Introduction
-
Jean Pierre Wilken
Abstract
The editors, scholars from Norway, Switzerland and the Netherlands, co-presented Social Innovation and Social Work themed symposia at the European Conferences of Social Work Research (ECSWR) in 2019 (Leuven) and 2021 (online, Bucharest). The discussions around social innovation and numerous exchanges at the conferences enabled us to share insights about emerging trends and knowledge from across Europe on a wide range of topics around innovation in social work. Our common motivation for establishing this book was therefore a shared wish for a resource for inspiration and a framework to ultimately ensure improved outcomes for societal challenges and to increase social quality of people and communities. This book provides a broad collection of theoretical and practical studies about social innovation in connection to social work. Readers will be introduced to varied approaches and evidence-based examples that together help in grasping the concept of social innovation in the context of social work and to gain competence in relevant terms and aspects. The intention is to increase readers’ abilities to introduce and implement social innovation in social work in a way that leads to lasting positive change for the common good. We have not attempted either a textbook that exhaustively analyses where participatory innovations are making most impact across Europe, nor to cover all possible kinds of innovation. Instead, we explore where social work could go in terms of social innovation in ways that are relevant and topical to the people it is intended to benefit and to develop as a discipline.
Abstract
The editors, scholars from Norway, Switzerland and the Netherlands, co-presented Social Innovation and Social Work themed symposia at the European Conferences of Social Work Research (ECSWR) in 2019 (Leuven) and 2021 (online, Bucharest). The discussions around social innovation and numerous exchanges at the conferences enabled us to share insights about emerging trends and knowledge from across Europe on a wide range of topics around innovation in social work. Our common motivation for establishing this book was therefore a shared wish for a resource for inspiration and a framework to ultimately ensure improved outcomes for societal challenges and to increase social quality of people and communities. This book provides a broad collection of theoretical and practical studies about social innovation in connection to social work. Readers will be introduced to varied approaches and evidence-based examples that together help in grasping the concept of social innovation in the context of social work and to gain competence in relevant terms and aspects. The intention is to increase readers’ abilities to introduce and implement social innovation in social work in a way that leads to lasting positive change for the common good. We have not attempted either a textbook that exhaustively analyses where participatory innovations are making most impact across Europe, nor to cover all possible kinds of innovation. Instead, we explore where social work could go in terms of social innovation in ways that are relevant and topical to the people it is intended to benefit and to develop as a discipline.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Front Matter i
- Contents vii
- List of figures and tables x
- List of abbreviations xi
- Notes on contributors xiii
- Introduction 1
-
Framing social innovation and social work
- Social work and social innovation: how the twain can meet 11
- How to change our neighbourhoods, regions and the world: using symptoms, systems and transformation as a framework for social innovation and social work 24
- Social work, social innovation, discretion and creativity: day-to-day innovation of practice 41
- Potential for social innovation in social work: applying the capability approach 54
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Examples of social innovations in social work across Europe
-
Co-creation and co-production of social services: social innovation in practice
- The art of co-creation: service innovation in Europe 71
- Promoting social services innovation: regional and local examples from across Europe 84
- Co-creation in action: lessons from the CoSIE project 98
- Social innovation and service users’ involvement: enhancing the knowledge of social work 112
- Moderating processes of social innovation: insights from a case study on labour market activation 124
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Education and learning: social innovation in social work education and learning
- Regional learning networks in the social welfare domain: drivers of social innovation in social work 139
- Putting learning communities into practice: innovation of social work education 150
- Learning from innovation processes: introducing Easy Language in adult protection services 164
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Community work, community-led innovation and collective action
- The rediscovery of community: community development as social innovation 179
- Climate change from a green social work perspective: responding to a constantly evolving crisis challenging social work practice 193
- Co-creation of nature-based solutions: guidelines for citizen engagement 208
- Innovating social work practices to better address homelessness: participatory action research with community services in Italy 223
- Challenging the power status quo: paradoxes in grassroots social innovation 236
-
Social entrepreneurship: inclusive and regenerative models of social business and innovation for sustainable impact
- Social entrepreneurship as social innovation: what about social work? 251
- The growing rhetoric of entrepreneurship in times of crisis: future challenges of social work in the case of Portugal 263
- Unlimited incubators for belonging, cohesion and impact: nurturing ‘what is already there’ 276
- Developing the innovative power of social work: synthesis and future directions 289
- Index 298
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Front Matter i
- Contents vii
- List of figures and tables x
- List of abbreviations xi
- Notes on contributors xiii
- Introduction 1
-
Framing social innovation and social work
- Social work and social innovation: how the twain can meet 11
- How to change our neighbourhoods, regions and the world: using symptoms, systems and transformation as a framework for social innovation and social work 24
- Social work, social innovation, discretion and creativity: day-to-day innovation of practice 41
- Potential for social innovation in social work: applying the capability approach 54
-
Examples of social innovations in social work across Europe
-
Co-creation and co-production of social services: social innovation in practice
- The art of co-creation: service innovation in Europe 71
- Promoting social services innovation: regional and local examples from across Europe 84
- Co-creation in action: lessons from the CoSIE project 98
- Social innovation and service users’ involvement: enhancing the knowledge of social work 112
- Moderating processes of social innovation: insights from a case study on labour market activation 124
-
Education and learning: social innovation in social work education and learning
- Regional learning networks in the social welfare domain: drivers of social innovation in social work 139
- Putting learning communities into practice: innovation of social work education 150
- Learning from innovation processes: introducing Easy Language in adult protection services 164
-
Community work, community-led innovation and collective action
- The rediscovery of community: community development as social innovation 179
- Climate change from a green social work perspective: responding to a constantly evolving crisis challenging social work practice 193
- Co-creation of nature-based solutions: guidelines for citizen engagement 208
- Innovating social work practices to better address homelessness: participatory action research with community services in Italy 223
- Challenging the power status quo: paradoxes in grassroots social innovation 236
-
Social entrepreneurship: inclusive and regenerative models of social business and innovation for sustainable impact
- Social entrepreneurship as social innovation: what about social work? 251
- The growing rhetoric of entrepreneurship in times of crisis: future challenges of social work in the case of Portugal 263
- Unlimited incubators for belonging, cohesion and impact: nurturing ‘what is already there’ 276
- Developing the innovative power of social work: synthesis and future directions 289
- Index 298
