesti in raziskovalne integritete, ki sega preko spoštovanja pravilnikov in zakonodaje

Serviço social e os assistentes sociais na Itália

The article tackles the characteristics of social work in Italy, focusing on some specific features of this professional domain within the broader framework of the Italian welfare system. Indeed, given the historical roots of Italian welfare regime and the model of governance of policies, social assistance benefits and services are the less developed component of welfare provisions. This is one of the reasons for the late full acknowledgement and regulation of the social worker at the national level, requiring specific skills and competences and therefore a specific academic curriculum. In the first part of the article, we present the development of social work in Italy, with particular attention to the creation of academic courses and the formal regulation as a profession. Then we present the current situation of social work and social workers in Italy, taking into consideration the weakness of social assistance and the effects of the financial crisis. In fact, the crises had an impact on the dimensions and composition of vulnerable population, which is more and more large and fragmented, putting growing pressure on social assistance offices and on social workers. At the same time, because of fiscal austerity, resources for welfare benefits have been reduced in these years, changing the organizational settings and worsening the working conditions of social workers.Thisarticlehasbeen written mainly considering the situation before the pandemic, which had an impact on increasing social inequalities as well as posing hard challenges to the health and social welfare system.El artículo aborda las características del trabajo social en Italia, centrándose en algunas características específicas de este ámbito profesional dentro del marco más amplio del sistema de bienestar italiano. De hecho, dadas las raíces históricas del régimen de bienestar italiano y el modelo de gobernanza, las prestaciones y servicios de asistencia social son el componente menos desarrollado de las prestaciones de bienestar. Esta es una de las razones del tardío reconocimiento y regulación plena del trabajador social a nivel nacional. En la primera parte del artículo, presentamos el desarrollo del trabajo social en Italia, con especial atención a la creación de cursos académicos y la regulación formal como profesión. A continuación, presentamos la situación actual del trabajo social y los trabajadores sociales en Italia, teniendo en cuenta la debilidad de la asistencia social y los efectos de la crisis financiera. De hecho, las crisis afectaron las dimensiones y composición de la población vulnerable, cada vez más numerosa y fragmentada, ejerciendo una presión creciente sobre los trabajadores sociales. Al mismo tiempo, debido a la austeridad fiscal, los recursos para las prestaciones sociales se han reducido en estos años, cambiando los marcos organizativos y empeorando las condiciones laborales de los trabajadores sociales.O artigo aborda as características do serviço social na Itália, enfocando algumas características específicas desse domínio profissional dentro do quadro mais amplo do sistema di Welfare italiano. De fato, dadas as raízes históricas do regime de bem-estar italiano e o modelo de governança das políticas, os benefícios e serviços de assistência social são o componente menos desenvolvido das disposições de bem-estar. Esta é uma das razões para o reconhecimento e a regulamentação tardias do assistente social a nível nacional. Na primeira parte do artigo, apresentamos o desenvolvimento do serviço social na Itália, com particular atenção na criação acadêmica dos cursos e a regulamentação jurídica como profissão. Em seguida, destacamos o contexto atual do serviço social e dos assistentes sociais na Itália, considerando a fragilidade da assistência social e os efeitos da crise financeira. A crise, de fato, teve impacto sobre as dimensões e na composição da população vulnerável, cada vez mais numerosa e fragmentada, exercendo uma pressão crescente sobre as estruturas de assistência social e sobre os assistentes sociais. Ao mesmo tempo, nestes anos, devido a austeridade fiscal, os recursos para os benefícios sociais foram reduzidos, alterando as configurações organizacionais e deteriorando as condições de trabalho dos assistentes sociais

In conversation with a case story

In this co-authored article, one contributor presents a case story from an interview with a social worker in Slovenia, while five others offer commentaries on ethical aspects of the case. The story comes from a practitioner working with a pregnant young woman, arranging for adoption following birth. The social worker respected the woman\u27s request to keep her identity secret, hence not registering her in the institutional records. However, whilst the social worker was on holiday, the baby was born and anonymity was not maintained. Commentaries 1 and 2 evaluate the story through its form: as a narrative with a tempo and plotand as a performance that creates its narrator as an agent with an ethical identity. Commentary 3 uses a normative moral philosophical framework (virtue ethics), while the final two commentaries take a more grounded approach. Commentary 4 views the social worker as using discretion to act in a space void of rules (there is no provision for anonymous birth), whereas Commentary 5 foregrounds the Slovenian code of ethics as a source of ethical standards unremarked upon by the social worker. The article ends with reflections on the value of exploring multiple perspectives and engaging in dialogue in developing ethical understandings and actions

European Social Work Research Association SIG to Study Decisions, Assessment, and Risk

Purpose: The increasing interest in professional judgement and decision making is often separate from the discourse about “risk,” and the time-honored focus on assessment. Method: The need to develop research in and across these topics was recognized in the founding of a Decisions, Assessment, and Risk Special Interest Group (DARSIG) by the European Social Work Research Association in 2014. Results: The Group's interests include cognitive judgements; decision processes with clients, families, other professionals and courts; assessment tools and processes; the assessment, communication, and management of risk; and legal, ethical, and emotional aspects of these. This article outlines the founding and scope of DARSIG; gives an overview of decision making, assessment, and risk for practice; illustrates connections between these; and highlights future research directions. Discussion: Professional knowledge about decision making, assessment, and risk complements knowledge about effectiveness of interventions. Conclusion: DARSIG promises to be a useful mechanism for the purpose